Film

Bugsy Malone

Name: Bugsy Malone
Genre: Drama, Action, Comedy, Music, Family
Released: 1976
Cast: Scott Baio, Florrie Dugger, Jodie Foster, John Cassisi, Martin Lev

A gangster movie played entirely by children with splurge guns and custard pies instead of bullets and blood, this is one of the strangest, most delightful things Hollywood ever greenlit. Paul Williams' songs are genuinely lovely, the sets and suits are lovingly recreated 1929 New York, and the whole thing runs on total commitment to a joke that never winks at you. Family-friendly, oddly sophisticated, and completely its own thing.

TMDb rating

6.6

If you liked this

The Sting1973

Same Depression-era swagger, same ragtime bounce, same love of a good con dressed up in sharp suits — just with grown-ups running the scam instead of ten-year-olds.

But It's a much longer, twistier film aimed squarely at adults, with none of the innocence or slapstick.

Guys and Dolls1955

The gold standard for gangster musicals — gamblers, showgirls, and torch songs, all delivered with the kind of theatrical polish Bugsy Malone is clearly in love with.

But It's stagier and talkier, built for people who already like old Broadway musicals rather than kids' matinees.

Paper Moon1973

A Depression-era con-artist story carried by a genuinely brilliant child performance, shot in gorgeous black and white with the same nostalgic ache underneath the humour.

But No songs, no gang war, no splurge guns — this is quieter, sadder, and more grounded in real hardship.

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Little Caesar1931no page yet

Bugsy Malone recreates this film's plot beats and posture almost note for note, just with pies instead of bullets — watching the original shows you exactly what the joke is.

This is the actual thing Bugsy Malone is lovingly imitating — the clipped tommy-gun dialogue, the rise-and-fall gangster arc, the whole genre template, played completely straight.

But It's a grim, violent, black-and-white morality tale with none of the warmth or jokes — a genuinely different watch.

Newsies1992no page yet

Another period musical carried almost entirely by young performers, with the same underdog energy and big brassy dance numbers.

But It leans hard into earnest strike-drama sincerity rather than Bugsy Malone's wink-and-custard-pie comedy.

Annie1982no page yet

Depression-era New York, a scrappy young cast, big showstopping numbers — it's the sunnier, more sentimental cousin of Bugsy Malone's world.

But It's softer and more saccharine, with none of the gangster plotting or slapstick violence.

Some Like It Hot1959

Jazz Age gangsters, speakeasies, and glamorous musical numbers played entirely for laughs — the tone Bugsy Malone is affectionately spoofing.

But It's an adult farce with romantic deception and cross-dressing jokes, nothing here for the kids.

Chicago2002

Gangsters, showgirls, and murder turned into razzle-dazzle spectacle — proof the gangster musical never really went away, just got sharper teeth.

But It's cynical and sexy where Bugsy Malone is sweet and innocent — a very different flavour of the same idea.

Oliver!1968

A classic musical carried by child performers in a scrappy period underworld, with tunes just as hummable and a similar theatrical warmth.

But It's set among genuine poverty and menace rather than played entirely as slapstick — the stakes feel heavier.

The Great Muppet Caper1981

A caper played entirely straight-faced by a cast that absolutely shouldn't be taken seriously, with the same gleeful commitment to a ridiculous premise.

But It's puppets rather than kids, and the jokes are pitched more for adults smuggling nostalgia than for children.

West Side Story1961

Strip away the slapstick and Bugsy Malone's plot is a gang-war romance told through music — West Side Story is that same structure taken completely seriously.

The same skeleton — rival gangs, a romance caught in the crossfire, songs that carry the emotional weight — but played as real tragedy instead of comedy.

But It ends in genuine heartbreak rather than a custard-pie free-for-all; this one wants you to feel something painful.

War of the Buttons1962no page yet

Both films use children re-enacting grown-up conflict to gently mock how absurd adult warfare really looks — one does it with splurge guns, the other with actual button-stripping brutality.

French kids wage an elaborate, escalating mock-war against a rival village, taking their conflict with the same deadly seriousness adults bring to real ones.

But It's in French, slower-paced, and has no songs — a wry social satire rather than a splashy musical comedy.