Parts of mrs maisel he also sounds a bit like rod serling too. I think he makes a reference to twilight zone iirc, so he's playing lenny bruce impersonating rod serling and it's still spot on.
If you were my age (74), you would be in awe of this piece of history. I watched The Steve Allen Show every night on summer vacation. He was original and authentic. Lenny Bruce was a dangerous genius, feared by the Establishment, way ahead of his time. Wonderful!
@@carlodelysid Of course her bits are funnier - they are to MODERN standards. The things she says would have gotten her completely blackballed. Heck, even in the show, someone throws her off the stage for saying "pregnant". Watch an old show where even a married couple has to be shown in 2 separate twin beds, and one of them has to have a foot on the floor, in order to be "clean" enough - then later Bob Newhart was able to be sitting up reading in the same king-sized bed where his wife was lying - until nowadays you have naked women walking out of fires they just killed people in. Quantum leaps.
@@carlodelysid The other day Colbert asked someone "how many f***s do you give" about something. It was bleeped, but it's obvious what he said. That would have gotten the show cancelled, and the network fined, and caused a firestorm of criticism; today it's on youtube.
A lot of the comments here criticize him for not being funny enough. But Lenny was not a simple joke-teller. He was appreciated for his originality, his bravery, and his intelligence. No one else in the fifties made references to segregation, co-habituating, and drug use. He truly was one-of-a-kind.
"A lot of the comments here criticize him for not being funny enough. But Lenny was not a simple joke-teller. He was appreciated for his originality" But he wasn't original, at least on this video. He did the same thing every dull comedian did at that time.
Most of the commenters were born in the 80's. Their attention span is about 5 seconds, so nuanced monologists are well past their comprehension range. Secondly they're filtering the 1950's from media created by people who were born in the 60's and 70's. They've no appreciation for origins and cannot see these 'fossil' decades well before their birth as times that actually happened. Hell they can't even get the 80's right.
He was so far ahead of his time by the 60s the police were waiting for him in order to arrest him doing his act. eventually his act became about the First Amendment and court cases in between arrests. He broke a lot of barriers and paid dearly, as stress, heartbreak and drugs eventually took him. Thanks Lenny for putting it all out there and giving the great comedians that came after you the room to work.🌻
@@zachmcmillan4060 legacy's mean you have to push against the social boundaries and when you push and society pushes back you suffer. That's the fate of many artists who try to pave the way for the ones that follow them.
And today we reverse and condemn comedians to doing stuff that is politically incorrect. How quickly we forget how hard Lenny fought for that freedom. Are the Academy Awards listening?
Lenny Bruce was a genius and this footage proves it. While every episode of Maisel he’s in, Luke Kirby is amazing…especially the last ep of this past season in Carnegie Hall. He won an Emmy award deservedly for the recreation of this clip (and the rest his work in this episode) in the episode titled “All Alone”. Kirby does Bruce justice!
marcy Denville I’m not sure where you live but based on your response I’m going to assume The US. If that’s not the case completely disregard the following; free speech is alive and well. This act is incredibly tame compared to modern standards. Now free speech does not mean free from consequences nor does it mean you can’t speak your mind. You can say whatever you want however you have to understand that your actions have consequences. You come into the conversation with a prejudice against a certain group of people be prepared for some backlash. That’s not censorship, it only feels like it is because things change. It’s all about your intentions, you come into the conversations with the intent to speak to someone as “less than” you’re gonna get shit. Let’s take it’s always sunny in Philadelphia. It’s about terrible people who do and say some terrible things. No one is upset about it because of the intentions( or implications). So yes you can say Apu but just know that saying that paints you as someone who doesn’t care if the recipient of your message is regarded as human, as someone who deserves to be treated like a person. The reason why is because that name has been used as a catch all and stereotype of Indian people and specifically Indian people who are “uneducated and poor.” Again it’s used in a way to look down on someone. Free speech is fine, you are ok and everything will be ok.
HIs initial comment regarding Elizabeth Taylor was unexpected. From that point he stuck to his pre arranged script. And you'll notice after his opening remark he looks over at Steve Allen and points to him for a "gotcha" moment. He then stuck to the plan for the rest of the show. Steve Allen should get a lot of credit for putting his ass on the line for Lenny. That was quite daring at the time.
He did , indeed. Bruce had a reputation as a "blue" comic, and richly deserved. He was nothing short of controversial for taking on topics that were more than "uncomfortable" for mainstream America.
Concur, and want to emphasize: Steve Allen risked his show, maybe his career, by putting on controversial people. Anyone under 30 doesn't remember a time before videotape or DVDs, before you could watch whatever you wanted whenever you wanted. The TV networks were the gatekeepers, and breaking standards could get performers - and hosts! - banished forever.
@@harlanrosenthal8648 Yep...we need more people like that today...the entertainment industry is full of hacks who pat themselves on the back for bravely holding the identical positions on virtually every issue. Audiences aren't challenged any more...
TheBelegur Why Larry David? His character on “Curb Your Enthusiasm” is extreme and you either find it funny or you don’t. I don’t understand being disgusted, though. Larry David was 1/2 of the creation of “Seinfeld,” arguably one of the funniest and most successful shows ever. Help me understand.
Steve Allen was incredibly hip to have performers like Lenny Bruce on his show. Also, Jack Kerouac, reading beat poetry while Steve played jazz piano, and an episode with Frank Zappa. He played a bicycle as an instrument.
To not find Lenny Bruce funny is to not put his act in perspective with the time in history. Sure people joke about drugs all the time any longer-- but in1959 NO ONE joked about drug abuse, hypocrisy or homosexuality as a perfectly acceptable life style.
If I'm not mistaken, @2:06, see more or less says, "... exploit, under the guise of helping these societal problems." To my ears, he treats it as a given that homosexuality is a problem. I'm not really judging them for it, it was a different time. Furthermore, he seems to be approaching it with a sense of kindness. Nevertheless, it definitely doesn't sound like he was mention it in a way that suggested he thought it was a perfectly acceptable lifestyle.
