OMAR SHARIF AND SCHUMANN
By Michel Abécassis, Paris

First printed in the IBPA Bulletin, February, 2004

I appreciated David Rex-Taylor’s letter in the January 2004 IBPA Bulletin describing, with style and wit, his encounter with Omar Sharif in the 1960s. I’ve been lucky enough to know Omar for more than 30 years. I have observed him on many occasions, partnering him at the bridge table and sharing various moments in ‘real’ life as well. Oh, he’s not the perfect man. His changing and sometimes violent moods are very well known all over the world. And he must have been having one of these days when he met Mr. Rex-Taylor, no doubt about it. BUT, he is also - and this seems much more important to me - one of the cleverest, most charming, generous, sensitive persons I have ever met. And what a keen sense of analysis when he talks about bridge!

Anyway, I’m sure Omar himself would take the story told by David Rex-Taylor very gracefully. And when reminiscing about it, he will make us laugh even more as he is an extraordinarily witty storyteller himself. This reminds me of an anecdote from the Sixties when Omar played a tournament with the late Maurice Schumann. A spokesman for Général de Gaulle during World War II and, at the time, the Foreign Affairs Minister in the French government, Schumann was a most respected politician. He was, in a word, somebody. Schumann was also a passionate, though poor bridge player. And he knew it. So very humbly, he came and begged to know whether the Star “would condescend to play a tourney,” with him. Omar actually felt honoured and gently accepted.

Before the game started, the Minister could not stop apologizing for the poor quality of his game and praised Omar’s indulgence. “Don’t worry, Monsieur le Ministre, we all make mistakes. Furthermore, it’s such an honour f or me to be your partner tonight that I would not even think about the slightest reproach against you,” answered Sharif very sincerely.

After play began, Schumann was doing his best to display every possible er ror a bridge player can make. Omar, though he could feel his anger swelling, was trying on his part to be as sweet and reassuring as possible.

Then it came. As they were defending six hearts, Maurice Schumann thought it was urgent to ruff his partner’s good ace of spades. After all, a trick is a trick. But the problem was that Schumann had ruffed with his king of trumps, which was still guarded behind dummy’s ace and would have been the setting trick!

Well, even if it was not the Minister’s most spectacular blunder that evening, it was still a bit too much. Sharif felt like he had just been stabbed in his chest. Turning white as a ghost, he stood up, thereby knocking over his chair, and banged his fist so vehemently on the table that the cards landed in the kibitzers’ laps. The words Omar uttered then cannot be reported here.

Surprisingly enough, this all came to a happy ending. Though Omar left the table without completing the tournament, he soon realised how rude he had been, and apologized the next morning, almost on his knees. Answered the politician, with the kindest of smiles: “No need to apologize, Omar, I slaughtered the whole game! If I were you, I would have reacted the same way...and probably a little earlier, as well.” Schumann was a diplomat, and he was also a gentleman. That’s how it happened and I like this anecdote. Isn’t it evidence that Omar is a true human being - never acting, when not in a movie?

PRINTED IN PREVIOUS IBPA BULLETIN

Omar Sharif has been given a one-month suspended prison sentence for hitting a police officer in a casino in suburban Paris in July. Sharif, 71, was also fined 4000 Euro for "violence toward a police officer," a spokesperson for the Pontoise criminal court said, declining further comment. Sharif had been arguing with a croupier at the casino, and he insulted and then head-butted a policeman who tried to intervene. This echoes an incident in  2000World Championships in Bermuda, where Sharif head-butted Paul Chemla after a disagreement. No Charges were laid as a result of that contretemps, however.