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 talks about the Romans treatment of Christians and anti-Semitism. A community dedicated to those who are passionate about film. Bruce talks about how, in light of his recent legal troubles, hes tried to understand the prosecutors. He does Christ & Moses, Are There Any Niggers Here Tonight?, and Black Black Woman White White Woman. A discussion of Jackie Mason speaking out against censorshipin response to Bruces arrest for obscenity at the Gate of Horn days earliercontinues. He does his bit about wanting to give the audience members lie detector tests about infidelity and homosexuality. Bruce does his bit about Barry Goldwaters Jewish roots, which suggests that it is 1964. Bruce recounts how he got the label sick comic. He talks about the cover of his album The Sick Humor of Lenny Bruce and says he has a new album (I Am Not a Nut, Elect Me, which was recorded in 1959 and released in 1960). One of my favorites is Tea for Two. The audience reacted positively. He does his bit The Clap. He discusses Jules Podell, his manager, Jack Sobel, Jackie Paris, Mort Sahl, and Burt Boyar. He does Men Are Carnal, Bestiality Law, Custody/Get Even, Deny It. He inserts his bit I Picked the Wrong God. He refers to his 1962 obscenity trial in San Francisco, and that he was acquitted. He mentions the comic Bill Dana and the San Francisco club the hungry i. For example, the word nigger, represents a time of slavery, extreme racism and social injustice at a basic human rights level. He does The Romans Segregated Christians with Lions. Listen to 10-second clips of the Lenny Bruce recordings!To see the collection and listen to the full audio, please contact: ascdepartment@brandeis.edu. Bruce blames the Maryland Hotel cleaning service for the fact that hes wearing a raincoat. 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. The recording continues with the beginning of the second set. Conspiracy to interfere with the fourth amendment const Lenny Bruce. The show is known as The Berkeley Concert. President John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy arrive at Love Field, Dallas, Texas. Although fans of Lenny Breau are likely to be interested in all of his previously unreleased recordings, the focus is primarily on Francks. He died of an accidental drug overdose. Bruce in 1963, after having been arrested in San Francisco. Bruce is introduced by booker Don Friedman. The date and location are not known (probably 1964 or later). He does a bit on the history of obscenity law, his bit Tits & Ass, he interacts with audience members and with accompanying musicians. Bud Steinhoff managed the Purple Onion until his death in November 1983. A lawyer that advocated for First Amendment freedom of speech rights, Albert Bendich, represented Bruce in court. He talks about the abundance of police cars in front of the Gate of Horn at the previous nights performance. The first clip captures Bruces piece about doctors in old Hollywood movies, and continues with his bit Fay Bainter. Bruce is in the midst of recounting the incident for which he was accused of assault and battery on a TV cameraman in Los Angeles. Let me tell you the truth. A new set begins. Bruce starts by joking that hes living on a boat thats outside the three-mile limit. He then tells Gleason about his arrest the previous night, at his home, for having given obscene performances at the Trolley Ho nightclub in Los Angeles (under California Penal Code 311.6). The eighth clip features the marijuana material, a bit about medication, his routine Airplane Glue, and a bit about an old Jewish man buying Zig Zag rolling papers. 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 clientele was mixed, but author David Rosen called the Village Purple Onion a "mob-run gay hangout." . Talks about a bit of his about Eleanor Roosevelt and his current obscenity trial in New York (the Caf Au Go Go trial). The Official Website of Lenny Bruce. To set up an appointment, please contact us here: ascdepartment@brandeis.edu. In the third and sixth clip he mentions The Chronicle, which would place the performances in San Francisco. Throughout his career Lenny Bruce said whatever he wanted on stage. It does not include images; to avoid copyright violations, you must add them manually, following our guidelines. (1)The recording begins while the set is in progress. He gives a rundown of persecuted groups, does Ten Thousand Asses (Tigers & Lions), then Shelley Berman & Chicago Shtarkers. Its important to remember one thing; everything we have created as a species; language, laws, monetary, institutions etc, was appointed by a manmade meaning. Bruces bit People Dont Talk That Way to Judges is in progress. I dont care what they call me because at the end of the day, were there for each other. The show is known as The Berkeley Concert. Bruce starts to do Christ & Moses, then veers into I Picked on the Wrong God. He does some of his bit on Leopold and Loeb, then interacts with the audience. Bruce gives permission for Levy to tape his show. He does Thank You Masked Man, We Killed Christ and Christ & Moses. He praises Hugh Hefner, who is making it so that the nude female body is no longer filthy. He talks about how the Yiddish approach to language is different. As comedy relief, Bruce tells an anecdote, using a W.C. Fields voice, about the judge. The show is known as The Berkeley Concert. Thats the place where Lenny Bruce was arrested for obscenities a long time ago. He says he was hip to the Bay of Pigs before most people. More than 80 celebrities signed a petition demanding Lenny Bruce be allowed to perform, free from censorship and harassment. 