Omar Sharif's Million Dollar Affair (article) by Paul Kyriazi on AuthorsDen

However, this happened: In 1966, Omar was at a film promotion dinner in Italy. He was sitting next to a 'gorgeous' Italian starlet with 'an amazing figure'. They began flirting. Then they went to a disco where they began making-out in a booth.

Omar tells the story: "I couldn't believe that she said no. I had just made Dr. Zhivago and thought I was irresistible. But she said, 'I don't go to men's rooms.' So I said, 'Okay'.

"Since I had been very worked up, I got upset and went to the casino. I put all my money on one number three times and won on every number. Then they closed the table because I had broken the bank.

NOTE: The payback on betting on a single number is 35 times his bet. It would only take a small bet to break the bank, letting it ride at: 35x35x35.

Omar continues: "They gave me a big pile of money. I was afraid of being robbed, so I packed my bags and took a taxi to Rome. I was a little drunk, so I didn't count the money that night. The next day, I counted it. $1,164,000. ($9.3 million today).

"I thought, because that girl turned me down, I had this amazing luck. She was part of my good fortune. I have to do something for this girl, I told myself.

"I thought about giving her 10%, but then I figured I shouldn't give her money. That's not so cool between a man and a woman that just met once. It might seem like I'm trying to buy her affections to meet up again.

"So I called the florist and said. 'I want to buy every flower you have.' The florist said, 'You can't do that'. I said, 'Yes, I can.' 'But we have 25 tons of flowers.' I said, 'That's good. Send them.' It cost me $100,000.

"Five trucks of flowers were sent to the girl's hotel with a message from me saying, You would have been the most expensive affair I ever had."

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Reviewed by Ronald Hull

Reviewed on May 25, 2020

Omar Sharif, the romantic! I never would have known. But I was in love with his roles in movies and recall going to the Bay Area premier of Dr. Zhivago. Sometimes I can't get the melody of Lara's Theme out of my head.

Thanks for filling me in on his gambling habit. I have great difficulty understanding why people like casino gambling so much. In my brief encounter with it, I have found to be rather seedy and sleazy. And the house always wins unless you are good at card counting in gin.

Ron