I often write about movies in the middle of the night, when the rest of the world is asleep. Sometimes, a movie will seem like a dream instead of something real. Imagine a musical gangster movie starring all child actors with music by Paul Williams. Yet, wonder of wonders, this movie actually was filmed.Sir Alan Parker's feature-length directorial debut (he also directed Pink Floyd's The Wall, Angel Heart, Fame and so many more), this is also Scott Baio's first movie and features a young Jodie Foster.Why kids? Parker said, "I had four young children and we used to go to a cottage in Derbyshire at weekends. On the long, boring car journey up there, I started telling them the story of a gangster called Bugsy Malone. They'd ask me questions and I'd make up answers, based on my memories of watching old movie reruns as a kid." His oldest son loved the stories and suggested that when he made the movie, children should play the roles. The strangest moment of the film is seeing kids sing with Paul Williams' voice. Parker agrees today. "Watching the film after all these years, this is one aspect that I find the most bizarre. Adult voices coming out of these kids' mouths? I had told Paul that I didn't want squeaky kids voices and he interpreted this in his own way. Anyway, as the tapes arrived, scarcely weeks away from filming, we had no choice but to go along with it!"The film starts with Roxy Robinson being splurged by another gang. In the film, guns shoot whipped cream instead of bullets and once you get splurged, you're done. We meet speakeasy boss Fat Sam and Bugsy Malone (Baio) with a big musical number. Fat Sam is played by John Cassisi, a kid who was selected by Parker after asking for the worst behaved child in his Brooklyn class. Interestingly enough, after he retired from acting, Cassisi became involved in construction, rising to the Director of Global Construction for Citigroup. However, he pleaded guilty to bribery in 2012 and was sentenced to 2 to 6 years in prison, pretty much making him a real gangster.Then, we meet Blousey Brown, a singer, and Dandy Don, the rival gangster who wants to take over Fat Sam's rackets and splurging all his men. Meanwhile, Sam's girlfriend Tallulah (Foster) tries to get between Bugsy and Blousey.Bugsy helps Sam survive a trap that Dandy Dan sets, drawing Bugsy deeper into the gangster life, despite his budding affair with Blousey. Finally, everyone but our young lovers gets splurged and realizes that they can all get along.This is a movie that defies my descriptions. You should just watch the trailer for yourself to confirm to me that this is all real and not a dream.

Born 6 years after this film was made, I can't stop watching this movie anytime I see it. I'm 33 years old. Found myself smiling at the end scene. Such a great film with fitting songs, jokes and fantastic dialog. I call my brother Tallulah as a result.The film is timeless and suitable for adults and children to watch, yet still enjoy. When I have kids I will definitely watch this with them. But saying that, I would happily watch this on a Friday night in with a pizza! There is not much to say (IMDb wants at least 10 lines of text). Great cast - I would recommend watching YouTube after to see the actors' and director's views on the movie and what they look like now.A must watch! Timeless masterpiece!

This musical is a satire on the prohibition and resulting violence occurring in the 1920's. All the characters are kids playing adult roles. The satire is drawn against Bugsy Malone's younger life. The cars are all peddle operated. People get shot with paint and there are plenty of pies in the faces to substitute for violence. Instead of dealing in liquor, the kids are black marketing sarsaparilla (root beer). It's just a great satire of the prohibition era made into a musical, a great credit to younger generation actors. All the kids really do act the part of adults and do it very well. It is too bad the singing is not credited.

Bugsy Malone (1976): Scott Baio, Jodie Foster, John Cassisi, Florrie Dugger, Martin Lev, Paul Murphy, Sheridan Earl Russell, Albin Humpty Jenkins, Paul Chirelstein, Andrew Paul, Davidson Knight, Michael Jackson, Jeffrey Stevens, Peter Holder, Donald Wagh, Michael Kirkby, Jorge Valdez, jon Zebrowski, Ron Meleleu, Paul Besterman, Brian Hardy, Dexter Fletcher, Bonnie Langford, Mark Curry, Vivienne McKone, Helen Corran...Director Alan Parker, Writer Alan Parker....The 1970's was still a big decade for musicals, only its musicals had become more modern in their content. Although this is not a "rock" musical that was common then (Rocky Horror Picture Show, Tommy, Jesus Christ Superstar, etc) it was instead an homage to the Roaring 20's and Gangster Movies. Far from containing violence, sex and foul language, as a standard 1970's gangster movie would have had, we instead have an ensemble cast made up of minors with their lead stars being Scott Baio and Jodie Foster. Foster had already made several movies as a child star and this was the first hit movie of actor Scott Baio who would later become famed as a TV star in the 1980's series "Charles In Charge". John Cassisi as a tough-talking Speakeasy owner and Florrie Dugger as the sweet, Hollywood-bound Blousy. With many song and dance numbers, historically accurate costumes, cars, guns and music, a lot of jokes, and pies-in-the-face, this is a movie that can be enjoyed by the whole family. It's first theatrical release earned it a G rating and although there are guns in the film and gangster wars, there is no violence. Instead of firing bullets, they fire pie cream. This film is a feel-good comedy musical that spoofs gangster movies from an earlier period such like the 1940's. The story is original but it was drawn from real life mob wars such as those in Chicago during the Al Capone Era and those in New York City in the 30's and 40's.Plot: Bugsy Malone (Baio) falls for the aspiring actress/singer Blousy Brown (Dugger)but they are both down-on-their luck until Busy works for the shifty Speakeasy owner and Mafia boss Fat Sam (Cassisi) who is currently in a gang war with his rival. But Fat Sam has Bugsy on his side and a new weapon: cream-of-pie bullets. Much attention at this time went to the maturity of Jodie Foster who plays a sultry lounge singer Tallulah. Already noticeable are the qualities she would display as an adult actress. Although this film has been dismissed as campy and nothing significant, this is still a fine family film that proves to be a hit even years later. Many drama schools still produce this musical and the role of Tallulah particularly is one some singers aspire to.