THE MAN WITH BOGART'S FACE

US, 1980, 106 minutes, Colour.
Robert Sacchi, Olivia Hussey, Michelle Phillips, Franco Nero, Misty Rowe, Victor Buono, Herbert Lom, Sybil Danning, Mike Mazurki, George Raft, Yvonne de Carlo, Jay Robinson.
Directed by Robert Day.

The Man With Bogart's Face has the advantage of Robert Sacchi who does quite a good mimic of Bogart as private eye Sam Marlow. It resembles (and improves on) The Cheap Detective, relying on audience familiarity with stock private eye thrillers: characters, situations, Hollywood stars. There are movie references galore, the heroine (Michelle Phillips) made to look like Gene Tierney as Laura and nostalgic presentation of the expected, especially in some funny one liners. The crime, mystery plot echoes Maltese Falcon-type stories, Sam, Marlow, a direct talking hero (yes, he'll accept the high fee) and there is good comedy from Misty Rowe as the slowest glamorous secretary. Unexceptional and undemanding, thought pleasant.

1. The mystique about Humphrey Bogart? His appeal, role as a superstar, image, embodying American characteristics? The popularity of his films and his screen image? The imitable genres in which he appeared? The private eye ?appearance, mannerisms, manner of speaking? The film enjoying its nostalgia?

2. Robert Sacchi and his looking like Bogart, reincarnating him, dress, manner, speech? The popularity of the Bogart figure, past heroes and their role in the present? Tines changing and not changing? Similarities in behaviour, interests? Heroines? American private eyes as always the same? The songs and their lyrics?

3. The film as an example of Hollywood on Hollywood: audience knowledge of film , genres, situations, manners, heroes and heroines, stars? The continued allusions and references, music e.g. Laura's theme? Enjoyment of the movie references? Spoof, imitation? The appeal of the effect of cinema on 20th. century consciousness? The importance of the guest stars in small roles echoing the past?

4. The private eye thriller and its continued popularity? Its particularly American style? The private eye himself, his look, work, success? The hero with integrity, the underdog? How humorous were the variations on this theme? Sam Marlow as direct, honest, achieving?

5. The mystery itself? the crimes, robberies, murders? The portrait of people involved in crime, greed, double cross? Clues, working out the mystery, the revelation sequence?

6. The use of the patterns of the past and echoing these? The more explicit treatment especially in sexual relationships? More detailed portrait of the criminal? The role of women in this genre?

7. Marlow and his office, the various offers people made and the high fees, Marlow as tough, tender, the relationship with Gena? His surviving and resourcefulness?

8. The women in the private eye thriller: Duchess and Misty Rowe's glamour, dim-wittedness? The laughs at her slowness, innocent sexuality e.g. the telephone breather? Elsa and her distress, her friendship with Marlow, her father? Marlow's inability to save her from death? Gena as the incarnation of Gene Tierney as Laura? Her ambiguous role, her father, the parties and the yachts, lovemaking, the visit to Cataline, the confrontation and the truth? Glamour? Cynthia and her work with Hakim, her original nationality, her glamour, being humiliated?

9. The contrast with the men in the private eye thrillers: Hakim as the Turkish businessman, his fascination for blue, blue clothes, Cynthia in blue, the jewels? His degrading of Cynthia? The irony of Marlow making Hakim strip in compensation for Cynthia? The Commodore as the embodiment of the fat man, gross greed, his toughs? (Yvonne de Carlo as his silent wife?) Mr. Zinderneuf and the Nazi fanaticism, the imprisonment? His wanting the eyes of Alexander? (The irony of his name ? from the fort in Beau Geste?) His eccentricities and the shark biting him and losing? Mr. Zebra and his oily effeminate manner, evil, double-crossing people, the villain and his being executed by Marlow? His personal mannerisms e.g. "of course"? The assorted group of tough guys?

10. The guest stars and their types e.g. George Raft as gangster?

11. The effect of the situations as tough, humorous? The office sequences with Duchess, Marlow being bashed and the camera effects? The gangster confrontation, the party, the finding of Elsa dead?

12. The incidental characters? the police, the bookshop owner, the garbage disposal? The humorous background of the huge Mother and her employing Marlow, his finding of Nicky in the rafters and restoring him to Mother? with amnesia?

13. The build-up of suspense, the revelation sequence, the clues? The final violence? The balance of suspense and deadpan?

14. The American image, hero, heroine, type? American values?