1969 production had little to do with reality.(Knight Ridder Newspapers)

Byline: Glenn Lovell

The 1969 biopic "Che!" _ starring Omar Sharif as the revolutionary Che Guevara and Jack Palance as Fidel Castro _ is that rare production that generates almost universal scorn. Everyone we consulted, including the star and the director, considers what 20th Century Fox did to the charismatic guerrilla leader an affront.

"It's terrible _ TERRIBLE!," shouts Sharif. "They made Castro look so ridiculous. He can't be that stupid: He survived all these years. I think the film was partially financed by the CIA."

Director Richard Fleischer, now 87, says he signed on to do a "pro-Che movie" but the board of directors at Fox got cold ...