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. Lenny Bruce F**K Quote Shirt . Mark Shiffer is one of the authors writing for The Vintage News, Join 1000s of subscribers and receive the best Vintage News in your mailbox for FREE, She Won Gold and Broke World Records After Being Told She Would Never Walk, Ed Wood 5 Fantastic Facts about the Worst Director of All Time, Police arrest a 72-year-old suburban grandfather suspected of being the Golden State Killer, Im not dead yet: some Buddhist monks followed self-mummification, Project Azorian: Howard Hughes secret mission, 1960s U.S. satellite that started transmitting again in 2013, The Walk of Shame in Game of Thrones historical inspiration, The only unsolved skyjacking case in U.S. history might have a break, Kurt Gdel became too paranoid to eat and died of starvation, Little Ease: One of the most feared torture devices in the Tower of London, The humble English girl who became Cora Pearl, Walt Disney softened the original Snow White story. Astrological Sign: Libra Death Year: 1966 Death. But for all their obscurity, nothing gets done in Congress without these aides. He talks about Las Vegas, Shelley Berman, Alan King, George Gobel, Pinky Lee, Bert Parks and Alexander King. Also known as The Midnight Concert. He talks about critics and is asked about the recent Congressional hearings about rigged quiz shows. and Black Black Woman White White Woman. Bruce mentions his bit Religions Inc. from four years earlier. He points out that the California statute 288a calls criminal many sex acts that he assumes the audience has practiced. The Purple Onion originally opened in 1952 under the management of Keith Rockwell. Third part of a conversation among comedian Lenny Bruce, attorney Albert Bendich and journalist Ralph J. Gleason. Bruce is in the midst of Shelley Berman & the Chicago Shtarkers. The truth is, New York was almost as impossible then as it is now. The last section is a series of commercials, and possibly outtakes from commercials, for the Los Angeles mens clothing store Zeidler and Zeidler. He starts his bit The Clap, then has an exchange with an angry man in the audience who wants his money back ($5). Scary goyish.. He claims hes Ralph J. Gleason (the San Francisco Chronicle writer who was a friend and supporter). Bendich tries to ascertain whether the precedent of Gascon v. Superior Court 1959, an unlawful search and seizure case, could apply here. The set is in progress. Bars and theatres were either cancelling his gigs or not booking him at all, out of fear that the police will storm in, arrest Lenny and close the location down indefinitelyhe had no income, and whatever money he did have, was spent towards his legal fees obsessively defending his basic right to freedom of speech. Bruce begins by riffing with some audience members. The fifth clip is his bit The Clap and was recorded during Bruces engagement at the Chicago club The Gate of Horn in November-December 1962. Religion. ), Bruce was introduced at this famous appearance as the most shocking comedian of our time, a man who is skyrocketing to fame. He began his routine with a wry smile and the line, Will Elizabeth Taylor become bar mitzvahd?, The Marine Corps is goyish. Bruce reads from documents associated with his February 1962 arrest for obscenity in San Francisco. Bruce decided to flee to New York City hoping to continue his career. He does his bits Schmuck, Small-town Audiences, Dykes, and the Jewish mother who still doesnt know her son is gay. The photographs document not only his professional career but also his personal life with family and friends. He reiterates what Allen stated, that his current litigation was surrounded by a four letter word that started with an S and ended with a T. He mentions the club owner Benny (Ben I. Shapiro) and does Santa Claus interviewed by Edward R. Murrow. Bruce speaks about and reads from documents associated with his February 1962 arrest for obscenity in San Francisco, including Bruce's own letter to Judge Clayton Horn and tells how it resulted in his being charged with contempt of court. With the bit We Killed Christ he explains how his arrests are really for talking about Christianity. (1) Bruce continues the bit Flashers, then does Midgets, wonders whether Pygmies are midgets, and imagines Gov. The recorder is shut off, then turned on again and Ginsberg identifies the time and date of the conversation at the embattled, barbed wire household of Lenny Bruce.. (3) Phone letter by Lenny Bruce to Ralph J. Gleason. They performed as a trio called Three. He does his bit on Barry Goldwater and his Jewish roots. Bruce begins the set (possibly the first set) by saying Happy Friday and talking about the clubs owner, George Andros. He talks about when Norman words took over for Anglo-Saxon ones, providing euphemisms (such as mutton for the meat of sheep). The materials range in date from the early 1920s to the 2000s. More detailed information on the Lenny Bruce collection audio files can be found here: Lenny Bruce Institutional Repository site. The recording abruptly switches to a different performance, in progress, that most likely takes place in 1964, because he mentions Lyndon Johnson and Barry Goldwater. He does Lima, Ohio, discusses his arrest for obscenity in Los Angeles, does his bit Schmuck. Lenny Bruce Constitution Quote Shirt $ 30.00 Select options. 