Exactly. People should realize at this time the Civil Rights Act hadn't been passed, it was 10 years before Stonewall, and 50 years before drugs were partially legalized. What Little Richard was to rock n roll, Lenny Bruce was to comedy.
I absolutely heard Carlin too, and some Richard Pryor. No wonder Lenny Bruce is such a big deal. I was shocked that he could do a whole bit on sniffing glue back then. on TV. Kudos to Steve Allen for having the courage to let him do it.
He seems like he would fit right in with today's comedy. And that’s no easy feat at all. I can’t believe I have never heard of him. From the first sentence you can tell he was way ahead of the audience.
Před rokem+9
Lenny was so far ahead of his time, so was Steve Allen. Love this and thanks for sharing it!! I watched a lot of Steve Allen shows back in the day.
@Thereis Hope That's an interesting take, considering most of his victims are minorities but I guess they don't matter to you. Enjoy your f'n puddin pops.
Comedians have always said for the longest time: the clean comedians were the most twisted scumbags they knew in the industry. Brian Posehn talked about a clean comedian he met on the road once who chastized him and his other friends for their dirty material while wandering the pool area with a pair of hookers on his arm.
There was nobody like Lenny at the time. He actually is the blueprint for what late night hosts try to do. Not try to be overly funny joke machines, but be interesting and observant while bringing some humor.
I was born in 1944 and Ib really appreciate seeing this! Yes I was 15 years old In 1959 and My Father and I would Watch the Original TV Night show every night, Staring Steve Allen! Before going to sleep we had to turn on the Radio and find out the Score of the Dodger Game, coming from LA! Those were the Days that I will; Never Forget and Cherious Forever!
Watching this in 2023 inspires me to see that the road ahead is the same as what came before. We're still combating racial discrimination, censorship, and loneliness; Bruce's comedy cuts to the core 64 years means we still have a way to go. Thank you Lenny for your bravery, your courage, and your commitment to seeing the world be a better place.
One difference for me between this skit and the recreation on The Marvelous Mrs Maisel, is that this one still feels like a bit, whereas Luke's version has a dark foreshadowing feel. We're finally getting a real glimpse of the demons he's fighting inside.
Of course this is a bit. It's 1959. He didn't know all what was coming to him. He was making fun of very hard subjects, unmentionable at the time. I would say that replaying this bit with a sense of foreshadowing is wrong. Which comedian does his/her shtick with a sense of foreshadowing?
@@emaarredondo-librarian i mean it is a narrative choice made on a fictional tv show. i dont think anyone assumes he could actually tell the future, it just makes his character arc on the show more emotionally dynamic for when his life does start to go downhill.
I first saw Lenny Bruce in 1961 at 12 years old. Yep, even at my age then I was intrigued with his talk. My mind opened a bit and the rest was history for me and on-to George Carlin, Dick Gregory, Richard Pryor, and all the rest of the greats who spoke the truth. Thank You Dean Jackson
I did come here because of Mrs Maisel but also because I'm drawn to comedians like this. Some people are just funny. What a great mix of humour and sadness toward the end
Right from the start he admits he is going to behave and this was not going to be his controversial act, but you have no idea how taboo it was in those days to even mention something controversial. His shot at Gov Faubus, segregationist Governor of Arkansas, would have been too much for prime time
I loved finding this just now ... but his real brilliance is in the standup on the albums that just couldn't be aired, audio or video, in the late fifties/early sixties. Including bootlegs, I'm happy to say, I have more than a dozen albums. They easily show why comedians for decades hence proclaimed him as a profound beginning in a whole new era of comedy. He was the first I know of where half the "bits" were him just being fairly real about his own life and then being both philosophical and high-fuckin'-larious about it. 8~}
Speaking of influencers, have you heard Lord Buckley? "Buckley's unique stage persona anticipated aspects of the Beat Generation sensibility, and influenced contemporary figures as various as Dizzy Gillespie, Lenny Bruce, Wavy Gravy, Del Close, and, even after Buckley's death, Ken Kesey, George Harrison, Tom Waits, Frank Zappa, Robin Williams, and Jimmy Buffett.[3] Bob Dylan, in his book Chronicles, said "Buckley was the hipster bebop preacher who defied all labels."[4]" from Wikipedia
@@stuartsteinhardt388 I'm glad to have read your post. I feel like I'm in a time capsule. I had absolutely no idea who Lord Buckley was until I found him on You Bet Your Life. I watched that episode awhile ago but didn't understand who he was. Thanks!!
I totally feel like this still stands. If you can simply imagine the time. I'm 30, so this is far before my time but I still get his sense of humor and what he was saying.
Saw his biography so many years ago. It was great to relive his genius on Mrs Maisel, The actor who played Lenny Bruce in Mrs Maisel was brilliant, his mannerisms were superb.
All of Bruce's routines on the show were his real bits. And this appearance fits into the timeline correctly. They take other liberties with the times, though-- I noticed on the show that his airplane glue bit happened too early (I'm pretty sure he wrote that after Midge was married because I think it was from 1957)
The skits on the show are an amalgam of Bruce’s real skits. The actor is wonderful! Lenny died at 41: a real loss. Anyone reading this and doing drugs GET HELP! We need you! You have VALUE! PLEASE! ❤️💋❤️
So, I was a stand up for a living for about three or so years. Found out that I just didn't have the spark, the charisma, to carry a room bigger than about 25 or so drunks. 😁 At the end of the day, I'd've never forgiven myself if I hadn't tried it. About Lenny Bruce... Bruce was the guy who changed *everything* in comedy. EVERYBODY you've ever heard of, clean or blue, owes what they do for a living to Lenny Bruce. This guy had the courage to not only use comedy as commentary, but to use it to force people to look at themselves. Lenny was the guy that made comedy a force for social change for *everyone*... blacks, Jews, gays, whoever... serving up sharp, irreverent, brutally honest jokes to Middle America whites, instead of keeping it on the safer, more segregated audiences of the Borscht Belt or the Green Book circuit. So the next time you're laughing at Dave Chappelle [that 'Juicy Smollay' bit was *hysterical* ] or Ron White or Bill Burr or Kevin Hart or whoever your favorite full contact microphone is, remember that they owe it all to two people: Lenny Bruce and Hugh Hefner [who booked him and was a patron to Bruce's comedy for 20 years].
