Bugsy Malone (1976)

Director:

Alan Parker

Writer:

Alan Parker (writer)

Release Date:

15 September 1976 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime | Family | Musical

Tagline:

Every year brings a great movie. Every decade a great movie musical!

Plot:

A gangster movie where all the gangsters are children. Instead of real bullets they use "splurge guns" that cover the victim in cream...

Plot Keywords:

Gangster | Dance | Children | New York City | Weapon

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 5 wins & 9 nominations

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Scott Baio	...	Bugsy Malone
Florrie Dugger	...	Blousey Brown
Jodie Foster	...	Tallulah
John Cassisi	...	Fat Sam
Martin Lev	...	Dandy Dan
Paul Murphy	...	Leroy Smith / Gangster
Sheridan Earl Russell	...	Knuckles (as Sheridan Russell)
Albin 'Humpty' Jenkins	...	Fizzy
Paul Chirelstein	...	Smolsky / Boxer
Andrew Paul	...	O'Dreary
Davidson Knight	...	Cagey Joe
Michael Jackson	...	Razamataz
Jeffrey Stevens	...	Louis
Peter Holder	...	Ritzy
Donald Waugh	...	Snake Eyes

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English | Italian

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (35 mm optical prints) | 4-Track Stereo (35 mm magnetic prints)

Certification:

Iceland:L | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Finland:K-12 | Sweden:Btl | UK:U | USA:G | West Germany:6

Filming Locations:

Black Park Country Park, Wexham, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company:

Robert Stigwood Organization (RSO)

Trivia:

All singing was dubbed by adult vocalists.

Goofs:

Continuity: During "Bad Guys", when all of the boys sing "We made the big time, malicious and mad" and take off their hats, Knuckles and Ritzy have messed-up hair. In the very next shot, their hair is neatly slicked back.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Fat Sam: Someone once said it was raining brains; Roxy Robinson wouldn't even get wet. Roxy had spent his whole life making two and two into five, but he could smell trouble like other people could smell gas. But believe you's me, he should've never taken that blind alley by the side of Parido's Bakery. Whatever game it was everybody was playing, sure as eggs is eggs, Roxy the Weasel had been scrambled.

Movie Connections:

References Citizen Kane (1941)

Very innovative considering it's from 1976!

I think this is an excellent movie...good clean fun and there isn't near enough of that on the screen these days! I love the music, (I have always liked Paul Williams' music) the dancing, the kids AND the pedal cars! All in all a great movie. Great costuming, too. It's hard to get pre-pubescent girls to look like vamps but those costumes did a lot in that direction.

The only part that I didn't like was the "Fat Sam" character whose "New Yawk" accent was just a little bit overdone. But I think they did a little play on that when Fat Sam said the word "personally" & Tallulah was making fun of his pronunciation!

It's a shame more of these kids didn't go on to become stars. Maybe their acting wasn't top notch but some of those faces were "wow"! Scott Biao & Jodie Foster are the only two who seem to have went anywhere with their talents.

Fair warning: The "Michael Jackson" in this movie is not the "Michael Jackson" formerly of "The Jackson Five" & known for his "Thriller" video & "other things". It's a totally different person.