Martin Lev as Dandy Dan, rival gang boss who steals Fat Sam's territory (Lev died in 1992, 20 days before his 33rd birthday) Also, the music is all lip syched with the voices provided by adults. This is the beginning of the film dropping its intelligent conceit, a denigration that is made complete during the final shootout. By the end of the film, it has broken all its own rules, and I couldn't help but feel quite disappointed. A 2003 television 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. The documentary reported that Dugger, who (unlike her co-stars) had never acted again, had chosen to pursue a career in the United States Air Force Medical Service. [35] [11] Siskel, Gene (19 November 1976). "... and 'Bugsy Malone,' where kids cut the custard as adults". Chicago Tribune. Section 2, p. 1.

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] Paramount’s Blu-ray for Bugsy Malone is #23 in their Paramount Presents line. It features a slipcover with a flap which opens out to show the original poster art, as well as Digital Copy code on paper insert. Extras include the following, all in HD:Parker cast Baio after he slammed down the script and stormed out of his audition. [9] Baio later remembered: Taking refuge at Fat Sam's Speakeasy, Bugsy and his army disguise themselves as waiters and patrons and await Dan's arrival. Chaos ensues as a massive splurge gun fight erupts and unarmed patrons throw cream pies, covering everyone (except Bugsy and Blousey), but somehow no one gets "finished" this time. Razamataz the piano player is hit from behind and falls onto the keys, striking a single bass note. The tone silences the room, and the cream-covered crowd realize they can all be friends. They perform the final number ("Bad Guys Reprise" / "You Give a Little Love") as Bugsy and Blousey leave for Hollywood.

Williams felt that "... the challenge for me was to provide songs that reflected the period... and yet maintained an energy that would hold the young audiences attention." According to Parker, Williams was writing while on tour, recording songs in different cities, and sending the completed tapes to Hollywood. Arriving during the first pre-shoot rehearsals, the songs had to be accepted and used as they were, with voices by Williams, Archie Hahn, and others. In Los Angeles, Parker met a 12-year-old Jodie Foster, who at the time was about to start the filming of Martin Scorsese's Taxi Driver. About casting Foster as Tallulah and working with her, Parker said: Kelly, Matthew (31 December 2003). "Bugsy Malone". After They Were Famous. Season 3. Episode 18. ITV. The story is an homage to the archetypical gangster films of yore: Fat Sam (John Cassisi) is a mob boss who finds himself in conflict with his rival Dandy Dan (Martin Lev) when the latter uses new weaponry to muscle into Sam’s territory. Low-level mug Bugsy Malone (Scott Baio) finds himself drawn into the conflict even though he just wants to romance the ingenue Blousy (Florence Garland), with Sam’s moll Tallulah (Jodie Foster) waiting in the wings. The narrative is standard fare for the genre, but that familiarity was necessary to anchor the quirky reimagining as a children’s musical. film Bugsy Malone makes its Blu-ray debut in August". HighDefDiscNews. 11 June 2021 . Retrieved 12 June 2021.Two rival gangsters battle for turf and a new, strategically important armament during the Prohibition Era -- a cliche if the entire cast weren't children. 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". Sometime in the 2000s, Coca-Cola Ltd. (Canada) made an animated ad using "You Give A Little Love" that was only screened in movie theaters before any trailers. The song "Ordinary Fool" has been covered by numerous artists including Ella Fitzgerald and The Carpenters. a b Chapman, 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.