Steve Allen was quite a guy too. I loved his man on the street skits. Letterman got a lot of his stuff from Steve Allen. Lenny is so special, I don't know what else to say about him. One thing I will say about both of them that is sorely missing today is they got integrity.
Steve Allen was awesome (until he went uber-conservative later on). He was the David Letterman of his era. His TV show was off-the-wall funny with the kind of crazy bits Letterman was known for.
I wasn't around in the 50's and 60's, and I'm from the UK, so a lot of these jokes are over my head, but I still find him very funny. I also really appreciate his bravery in talking about things like segregation, considering the time period. I have a lot of respect for him. R.I.P.
Lenny Bruce was the original comic (along with Mort Sahl to some degree) who talked about real issues and controversial subjects rather than just telling jokes and acting goofy.
very talented, comedic genius and soooooo far ahead of his time...if he were a comedian today, he'd have no trouble at all being one of the great comedians of the day...i realize that so many folks today, especially the young'ns, are unable to recognize his talent, but that has to do with a lot of factors--
People that say Bruce wasn't "funny" enough need to listen to his comedy records. The few TV spots he did are great but he had to tame himself quite a bit, as he was a good 20 years ahead of his time. He was a genius.
That was a great set. Lenny Bruce was brilliant. Richard Pryer used to do performance pieces too. When he played the junky character who kept nodding off. Genius comics both.
I read that in a performance during the Cuban Missile Crisis he blurt out the words every so often "We're all going to die!" He said this at perfectly timed intervals while doing his regular act. Hilarious! Genius!
Lenny Bruce, what a phenomenal talent who risked telling important truths, was courageous and paved the way for so many for freedom of expression. I had no idea he could sing, lovely voice.
Hell, I was toking primo reefer and slugging back the sour-mash naked, carrying on with a broad, while watching this as it originally aired --and I was just short of two months old at the time! We late-boomer-gen young bloods were all so precociously progressive back then, all hyped-up as we were from the super-powerful vibe of the approaching New Frontier of the Space Age. BTW, did you catch who the next act was? Only The Three Stooges, on the bill directly following Lenny Bruce! Those were the days. ( ಠ ͜ʖಠ)
@Willem Fissell Yeah look at how far we have come, drug use, abuse, addiction, & death from them are now the rule rather than the exception. Wow how great is that???
I see comments about Lenny Bruce being a "historic" comic. He isn't just the past; he should be the present and future. He had integrity. He wasn't just going for cheap laughs and a paycheck, unlike many of his contemporaries, including our current batch. Over a lot of people's heads, I see, even today.
Just came over here from a famous GALLERY article (by James Walsh) from 11.1.1972. Unbelievable how brave, how courageous this famous "comedian" has been. And so touching how he is not and never will be forgotten ! Never would have believed finding videos about him ! 100 % fully deserved afterglory ! RIP Lenny, you a l w a y s will be remembered - but your enemies are fallen into oblivion. . .
This is extremely sanitized for television. Lenny was the first comic to use the F bomb in his work. He was far ahead of his time and it killed him. He was a true comic genius in every way and he influenced EVERYBODY who came after him.
6:17 John leguizamo did this in his stand up act.Genius. also feel alot of Richard Pryor energy in this. Lenny Bruce was definetly a pioneer and great comic performer.
I've got to say, at 22 years old, this is the first time I've ever seen anything of Lenny Bruce and I don't think I've ever laughed harder. I found this because most of my favorite comedians such as Dave Chappelle, Patrice O'Neal and Bill Burr cited Lenny Bruce as one of their main inspirations and having seen this, I honestly don't blame them. This is comedy GOLD. PLATINUM, even.
Everyone comes from the Lenny Bruce Tree. He's the godfather of modern comedy styles. To me, he's the singularity. Then we get Pryor, Carlin and everyone else.
My jaw is the floor. If I'm honest, I really only knew about Lenny Bruce from the Rent lyric, but his material still has some edge and relevance 60 years later.
i just watched the Mrs. Maisel clip and this original video side-by-side and the show + Luke Kirby did SUCH a good job recreating and resembling Lenny’s iconic performance.
I find interesting correlations between Bruce's story of how the first kid sniffed airplane glue , how segregation and vapid movies offend him,and his monologue on loneliness to Bill Hick's jokes on the first person to do magic mushrooms, how living a meaningless life offends him, and his joke on wanting an ex to see him on television while trapped under a fat husband.
I already knew Lenny Bruce was a legend but this made me appreciate just how good the actor playing him on Maisel really is!
I checked him out because of Maisel. and I agree 👍
He really is impressive, it almost sounded like the man himself, he's got the mannerisms down pat
Luke Kirby steals the every single scene he appears in, what a testament to the good job the casting did, Lenny Bruce is king!
The actor they picked to play Lenny is spot on. They even look very similar. I love that show.
I want to see that show
Luke kirby really did a great job with capturing his essence. Wow
Watch Luke Kirby in an interview and you'll see why
Has the mannerisms and the speech pattern down. He really studied him well
Parts of mrs maisel he also sounds a bit like rod serling too. I think he makes a reference to twilight zone iirc, so he's playing lenny bruce impersonating rod serling and it's still spot on.
he is a really great actor loved him playing Lenny Bruce captured his essence completely
The head movement and all! He did him justice.
If you were my age (74), you would be in awe of this piece of history. I watched The Steve Allen Show every night on summer vacation. He was original and authentic. Lenny Bruce was a dangerous genius, feared by the Establishment, way ahead of his time. Wonderful!
