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 United States and United Kingdom, it features an ensemble cast, featuring only child 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, substituting 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 12, 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.
In 2003, it was voted #19 on a list of the 100 greatest musicals, as chosen by viewers of Channel 4 in the UK.[7] In 2008, Empire ranked it 353rd on their list of 500 greatest movies of all time.[8]
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.
^"BUGSY MALONE (U)". British Board of Film Classification. 13 April 1976. Retrieved 4 May 2013.
^"Detail view of Movies Page". www.afi.com.
^ abChapman, J. (2022). The Money Behind the Screen: A History of British Film Finance, 1945-1985. Edinburgh University Press p 357. Income is distributor's receipts, combined domestic and international, as at 31 Dec 1978.
^Alexander Walker, National Heroes: British Cinema in the Seventies and Eighties, Harrap, 1985 p 86
^Kelly, Matthew (31 December 2003). "Bugsy Malone". After They Were Famous. Season 3. Episode 18. ITV.
^"Bugsy Malone (1976) - Box office / business". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 2 December 2011.
^"100 Greatest Musicals – Broadcast Christmas 2003, Channel 4 (UK). Presented by Denise Van Outen". thecustard.tv. The Custard. 2003. Archived from the original on 16 October 2007. Retrieved 18 June 2008.
^The 500 Greatest Movies of All Time – #400–301 empireonline.com; Empire Online. Retrieved 3 June 2010.
BugsyMalone is a 1976 gangster musical comedy film written and directed by Alan Parker (in his feature film directorial debut). A co-production of United...
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educated at Campbell College, Belfast. He played the titular role of BugsyMalone in a stage production at the Grand Opera House, Belfast in July 2011...
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prominence in 1976 at age 13 with three prominent releases; Taxi Driver, BugsyMalone, and The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane, with the first of these...
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[citation needed] Connie Batsford in Bus.[citation needed] Blousie Brown in BugsyMalone (musical).[citation needed] "Stuart St Paul – celebrity guest speaker's...
nomination for The Truman Show (1998). His other notable credits include BugsyMalone (1976), Monty Python's Life of Brian (1979), Time Bandits (1981), Pink...
subgenre resurged with popularity in the 1970s, with movies such as BugsyMalone (1976) and Grease (1978) gaining status as cult classics. Observational...
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the company. (1994–1995), Tin Pan Ali (1996), and the West End musical BugsyMalone (1997). In 1998, she was cast in the television film The Cater Street...
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