Lansky (1999)

This is the telling of the life of organized crime boss, Meyer Lansky, as remembered by him as a very old man who is moving about the world looking for some country that will take him in ... See full summary »

Director:

John McNaughton

Writers:

Uri Dan (book), Dennis Eisenberg (book)

Stars:

Richard Dreyfuss, Yosef Carmon, Mosko Alkalai

Nominated for 1 Primetime Emmy. Another 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Richard Dreyfuss	...	Meyer Lansky
Yosef Carmon	...	Rabbi / Caretaker (as Yosi Carmon)
Mosko Alkalai	...	Jewelry Shopkeeper (as Moscu Alcalay)
Fima Noveck	...	Hasid in Grodno
Joshua Praw	...	Meyer Lansky Age 8
Bernard Hiller	...	Max Lansky
Jill Holden	...	Yetta Lansky
Larry Moss	...	Benjamin Lansky
Chris Marquette	...	Jake Lansky Ages 9-11 (as Christopher Marquette)
Ryan Merriman	...	Meyer Lansky Ages 12-14
Benjamin Kimball Smith	...	Irish Gang Leader (as Benjamin K. Smith)
Brian Casey	...	Irish Boy #1
Adam Hendershott	...	Irish Boy #2
Daniel Sagal	...	Irish Boy #3
Anthony Medwetz	...	Benny Siegel Age 11

Storyline

This is the telling of the life of organized crime boss, Meyer Lansky, as remembered by him as a very old man who is moving about the world looking for some country that will take him in since the US courts have put out an extradition order for him to stand trial. It tells of a young man growing up in the Jewish ghettos of America's big cities at the turn of the century and of his bright intelligence which he used for moving into crime. "I'm only a gambler," he claimed, "just like most all Americans." When asked by a reporter to comment on the killings that occurred under his leadership he declined, thereby making this film's thrust that of personalities and relationships rather than of acts of violence or the workings of corrupt deeds.

---

Plot Keywords:

character name as title | surname as title | meyer lansky character | bugsy siegel character | arnold rothstein character | 

---

Taglines:

The Mind That Organized Crime.

---

Genres:

Drama | Crime

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language, violence and nudity

Did You Know?

Goofs

At the end of the film it stated that Lansky was born in 1903. In fact, he was born on July 4th 1902.

---

Soundtracks

Cachum Bambe
Written by Manuel Lopez
Performed by Lecuona Cuban Boys
Courtesy of Harlequin Records

User Reviews

Interesting, but overall average gangster film.

I'd seen a preview for Lansky on HBO a couple of weeks ago and it looked like a fascinating movie. Too bad the film couldn't meet the expectations. Richard Dreyfuss (Mr. Holland's Opus, Night Falls on Manhattan) stars as Meyer Lansky a gangster from the early 1900's. The film deals with his character throughout the film going back and forth from different ages. Dreyfuss is not the only actor to play Lansky in the film. Dreyfuss plays him from his 30's on, Max Perlich (Beautiful Girls, Georgia) plays him in his 20's, and a child actor plays him at a younger age. The film deals with his dealings in the mob and his family life. Eric Roberts (Runaway Train, Most Wanted) plays Bugsy Siegel and Anthony LaPaglia (The Client, Commandments) plays Lucky Luciano. Both of these actors do well, especially LaPaglia, but aren't given enough screen time. Richard Dreyfuss is very good in the lead, but is out-acted by Max Perlich playing Lansky in his earlier years. I know the film probably wanted a big name (Dreyfuss) but I would have preferred to see Perlich play him the whole time instead of Dreyfuss. The film takes some good choices on how to tell the story, but the story itself is kind of boring. It's interesting at times, but nothing special.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 February 1999 (USA)

Also Known As:

A bűn királya

Filming Locations:

Ambassador Hotel - 3400 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Frederick Zollo Productions, HBO Films, Home Box Office (HBO)

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1