Lenny Bruce
Lenny Bruce (born on 13. October 1925 in Mineola , New York as Leonard Alfred Schneider , died on 3. August 1966 in Los Angeles , California ) was an American stand-up comedian and satirist . Bruce was instrumental in transforming stand-up comedy from mere joke-telling to intelligent, time-based entertainment.
Life
Bruce was born Leonard Alfred Schneider into a Jewish family in Mineola, New York, and grew up in Nassau County . Bruce's repertoire included numbers about politics, religion, law, race , abortion , the Ku Klux Klan , the Catholic Church , the social effects of automation, as well as a large number of jokes that went below the belt. When asked about the latter, he often replied: "If there is something about the human body that disgusts you, complain to the manufacturer!"
Bruce, who appeared with Frank Zappa among others , had repeated problems with the police and the judiciary in the course of his career. Since 1962 he was not allowed to perform in Australia, in the same year he was charged with profanity in San Francisco , but acquitted. In 1964, he was sentenced to six months in prison in New York, but was acquitted again in a later trial. From the beginning of 1966 he was banned from performing almost everywhere in the United States. Towards the end of his life, the subjects of police, profanity and freedom of expression took up a large part of his appearances.
Bruce, known for his drug addiction, died at his home in August 1966 at the age of 40, allegedly of a heroin overdose . There was a needle in his arm.
37 years after his death, Bruce was posthumously pardoned in October 2003 by New York Governor George Pataki for his profanity convictions. It was the first and so far only posthumous pardon in this state.
reception
The resulting film 1974 Lenny from Bob Fosse with Dustin Hoffman is based on Bruce's life. In 1998 the documentary Lenny Bruce: Swear to Tell the Truth was released . The production was done by Robert B. Weide and the productions were nominated for an Oscar .
He is a character in the novel Underworld by Don DeLillo . He appears as a recurring character in the television series The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel , played by Luke Kirby .
Musicians like Stan Ridgway , Bob Dylan , Tom Waits , John Lennon , John Mayall , Nico , REM , Nada Surf , Chumbawamba , Nuclear Valdez and Grace Slick (Father Bruce) were inspired to create songs by him.
Works
- How to Talk Dirty and Influence People. 208 pages, Fireside , 1992, English, ISBN 0671751085 , ISBN 978-0671751081 .
- The Berkeley Concert. Produced by Frank Zappa and Herb Cohen , reprise 2xs 6329, 1968, double LP, USA.
Web links
- Lenny Bruce in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Lenny Bruce at ubqtous.com
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Bruce, Lenny |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Schneider, Leonard Alfred (maiden name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American stand-up comedian and satirist |
| DATE OF BIRTH | October 13, 1925 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Mineola , New York , United States |
| DATE OF DEATH | 3rd August 1966 |
| Place of death | Los Angeles , California , United States |