It was a small, basement club that had its heyday in the 1950s and 60s -and helped launch the careers of Phyllis Diller, The Smothers Brothers, Lenny Bruce, Woody Allen, and Richard Pryor. When the police arrived, they found a kettle of water turned on and an electric typewriter with an unfinished sentence. It all comes down to context, not the word. 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. 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. He makes the first of several comments on a woman in the audiences meshuggener laugh. He does Transvestites Posing as Policemen. He flips through a magazine with stories about celebrities and lady-kinda ads. He reads the ad for the Mark Eden Method Bust Developer. The last clip is the beginning of the bit 1100 Winos. Please use Chrome, Safari, Firefox, or Edge to view this site. November 16, 2004 10 Songs, 1 hour, 7 minutes 2004 Art of Life Records. To find out more about these recordings, please contact us! He talks about critics and is asked about the recent Congressional hearings about rigged quiz shows. He does Marijuana, Guys Can Detach, Bestiality, and the recording ends during the bit Chicken. Talks about a bit of his about Eleanor Roosevelt and his current obscenity trial in New York (the Caf Au Go Go trial). Also known as The Midnight Concert. Discusses differences between Christians and Jews. He says he has sold his house, and his money is gone. Bruce seeks Bendichs advice. He talks about the double standard in depicting sex vs. violence. In May 2003, the governor of New York issued Lenny Bruce a posthumous pardon, based on what he called the State of New Yorks commitment to upholding the First Amendment. 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). Lenny Bruce died in August of 1966, but you can still hear his voice online. til nigger didnt mean anything anymore, then you could never make some six-year-old black kid cry because somebody called him a nigger at school. Lenny Bruce. He mentions his arrests for giving obscene performances in Beverly Hills, and says we should keep prayer in the schools because we need to understand people who have religious training. It was performed in front of a diverse audience in a jazz club, which he explains his point perfectly at the end. The truth is what is, and what should be is a fantasya terrible, terrible lie that someone gave to the people long ago. Lenny Bruce. He refers to his 1962 obscenity trial in San Francisco, and that he was acquitted. He does Lima, Ohio, discusses his arrest for obscenity in Los Angeles, does his bit Schmuck. Bruce performs his bit about the history of obscenity law and Entrapment by Cops. By Philip Eil The tape ends during a passage in which the band is playing and Bruce is interacting with an audience member. Bruce continues the bit Divorce & Motels, inserting a comment about his difficulties acting like a father to his daughter. He does We Did It to Their Mothers for Chocolate Bars. Worn down by the repeated arrests and trials, Bruce turned away from general satire and talked more about his personal battles with the law and society. Some of the names on the petition included Paul Newman, Bob Dylan, Elizabeth Taylor, James Baldwin, and Woody Allen. He then refers to Shelley Berman, Alan King, George Gobel, Pinky Lee, Bert Parks and Alexander King. He refers to a gig he did in Milwaukee, then does his bit about playing at small-town venues. In March 1964, Steve Allen invited Lenny Bruce to make his 3rd appearance on his show. He talks about the prosecution witnesses at his recent New York obscenity trial, and does Art With a Little Piece of Shit in It. He does How Negroes and Jews Became Entertainers and talks about his scenario for a movie about Christ and the Good Thief. The recording ends abruptly. He does We Did It to Their Mothers for Chocolate Bars, Unscrew You, Never Cop Out, Custody/Get Even, Stag Film vs. King of Kings, Jimmy Hoffa and Would You Sell Out Your Country (Francis Gary Powers). He does the bit The Christian God Has a Face, the Jewish God Doesnt. He mentions his obscenity trial in New York (the Caf Au Go Go trial). Starts in the midst of his bit Flashers. While Breau and Francks had worked together over the previous month, Henstridge literally had only about an hour of rehearsal with the others prior to the making of this recording, though the trio's emphasis was more on spontaneity than set arrangements. (2) Bruce is in the midst of the bit We Killed Christ. He remarks that people are now walking out of the show. Photo by Paul Neugass CC BY-SA 3.0. He says men will have sex with anything. And as a society, we continue to go around in circles. Of more interest is the extended interplay between Breau and Henstridge, as Francks' silliness quickly wears thin. George Wallaces reaction to Pygmies. 