Today in America its North Korea .
Yes he was, he knew to much. Lenny Bruce is not afraid….. REM knew
@@KillrMillr7all purposeful, pre designed
I'm 73, I remember this era, but I never saw his act. If this vid is representative of his act then I don't think I missed anything.
@@chrave1956 Not yet, but maybe later.
Marvelous Mrs. Maisel really nailed the short recreation of this.
Except for the set. For some reason, the squares were replaced by circles.
not really.... when i find myself enjoying her bits more than their Lenny, it's a dead give away
@@carlodelysid Of course her bits are funnier - they are to MODERN standards. The things she says would have gotten her completely blackballed. Heck, even in the show, someone throws her off the stage for saying "pregnant". Watch an old show where even a married couple has to be shown in 2 separate twin beds, and one of them has to have a foot on the floor, in order to be "clean" enough - then later Bob Newhart was able to be sitting up reading in the same king-sized bed where his wife was lying - until nowadays you have naked women walking out of fires they just killed people in. Quantum leaps.
@@carlodelysid The other day Colbert asked someone "how many f***s do you give" about something. It was bleeped, but it's obvious what he said. That would have gotten the show cancelled, and the network fined, and caused a firestorm of criticism; today it's on youtube.
Who?
A lot of the comments here criticize him for not being funny enough. But Lenny was not a simple joke-teller. He was appreciated for his originality, his bravery, and his intelligence. No one else in the fifties made references to segregation, co-habituating, and drug use. He truly was one-of-a-kind.
"A lot of the comments here criticize him for not being funny enough. But Lenny was not a simple joke-teller. He was appreciated for his originality"
But he wasn't original, at least on this video. He did the same thing every dull comedian did at that time.
> He did the same thing every dull comedian did at that time.
You have a lot to learn about what comedians "did at that time".
The airplane glue skit wasn't funny? Hey, do a review of Shakespeare.
By the way, when were you born?
Most of the commenters were born in the 80's. Their attention span is about 5 seconds, so nuanced monologists are well past their comprehension range. Secondly they're filtering the 1950's from media created by people who were born in the 60's and 70's. They've no appreciation for origins and cannot see these 'fossil' decades well before their birth as times that actually happened. Hell they can't even get the 80's right.
He was so far ahead of his time by the 60s the police were waiting for him in order to arrest him doing his act. eventually his act became about the First Amendment and court cases in between arrests. He broke a lot of barriers and paid dearly, as stress, heartbreak and drugs eventually took him. Thanks Lenny for putting it all out there and giving the great comedians that came after you the room to work.🌻
Ana Hill That's the thing about comedians;I think,most live through tragic and turbulent shit. It's almost like they HAVE to suffer to make us laugh.
Possibility "they" got to him.
Lionel Nation is the Lenny Bruce of today.
Ana Hill They killed him for his bravery, talent, and courage.
@@zachmcmillan4060 legacy's mean you have to push against the social boundaries and when you push and society pushes back you suffer. That's the fate of many artists who try to pave the way for the ones that follow them.
And today we reverse and condemn comedians to doing stuff that is politically incorrect. How quickly we forget how hard Lenny fought for that freedom. Are the Academy Awards listening?
Definitely not someone to be forgotten. Marvelous Mrs. Mazel is doing Lenny's legacy a good service.
I guess I'll have to give it look-see. Otherwise, it did not appeal to me. Thanks.
Lenny Bruce was a genius and this footage proves it. While every episode of Maisel he’s in, Luke Kirby is amazing…especially the last ep of this past season in Carnegie Hall. He won an Emmy award deservedly for the recreation of this clip (and the rest his work in this episode) in the episode titled “All Alone”. Kirby does Bruce justice!
"You might be interested in how...I became offensive"
Greatest quote by by an American ever.
Tim Baxter
I guess we are both being a bit sarcastic today...
the rumors of my death are highly exaggerated.
Micawber 02 Correct.
I literally read that as he said it
As a child, my dad let me watch Lenny Bruce. Mom was a nurse and was working the late shift. I still love Lenny.
Your dad was a child?
That's a cool memory
Absolutely incredible, the risks this comic took in 1959! Little did he know, how much his work would mean for free speech and the future of comedy.
Free Speech is drowning in a shit hole. It will be dead as Apu; real soon.
marcy Denville I’m not sure where you live but based on your response I’m going to assume The US. If that’s not the case completely disregard the following; free speech is alive and well. This act is incredibly tame compared to modern standards. Now free speech does not mean free from consequences nor does it mean you can’t speak your mind. You can say whatever you want however you have to understand that your actions have consequences. You come into the conversation with a prejudice against a certain group of people be prepared for some backlash. That’s not censorship, it only feels like it is because things change. It’s all about your intentions, you come into the conversations with the intent to speak to someone as “less than” you’re gonna get shit. Let’s take it’s always sunny in Philadelphia. It’s about terrible people who do and say some terrible things. No one is upset about it because of the intentions( or implications). So yes you can say Apu but just know that saying that paints you as someone who doesn’t care if the recipient of your message is regarded as human, as someone who deserves to be treated like a person. The reason why is because that name has been used as a catch all and stereotype of Indian people and specifically Indian people who are “uneducated and poor.” Again it’s used in a way to look down on someone. Free speech is fine, you are ok and everything will be ok.
@@vicisaac21 Unfortunately, the "consequences" don't involve more free speech.
Hi there
@@marcydenville1756 Its funny how much you can tell about a person just from a statement like this.
HIs initial comment regarding Elizabeth Taylor was unexpected. From that point he stuck to his pre arranged script. And you'll notice after his opening remark he looks over at Steve Allen and points to him for a "gotcha" moment. He then stuck to the plan for the rest of the show. Steve Allen should get a lot of credit for putting his ass on the line for Lenny. That was quite daring at the time.
Steve Allen was a swinger. And a brilliant musician. A line in here made me realize that I saw this on TV when it aired. I must have been 11 yrs old.
