Bugsy (1991)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

Barry Levinson

Writers (WGA):

Dean Jennings (book) (research source)
James Toback (written by)

Release Date:

20 December 1991 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Crime | Drama

Tagline:

Glamour Was The Disguise.

Plot:

The story of how Bugsy Siegel started Las Vegas.

Plot Keywords:

Gangster | Las Vegas Nevada | Birthday Party | Film In Film | Jealousy

Awards:

Won 2 Oscars. Another 8 wins & 20 nominations

Cast

Warren Beatty	...	Bugsy Siegel
Annette Bening	...	Virginia Hill
Harvey Keitel	...	Mickey Cohen
Ben Kingsley	...	Meyer Lansky
Elliott Gould	...	Harry Greenberg
Joe Mantegna	...	George
Richard C. Sarafian	...	Jack Dragna (as Richard Sarafian)
Bebe Neuwirth	...	Countess di Frasso
Gian-Carlo Scandiuzzi	...	Count di Frasso
Wendy Phillips	...	Esta Siegel
Stefanie Mason	...	Millicent Siegel
Kimberly McCullough	...	Barbara Siegel
Andy Romano	...	Del Webb
Robert Beltran	...	Alejandro
Bill Graham	...	Charlie Luciano

MPAA:

Rated R for violence, language and sensuality.

Runtime:

136 min | USA:149 min (extended edition)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Finland:K-16 (1992) | Finland:K-18 (2006) (extended version) (self applied) | UK:15 (DVD rating) | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Chile:18 | Germany:16 (w) | Netherlands:12 | Norway:15 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

810 Linden Drive, Beverly Hills, California, USA

Company:

TriStar Pictures

Trivia:

After working on this film, Warren Beatty and Annette Bening were married. They'd met several years before when she auditioned for another Beatty production. They met again when she was seriously considered for the role of Tess Trueheart in Dick Tracy (1990).

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: After Siegel (allegedly) murders Greenburg, and as the car containing him and Virginia Hill begins to pull away, you can see in the right rear fender the reflections of two people. One is easy to identify as a human figure, the other looks like someone is possibly hunched over.

Quotes:

Virginia: Why don't you go outside and jerk yourself a soda?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Sopranos: The Test Dream (#5.11)" (2004)

Soundtrack:

ON A SLOW BOAT TO CHINA

"Twenty dwarfs took turns doing handstands on the carpet. " - Ben 'Bugsy' Siegel

I have to say when I rented this golden-oldie which so happened to be nominated for Best Picture at the 1991 Osars, I have to say, I wasn't really expecting much. I heard mixed things about it, and the idea of Warren Beatty playing a vicious mobster kind of seemed unbelievable to me (he did a great job in 'Bonnie and Clyde' but that was a little different.) In all honesty, I really found 'Bugsy' to not only be a very entertaining and enjoyable film, but also very well-made and Oscar-worthy one. Warren Beatty gives an unprecedented performance as the tough mafioso, Bugsy Siegel, who first had the idea of putting casinos in Las Vegas. Annette Bening in an equally brilliant performance plays Bugsy's calculating goomar. The supporting cast is very solid with strong performances from Elliot Gould, Joe Mantegna as actor George Raft, and especially Ben Kingsley as the swift and smart mobster with a heart of gold and Harvey Keital as the mean and ruthless killer who becomes partners with Siegel to start up a hotel/casino. Barry Levinson does a great job directing this period piece which is true to the period (the 1940s), and the screenplay isn't half bad either. Beatty, Keital and Kingsley picked up Oscar nods, along with Levinson for Best Director and the wonderful Annette Bening was somehow unfairly snubbed. If you want to see a cool mob picture that takes place in the 40s, why don't you give 'Bugsy' a shot? It's worth it. Grade: B+