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. The show is known as The Berkeley Concert. Lenny Bruce Constitution Quote Shirt $ 30.00 Select options. He does short jokes about Liberace, Richard Nixon, Paul Robeson, Sammy Davis Jr. and Sophie Tucker. Bruce does his bit Custody/Get Even, inserts a little of King Kong, and goes into Stag Film vs. King of Kings. The sixth section is Tim Hardins song Lennys Tune, a.k.a. 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. Bruce refers to his attire, a raincoat, pants and mismatched socks. The second set begins. Bruce refers to his attire, reads from the transcript of his trial for obscenity in San Francisco earlier that year, talks about the hostility in the audience. I know words have power. Jazz music starts playing on the p.a. 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. 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. Description Also available in the iTunes Store. 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. Bruce is in the midst of his King Kong bit. He does his bit on Barry Goldwater and his Jewish roots. Bruce also attracted attention for his edgy routines that often pushed the limits of good taste. He does the bits We Killed Christ, Flashers, Christ & Moses, Are There Any Niggers Here Tonight?, and Black Black Woman White White Woman. Bruce notes that there had been no complaints from patrons. (3) Phone letter by Lenny Bruce to Ralph J. Gleason. (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. Filmmaker, Advertising, Social Specialist. 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). He challenged the status quo, the hypocrisy and corruption of his own government. He holds up a picture of a woman in a nudie magazine and says the name Hugh Hefner will be in the history books for taking the stigma away from nudity and sex. He comments on audience members walking out. The series correspondence, writings and transcripts, and news clippings and articles also have materials pertaining to Lenny Bruce previously gathered by a close friend named Ralph J. Gleason, who was a journalist for the San Francisco Chronicle and later, the founding editor for Rolling Stone Magazine. In the '90's things were changed from comedy to music. One of the charges against him was saying "shmuck." He performs the bits Las Vegas Tits & Ass, I Picked on the Wrong God, Would You Sell Out Your Country (Francis Gary Powers), The Clap, Balloons, Never Cop Out, We Did It to Their Mothers for Chocolate Bars, Dykes, Southern Accents, Christ and Moses, Adolf Eichmann (based on the Thomas Merton poem Chant to Be Used in Processions Around a Site with a Furnace) and Ten Thousand Asses (Tigers & Lions). Thats the place where Lenny Bruce was arrested for obscenities a long time ago. He does his bit about Jack Ruby and Melvin Belli. morgans funny here's a ten minute set from my last time up at the Purple Onion.I love that venue, it has such history. 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. Other Versions (5 of 9) View All The show is in progress. In the early 1960s, the raunchy comedian was at the height of his career. The comedy of Lenny Bruce was changing. Bruce blames the Maryland Hotel cleaning service for the fact that hes wearing a raincoat. He praises Hugh Hefner, who is making it so that the nude female body is no longer filthy. Here are a few clips that show the range, depth, and volatility of a man Complex magazine calls the most. He does some of his bit on Leopold and Loeb, then interacts with the audience. The tenth clip is truncated, ending during the bit. Fundamentally, everything we have created, came from nothing thus, meaning that nothing has a meaning. Bendich tries to ascertain whether the precedent of Gascon v. Superior Court 1959, an unlawful search and seizure case, could apply here. He expresses frustration with the police. After Lennys death, never would a comedian stand trial for the use of obscene language. Bruce talks about doctors and says hes done a lot of hospital time in the last couple of years. The clientele was mixed, but author David Rosen called the Village Purple Onion a "mob-run gay hangout." . He does the Transylvania bit, Airplane Glue, interview with George Washington, King Kong and Tarzan. As Spector and Ginsberg exit the house, Ginsberg leaves the recorder on during the walk. Bruce begins by using the microphone in a gesture of benediction; in his New York obscenity trial that was interpreted as being a masturbatory gesture. He inserts his bit I Picked the Wrong God. One of Bruces signature routines. Bruce speaks of his arrests in Los Angeles both for obscenity and for possession of narcotics. Bruce introduces Levy to his attorney, Mark Blumenthal. The set ends. Third part of a conversation among comedian Lenny Bruce, attorney Albert Bendich and journalist Ralph J. Gleason. First part (of three) of a conversation among comedian Lenny Bruce, attorney Albert Bendich and journalist Ralph J. Gleason. The first clip captures Bruces piece about doctors in old Hollywood movies, and continues with his bit Fay Bainter. Lenny Bruce walks on stage. Drummer Buddy Rich, and singer Eileen Barton are in the audience. But this isn't. 