He did , indeed. Bruce had a reputation as a "blue" comic, and richly deserved. He was nothing short of controversial for taking on topics that were more than "uncomfortable" for mainstream America.
Concur, and want to emphasize: Steve Allen risked his show, maybe his career, by putting on controversial people. Anyone under 30 doesn't remember a time before videotape or DVDs, before you could watch whatever you wanted whenever you wanted. The TV networks were the gatekeepers, and breaking standards could get performers - and hosts! - banished forever.
So Steve Allen was the daring one?
@@harlanrosenthal8648 Yep...we need more people like that today...the entertainment industry is full of hacks who pat themselves on the back for bravely holding the identical positions on virtually every issue. Audiences aren't challenged any more...
Steve Allen was way ahead of his time to have Lenny Bruce on his show.
@John D I am also disgusted by Howard Stern and Larry David.
Lenny Bruce was ahead of his time.
TheBelegur Why Larry David? His character on “Curb Your Enthusiasm” is extreme and you either find it funny or you don’t. I don’t understand being disgusted, though. Larry David was 1/2 of the creation of “Seinfeld,” arguably one of the funniest and most successful shows ever. Help me understand.
Good point, reminds me of Mike Douglas. The squarest guy who had the most intriguing guests, like Bobby Seal, Jerry Rubin, John Lennon etc
13 min no commercials what
Steve Allen was the coolest guy on television. Smart and classy, he was always ahead of the curve.
Maybe in general. But major points deducted for having Elvis perform Hound Dog to a dog,
Steve Allen was incredibly hip to have performers like Lenny Bruce on his show. Also, Jack Kerouac, reading beat poetry while Steve played jazz piano, and an episode with Frank Zappa. He played a bicycle as an instrument.
To not find Lenny Bruce funny is to not put his act in perspective with the time in history. Sure people joke about drugs all the time any longer-- but in1959 NO ONE joked about drug abuse, hypocrisy or homosexuality as a perfectly acceptable life style.
So what?! It still wasn't funny.
@@egodominustuus9167 It is to a lot of other people, dude. Just because you think it's worthless, doesn't mean that it is.
In the fifties 80% of some comic's material were dumb spouse and mother in law jokes and complaints about their kids,
If I'm not mistaken, @2:06, see more or less says, "... exploit, under the guise of helping these societal problems."
To my ears, he treats it as a given that homosexuality is a problem.
I'm not really judging them for it, it was a different time. Furthermore, he seems to be approaching it with a sense of kindness. Nevertheless, it definitely doesn't sound like he was mention it in a way that suggested he thought it was a perfectly acceptable lifestyle.
Exactly. People should realize at this time the Civil Rights Act hadn't been passed, it was 10 years before Stonewall, and 50 years before drugs were partially legalized. What Little Richard was to rock n roll, Lenny Bruce was to comedy.
Such a brilliant tortured soul with a major social conscience. We need more Lenny Bruce's. Kudos to Steve Allen for having the guts to promote him.
Brilliant how? Hardly a thing he said was funny or brilliant. Rambling pseudo-intellectual drivel
@@billyraybar THe times were pseudo honey
Unfortunately many Lenny Bruce's of the world suffer the same fate. It's a burden to bare that kind of intellectual view of the world.
My dad loved Steve Allen.
I love Steve Allen.
Holy smokes, that was a brilliant performance. I always knew Lenny was a stand-up legend, but I didn't know he had broader talents. Phenomenal.
Bruce's greatness wasn't just in his jokes, it was his inspiration of other great comics and comedians.
That's amazing for 1959. Brilliant guy way ahead of his time.
Like George Carlin, who was influenced mostly by Lenny Bruce.
BK myland I was thinking that I could hear Carlin at a couple of points in here.
I absolutely heard Carlin too, and some Richard Pryor. No wonder Lenny Bruce is such a big deal. I was shocked that he could do a whole bit on sniffing glue back then.
on TV. Kudos to Steve Allen for having the courage to let him do it.
Not really. Talking dirty qualifies as being ahead of your time? He was not that insightful and certainly not that funny.
also amazing for today
Penn Jilette sent me here. And boy was he right.
Kudos to Steve Allen on piano for keeping the timing perfect - such talented fellows.
This free thinker inspired the entire next generation of comics.
Meh Jones This thinker inspired Humanity.
@Meh Jones Yeah nothing says "freedom" like being addicted to drug & leading a whole generation into the gutter!!!
This man is the main reason I'm head over heels over sharp, sarcastic, language owning freaks.
On one hand funny. On the other, dead serious.
Craig Keller The best.
Comedy is serious business.
Craig Keller ~ On one hand funny. On the other, dead serious... and terribly sad...
@Craig Keller And on another hand a degenerate lowlife piece of human garbage who led a whole generation & generations to come into the gutter!!!
You take them both and there you have...
Lenny Bruce
When putting this performance into the context of 'the times', it is absolutely astonishing what he displayed here.
He seems like he would fit right in with today's comedy. And that’s no easy feat at all. I can’t believe I have never heard of him. From the first sentence you can tell he was way ahead of the audience.
Lenny was so far ahead of his time, so was Steve Allen. Love this and thanks for sharing it!! I watched a lot of Steve Allen shows back in the day.
Lenny Bruce was a nice guy with a so-called dirty act. Bill Cosby had a clean act - and look at what he really is!
@Thereis Hope That's an interesting take, considering most of his victims are minorities but I guess they don't matter to you. Enjoy your f'n puddin pops.
Thereis Hope Thought you were talking about Lenny.
Comedians have always said for the longest time: the clean comedians were the most twisted scumbags they knew in the industry. Brian Posehn talked about a clean comedian he met on the road once who chastized him and his other friends for their dirty material while wandering the pool area with a pair of hookers on his arm.
@Thereis Hope A brain is a terrible thing to waste.
I compare Lennon and Elvis. the latter being anti drug yet it contributes to his death.while the former's death was due to violence, not dope.
