Bugsy Malone **** (1976, Scott Baio, Jodie Foster, Florrie Dugger, John Cassisi, Martin Lev, Paul Murphy, Patrick Dempsey) – Classic Movie Review 6061

Writer-director Alan Parker’s entertaining 1976 British musical burlesque of the vintage American gangster movies Bugsy Malone has children taking all the roles – led by Scott Baio (aged 15) as Bugsy and Jodie Foster (aged 14) as the vampish Tallulah – battling it out with machine guns spurting whipped cream in 1929 Prohibition-afflicted Gotham.

There, gangster Fat Sam (John Cassisi)’s minions are being splurged by Dandy Dan (Martin Lev)’s new weapon. To thwart his foe, Sam enlists the help of slick tough guy Bugsy Malone (Baio).

It is a sophisticated gangster movie with an all child cast. If you like the cute idea, you will love the film because it is handsomely made and lovingly crafted by Parker with a real sense of fun and energy, plus a neat taste of the period. Paul Williams’s nifty music score gained an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song Score.

The film is aimed mainly for children, but many adults will also enjoy it.

Also in the cast are Florence Garland [Florrie Dugger] as Blousey, Paul Murphy, Sheridan Earl Russell, Albin ‘Humpty’ Jenkins, Paul Chirelstein, Andrew Paul, Davidson Knight, Jeff Stevenson, Peter Holder, Donald Waugh, Bonnie Langford, Jonathan Scott-Taylor, Graham Fletcher-Cook, Phil Daniels, and Dexter Fletcher as Baby Face.

It is Alan Parker’s cinema feature directorial debut, following the classic TV movie The Evacuees (1975).

Baio went straight into TV’s Happy Days (1977-84). Jodie Foster had a busy year with Taxi Driver, The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane, Bugsy Malone and Freaky Friday.

It is Patrick Dempsey’s debut, aged 10, but he made no more films till he was 18.

There were three Golden Globe nominations: Best Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical, Best Original Score – Motion Picture (Paul Williams) and Best Original Song – Motion Picture (Paul Williams for ‘Bugsy Malone’).

It won five BAFTA Film Awards: Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles (Jodie Foster), Best Production Design/Art Direction (Geoffrey Kirkland), Best Screenplay (Alan Parker), Best Sound Track (Les Wiggins, Clive Winter, Ken Barker) and Best Supporting Actress (Jodie Foster).

Bugsy Malone is directed by Alan Parker, runs 93 minutes, is made by Goodtimes Enterprises, Bugsy Malone Productions, National Film Finance Consortium, Robert Stigwood Organization and National Film Trustee Company, is released by Fox-Rank (1976) (UK) and Paramount Pictures (1976) (US), is written by Alan Parker, is shot in Eastmancolor by Michael Seresin and Peter Biziou, is produced by David Puttnam and Alan Marshall, is scored by Paul Williams, and is designed by Geoffrey Kirkland.

Alan Parker (1944–2020).

RIP Alan Parker, director of Bugsy Malone, Midnight Express, The Commitments (1991), Mississippi Burning and Evita, who died on 31 July 2020, aged 76, after a lengthy illness.

© Derek Winnert 2017 Classic Movie Review 6061

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert.com