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. Sex from the philosophical viewpoint. Brandeis University He does I Picked on the Wrong God. The place might be Los Angeles, where Bruce lived, or San Francisco, where Bendich and Gleason were based. He does I Picked on the Wrong God. Bruce himself became ill during the trial, which was forced to adjourn while he recovered in hospital. He mentions that journalist Dorothy Kilgallen is in the audience and talks about her. Bendich had been Bruces defense counsel in his 1962 obscenity trial in San Francisco (Bruce was acquitted). A lady cant go through a plate-glass window and go to bed with you five seconds later. "Oscar's Blues" is a dazzling display of his tap dancing backed by Breau, while "Joey's Solo" finds the dancer accompanied only by the cadence of the audience's clapping. Things that will shock you. Steve Allen. He does Filipinos. He does Communism/The Phone Company. Shop The Lenny Bruce Memorial Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. The secondary goal is for Spector and Bruce to discuss Bruces upcoming engagement, financially backed by Spector, at the Music Box theater in Los Angeles. A series of short clips follows, date and venue unknown. A collection of handpicked publications about movies, the film industry and fan art. 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. Squalor has never guaranteed success; chain smoking at the Purple Onion never guaranteed creativity and ingenuity. He tells Catholics theyre lucky to have confession. The Village Purple Onion employed topless female dancers and served as a performance venue for up-and-coming musicians such as Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix. Bendich is impressed by the thoroughness of Bruces research. Astrological Sign: Libra Death Year: 1966 Death. The recording ends in the midst of his bit White Collar Drunk. Lenny Bruce had already made two previous appearances, so why the need to give him such a dedicated introduction? Religion. In the third and sixth clip he mentions The Chronicle, which would place the performances in San Francisco. 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. Towards the end of his life, Lenny was constantly caught up in bust ups with the authorities. Names like Richard Pryor, Lenny Bruce, Bob Newhart, and Phyllis Diller, either got their starts or made their debut at The Purple Onion. His performance at Carnegie Hall took place two years before his 3rd appearance on The Steve Allen Show. He talks about race relations and does Dick Gregory, Ive Never Been Inside a Negros House and Goldwater Talks to Negroes. Bruce starts to do Christ & Moses, then veers into I Picked on the Wrong God. 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 works the bit I Picked the Wrong God into his remarks about the trial and mentions Leopold and Loeb. He reacts to people in the balcony who yell for him to speak louder. He does Las Vegas Tits & Ass, then Would You Sell Out Your Country (Francis Gary Powers), Doing It Is Dirty and We Did It to Their Mothers for Chocolate Bars. Bruce talks about his obscenity trial and the police. Performance by Lenny Bruce. Bruce does Christ & Moses before being arrested, as was audience member George Carlin, who refused to show police his ID. Lenny follows Francks on his lyrical journey matching Francks' timing impeccably. But you already knew that, didnt you? I love them, weve been friends for god knows how long. Showing all 3 results. He does Black Black Woman White White Woman. 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. He talks about Las Vegas, Shelley Berman, Alan King, George Gobel, Pinky Lee, Bert Parks and Alexander King. The file ends during Shelley Berman & the Chicago Shtarkers. He talks about the abundance of police cars in front of the Gate of Horn at the previous nights performance. He discusses how he develops material for his act, and how spontaneity figures in. Bruce performs various bits and speaks of: J.J. 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