He is being heavily censored for television. He talks about subjects no one else dared to talk about in his club routines.
rutabagasteu Yep, people have no concept how rebellious this was for the time, no clue because they cant put life in context
Yeah;he could never do my FAVORITE skit by him on national television;a lovely little piece called,"To is a preposition,come is a verb."😂😂😂
Son Of Bukowski I think it’s as relevant today as it ever was. Nothing’s changed as far as the view of society Bruce took
@rutabagasteu That's because it was a time when society differentiated between; right & wrong, wholesome & reprehensible, good & evil!!!
John R. Wilke we still do you dolt
There was nobody like Lenny at the time. He actually is the blueprint for what late night hosts try to do. Not try to be overly funny joke machines, but be interesting and observant while bringing some humor.
Dick Gregory?
Carlin would credit him, even used some of his material.
Kudos to the actor as well who performed this act in the show Mrs Maisel. Great performance.
His name is Luke Kirby and yes, he is very good.
Lenny Bruce was a phenomenal talent. He proved it right there in that 13 minute set: stand-up, impressionist, actor, singer...Bruce could do it all.
talented guy, his stuff holds up pretty well for almost 60 years ago, a completely different world in 1959.
i'm the louis pasteur of junkiedom!
whoa. this was on TV in 1959. and it's cracking me up.
great line. i forget who said it, asking a little kid, "and what do you want to be when you grow up?" little kid, "a junkie".
Hell yeah it's a dope line but I think your missing the well thought out skit here joiner, a shit load more intellectual than that my man... PsB77
Lenny Bruce was a world class junkie, he is high as a kite here.
Hi there
I was born in 1944 and Ib really appreciate seeing this! Yes I was 15 years old In 1959 and My Father and I would Watch the Original TV Night show every night, Staring Steve Allen! Before going to sleep we had to turn on the Radio and find out the Score of the Dodger Game, coming from LA! Those were the Days that I will; Never Forget and Cherious Forever!
This is man is unbelievable performer, being called a comedian is a fricking understatement.
Thinking the same ~ also he must have dedicated a lot of time to writing.
God. What an incredible person. Genius in his own right. This made me laugh and cry. Thanks for the post.
Watching this in 2023 inspires me to see that the road ahead is the same as what came before. We're still combating racial discrimination, censorship, and loneliness; Bruce's comedy cuts to the core 64 years means we still have a way to go. Thank you Lenny for your bravery, your courage, and your commitment to seeing the world be a better place.
Just that the game is now played against the right
Lenny had such heart, such breathtaking courage. Every comic who came after him walked through the door he kicked in.
His story telling stand up style is like any modern day comic today. He is fearless. I would have loved to seen him live. Amazing.
@rwhite Though of course he’s the fearless pioneer who blazed their trail and got scalped for his efforts…
@@jeffkaufman9875 He was true to his self.
One difference for me between this skit and the recreation on The Marvelous Mrs Maisel, is that this one still feels like a bit, whereas Luke's version has a dark foreshadowing feel. We're finally getting a real glimpse of the demons he's fighting inside.
Of course this is a bit. It's 1959. He didn't know all what was coming to him. He was making fun of very hard subjects, unmentionable at the time.
I would say that replaying this bit with a sense of foreshadowing is wrong. Which comedian does his/her shtick with a sense of foreshadowing?
@@emaarredondo-librarian i mean it is a narrative choice made on a fictional tv show. i dont think anyone assumes he could actually tell the future, it just makes his character arc on the show more emotionally dynamic for when his life does start to go downhill.
Who's here because they just know how brilliant and legendary Lenny Bruce is?
Yup. He was one of a kind. Very dear to me.
Me
Damn right. I don't know what the fuck a Maisel is, and don't care.
I first saw Lenny Bruce in 1961 at 12 years old. Yep, even at my age then I was intrigued with his talk. My mind opened a bit and the rest was history for me and on-to George Carlin, Dick Gregory,
Richard Pryor, and all the rest of the greats who spoke the truth.
Thank You
Dean Jackson
I bet that it was a wild ride to watch these guys come out and perform for the first time
I did come here because of Mrs Maisel but also because I'm drawn to comedians like this. Some people are just funny. What a great mix of humour and sadness toward the end
Right from the start he admits he is going to behave and this was not going to be his controversial act, but you have no idea how taboo it was in those days to even mention something controversial. His shot at Gov Faubus, segregationist Governor of Arkansas, would have been too much for prime time
wackballs like you are ruining America. There are no jackboots in America. Unless loonies like you get their way. Go to hell, @hiram hacklesworth
Kevin Judge Colbert et al probably watch this every Sunday night praying for the muse for Monday through Friday
@hiram hacklesworth you know lenny bryce was literally arrested for being obsene.
You can really see how Lenny Bruce inspired other greats like Carlin and Hicks. Way ahead of his time
I loved finding this just now ... but his real brilliance is in the standup on the albums that just couldn't be aired, audio or video, in the late fifties/early sixties. Including bootlegs, I'm happy to say, I have more than a dozen albums. They easily show why comedians for decades hence proclaimed him as a profound beginning in a whole new era of comedy. He was the first I know of where half the "bits" were him just being fairly real about his own life and then being both philosophical and high-fuckin'-larious about it. 8~}
I wanted to hear Lenny Bruce after watching Mrs Maisel, and I'm glad i did.
Pure comedic genius! I see elements of his routine that Robin Williams extended. Stream of consciousness comedy!
Speaking of influencers, have you heard Lord Buckley?
"Buckley's unique stage persona anticipated aspects of the Beat Generation sensibility, and influenced contemporary figures as various as Dizzy Gillespie, Lenny Bruce, Wavy Gravy, Del Close, and, even after Buckley's death, Ken Kesey, George Harrison, Tom Waits, Frank Zappa, Robin Williams, and Jimmy Buffett.[3] Bob Dylan, in his book Chronicles, said "Buckley was the hipster bebop preacher who defied all labels."[4]" from Wikipedia
@@stuartsteinhardt388 I'm glad to have read your post. I feel like I'm in a time capsule. I had absolutely no idea who Lord Buckley was until I found him on You Bet Your Life. I watched that episode awhile ago but didn't understand who he was. Thanks!!
everyone is an extension of bruce.
