Recorded shortly before his death in 1966, this uncut, blackandwhite film captures comedian lenny bruce toward the end of his brief but influential career, revealing an emotionally fragile. Lenny bruce s secondtolast show is captured in this film version of his live performance in san francisco. Theres an occasional spark of the lenny bruce of old, and a sporadic chuckle from the benumbed audience, but on balance the film is painful to watch. Lenny bruce was born in mineola, new york, on october, 1925. Oktober 1925 in mineola, new york als leonard alfred schneider. Lenny bruce s performance film is a footage of the guys secondtolast public performance. Maisel creator explains why the lenny brucemidge maisel bond is so critical to the show the washington post. The film s graininess was the result of magnusons using very low lighting and a fast film stock. Soundtrack from the lenny bruce performance film and reissued as live in san francisco 1966. Lenny bruce, john magnuson, john magnuson, lenny bruce. Viewer kathryn fauble later did some digging and identified this as the lenny bruce performance film or simply lenny bruce according to. Bruce was the subject of the 1974 biographical film lenny, directed by bob fosse and starring.
Recorded shortly before his death in 1966, this uncut, blackandwhite film captures comedian lenny bruce toward the end of his brief but influential career, revealing an emotionally fragile performer who could still deliver a laugh. As fosseverdon showed, fosse directed lenny with dustin hoffman based on the life of comedian lenny bruce. Iconoclast lenny bruce appears at san franciscos basin street west in what was his nexttolast live. Shot in grainy blackandwhite, this film was made at the tail end of lennys career, shortly before his death in 1966. A comedian of darkness magazine the harvard crimson. As a historical document, this is a priceless piece of celluloid.
Performance film deserves to be seen at least once. Shot in grainy blackandwhite, this film was made at the tail end of lenny s career, shortly before his death in 1966. Lenny bruce was not the first standup comedian, but he did create what we now mean by. The lenny bruce performance film dvd, 2005 for sale online. Comic does a monologue, mostly on obscenity, in august 1965 at basin street west in san francisco. Lenny bruces secondtolast show is captured in this film version of his live performance in san francisco. Bruce was ultimately found guilty on that evidence and this film was bruces rebuttal to the verdict. Lenny bruce performance film, a 65minute document made by john magnuson at basin street west, becomes both a supplement to and source film for the fosse work.
With dustin hoffman, valerie perrine, jan miner, stanley beck. Ever since, bruce has remained a persistently present figure in popular culture, from the 1974 film lenny, starring dustin hoffman and directed by bob fosse, to the current television series. And the editing by alan heim has the rhythm of a lenny bruce standup show. Lenny bruce the lenny bruce performance film discogs. Rent the lenny bruce performance film 1965 starring lenny bruce on dvd and bluray.
Yes, before family guy, the cleveland show and american dad there was not only lenny bruce but his acclaimed animated short which emphasizes not only the importance of. By this time, bruce had been unhinged by excessive drug abuse and by his many arrests for obscenity. His albums are back in the record stores and, all things considered, lenny bruce is still one of our most successful comedians. Lenny bruce, who was also jewish, did the same thing, and got in lots of. May 14, 2019 as fosseverdon showed, fosse directed lenny with dustin hoffman based on the life of comedian lenny bruce. The steve allen show, playboys penthouse, christ and moses, thank you mask man, the bust, lenny bruce performance film. The story of acerbic 1960s comic lenny bruce, whose groundbreaking, noholdsbarred style and social commentary was often deemed by the establishment as too obscene for the public. Lenny bruces performance film is a footage of the guys secondtolast public performance.
Lenny bruce pretty much invented what we think of as modern comedy. The lenny bruce performance film opens with a sarcastic satirical animated short thank you masked man which brings to life the very funny lenny bruce skit of the same title. The lenny bruce performance film dvd video region 1. Pulled and pastyfaced, clutching the trial transcripts that became the stuff of his last concerns, a frenetic bruce searches through his repertoire and rambles through bits and pieces.
