Squizzy's Taylor's nickname "Squizzy" is derived from the fact that Taylor had a left eyelid that was ulcerated and drooped hence he needed to "squint" or take a "squiz", the latter being an Australasian colloquial expression meaning to "take a quick close look". The term "squiz" is likely to have its origins from being derived from the word "squint" as one can "squint" when they have an eye or eyelid problem. 'Cassells' says that the word "squiz" dates back to the 1910s in Australian and New Zealand and the term "squiz" also pre-dates this time to pre-twentieth century Devon, England where its meaning was to "examine critically", 'Cassells' suggesting that the Devon use being its origin. It has been suggested that the word "squiz" was originally derived from the word "squint" or even could be an amalgam of both the words "quiz" and "squint". An alternative spelling of the word, "squizz", featured in New Zealand and Australia from the 1930s onwards.
David Atkins was cast in the lead part as Squizzy Taylor because he resembled both Squizzy Taylor and James Cagney. Cagney was famous for playing gangsters.
The meaning and relevance of this film's Squizzy Taylor (1982) title is that it refers to the nickname of a 1920s Australian gangster. Squizzy Taylor's actual full real name was Joseph Leslie Theodore Taylor. Taylor lived between 29 June 1888 and 27 October 1927.
It took David Atkins twelve tries to successfully throw the molotov cocktail bottle through the shop window.
This movie is a semi-fictional biopic.