Lenny (1974)

Director:

Bob Fosse

Writers:

Julian Barry (play)
Julian Barry (screenplay)

Release Date:

10 November 1974 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama

Tagline:

Lenny's Time Has Finally Come!

Plot:

The story of acerbic 1960s comic Lenny Bruce, whose groundbreaking, no-holds-barred style and social commentary was often deemed by the Establisment as too obscene for the public.

Plot Keywords:

Marriage | Price Of Fame | Irreverent | Attorney | Genius

Awards:

Nominated for 6 Oscars. Another 5 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

Dustin Hoffman	...	Lenny Bruce
Valerie Perrine	...	Honey Bruce
Jan Miner	...	Sally Marr
Stanley Beck	...	Artie Silver
Frankie Man	...	Baltimore Comic
Rashel Novikoff	...	Aunt Mema
Gary Morton	...	Sherman Hart
Guy Rennie	...	Jack Goldstein
Michele Yonge	...	Nurse
Kathryn Witt	...	Girl (as Kathie Witt)
Monroe Myers	...	Hawaiin Judge
John DiSanti	...	John Santi
Mickey Gatlin	...	San Francisco Policeman
Martin Begley	...	San Francisco Judge
Mark Harris	...	Defense Attorney

Runtime:

111 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:18 (video rating) (1987) | Iceland:L | UK:15 (video re-rating) (2003) | Finland:K-16 (1987) | Finland:K-18 (1975) | New Zealand:R18 | Argentina:16 | Netherlands:18 | Norway:18 | Sweden:15 | USA:R | West Germany:16 | Australia:R | Spain:18 | Portugal:M/16 | Canada:18A | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | UK:X (original rating)

Filming Locations:

Miami Beach, Florida, USA

Company:

Marvin Worth Productions

Trivia:

Al Pacino was considered for the lead role

Goofs:

Anachronisms: During the movie's opening monologue, Lenny says that it's 1964 and then references the MDA Telethon, which debuted in 1966.

Quotes:

Lenny Bruce: The problem is we always expect women to be a combination sunday school teacher, and $500-a-night hooker!

Movie Connections:

References King Kong (1933)

Soundtrack:

It Never Entered My Mind

Lenny's a movie star????

When I first put this movie in I thought I knew what to expect. I expected a good movie with a great actor in Dustin Hoffman. Well, as soon as it started and there is Hoffman's first dialogue through the credits, I was blown away. It was as if Lenny was starring in the film. I couldn't believe what I was seeing and hearing. Hoffman and Valerie Perrine gave excellent performances. It is almost inconceivable to imagine the preparation and training that Hoffman must have gone through to get Lenny down. I don't know who beat out Hoffman for the best actor award in 1974, but I can't imagine it being a more convincing performance than this.

And the use of black and white was great. The movie did give Lenny the appreciation that he deserved, mainly by showing his troubled personal life and his troubles with the law. The movie portrayed the trouble and basically harassment that Lenny went through when he voiced his observations of society, which were true, but weren't quite ready to be heard yet. The only fault (if at all) of the film is that it didn't quite show Lenny's genius in what he did. It definitely showed his potential but not quite his brilliance. But this might be because it was a biography of sorts of his life which included his personal and public life. I suppose if the movie just focused on his comedic talents; than his genius would have been obvious, but that wasn't the focus of the film. All in all this is an excellent movie in what it attempted to do. It accomplished what it set out to do and that's what counts.