Mar 19, 1975 it was called simply lenny bruce when it was first released in 1967 and retitled the lenny bruce performance film for its recent re. Lenny bruce was not the first standup comedian, but he did create what we now mean by standup comedy. He began doing standup comedy at age 22 and found some success before joining the u. Bruce was ultimately found guilty on that evidence and this film was bruce s rebuttal to the verdict. Rent the lenny bruce performance film 1965 on dvd and blu. Leonard alfred schneider october, 1925 august 3, 1966, better known by his stage. Lenny bruce from marvelous mrs maisel was a real comedian, and his life was as dramafilled as the show depicts cosmopolitan. Those seeking proof of the muchvaunted brilliance of the highly influential nightclub comic lenny bruce will probably be disappointed by lenny bruce. Bruce was the subject of the 1974 biographical film lenny directed by bob fosse and starring dustin hoffman in an academy awardnominated best actor role, and based on the broadway stage play of the same name written by julian barry and starring cliff gorman in his 1972 tony award winning role.
In may 1945, after a comedic performance for his shipmates in which he was dressed in drag, his commanding officers became upset. Kitty bruce, the almost unpublished lenny bruce 1984, running press includes a graphically spruced up reproduction of stamp help out. Dictated on june 28, 1965 over the phone to an unnamed secretary for john magnuson at imagination inc. Funny is lenny live at carnegie hall, his albums and the thank you masked man cartoon included on this dvd. The lenny bruce performance film has been ranked 94 times, wins 58. It was called simply lenny bruce when it was first released in 1967 and retitled the lenny bruce performance film for its recent re. The lenny bruce performance film 1967, directed by john. Watch the front row the lenny bruce performance film the. Cinematographer bruce surtees is one of the greats. Richard brody on the lenny bruce performance film 1965. The official website of lenny bruce the only site approved. Nonetheless, bruce still manages to come across as both highly intelligent and naturally witty, and its easy to catch glimpses of his genius through the haze. It took place in a small san francisco nightclub, and if the ticketbuyers showed up expecting a nonstop laugh riot, they just might have gone home disappointed.
The films graininess was the result of magnusons using very low lighting and a fast film stock. No wonder she won best actress at cannes that year. Fosse won best director at the oscars for 1972s cabaret. Lenny bruce complete live standup rare, 1965 youtube. One of lenny bruces last nightclub performances films in 1965 at the basin street west, and an animated short, thank you mask man, a parody on the lone ranger saga created by bruce. The lenny bruce performance film 1965 rotten tomatoes.
Meet the cast and learn more about the stars of the lenny bruce performance film with exclusive news, pictures, videos and more at. Lenny bruce has since been brought to new audiences attention by appearing as a recurring character in the 1950s period set show the marvelous mrs. One of lenny bruce s last nightclub performances films in 1965 at the basin street west, and an animated short, thank you mask man, a parody on the lone ranger saga created by bruce. In 2012, british film critic mark kermode put hoffmans performance as lenny bruce at number eight in a topten video of hoffmans best performances. The lenny bruce performance film dvd, 2005 for sale. The lenny bruce performance film lenny bruce actor, writer, john magnuson director, producer rated. Recorded shortly before his death in 1966, this uncut, blackandwhite film captures comedian lenny bruce toward the end of his brief but. However, inasmuch as precious little of lenny bruce has survived on film, lenny bruce. The only firsthand records of bruces work are his autobiography, a posthumous collection of his material entitled the essential lenny bruce, and the lenny bruce performance film.
Iconoclast lenny bruce appears at san franciscos basin street west in what was his nexttolast live appearance. Sep 21, 2004 the lenny bruce performance film, the only widely available video of his work, is a painful chronicle of one of his final performances, spent on a pointbypoint rant against murtaghs opinion. Street cred the lenny bruce performance film cancel my appointments til the year 2000. Jul 31, 2009 and this clip is from the lenny bruce performance film, 00. Rent the lenny bruce performance film 1965 on dvd and. Lenny bruce performance film 1967 cast and crew moviefone. Filmed after a lengthy and costly trial in which bruce was charged with obscenity. Watch the front row the lenny bruce performance film. The lenny bruce performance film cast and crew tv guide. Oct 27, 2019 ever since, bruce has remained a persistently present figure in popular culture, from the 1974 film lenny, starring dustin hoffman and directed by bob fosse, to the current television series. The lenny bruce performance film, the only widely available video of his work, is a painful chronicle of one of his final performances, spent on a.
375 404 1289 426 1082 258 478 1017 663 1021 1557 744 1250 758 736 1638 1520 253 1173 746 87 346 1332 1181 128 257 1125 898 736 307 818