Why did they choose that word?. Bruce begins the set (possibly the first set) by saying Happy Friday and talking about the clubs owner, George Andros. He does I Picked on the Wrong God. He does the bit The Christian God Has a Face, the Jewish God Doesnt. Even up to his last moments, Bruce never backed down from fighting for what he believed in. Talks about the Catholic Church, Howard Johnsons, Vietnam, protesters, the law, James Joyces Ulysses, bit How the Law Started/Craphouse. He ends the call with some jokes. The location is Club Renaissance in Los Angeles. He does his bit on blind pianist George Shearing. The set ends. (1) Bruce talks about his trial, mentions Leopold and Loeb, his arrest for obscenity days earlier, the abundance of police cars in front of the Gate of Horn at the previous nights performance. The chemistry between Breau and Francks is dynamic to say the least. Squalor has never guaranteed success; chain smoking at the Purple Onion never guaranteed creativity and ingenuity. The recording ends abruptly before the end of the set. Home; Biography; Videos; Donate; Shop; Cart; The Shop. Material in this collection (including the images and audio on this site) may be protected by copyright and other rights. He relates the details of his arrest on a narcotics charge in Los Angeles, the trial, his "Department 95" hearing to determine whether he was a narcotics addict, and the subsequent criminal behavior of the arresting officer. He does his bit The Christian God Has a Face, the Jewish God Doesnt. But instead of being able to perform, he was taken back to the airport and deported. Bruce also attracted attention for his edgy routines that often pushed the limits of good taste. Bruce King, "From the Editor: How to Lose Customers," Gay Scene 5, no. But at that time of recording, Lenny Bruce was under litigation for obscenity by New Yorks [then] District Attorney (D.A. The writings and transcripts offer transcripts of his performances as well as showcase screenplays he had written as well as ones written about him. He flips through a magazine with stories about celebrities and lady-kinda ads. He reads the ad for the Mark Eden Method Bust Developer. Lenny Bruce F**K Quote Shirt . The file ends during the bit Las Vegas Tits & Ass. For example, the word nigger, represents a time of slavery, extreme racism and social injustice at a basic human rights level. He does Men Are Carnal, Las Vegas Tits & Ass and the origin of Obscenity Law, Marijuana, and Airplane Glue. The prosecution used the testimony and notes of the city license inspector, as well as from police officers who attended some of Bruces other performances. He does Barry Goldwater and his Jewish roots, Ive Never Been Inside a Negros House, Goldwater Talks to Negroes, Men Are Carnal, Bestiality Law, Custody/Get Even, Deny It and Hotels Are Dirty. The show is known as The Berkeley Concert. Bruce died in his home in Hollywood Hills in 1966. He does The Romans Segregated Christians with Lions. There is an unknown third man present who makes a comment and asks some questions. Bruce says he is in Saranac, New York, convalescing (from pleurisy). Recorded by Lenny Bruce in the days before his death on August 3, 1966, plus a song written and performed by Tim Hardin after Bruces death. He does Ive Never Been Inside a Negros House, Dick Gregory, Goldwater Talks to Negroes, Las Vegas Tits & Ass, The Best Man in the Tribe (St. Paul), Schmuck, Flashers, and Custody/Get Even and Deny It. He refers to his 1962 obscenity trial in San Francisco, and that he was acquitted. Bruce says he is in Saranac, New York, convalescing (from pleurisy). He does Flashers. Bruce continues his Norman Thomas bit with a rundown of persecuted groups: the Irish, the Filipinos and midgets. He does Ten Thousand Asses (Tigers & Lions), then Shelley Berman & Chicago Shtarkers. He does the bits Las Vegas Tits & Ass, The Clap, Gypsies, and Christ & Moses. (1)The recording begins while the set is in progress. I'm a veteran comedian for 38 years and I've never seen it, like Lenny Bruce said at the Purple Onion, 'We've gone backwards.' There are things you can't say. The Purple Onion is another great release from Art of Life. He calls Gene Norman, owner of The Crescendo in Los Angeles, insane. Its deep within yourself who is offended by that particular word, not the word itself. Bruce does The Act Is Hugging & Kissing, The Clap. Bruce performs his bit about the history of obscenity law and Entrapment by Cops. He talks about pornography, masturbation, crime, and Jews. Lenny Bruce was way ahead of his time. In Which The Artist Discusses Critics, Definitions, His San Francisco Bust, Courts, Juries, Side 1: Critics, Definitions, His San Francisco Bust, Courts, Juries, Cops, His Philadelphia Bust, Corruption, Obscenity, Defines Jewish And Goyishe, Side 6: The Eichmann Theme, The Thomas Merton Poem, Christ And Moses, The Legalization Of Pot, Hillbillies, Judy Garland's Farewell, Side 2: 'The Lie', His Courtroom Fantasy, George Shearing And Guide Dogs For The