Bugsy Malone (1976)

Directed by

Alan Parker

Genre

comedy film, musical film, crime film

Country

Australia, United Kingdom

Runtime

1h 33m

Rated

G

Rating

6.6 of 10 from 319 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

All the actors in this musical comedy are children and teenagers. They play mobsters fighting over territory with machine guns that shoot whipped cream instead of bullets. The film follows a young man named Bugsy Malone as he gets mixed up in the gang war.

whimsicalplayfullightheartedg-ratedcampysillyhigh-energynostalgic

What happens

Bugsy Malone is a 1976 gangster musical comedy film written and directed by Alan Parker (in his feature film directorial debut). A co-production of the United States and United Kingdom, it features an ensemble cast, comprising only child and teenage actors playing adult roles, with Jodie Foster, Scott Baio, and John Cassisi in major roles. The film tells the story of the rise of "Bugsy Malone" and the battle for power between "Fat Sam" and "Dandy Dan". Set in New York City, it is a gangster movie spoof, with machine guns that fire gobs of whipped cream instead of bullets. The film is based loosely on events in New York and Chicago during Prohibition era, specifically the exploits of real-life gangsters such as Al Capone and Bugs Moran. Parker lightened the subject matter considerably for the children's market and the film received a G rating in the U.S. Bugsy Malone premiered at the 1976 Cannes Film Festival, where it competed for the Palme d'Or. It was theatrically released in the United Kingdom on July 23, 1976, by Fox-Rank Distributors, and in the United States by Paramount Pictures on September 15. Although a commercial success in the UK, it was not a financial success overseas. The film received critical acclaim, with praise drawn for Parker's screenplay and direction, its musical numbers, unique narrative and the performances of the cast. The film received eight nominations at the 30th British Academy Film Awards, including Best Film, and won three: Best Supporting Actress and Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles for Foster and Best Screenplay for Parker. The film also received three nominations at the 34th Golden Globe Awards including Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy. In 2008, Empire ranked it 353rd on their list of 500 greatest movies of all time. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

Trailer

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