Bugsy Malone (1976)

User Rating:

6.4/10   

Director:

Alan Parker

Writer:

Alan Parker (writer)

Release Date:

15 September 1976 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime | Family | Musical

Tagline:

Quite simply there has never ever been a movie like it

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 | Children | Boxing | Nightclub | Great Depression

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 5 wins & 9 nominations

Cast

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 Organisation Ltd.

Trivia:

Florrie Dugger was at first only given a minor part - until the original actress meant to play Blousey underwent a growth spurt and became taller than Bugsy (Scott Baio), and Dugger was given the role of Blousey.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Dandy Dan's gang invade Mama Lugini's, they smash the pane of glass, and jump through. When he smashes it, only about half of the pane falls out. Next shot, the gang are assembled, and the pane is fully smashed.

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:

Referenced in "Doctor Who: Daleks in Manhattan (#3.4)" (2007)

The greatest kiddie-gangster-musical flick ever to land on the Silver Screen!

Bugsy Malone, a childhood favorite of mine, is perhaps the only musical spoof of gangster films and film noir where all the roles of the gangsters, flappers, bartenders and hitmen are played by children (collective age: 12). In place of the universal racketeer firearms are "splat guns" that cover victims in whipped-cream. Likewise, the cars are pedal-driven like bikes. The story tells of the rise of the womanizing, ex-boxer Bugsy Malone (Scott Baio) who finds himself enlisted in the mob of speakeasy-owner Fat Sam (John Cassisi), who's in the middle of a fierce territorial battle with the suave Dandy Dan (Martin Lev). Dan has come up with a new weapon, the splat gun, leaving Fat Sam to rely on the antiquated manually-thrown pies for his heists. Sam's gang is sweetly gunned-down bit by bit, and Bugsy is ultimately recruited to get a hold of this new weapon and rebuild the gang (which he does with the homeless Down-And-Outs and boxer Leroy Smith, played by Paul Murphy). Baio is remarkable (if you can believe that), and most of the performances are amazing! Jodi Foster excels as vampy nite-club singer Tallulah, and Florrie Dugger (as Blousey Brown -- in her only role to date) is wonderful as Bugsy's piquant love interest. I just don't understand why more of these child-actors didn't go on to bigger and better things like Jodi Foster! And whoever played "Babyface" is remarkable, showing three-times the amount of charisma of Macaulay Culkin. The film was nominated for a series of Oscars and Golden Globe awards and it's apparent as to why. Paul Williams' score is amazing - so many of these songs should be remade! If telling you to seek this one out for sure!