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. The Purple Onion is a nightclub in San Francisco, opened in 1952. The defense brought in media critics, psychiatrists, and religious figures that supported Bruces right to speak. (2) 15-minute section of a Gate of Horn show on December 9, 1962. (2) Phone letter by Lenny Bruce to Ralph J. Gleason. A new set starts. It was recorded and said to be one of the greatest performances made in the venues history. He reads a newspaper review of his opening night show at the club. However, in 1961 Lenny Bruces career began to unravel, when he was arrested in San Francisco for violating state obscenity laws. On the same day, he had received a foreclosure notice, but his death was not a suicide. He explained that he didnt care what people thought about the nickname because they arent there to understand. Arrested and put on trial numerous times, Bruce came to symbolize the debate between free speech versus offensive material. Lenny Bruce, the pioneering, ribald comedian who died of a drug overdose in 1966, was given a posthumous gubernatorial pardon today for the obscenity conviction that some supporters . He talks about Barry Goldwaters Jewish roots, prejudice and Lee Harvey Oswald. 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 discusses the way violence in Psycho is accepted but not sex in movies, and how this attitude of silencing talk about sex can end in tragedy. He mentions a practice from the time of Christs crucifixion. The prosecution countered with their own academic and medical figures that claimed Bruces comedy had no redeeming value other than to outrage and arouse the audience. 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. He does short jokes about Liberace, Richard Nixon, Paul Robeson, Sammy Davis Jr. and Sophie Tucker. Bruce himself became ill during the trial, which was forced to adjourn while he recovered in hospital. Guitarist Lenny Breau, vocalist/comedian Don Francks, and bassist Eon Henstridge were a brand new trio (later calling themselves Three) when they were recorded in 1961 at the Purple Onion, a Toronto nightclub. Reading law books and other commentaries on free speech now took up most of Bruces time. He does his bit on the Miami Kidnapping, then Airplane Glue, talks about marijuana, then does Christ & Moses, Small-Town Audiences, then Schmuck. Another bit described men as oversexed beings willing to have sex with anything that moved, including a chicken. He does his bit The Christian God Has a Face, the Jewish God Doesnt. Please use Chrome, Safari, Firefox, or Edge to view this site. Sex from the philosophical viewpoint. Opened in 1952, the Purple Onion ran for roughly 60 years before closing its doors in 2012. The recording ends in the midst of his bit To Is a Preposition, Come Is a Verb. He says that in light of this, his upcoming gig in Detroit was canceled. He does Christ & Moses, sings a bit in Yiddish, and closes the set with Ben Hurs mother & sister. He does the bit Chicks Are Boss. Bruce performs several bits and discusses topical matters, Including: his arrest for obscenity, Irv Kup Kupcinet, Will Leonard, Jewish vs. Goyishe, Paul Molloy. He mentions anti-integrationists Ross Barnet and General Edwin A. Walker and wonders what Christ would think about them. May be from different sets and may not be in chronological order. In the end, Lenny Bruce and comedy club owner Howard Solomon were found guilty as charged. He comments on the three people who just walked out, mentions Tab Hunters arrest, does We Killed Christ, and ends the set with Ben Hurs Mother & Sister. One of the charges against him was saying "shmuck." He does his bits Custody/Get Even, and Stag Film vs. King of Kings. Their interaction in Nat Adderley's soulful "Work Song" is amazing, with Breau providing a bit of percussion on his instrument as well. Allmusic critic Ken Dryden notes that while "fans of Lenny Breau are likely to be interested in all of his previously unreleased recordings, . Bruce speaks of his arrests in Los Angeles both for obscenity and for possession of narcotics. After deliberation, the jury acquitted Bruce. It makes no sense to restrict our ride because of what was. 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. Bendich called Bruces biting political and sexual humor the latest in a long line of social satire, going back to literary greats such as Jonathan Swift. 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. Only two years after his Snot act on the Steve Allen show. Talks about the Catholic Church, Howard Johnsons, Vietnam, protesters, the law, James Joyces Ulysses, bit How the Law Started/Craphouse. !, they looked confused and replied with Hes our mate, we always call him the paki. The tape ends during an exchange between Bruce and Gate of Horn owner Alan Ribback about Jackie Mason having just criticized censorship (this was witnessed by Ribback, but its unknown whether it was live or on television or radio). Bruce talks about undetected perverts, generational differences in sexual practice, and does his bit Chick Singer With a Gimmick. He performs the bit How Negroes and Jews Became Entertainers, then talks about Hugh Hefner's strategy in putting out Playboy. Two years later, on February 3rd 1961, New York city was midway through its worst blizzard in its history, successfully halting the city to a stand still the city wouldnt be hit by such a blizzard until 2011. He does Dick Gregory and Ive Never Been Inside a Negros House. A new set begins. The second set begins. Charged and arrested the same year in Chicago, Bruce was found guilty and sentenced to one year in prison. August 5, 2016. A lady cant go through a plate-glass window and go to bed with you five seconds later. Bruce asks the lighting man to turn out all the lights, and says its fun in the dark when were together, but not alone. He reads from a letter to Steve Allen; it is unclear whether the letter was written by Bruce. 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 turns his back to the camera this way, you dont know who said, the band said it, hes timing himself, preparing to say that shocking, obscene, foul, four letter wordhe immediately turns around to the camera. Bruce, Attorney Albert Bendich and journalist Ralph J. 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