Robert Sacchi, the actor who so closely resembled Humphrey Bogart that he starred in the 1980 20th Century Fox comedy The Man With Bogart’s Face, died June 23 in Los Angeles after a brief illness, according to a family spokesperson. He was 89.
The Rome-born, Brooklyn-raised actor played Bogart or Bogart look-alikes in several films, TV shows and commercials, including on the series Fantasy Island, Sledge Hammer! and Cybill and Tales From the Crypt on which he lent his voice. He also played Bogart in Phil Collins’ 1990 music video for “I Wish It Would Rain Down.”
Sacchi also starred in a one-man show, Bogey’s Back, and in touring productions of Play It Again, Sam. He even had a top 10 hit single in Germany with 1982’s “Jungle Queen,” a rap performed in Bogart-ese.
In The Man With Bogart’s Face, directed by Robert Day and based on Andrew J. Fenady’s book, Sacchi starred as Sam Marlowe, a private eye in modern-day Hollywood who gets plastic surgery to look like Bogart and solves various cases just like Bogie’s on-screen characters. Michelle Phillips, Franco Nero, Olivia Hussey, Sybil Danning and George Raft co-starred.
His credits also include non-Bogart roles in Across 110th Street and Die Hard 2.
Sacchi is survived by his wife of 51 years, Peruvian artist Angela De Hererera; their two children, Trish Bertisch (Cory) and John Sacchi (Suzanne); Robert Sacchi Jr., Barbara Cohen, Felicia Carroll, Maria Tolstonog, Lisa Osborne and Anthony Sacchi from his first marriage; his brother Mario Sacchi; and three grandchildren.
A memorial mass will be held at 11 a.m. PT July 6 at 11 at St. Brendan’s Catholic Church in Hancock Park.