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!
Review of Bugsy Malone
Bugsy Malone
(1976)
The greatest kiddie-gangster-musical flick ever to land on the Silver Screen!
29 December 1999