Lenny Bruce: Swear to Tell the Truth

It seems in this country of ours, so many pay the price. Soldiers lose their lives in wars. Innovators lose their life just living. Lenny Bruce was just a little before my time, and his. I do know one thing, I would have been a fan, I guess you could say I am a fan of Lenny's. I thought he was very smart, funny, and bold. I wonder how much other comedians, such as Carlin, Murphy, and Rock appreciate this man that blazed a path of this raw, wild, new humor. Without him, it makes me wonder, would these other guys put themselves out there like Bruce did? I guess someone would have. Not being the most secure person in the world, he was very secure in what he believed this country of ours was molded to be.

I saw this documentary right after it came on HBO, for the first time (8yr. or so ago). For those who are not familiar with Lenny Bruce, this film is a must to see. I have to say the same for those who know of Lenny (like if you have read "How to Talk Dirty and Influence People", or whatever). Though if you don't have that book, (this is to everyone) please buy it.

Back to the film, I think that this documentary is one of the best of it's time (later 90's). This is a great depiction of his life, and basically the sacrifices that he was confronted with. I have to applaud Robert Weide for this work. As a filmmaker he truly (though a true fan of Lenny), remained realistic without bias. To top it off Robert De Nero is the narrator.

The only thing else I can say is, "we should all be thankful that we had a Lenny Bruce, for if not for him we would not have the great performers we have today".

(Please Watch this Film if you can / and Don't Forget the BOOK!)

Great documentary of a great comedian. Like Jesus Christ, he suffered for no reason. Great interviews with his mother, wife, and friends. This documentary shows what Lenny could have done before being cut short by our so-called 'judicial' system. Obviously, he would have been a great actor. Everything was right for Lenny until the 'man' took him down. I don't mean for that to sound trite, but that is exactly what happened to this genius. I guess you could say he carved the road for the comedians of today, but none really come close to his insight and charisma. This documentary will show you what 'could have been' had it not been for the forces that would destroy him. An amazing artist with no guilt. A truly free American. An American Tragedy.

if it isn't, already, and, along with the "Lenny Bruce Performance Film", may become known as the definitive video overview of the life and work of this iconic, visionary, controversial and seminal American artist, satirist and comedian.

Perhaps the one important event in Bruce's life, overlooked by, or perhaps deliberately excluded from, the film, is the near-fatal injury suffered by Bruce's wife, Honey, in a car accident.

It would have been good to see interviewed in the film, people that knew Bruce, that were heard in Larry Josephson's "Modern Times" radio documentary, "Lenny Bruce Remembered", such as Orin Keepnews, Sid Mark, Mort Sahl, Jean Shepherd, Albert Goldman, and Sherman Block, but I suppose one cannot have everything, and it IS Bob Weide's film, not Larry Josephson's. We DO hear from Bruce's mother, wife, and last girlfriend, Lotus Weinstock, in the film, as we do in the radio documentary.

It also would have been good to see and hear Bob Dylan talk about the real-life incident he mentions in his song "Lenny Bruce" :

"I rode with him, in a taxi once, only a mile and a half, seemed like it took a couple of months"

if indeed that did happen, but perhaps that was between the two of them only.

I will close by quoting from the end of Bruce's autobiography. I think the words are Dick Schaap's :

"Finally, one last four-letter word concerning Lenny Bruce : Dead. At forty. That's obscene."

I loved this documentary.

I have been a fan of Lenny Bruce for years, and I was impressed that the film made the point that Bruce was a pioneer, and without him, other comedians such as George Carlin, Richard Pryor (and later, Chris Rock and others) might not have had the careers they did.

After Bruce's conviction in New York for obscenity, no other comedian has been prosecuted. He set the trend, and his suffering smoothed the path for others.

I would have liked a little more archival footage showing more fully why Lenny Bruce was such an innovator, but this is a minor gripe.

All in all, a great film. Should be seen by anyone who is concerned about the the influence of the conservative right wing in the USA, and their attempts to stifle free speech, even to this day.