The 1991 film starring Warren Beatty as Bugsy Siegel is Bugsy. Directed by Barry Levinson, the biographical crime drama portrays the gangster’s ambitions, relationships, and role in the early development of Las Vegas.
Beatty plays Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel, a New York mobster who became involved in organized crime and later pursued a grand vision for a casino resort in the Nevada desert. The film focuses heavily on his affair with actress Virginia Hill, played by Annette Bening, and on the financial and criminal pressures surrounding his project.
Bugsy was written by James Toback and also features Harvey Keitel, Ben Kingsley, Elliott Gould, and Joe Mantegna. Its stylish production and Morricone score helped make it a prominent crime film of the early 1990s.
The movie is based on real figures but takes dramatic liberties. Siegel was killed in Beverly Hills in 1947, before the later expansion of Las Vegas, while the resort connected with his vision became associated with the Flamingo.