I totally feel like this still stands. If you can simply imagine the time. I'm 30, so this is far before my time but I still get his sense of humor and what he was saying.
Hey I'm 20 and I agree with you
He was dead by 40. overdose.
I"m in my 60's and I've always wanted to hear the great Lenny Bruce. I'm amazed.
Saw his biography so many years ago. It was great to relive his genius on Mrs Maisel, The actor who played Lenny Bruce in Mrs Maisel was brilliant, his mannerisms were superb.
So this was a real scene that Maisel borrowed. Interesting.
I'm pretty sure you'll find that every routine Luke Kirby performs in MMM is, in fact, an actual Lenny Bruce routine.
All of Bruce's routines on the show were his real bits. And this appearance fits into the timeline correctly. They take other liberties with the times, though-- I noticed on the show that his airplane glue bit happened too early (I'm pretty sure he wrote that after Midge was married because I think it was from 1957)
The skits on the show are an amalgam of Bruce’s real skits. The actor is wonderful! Lenny died at 41: a real loss. Anyone reading this and doing drugs GET HELP! We need you! You have VALUE! PLEASE! ❤️💋❤️
Luke Kirby needs recognition for his acting. He got the mannerisms down, it is amazing.
Throw Away he has an Emmy because of it.
So, I was a stand up for a living for about three or so years. Found out that I just didn't have the spark, the charisma, to carry a room bigger than about 25 or so drunks. 😁 At the end of the day, I'd've never forgiven myself if I hadn't tried it.
About Lenny Bruce... Bruce was the guy who changed *everything* in comedy. EVERYBODY you've ever heard of, clean or blue, owes what they do for a living to Lenny Bruce. This guy had the courage to not only use comedy as commentary, but to use it to force people to look at themselves. Lenny was the guy that made comedy a force for social change for *everyone*... blacks, Jews, gays, whoever... serving up sharp, irreverent, brutally honest jokes to Middle America whites, instead of keeping it on the safer, more segregated audiences of the Borscht Belt or the Green Book circuit.
So the next time you're laughing at Dave Chappelle [that 'Juicy Smollay' bit was *hysterical* ] or Ron White or Bill Burr or Kevin Hart or whoever your favorite full contact microphone is, remember that they owe it all to two people: Lenny Bruce and Hugh Hefner [who booked him and was a patron to Bruce's comedy for 20 years].
I had never heard of Lenny Bruce until Mrs. Maisel. Born in '57, and shows like this were past my bedtime.
Steve Allen was quite a guy too. I loved his man on the street skits. Letterman got a lot of his stuff from Steve Allen. Lenny is so special, I don't know what else to say about him. One thing I will say about both of them that is sorely missing today is they got integrity.
Damn, Mr's Maisel captured even the interaction with Steve Allen. Brilliant
‘The child is played by George McCreedy’. Give Allen credit for having Bruce on.
Steve Allen was a swinger. And a brilliant musician. A line in here made me realize that I saw this on TV when it aired. I must have been 11 yrs old.
Macready.
Steve Allen was awesome (until he went uber-conservative later on). He was the David Letterman of his era. His TV show was off-the-wall funny with the kind of crazy bits Letterman was known for.
I wasn't around in the 50's and 60's, and I'm from the UK, so a lot of these jokes are over my head, but I still find him very funny. I also really appreciate his bravery in talking about things like segregation, considering the time period. I have a lot of respect for him. R.I.P.
Lenny Bruce was the original comic (along with Mort Sahl to some degree) who talked about real issues and controversial subjects rather than just telling jokes and acting goofy.
sAHL TO A GREAT DEGREE..
Mort's still going in Mill Valley at The Throckmorton every week
No Bruce => no Carlin. He was even ahead of his time destroying himself w drugs :’(
So true! Every time I enjoy Carlin I can’t help but think of Lenny and Mort and what a loss losing him so young.
It's like that now the comedians cat say certain things with all this PC culture in I'm sick of it and it needs to stop
very talented, comedic genius and soooooo far ahead of his time...if he were a comedian today, he'd have no trouble at all being one of the great comedians of the day...i realize that so many folks today, especially the young'ns, are unable to recognize his talent, but that has to do with a lot of factors--
People that say Bruce wasn't "funny" enough need to listen to his comedy records. The few TV spots he did are great but he had to tame himself quite a bit, as he was a good 20 years ahead of his time. He was a genius.
That was a great set. Lenny Bruce was brilliant. Richard Pryer used to do performance pieces too. When he played the junky character who kept nodding off. Genius comics both.
I read that in a performance during the Cuban Missile Crisis he blurt out the words every so often "We're all going to die!" He said this at perfectly timed intervals while doing his regular act. Hilarious! Genius!
Kerouac also used the same line to great effect on the Steve Allen show,
Man! how have i never checked out who i knew to be a legend.....talk about an absoloute groundbreaker pushing boundaries in 1959. I'm impressed
Here after watching Mrs. Maisel because I love his character 😭❣️
Lenny Bruce, what a phenomenal talent who risked telling important truths, was courageous and paved the way for so many for freedom of expression. I had no idea he could sing, lovely voice.
@Hello there, how are you doing this blessed day?
Holy shit he was ahead of his time talking about getting high so casually back then
Let's build a church to him.
Hell, I was toking primo reefer and slugging back the sour-mash naked, carrying on with a broad, while watching this as it originally aired --and I was just short of two months old at the time! We late-boomer-gen young bloods were all so precociously progressive back then, all hyped-up as we were from the super-powerful vibe of the approaching New Frontier of the Space Age. BTW, did you catch who the next act was? Only The Three Stooges, on the bill directly following Lenny Bruce! Those were the days. ( ಠ ͜ʖಠ)
Hearing the word junkie on TV is absolutely mind-boggling even now
@Willem Fissell Yeah look at how far we have come, drug use, abuse, addiction, & death from them are now the rule rather than the exception. Wow how great is that???