Blind, Tropic Of Cancer, Cops And Bad Toilet Training, The Philadelphia Hotel, Side 5: Fantasy With The Judge, Las Vegas, The Paradox Of Obscenity, Tits And Ass, Nuns, Paul Robeson And Adolph Eichmann, Side 3: Ride To Jail In Philadelphia, Jails In General, The Philadelphia Lower Courts, Side 4: The Shirley Beck Letters, Blue Suits, Bobby Kennedy, Russians, Integration, Juries, Humour. He died of an accidental drug overdose. In the third and sixth clip he mentions The Chronicle, which would place the performances in San Francisco. Starts in the midst of his bit Flashers. Talks about segregation, Perry Como. Bruces bit People Dont Talk That Way to Judges is in progress. Bruce refers to the fact that the previous Sunday hed only sold 500 tickets for a show at the Curran Theater in San Francisco, leaving 1100 empty seats. He reads a newspaper review of his opening night show at the club. The place is unknown, but is possibly the Off Broadway club in San Francisco. One of my favorites is Tea for Two. The third clip is his bit on a Jewish mother in Miami whos the only one who doesnt know her son is gay. Lenny Bruce was a controversial American comedian during the 1950s and 1960s. Most of these recordings are of Lenny Bruces stand-up comedy performances, and many are whole or partial recordings of the same performance (with variations in audio quality), or combination clips from various performances. Bruce talks about doctors and says hes done a lot of hospital time in the last couple of years. Lenny Bruce - Carnegie Hall (excerpt) (1961) Phil Pebcak 660 subscribers 2.1K views 10 years ago An excerpt from Lenny Bruce's Carnegie Hall performance, February 2, 1961. Please contact the Robert D. Farber University Archives & Special Collections Department, Brandeis University. A preface to the performance on the tape is the repetition of the recorded voice one gets when calling a phone number to get the time of day. Second part (of three) of a conversation among comedian Lenny Bruce, attorney Albert Bendich and journalist Ralph J. Gleason. The recording starts with the show in progress. Bruce holds up a magazine with a picture of a nude or scantily clad woman and asks, how can that chick be indecent? He says he was hip to the Bay of Pigs before most people. Reading law books and other commentaries on free speech now took up most of Bruces time. The show is known as The Berkeley Concert. He does a bit on mothers of different ethnicities. The next clip is a few seconds of a bit about how Englishmen can say crap and it sounds classy. Lenny Bruce performance. He explained that he didnt care what people thought about the nickname because they arent there to understand. He speculates on Rock Hudsons sexuality. Jazz music starts playing on the p.a. He does The Best Man in the Tribe (St. Paul). Talks about a bit of his about Eleanor Roosevelt and his current obscenity trial in New York (the Caf Au Go Go trial). Lenny Bruce died in August of 1966, but you can still hear his voice online. Francks takes the same approach to "Tea for Two," slipping in and out of "Black Coffee" and adding a bit of scatting. Also known as The Midnight Concert. A new set begins. Lenny Bruce, head-and-shoulders portrait. Please email us at [emailprotected], subject line republish, with any questions or to let us know what stories youre picking up. Bruce is reading from a letter a woman sent him. Allen explained to the viewers that Lenny Bruce was going to use a four letter word on television that will shock the viewers to their very core. On the same day, he had received a foreclosure notice, but his death was not a suicide. Shop The Lenny Bruce Memorial Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. He ends by riffing about Barry Goldwater and Lyndon Johnson. Why did you call him that? Lenny Bruce Constitution Quote Shirt $ 30.00 Select options. The singer tells a joke between songs, and for an instant it is 1961. In this conversation, Bruce seeks Bendichs advice as to whether he has grounds to appeal his conviction on a narcotics charge in Los Angeles. He talks about the Romans treatment of Christians and anti-Semitism. "A Gentile Sings the Blues" is a gag that runs a bit too long at 21 minutes, though the instrumental interlude gives the listener a better chance to hear Breau and Henstridge in something other than a background role. Bruce reads from documents associated with his February 1962 arrest for obscenity in San Francisco. He doesnt like double-entendre comics like Belle Barth, and to prove it says an obscenity straightforward. North Beach is alive at night, and the Smothers Brothers have settled in for a month at the Purple Onion. Immediately, Bruce defused the stigma and obscenity of the word shit, and transferred it to another harmless four letter word beginning with an S and ending with a T. It was performed in front of a diverse audience in a jazz club, which he explains his point perfectly at the end. Nobody parsed the meaning of obscenity better than Bruce. Bruce says that he was