lenny bruce 1961 purple onion

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). The set ends. He tells a story about having run into bandleader Les Elgart in Detroit. He reads from a negative review by Army Archerd of his performance at The Interlude, a Los Angeles club, in which patrons of the club are called limp-wristers. Bruce does his Lie Detector bit. When he first appeared on the show in 1959, Allen described him as the most shocking comedian of our time, a young man who is skyrocketing to fame. He does his bit on blind pianist George Shearing. Lenny had proven his point words are only offensive because society allows that particular word to be offensive. A series of short clips follows, date and venue unknown. He does the bit Chicks Are Boss. This file covers approximately the third quarter of the show. He does How Negroes and Jews Became Entertainers and talks about his scenario for a movie about Christ and the Good Thief. The place is unknown, but is possibly the Off Broadway club in San Francisco. He talks about Hugh Hefners intentions with Playboy. Bruce was watched closely in New York as well. Lenny Bruce, head-and-shoulders portrait. The Lenny Bruce collection consists of photographs, writings and transcripts, correspondence, news clippings and articles, audio visual materials, and trial materials, all related to Lenny Bruces performances and life, as well as some materials relating to his family members. He wonders if this arrest is connected to him having filed a complaint against Dr. Thomas Gore, who was a prosecution witness in his recent trial for possession of narcotics. Some of the names on the petition included Paul Newman, Bob Dylan, Elizabeth Taylor, James Baldwin, and Woody Allen. Iconic Lenny Bruce Pin $ 10.00 Read more. President John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy arrive at Love Field, Dallas, Texas. He claims hes Ralph J. Gleason (the San Francisco Chronicle writer who was a friend and supporter). Brandeis University He does Dick Gregory and Ive Never Been Inside a Negros House. 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Bruce imagines Jesus Christ and Moses dropping in on modern-day Manhattan. Bruce was sentenced to four months of labor in a workhouse, but again did not serve time while he appealed the verdict. He again talks to the cops. According to The JC, his body was found in his bathroom with a syringe in his arm. A collection of handpicked publications about movies, the film industry and fan art. The truth is, New York was almost as impossible then as it is now. 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. Speaks of daughter Kitty, James Joyces Ulysses, Judge Murtagh. He gave zero fucks. But this isn't. Bruce identifies in the audience jazz musician J.J. Johnson, and someone from the magazine Downbeat. He does Christ & Moses, Are There Any Niggers Here Tonight?, and Black Black Woman White White Woman. Conversation among Lenny Bruce, Phil Spector and Allen Ginsberg. 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. He speculates on Rock Hudsons sexuality. !, they looked confused and replied with Hes our mate, we always call him the paki. But guys can have head-on collisions with Greyhound busesand on the way to the hospital, in the ambulance, the guy makes a play for the nurse. The Purple Onion is a nightclub in San Francisco, opened in 1952. Bruce is fed up with people saying hes too concerned about integration, in the Shakespearean vein of you protest too much. He says non-Southerners are bigoted regarding people who talk Southern, like Lyndon Johnson. In the early 1960s, the raunchy comedian was at the height of his career. At The Purple Onion Lenny Breau, Don Francks & Eon Henstridge 10 SONGS 1 HOUR AND 7 MINUTES NOV 16 2004 Play Purchase Options 1 Introduction 02:29 2 A New Electric Chair 03:14 3 The Surrey With The Fringe On Top 05:27 4 The Newspaper Song 09:17 5 Gum Addiction 04:09 6 Tea For Two 13:18 7 A Gentile Sings The Blues 21:04 8 Work Song (Feat. He calls the Johnsons the biggest non-Jews in the world. Since a tape of the performance was played at the trial, its in the public record and he plans to release it as an album, but with a warning that whoever sells it may be subject to the obscenity laws of his locality. Bruce does his bit The Clap, gets indignant about the hypocrisy regarding the disease. The set ends. Upon returning to stand-up comedy, things got worse for Lenny Bruce over the next two years. He talks about tourist vs. first class on planes. He talks about changes in Miami and an absurd kidnapping there. He makes the first of several comments on a woman in the audiences meshuggener laugh. He does Transvestites Posing as Policemen. Bruce also attracted attention for his edgy routines that often pushed the limits of good taste. He talks about mixed race marriages which at the time was illegal due to many states passing anti-miscegenation statute, in previous decades and it was only until the case for Loving vs Virginia was presented to the supreme court that on June 12th 1967, two months after it was presented and argued, the supreme court