Bugsy Movie Review – Start of the Las Vegas Strip

The Las Vegas Strip is a real paradise for gamblers with its great entertainment establishments. But few know of its wild origins that began with one man’s overambitious project. Our Bugsy movie review will go through all the important details of this incredible film, such as its production, the plot and cast, and even some extra trivia. We will also see how successful it was and where people can enjoy this fun movie inspired by an infamous mobster’s crazy life.

Bugsy Movie Details

Just like the Flamingo Las Vegas Casino Hotel, this movie’s production started as a man’s ambitious project. Warren Beatty was fascinated with Bugsy Siegel (not to be confused with Bugsy Malone), an infamous gangster with a fascination for Hollywood and the desire to tap into the gambling market.

Release Date: 13th of December, 1991
Director: Barry Levinson
Script: James Toback
Runtime: 136 minutes
Genre: Biography, Crime, Drama
Box Office: $49.1 million
IMDB score: 6.8/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 85% critics, 69% audience positive score
Awards: Best Costume Design Academy AwardBest Art Direction-Set Direction Academy Award

Best Motion Picture – Drama Golden Globe

Beatty hired Barry Levinson to direct the movie and James Toback to write a script while playing the main character Bugsy. With the backing of TriStar Pictures, Beatty achieved his dream and created a fun movie beloved by many.

Bugsy Movie Trailer and Plot – Biographical Drama

The story revolves around Benjamin ‘Bugsy’ Siegel, a gangster with psychotic tendencies who aims to open a legal business in Nevada. Seeing the profits that could be earned from legal gambling, he proposes the creation of a casino hotel called Flamingo Hotel in a location that would eventually become the famous Las Vegas Strip. Meanwhile, he must juggle taking care of his own family in New York, his mob business, and having an affair with Virginia Hill, an actress he meets in Hollywood.

But with a rapidly bloating budget due to his rash decisions, will he be able to create his dream hotel or will the project crash and burn, leading to his demise? It is an incredibly dramatic story about the ambitious spirit that would sow the seeds for Las Vegas’ transformation into a gambling oasis. Peek at the incredible performances that await with the Bugsy movie trailer below.

The passion that went into developing the movie can be felt clearly in almost every aspect. The set designs are marvellous, replicating the atmosphere of America after WWII. The Bugsy movie cast perfectly conveys their characters’ emotions as the plot intertwines Bugsy’s calm civilian life with the dark mafia underworld. As one of the first movies ever made on Bugsy Siegel, it perfectly captures the atmosphere of post-war America with fantastic Bugsy movie quotes such as the one below.

Everybody deserves a fresh start every once in a while – Bugsy Siegel

Bugsy Movie Cast – Spectacular Performance

The Bugsy movie cast features some top actors delivering incredible performances. Characters come to life with the passion and dedication the actors put into their roles, making each scene feel impactful. Warren Beatty is undoubtedly the star of the show as he manages to capture a psychotic gangster’s raw emotion. The Bugsy movie trailer gives Beatty’s broad spectrum a fantastic introduction as he gracefully switches from a confident mobster to a jealous lover.

Actor Role
Warren Beatty Ben ‘Bugsy’ Siegel
Annette Benning Virginia Hill
Ben Kingsley Meyer Lansky
Bill Graham Charlie Luciano
Harvey Keitel Mickey Cohen
Joe Mantegna George Raft
Wendy Phillips Esta Siegel
Richard C. Sarafian Jack Dragna
Elliot Gould Harry Greenberg
Andy Romano Del Webb
Carmine Caridi Frank Costello

But Beatty’s performance was successful due to his interactions with other characters as well. From stiff mob bosses to Virginia’s seductive danger, every actor plays their part spectacularly to deliver a fantastic show. The only thing more impressive is the incredibly authentic costumes, down to the monograms on Bugsy’s lighter.

Twenty dwarves took turns doing handstands on the carpet – Bugsy Siegel, chanting his favourite mantra

Bugsy Movie Reception – Bugsy’s Big Break

Despite complications such as the script being lost once, the movie was a success with a $49.1 million box office. Both critics and fans loved the movie, giving it positive scores such as a 6.8/10 on IMDB. The beautiful performances and fantastic set pieces capture the hearts of many. You can find Bugsy movie watch online on various platforms, due to its popularity and stream or rent it.

Youtube, Amazon, and Netflix all offer high-quality versions of the movie. Enjoy this fantastic tale about one man’s blind ambition with memorable characters and Bugsy movie quotes. If you feel inspired to try some gambling for yourself, check out some of the best real money roulette sites online.

Bugsy Movie Trivia – Fun Facts and Conclusion

In our Bugsy movie review, we will also go over some trivia about the movie. As mentioned above, this movie was Beatty’s passion project, and it was just as ambitious as Bugsy’s casino hotel. However, Bugsy was not the first to come up with the Flamingo Hotel. The project began as Billy Wilkerson’s idea before Bugsy took over the construction project.

Nevertheless, along with the two other major casinos that were on the strip, Bugsy would pave the way for some of the best local Vegas casinos. An accurate replica of the Flamingo Hotel was constructed for the movie, and the movie Bugsy sees in Hollywood is real. Despite some artistic liberties, the Bugsy movie was well-researched and produced with respect for the ambitious mobster.

Let’s get started. Time is vicious when you take it for granted. – Bugsy Siegel, chanting his favourite mantra

Bugsy Movie FAQ

Our Bugsy movie review will provide answers to all your questions and even some additional trivia. The production aspect of movies can sometimes be complicated, or there might not be enough available information. That is why we will provide this information so you can fully enjoy the film.

🎬 Who directed the Bugsy movie?

According to details about the movie, Barry Levinson was picked by Warren Beatty to direct the film, as Beatty would be the main character and could not take on the job of a director. James Toback originally wrote the script with the intention of directing it himself but stepped down as he saw Levinson be the better choice.

📺 Where can I watch the Bugsy movie online?

If you like the Bugsy movie, watch online the film on available streaming services. Due to its huge success and popularity Netflix, Youtube, and Amazon are some of the available methods that provide high-quality versions of the movie. You also always have the option of getting it on DVD if you prefer physical copies.

📽️ What was the movie Bugsy visited the set of in Hollywood?

As a fun bit of trivia and proof of Beatty's dedication to this project, the movie Bugsy sees in Hollywood is a real film from 1941 called Manpower. The bar fight scene in the story and the Bugsy movie trailer is a faithfully recreated version of an actual scene from Manpower, showing the director's attention to detail.

👩 Who played Virginia Hill in the movie?

Among the Bugsy movie cast, Annette Benning made an incredible performance as Virginia Hill. She was personally chosen by Beatty after he was impressed with her audition and cast her in Virginia's role. His infatuation was so deep that he eventually married Benning a year later. Benning was the perfect choice for the dangerous and charming Virginia.

📃 How accurate was the movie’s plot to Bugsy’s life?

Despite the Bugsy movie plot being accurate, there were some creative liberties taken to make it more dramatic. For example, Bugsy did not come up with the Vegas Strip idea on his own, as several major casinos had already been built there. Additionally, Bugsy meets Virginia many years before 1945 when she was still dating Joe Adonis.

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