Criticism
Despite its good reviews, Bugsy faced criticism over its portrayal of Siegel.
The film also shows Siegel closing the Flamingo at Christmas of 1946 for improvements and being murdered that night alone at Virginia Hill's house holding a newspaper and watching a projection of himself reading movie lines. While Siegel did close the hotel that day, his murder did not take place until six months later in June 1947. Furthermore, he was with his associate, Allen Smiley, reading a newspaper on the sofa, not watching himself on a home movie screen.
The film also completely ignores the role of William Wilkerson ('The Man Who Built Las Vegas') in the building of the Flamingo; Siegel is shown gazing over an empty desert and deciding to build the Flamingo, but the hotel was conceived and constructed wholly by Wilkerson — Siegel only became involved as it neared completion (Wilkerson owned 48% of the Flamingo until selling out much later).
Read more about this topic: Bugsy
Famous quotes containing the word criticism:
“Of all the cants which are canted in this canting world—though the cant of hypocrites may be the worst—the cant of criticism is the most tormenting!”
—Laurence Sterne (1713–1768)
“As far as criticism is concerned, we don’t resent that unless it is absolutely biased, as it is in most cases.”
—John Vorster (1915–1983)
“It is ... pathetic to observe the complete lack of imagination on the part of certain employers and men and women of the upper-income levels, equally devoid of experience, equally glib with their criticism ... directed against workers, labor leaders, and other villains and personal devils who are the objects of their dart-throwing. Who doesn’t know the wealthy woman who fulminates against the “idle” workers who just won’t get out and hunt jobs?”
—Mary Barnett Gilson (1877–?)