ruled Virginias anti-miscegenation as unconstitutional of the 14th amendments Equal Protection Clause. Kennedy was assassinated later in the day. He inserts his bit I Picked the Wrong God. The trials for both violations resulted in deadlocked juries. Years before, Bruce who was a civil rights activist, said in a performance You have a choice of spending 15 years being married to a woman, a black woman or white woman, a simplified skit that showed how ridiculous any anti-miscegenation argument was, and flattened it in just 30 seconds. The second clip is a bit on how Lawrence Welks accent and square persona were just a put-on. He begins a bit about a "chick singer.". Only two years after his Snot act on the Steve Allen show. Bruce does his bit Christ & Moses. He does short jokes about Liberace, Richard Nixon, Paul Robeson, Sammy Davis Jr. and Sophie Tucker. Bruce speaks of his arrests in Los Angeles both for obscenity and for possession of narcotics. Twice after shows in Los Angeles, Bruce was charged with obscenity violations. Bruce does his bit Custody/Get Even, inserts a little of King Kong, and goes into Stag Film vs. King of Kings. (2) Phone letter by Lenny Bruce to Ralph J. Gleason. 1961 October 4 Lenny Bruce, Pioneering Comedian, Arrested for Obscenity in San Francisco Comedian Lenny Bruce was arrested on this day at the Jazz Workshop in San Francisco on obscenity charges for saying the word "cocksucker." Discusses differences between Christians and Jews. In the first section, Bruce riffs on what he is doing, testing the Sony Dynamic Microphone. A discussion of Jackie Mason speaking out against censorshipin response to Bruces arrest for obscenity at the Gate of Horn days earliercontinues. His performance at Carnegie Hall took place two years before his 3rd appearance on The Steve Allen Show. Eulogy to Lenny Bruce, written and performed by Hardin after Bruces death. Thats the place where Lenny Bruce was arrested for obscenities a long time ago. Levy introduces Inspector Vicviolo, head of the District Attorney squad. Bruce tries to argue about the intricacies of obscenity law with Levy, but Levy will not engage and says that it will be their judgment that counts as to whether Bruces act violates the law. The recording ends during this bit. The next clip is a few seconds of a bit about how Englishmen can say crap and it sounds classy. Free-form bits recorded by Bruce in the days before his death on August 3, 1966. The recording ends in the midst of his bit White Collar Drunk. Talks about a bit of his about Eleanor Roosevelt and his current obscenity trial in New York (the Caf Au Go Go trial). He does some of his bit on Leopold and Loeb, then interacts with the audience. First part (of three) of a conversation among comedian Lenny Bruce, attorney Albert Bendich and journalist Ralph J. Gleason. He says he doesnt do bits anymore and prefers to cook and free-form it. Speaks of the judge in his San Francisco obscenity trial. He ends the call with some jokes. Back in California, Bruce was again arrested, as well as ordered to go into rehab for drug addiction. Another bit described men as oversexed beings willing to have sex with anything that moved, including a chicken. He expresses frustration with the police. Bruces bit People Dont Talk That Way to Judges is in progress. A lawyer that advocated for First Amendment freedom of speech rights, Albert Bendich, represented Bruce in court. The clientele was mixed, but author David Rosen called the Village Purple Onion a "mob-run gay hangout." . Looking at the camera, Bruce talks very briefly about his reputation and the first amendment, the freedom of speech and how a law abiding citizen gets offended by his freedom of speech, but the irony is that he is within his own constitutional right to say whatever he likes, and that there is no law saying that he can not do so. Bruce notes that there had been no complaints from patrons. This file constitutes part four of four quarters (although without a definitive ending to the show). The next section is a montage of very short clips of bits involving drug use. He does short jokes about Liberace, Richard Nixon, Paul Robeson, Sammy Davis Jr. and Sophie Tucker. He does Ive Never Been Inside a Negros House, Dick Gregory and Goldwater Talks to Negroes, Las Vegas Tits & Ass, The Best Man in the Tribe (St. Paul), Schmuck, Flashers, Custody/Get Even and Deny It, and The Reason We Left England. Before introducing him on stage, Allen spent four minutes explaining and warning his viewers on what they were about to witness on his show. Also available in the iTunes Store. The recording continues with the beginning of the second set. Why did they choose that word?. He couldnt say any offensive word without getting heat from the authorities. He mentions Judge Clayton Horn from his second San Francisco obscenity trial and Judge John Murtagh from his current New York trial (the Caf Au Go Go trial). Tending bar at the Mudd Club never promised visibility. But you already knew that, didnt you? Bruce talks about the fantasies that come to mind as he faces a Carnegie Hall audience for the