@@nuthineatholl6434 there was a touch elegant genius to that comment of yours.
I see comments about Lenny Bruce being a "historic" comic. He isn't just the past; he should be the present and future. He had integrity. He wasn't just going for cheap laughs and a paycheck, unlike many of his contemporaries, including our current batch. Over a lot of people's heads, I see, even today.
More relevant than ever.
brutalyzedbytv Correct.
Pretty much a martyr
More of a philosopher sometimes than a comic
Marvelous Ms Maisel brought me here
I cant believe they gave him such a hard time. He was so talented.
Totally different world back in the 50/60s
@@Chocobobob The world had always been "woke."
It's amazing there are comediennes anywhere. None in Russia or they would be in prison.
You never saw his act in places like Greenwich Village NYC, then.
'Good taste is the enemy of great art'.
I'm gunna remember this one.
George Carlin was arrested with Lenny Bruce and placed in the same car after his show.
How old was Carlin 18
Makes sense; Carlin stole his whole act.
Carlin stole his whole act? That's a bold statement, I find Carlin Hilarious and Lenny not so much...
That was at the Gate of Horn in Chicago.
A brilliant, incredible performance. Lenny Bruce was the greatest standup comedian of all time.
What a great, deep performer Lenny was. Not just an entertainer. A mensch.
"calling Columbus a fink"... 60 years ahead of his time...
+Marty McDonough
A dirty rat fink!
He was wrong then and you are wrong now.
not really considering nobody's said "fink" in at least 40 years...
@@Runawayslave2023 Nice! Absolutely true. These fucking SJWs need to go back under the rocks they crawled out from.
Marty you're a dipshit.
Just came over here from a famous GALLERY article (by James Walsh) from 11.1.1972. Unbelievable how brave, how courageous this famous "comedian" has been. And so touching how he is not and never will be forgotten ! Never would have believed finding videos about him ! 100 % fully deserved afterglory !
RIP Lenny, you a l w a y s will be remembered - but your enemies are fallen into oblivion. . .
I am ........so glad to get to know him AGAIN......RIP
This is extremely sanitized for television. Lenny was the first comic to use the F bomb in his work. He was far ahead of his time and it killed him. He was a true comic genius in every way and he influenced EVERYBODY who came after him.
Lenny said he would never use four letters words for shock value. But if it fit the character he was doing, he would just swing with it and say it.
Lol. Shocking? Yes. Brilliant? No. Funny? No. It’s so dated and irrelevant as well. Not like the old greats
@@billyraybar I'm so sorry your taste, education and historical sense are all so embarrassingly poor.
@@billyraybar Amy Schumer talking about her vagina does seem more your speed.
@@jamesedward9306How fast is Amy Schumer's vagina?
6:17 John leguizamo did this in his stand up act.Genius. also feel alot of Richard Pryor energy in this. Lenny Bruce was definetly a pioneer and great comic performer.
Great, thank you. That gives such a clear picture of late fifties culture.
wow the actor in the marvelous Mrs. Maisel did such a good job portraying him, especially in this scene
Luke Kirby has done a phenomenal job portraying him
the balls of this guy, doing what he did in the 50s..... Christ no wonder so many comedians reference him as inspiration.
He was so brilliant. Also, now I feel a bit sad that we lost him so early.
Thanks conroy and 24 talks show for the recommendation !
BRAVO..BRAVO..A TRUE TALENT. i was really surprised as this is my first time seeing Lenny. BRAVO
I've got to say, at 22 years old, this is the first time I've ever seen anything of Lenny Bruce and I don't think I've ever laughed harder. I found this because most of my favorite comedians such as Dave Chappelle, Patrice O'Neal and Bill Burr cited Lenny Bruce as one of their main inspirations and having seen this, I honestly don't blame them. This is comedy GOLD. PLATINUM, even.
Everyone comes from the Lenny Bruce Tree. He's the godfather of modern comedy styles. To me, he's the singularity. Then we get Pryor, Carlin and everyone else.
55 +/- yrs ago I read a book he wrote. Autobiography+. You would likely enjoy it.
My jaw is the floor. If I'm honest, I really only knew about Lenny Bruce from the Rent lyric, but his material still has some edge and relevance 60 years later.
This man was so brilliant. I can see why he’s on the Mt. Rushmore of comedy.
I've seen so many comments about Marvelous Mrs. Maizel I think I will go home and watch it for context.
"Filicaaa, come here and smell this rag.
Smell it you freaky little doggy."
I LAUGHED SO HARD
Steve Allen was the real talent here. He played beautiful piano right along with Bruce's improvised riff.
Yeah, that’s why we’re all watching this video decades later. For the piano!
I don't think it was improvised. It was rehearsed, and doesn't take anything away from how good it was.
WOW !!! Lenny was LIGHTYEARS ahead of his time in 1959.
Thank you for posting this historic piece.
Hello Susan, How are you doing?
i just watched the Mrs. Maisel clip and this original video side-by-side and the show + Luke Kirby did SUCH a good job recreating and resembling Lenny’s iconic performance.
I find interesting correlations between Bruce's story of how the first kid sniffed airplane glue , how segregation and vapid movies offend him,and his monologue on loneliness to Bill Hick's jokes on the first person to do magic mushrooms, how living a meaningless life offends him, and his joke on wanting an ex to see him on television while trapped under a fat husband.
Lenny Bruce and Steve Allen. Two great American classics.
Kids still out here huffing glue, some things never change. Brilliant set here, I wish I'd gotten into his material a long time ago!
And to think that only four years later he had the young Frank Zappa on to play the bicycle, Steve Allen was a prime time rebel.