Bugsy

Bugsy Siegel (Warren Beatty) is a handsome, charming member of the mob with a vision. He believes that, in a state like Nevada where gambling is legal, and with Hollywood close by, he can develop not just a casino but a whole city that is as glamorous and seductive as the movies. He begins his vision by opening the Flamingo casino, using money from the mob that he can't replace right away. He is inspired by a beautiful dancer Virginia Hill (Annette Bening). By going to all the right restaurants and parties in Los Angeles, Bugsy convinces the best talent to appear at his casino to give it the legitimacy he desires. Meyer Lansky (Ben Kingsley) warns Bugsy that he is in danger if he cannot repay the mob and if he continues to promote this lavish life he envisions in the middle of a desert.



New York gangster Ben 'Bugsy' Siegel takes a brief business trip to Los Angeles. A sharp-dressing womaniser with a foul temper, Siegel doesn't hesitate to kill or maim anyone crossing him. In L.A. the life, the movies, and most of all strong-willed Virginia Hill detain him while his family wait back home. Then a trip to a run-down gambling joint at a spot in the desert known as Las Vegas gives him his big idea.
- Written by Jeremy Perkins





SYNOPSIS

The story opens in New York City where Benjamin Siegel, an organized crime boss whose partners are Charlie "Lucky" Luciano and Meyer Lansky, visits the office of one of their lesser partners and kills him for stealing from the organization. Often called "Bugsy" but hating the nickname (and willing to beat or kill someone for using it), Siegel is being sent to Los Angeles to broker a deal with another gangster, Jack Dragna, in an effort to expand their operations.

Siegel boards a train after saying goodbye to his wife Esta and their two girls. He's visited by Harry Greenberg, an old friend who is irresponsible with his end of Siegel's organization and asks Siegel for money. Disgusted, Siegel gives Greenberg a large sum and dismisses him to sit under a UV lamp and work on his tan.

Arriving in Los Angeles, Siegel is met by another old friend, the actor George Raft, who takes Ben to a studio where the movie Manpower is being shot. On the set, Ben notices a woman, Virginia Hill, who has a job as an extra. Ben is attracted to her immediately and talks to her briefly before she walks off, seemingly uninterested and insulting his ego. George drives Ben back to his hotel through Beverly Hills, pointing out the houses of famous Hollywood people. When George mentions opera singer Lawrence Tibbett, Ben asks George to leave him there. Ben meets with Tibbett himself and mildly coerces Tibbett into selling his house, offering straight cash. Tibbett agrees. A few scenes later, Siegel buys a luxury car from a random person on the street.

Siegel meets with Dragna and his associates at Dragna's office. Dragna isn't interested in Siegel's offer to expand his own business, much less aid Siegel & his associates. Siegel counters, saying that if Dragna won't do business, he'll have to shoot Siegel himself, and even hands Dragna a pistol. Everyone ends up laughing, however Dragna still points out that Siegel's reputation for being a psychotic hothead precedes him and agrees to the deal.

Virginia Hill shows up at Ben's new house and the two begin a torrid love affair. Ben receives a call from Dragna who tells him that his office had been robbed by a small-time gangster, Mickey Cohen. Though no one could see Cohen's face, they knew it was him. Ben asks Raft to have Cohen meet him at a spa. When Cohen arrives, Siegel politely demands the return of the money Cohen stole. Cohen unleashes a torrent of verbal insult and also tells Ben that he'd stolen a lesser amount than Dragna reported. Siegel recognizes that Cohen possesses a larger talent for collecting and enforcement and hires Cohen on the spot after Cohen agrees to give back the money he stole. Cohen also reveals that Virginia has a reputation for being promiscuous in LA, something that Ben jealously takes notice of immediately.

At home, Virginia makes an elegant dinner for Ben, who acts aloof, dropping subtle hints about Virginia's past love life. Virginia is insulted and throws an ashtray at Ben, hitting him in the head. The two are still arguing loudly when Cohen shows up with the money. Ben waits for Jack Dragna to arrive a few minutes later and shows him the cash. Ben then tells Dragna that he gave the job of running Siegel's operation in LA to Cohen. Siegel then turns furious, accusing Dragna of stealing the difference in funds from the Cohen holdup for himself. After a moment of Russian Roulette and then making Dragna crawl around and bark like a dog, Ben gives Dragna the money, ordering him to return to the the safe in the office, along with the cash Dragna himself misappropriated. Back in the dining room, Ben begins to eat the meal Virginia had prepared. Virginia, having eavesdropped on Ben's berating of Dragna, is sexually turned on and the two have sex.

Bugsy continues to make plans and snap decisions on everything - he meets a countess who has contact with dictator Benito Mussolini, and plots to kill him. Bugsy begins bringing Virginia on his trips, but she refuses to fly. Near Las Vegas, Ben checks out a small diner with a few slot machines that does turn a small profit but is too small to keep open. Ben closes the place and the trio heads back to LA. In the desert, after an short argument with Virginia about his family back in New York, Ben has an epiphany. When he goes home and tells his mob buddies about a new venture, The Pink Flamingo casino/hotel, which will be located in a state where gambling is permitted, he tries to juggle the search for Virginia, the proposal to his partners, and his daughter's birthday party. His proposal is successful, but his family life is disintegrating. Despite a promise to Virginia, he fails to ask his wife Esta for a divorce. Esta proposes a divorce instead.

Bugsy returns to Hollywood to convince Virginia of his dream -- he flies into another psychotic episode when he finds her . Design begins, with Bugsy exhibiting his mania. Harry arrives, having escaped from prosecutors, previously planning on informing on the mob. Bugsy takes Harry for a "drive", and Virginia insists on coming along. Bugsy and Harry get out of the car, and only Bugsy returns, muttering his mantra, "Twenty dwarves took turns doing handstands on the carpet." Virginia looks nervous. At a retirement party for one of the partners, Bugsy finds Joey, Virginia's old boyfriend, and beats him almost to death over an insult. Esta finally realizes why Bugsy is spending so much time away, and demands that he ask for a divorce.

Construction on the Flamingo begins, and costs skyrocket. Bugsy gets arrested for the murder of Harry Greenberg. He's held without bail, but is afforded many luxuries, like a butler and telephone, where he continues to organize the build. Virginia runs the construction onsite, and travels back to brief Bugsy in jail. Bugsy continues to make rash decisions, and costs escalate. Meyer tries to reason with him, telling him he can help with some of the costs, and Bugsy says he'll sell his shares of the casino, just to get it built. He sells everything he can to raise money.

Bugsy is released (the witness to the murder apparently has disappeared), and returns to Las Vegas. Cohen tells Bugsy that Virginia has been skimming money from him. When he confronts her, she leaves. The mob meets to determine whether Bugsy knew about the skimming; Meyer defends him, but knows he'll have to handle Bugsy is the hotel fails.

The hotel opens on Christmas, and is a failure. Meyer orders Bugsy to fly back to LA; Virginia returns before he leaves and gives him back the money she skimmed. He refuses to take the money but forgives her. He returns home, and is assassinated. The mob takes over the Flamingo and tells Virginia that Bugsy is dead. The end credits state that Virginia returned the money she skimmed to Meyer and committed suicide. Bugsy's investment generated billions of dollars of revenue, and Las Vegas grew into a massive city.