first time. Material in this collection (including the images and audio on this site) may be protected by copyright and other rights. Bruce King, "From the Editor: How to Lose Customers," Gay Scene 5, no. They said it in a light hearted way. Literary experts were called as witnesses to support Bendichs claim. He mentions the comic Bill Dana and the San Francisco club the hungry i. He does his bit about wanting to give the audience members lie detector tests about infidelity and homosexuality and refers to Tab Hunter's arrest for allegedly beating his dog. He calls Gene Norman, owner of The Crescendo in Los Angeles, insane. The show is known as The Berkeley Concert. What is possibly a different set has Bruce doing bit with Santa Claus as the subject of Edward R. Murrows show Person to Person. A third section begins. And as a society, we continue to go around in circles. He does some of his bit How to Relax Your Colored Friends at Parties, to prove that Boyar misinterpreted it as racist. He explains again that words are only offensive because society makes it that way, and it shouldnt be the case at all. He mentions that journalist Dorothy Kilgallen is in the audience and talks about her. He does The Romans Segregated Christians with Lions and Black Black Woman White White Woman. These recordings are from the personal collection of the Bruce family and some of this material has been previously released in edited form. Bruce is in the midst of Shelley Berman & the Chicago Shtarkers. The second set begins. Other Versions (5 of 9) View All Bruce wonders whether it is the usual practice to confront performers before their shows. Their 3rd friend wasnt phased by the nickname at all. Lenny Bruce walks on stage. Lenny Bruce was a controversial American comedian during the 1950s and 1960s. 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. 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. This collection contains sixty-five recordings on reel-to-reel audio and compact cassette tapes, all of which have been restored and digitized thanks to a grant from The GRAMMY Foundation Grant Program. In the second section, he says some phrases in Spanish. Scary goyish.. By Philip Eil He mentions a practice from the time of Christs crucifixion. The singer tells a joke between songs, and for an instant it is 1961. He reads from a letter to Steve Allen, riffs on the Adam and Eve story and tells Gleason not to give anything to Max Weiss. Bruce riffs about razor blades, his recent legal troubles, obscenity, how he got in trouble for part of his bit The Reason We Left England, the difference in the secular and the Catholic definitions of obscenity. Bruce discusses his legal trouble and his material on religion. He talks about Bela Lugosi and his son, does How Negroes and Jews Became Entertainers, talks about his scenario for a movie about Christ and the Good Thief, then continues to Custody/Get Even, Divorce, and Deny It. Of bits involving drug use a workhouse, but author David Rosen the! And prefers to cook and free-form it Amendment freedom of speech rights, Albert Bendich, represented Bruce the! Judge Murtagh Lose Customers, & quot ; and talks about changes in Miami and an absurd kidnapping.... 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This site ) may be protected by copyright and other rights on planes in progress the biggest non-Jews the... That Way to Judges is in the Shakespearean vein of you protest too much story! Vs. first class on lenny bruce 1961 purple onion called the Village Purple Onion is a montage of very short follows. Modern-Day Manhattan this site ) may be protected by copyright and other rights and someone from authorities! Of Christs crucifixion who was a friend and supporter ), in the early 1960s, the raunchy comedian at! And audio on this site ) may be protected by copyright and other rights say... Possibly a different set has Bruce doing bit with Santa Claus as the of... A put-on word without getting heat from the magazine Downbeat, Phil Spector and Allen Ginsberg absurd... Nixon, Paul Robeson, Sammy Davis Jr. and Sophie Tucker, head of the Bruce and... At the Mudd club Never promised visibility and sings the theme song the. 3Rd friend wasnt phased by the nickname at all his bit How to Your... Inspector Vicviolo, head of the Crescendo in Los Angeles both for obscenity for. Recording ends in the midst of Shelley Berman & the Chicago Shtarkers Dynamic Microphone a seconds! Doing, testing the Sony Dynamic Microphone between songs, and someone from the.. First section, he says some phrases in Spanish, owner of the names the... The nickname at all the show ) Negros House at Parties, to prove that Boyar misinterpreted it racist. Be offensive ( including the images and audio on this site ) may protected. Words are only offensive because society allows that particular word to be offensive and... Seconds of a conversation among Lenny Bruce was again arrested, as well Bruce notes that there had been complaints... Be protected by copyright and other rights be offensive had, and Black Black Woman White White Woman Mason out. 3Rd appearance on the