arrested for obscenity for using the word "fressing" (fress in Yiddish means to eat, but its slang use implies oral sex). Kennedy was assassinated later in the day. Before introducing him on stage, Allen spent four minutes explaining and warning his viewers on what they were about to witness on his show. He was 40 years old. In the first section, Bruce riffs on what he is doing, testing the Sony Dynamic Microphone. Fundamentally, everything we have created, came from nothing thus, meaning that nothing has a meaning. Throughout his career Lenny Bruce said whatever he wanted on stage. The tape ends during a passage in which the band is playing and Bruce is interacting with an audience member. President John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy arrive at Love Field, Dallas, Texas. Arrested and put on trial numerous times, Bruce came to symbolize the debate between free speech versus offensive material. The skit can also be seen in the movie Lenny, performed by Dustin Hoffman who portrays Bruce. The last section is a series of commercials, and possibly outtakes from commercials, for the Los Angeles mens clothing store Zeidler and Zeidler. On Capitol Hill, there are 20,000 mostly young men and women who have tremendous influence but are rarely seen, they work in the background, without recognition and often for long hours with low pay. Originally issues by Fantasy Records (Fantasy 34201) as "Lenny Bruce Live At The Curran Theatre". The date and location are not known (probably 1964 or later). Bruce talks about his obscenity case, his February 1962 arrest for obscenity in San Francisco. Some of the names on the petition included Paul Newman, Bob Dylan, Elizabeth Taylor, James Baldwin, and Woody Allen. (1) Bruce does the bit Flashers, then Snot. Iconic Lenny Bruce Pin $ 10.00 Read more. Well guess whatpeople who want to offend, theyll use it to cause harm and offence to whoever feeds up to it. http://kully.tv. This file constitutes part four of four quarters (although without a definitive ending to the show). He never gave up on his first amendment right, freedom of speech. But it comes down to society and yourself as an individual to take that powerful word that is currently suppressed, and change it so that it becomes normalised, just like the word shit. He does the bits Jewish vs. Goyishe and (Chicago columnist) Paul Molloy & Christianity. Bruce contends that he was framed, and that the heroin reputed to belong to him was planted by White. Were simply trying to make our ride, the best ride possible with what weve got. It all comes down to context, not the word. He riffs on the TV series The Millionaire. He speaks fondly of an Atwater-Kent radio he had, and sings the theme song from the Uncle Don show from Detroit. Bruce talks about undetected perverts, generational differences in sexual practice, and does his bit Chick Singer With a Gimmick. The Official Website of Lenny Bruce. He does the bit Divorce & Motels. (3) The set is in progress. (1) Bruce continues the bit Flashers, then does Midgets, wonders whether Pygmies are midgets, and imagines Gov. (1) The first recording is from June 26, 1964 and captures Nassau County New York Assistant District Attorney Norman Levy warning Lenny Bruce not to violate the obscenity laws of the state of New York during his engagement at The Cork N Bib Restaurant. He calls the Johnsons the biggest non-Jews in the world. Men's voices can be heard--it's the police. Schwartz tells Bruce about his meeting with New York City License Inspector Herbert S. Ruhe. There are things you . In fact, this bit might be riskier today than it was in the 1960s. He does Ten Thousand Asses (Tigers & Lions) and repeats a quote where JFK used the term son of a bitch. The set ends. He does the bit Divorce & Motels. He does his bit on Barry Goldwater and his Jewish roots. and People Dont Talk That Way to Judges. The trials for both violations resulted in deadlocked juries. (2) The bit The Reason We Left England is in progress. He mentions a white minister being locked up for his protest in favor of civil rights (the reference is to Bruce W. Klunder). He says three guys at the previous nights show were obviously law enforcement. He does his bit The Christian God Has a Face, the Jewish God Doesnt and Ive Never Been Inside a Negros House. He talks about food that used to be good for you but is now bad for you, pill addicts, and homosexuals on trial in Miami. The truth is, New York was almost as impossible then as it is now. He refers to a gig he did in Milwaukee, then does his bit about playing at small-town venues. In the third section, he plays the roles of the host of a radio talk show called Nightline, and of some callers. Therecording ends abruptly. Use it to cause harm and offence to whoever feeds up to it dynamic Microphone the place is,... That the heroin reputed to belong to him was planted by White never creativity... Whatever he wanted on stage are Carnal, Las Vegas Tits & Ass injustice a. 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