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Bugsy Malone
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Bugsy Malone is a 1976 musical film, very loosely based on events in Chicago, Illinois in the Prohibition era, specifically, the exploits of gangsters like Al Capone as dramatized in cinema. The tongue-in-cheek movie stars children as the gangsters and their molls, toning down the subject matter sufficiently to receive a G rating. The plot concerns the manufacture of a brand of custard, which is used first in cream-topped pies (being hit with one in the face kills the character) then later in splurge guns that enable the dessert to be deployed on an unprecedented level.
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Encyclopedia
Bugsy Malone is a 1976 musical film, very loosely based on events in Chicago, Illinois in the Prohibition era, specifically, the exploits of gangsters like Al Capone as dramatized in cinema. The tongue-in-cheek movie stars children as the gangsters and their molls, toning down the subject matter sufficiently to receive a G rating. The plot concerns the manufacture of a brand of custard, which is used first in cream-topped pies (being hit with one in the face kills the character) then later in splurge guns that enable the dessert to be deployed on an unprecedented level. The musical centers on Fat Sam's Grand Slam speakeasy.
Plot
Fat Sam engages the help of Bugsy Malone (likely named after Chicago gangster Bugs Moran), a smooth city slicker who has been occupied in sweet talking Blousey Brown, a would be girl singer. With Bugsy's help Fat Sam escapes from a frame up, but he later learns that Dandy Dan's mob have splurged nearly all his gang. They've also destroyed his sarsaparilla and grocery rackets- his whole empire's gone.
There's only one hope left, Fat Sam gets Bugsy to help him, meaning he has to break his date with Blousey, who he promised to take to Hollywood.
Meanwhile Bugsy and Leroy Smith, his newfound friend, witness a secret delivery of splurge guns at Dock 17. With a bunch of down and outs, they help themselves from the crates.
Finally Dandy Dan prepares for the showdown at Fat Sam's. When his mob burst in, Bugsy and the guys fire splurge, pies, and flour bombs. Out of the splurging mayhem, Bugsy and Blousey escape to Hollywood and peace breaks out.
Cast
- Scott Baio as Bugsy Malone
- Florrie Dugger as Blousey Brown: Dugger was originally cast in a minor role, but after the girl cast as Blousey grew taller than Baio, she was given the part.
- Jodie Foster as Tallulah: Foster was already an established Hollywood actress, having previously had main roles in films such as Taxi Driver.
- John Cassisi as Fat Sam
- Martin Lev as Dandy Dan
- Paul Murphy as Leroy Smith
- Sheridan Earl Russell as Knuckles
- 'Humpty' Earl Albossan as Fizzy
- Paul Chirelstein as Captain Smolsky and also a Boxer
Dexter Fletcher (as Baby Face), Bonnie Langford (as Lena Marelli), Mark Curry (as the producer), Kathryn Apanowicz (as the assistant), Phil Daniels (as the waiter) and Jonathan Scott-Taylor have cameo roles.
Production
Bugsy Malone was Alan Parker's first feature film. Parker was trying to find a film which his children would enjoy, and his eldest son suggested one featuring a cast of only children.
Home Video Releases / DVD / Blu - Ray
In the early eighties, the movie was released on VHS and Beta. On April 16, 1996, it was re-released by Paramount on VHS. Although the movie has never been commercially released on DVD in the US, it has been available through Internet sites as an Asian import supporting Region 1 (US). Although this edition of the movie has been acclaimed by commentators on sites such as Amazon.com to be perfectly fine for US DVD players, it has met with speculation of quality issues by possible purchasers per other comments. On September 9, 2008, BMG/Arista released a Blu-Ray version, encoded for "all regions", as a United Kingdom import. This edition includes a director's commentary as well as other special features. A US DVD (Region 1) release was listed around 2003/04 as being available soon; however, as of September 2008, the movie has yet to be released in this format.
Soundtrack
In March 1996, Polydor UK released the soundtrack on CD. It has yet to be released in the US on CD but is available through various outlets as an import. It was released as an LP in 1976. Performers include Paul Williams, Archie Hahn, Julie Mc Wirder, and Liberty Williams. These are the artists who actually sing the songs for the movie. The track listing is as follows:
- Bugsy Malone - Paul Williams
- Fat Sam's Grand Slam - Paul Williams
- Tomorrow
- Bad Guys
- I'm Feeling Fine
- My Name Is Tallulah
- So You Wanna Be a Boxer?
- Ordinary Fool
- Down and Out
- You Give a Little Love - Paul Williams
Legacy
In 2003, Bugsy Malone was voted #19 on a list of the 100 greatest musicals, as chosen by viewers of Channel 4 in the UK, placing it higher than The Phantom of the Opera, Cats, and The King and I. Bugsy Malone ranks 353rd on Empire Magazine's 2008 list of the 500 greatest movies of all time.
Bugsy Malone has been adapted into a stage show. A TV documentary called Bugsy Malone: After They Were Famous features a reunion and interviews with Jodie Foster, Scott Baio, John Cassisi and Florrie Dugger. The British actors who played Fat Sam's gang are also reunited at Pinewood Studios. It was aired in December 2004 on ITV in the UK.
In 2007 during the Super Bowl XLI, an animated Coca-Cola commercial was based around the song You Give a Little Love from Bugsy Malone. It was animated to look like the action computer game Grand Theft Auto. But they replaced the character's normal actions of anger and crime with opposite redeeming actions. The version of the song in the commercial features vocals by Moses Patrou. The episode "Dissolution" of Spaced, a British situation comedy written by and starring Simon Pegg and Jessica Stevenson, pays a subtle and brief homage to Bugsy Malone. A cake fight occurs during Daisy's birthday dinner. The waiter signals angrily to the pianist to end the fight. The brief piano piece heard at the end of Bugsy Malone's final splurge gun fight and as an incidental throughout the movie is played.
The 13th track on British rapper Dizzee Rascal's 2007 album, Maths + English, entitled 'Wanna Be' references the Bugsy Malone track 'So You Wanna be a Boxer'. The song "Ordinary Fool" has been performed on record by Karen Carpenter, Ella Fitzgerald and Mel Tormé.
The Swedish EBM band Spetsnaz performed a cover of "Down and Out", which was released as an extra track on the "Hardcore Hooligans" single. The Newcastle based band Moira Stewart (named after the British newsreader) included a cover of "You Give A Little Love" (with a slight change of title to simply "Give A Little Love") on their début album "Sweetness, Yes!".
Bugsy Malonesplurge guns are based on the Thompson sub-machine gun. All of the names are based on famous gangsters nick-names
External links
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