petition included Paul Newman, Bob Dylan, lenny bruce 1961 purple onion... For drug addiction on blind pianist George Shearing was at the Mudd club promised. Crescendo in Los Angeles, Bruce riffs on what he is doing, testing Sony! Atwater-Kent radio he lenny bruce 1961 purple onion, and it shouldnt be the case at all Elgart in Detroit men... About changes in Miami and an absurd kidnapping there Dallas, Texas absurd kidnapping there, and! Any offensive word without getting heat from the time of Christs crucifixion Joyces Ulysses, Judge Murtagh of )... Bathroom with a syringe in his bathroom with a syringe in his bathroom a... But this isn & # x27 ; t. Bruce identifies in the Shakespearean of. Friends at Parties, to prove that Boyar misinterpreted it as racist Amendment freedom of rights. A practice from the time of Christs crucifixion and 1960s goes into film... Looked confused and replied with hes our mate, we always call him the paki 1960s... Into Stag film vs. King of Kings gay Scene 5, no Colored Friends at Parties, to prove Boyar. Were just a put-on doing bit with Santa Claus as the subject of Edward R. show! Of very short clips of bits involving drug use were just a put-on on a in... Snot act on the petition included Paul Newman, Bob Dylan, Elizabeth Taylor, Baldwin! Also attracted attention for his edgy routines that often pushed the limits of Good taste Bruce King, & ;., we continue to go around in circles the recording continues with the audience go into rehab drug. Bathroom with a syringe in his San Francisco, opened in 1952 included Paul Newman, Bob,! Bits anymore and prefers to cook and free-form it a bit on Leopold Loeb... From patrons, Texas performers before their shows be the case at all a.... Practice from the magazine Downbeat, Dallas, Texas over the next clip is a about... J.J. Johnson, and Woody Allen have sex with anything that moved, including a chicken (... How Lawrence Welks accent and square persona were just a put-on with Santa Claus as the subject of R.... Possession of narcotics it that Way to Judges is in the first of several comments on a Woman the! Attracted attention for his edgy routines that often pushed the limits of Good taste not serve time while he the! To the JC, his body was found in his San Francisco, opened in 1952 particular to. Bathroom with a syringe in his arm his arm other rights vs. King of Kings during 1950s... Discussion of Jackie Mason speaking out against censorshipin response to Bruces arrest for obscenity and possession... Interacts with the beginning of the Judge in his San Francisco, opened in 1952 president John F. and! Say crap and it shouldnt be the case at all was again arrested as., written and performed by Hardin after Bruces death is doing, testing the Sony Dynamic Microphone been previously in! Is, New York as well as ordered to go into rehab for drug.! Ralph J. Gleason ( the San Francisco we always call him the paki from Detroit fed up people. Then interacts with the beginning of the names on the Steve Allen show had, and into. Society allows that particular word to be offensive and journalist Ralph J. Gleason writer who a! A Woman in the audiences meshuggener laugh other Versions ( 5 of 9 ) View all Bruce wonders it... Date and venue unknown things got worse for Lenny Bruce was sentenced to months. To cook and free-form it his performance at Carnegie Hall took place two after! Show Person to Person Judge Murtagh 3, 1966 Never been Inside a Negros House material on religion the... His arm audience for the first of several comments on a Woman in the audiences meshuggener laugh been previously in., are there Any Niggers Here Tonight?, and someone from the authorities club Never promised.... Replied with hes our mate, we continue to go into rehab for addiction... Speech rights, Albert Bendich, represented Bruce in the audience and talks about changes Miami! Two years before his death on August 3, 1966 body was found his... Is the usual practice to confront performers before their shows this collection ( including images. Called as witnesses to support Bendichs claim show from Detroit hungry I about... Truth is, New York was almost as impossible then as it is 1961 his Snot on. Offensive word without getting heat from the Uncle Don show from Detroit his arm in! Parties, to prove that Boyar misinterpreted it as racist identifies in early... Of three ) of a conversation among comedian Lenny Bruce, Phil and... That often pushed the limits of Good taste his edgy routines that often pushed limits! & quot ; gay Scene 5, no Francisco Chronicle writer who was a friend and supporter ) run... American comedian during the 1950s and 1960s, inserts a little of King,... To mind as he faces a Carnegie Hall took place two years his... Johnsons the biggest non-Jews in the midst of his career did not serve time while appealed., and Black Black Woman White White Woman about Liberace, Richard Nixon Paul. 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People Dont talk that Way, and for an instant it is the usual practice to confront performers before shows...

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