While Midge has high-flying dreams of becoming one of the greatest comedians, Lenny Bruce keeps her feet on the ground. Midge’s journey in ‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel‘ has been a whirlwind. But with Lenny, she finds acknowledgment and honest feedback about her work. Unlike the show, the real Lenny Bruce is no longer with us.
Lenny Bruce was a subversive comic during the 70s. Due to his brutally honest and off-color jokes about politics, sex, and religion, he was in trouble with the authorities. Regarded by many as a “comedian’s comedian,” Bruce’s life ended on August 3, 1966, after a tragic overdose.
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Lenny Bruce Died Of A Morphine Overdose
Following his stint in the United States Navy, he moved to New York, hoping to be a comedian. He met his mentor Joe Ancis, who greatly influenced his comedy routine. It was 1957 when his career experienced a seismic shift. For his performance at the Slate Brothers nightclub, he was fired for performing ‘blue material.’ It became his comedy trademark.
Lenny Bruce‘s commitment to truth-telling and acerbic wit landed him in legal trouble. Branded as a ‘sick comic,’ the authorities often arrested him during his act. He was often charged with public obscene for racy material. Most comedy clubs blackballed him following the obscenity trials.
It is believed that a dependency on drugs and frequent took a toll on his mental health. Lenny Bruce was found dead in his Hollywood Hills home in 1966. The official cause of his death was “acute morphine poisoning caused by an accidental overdose.”
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Lenny Bruce In Pop Culture
Lenny Bruce’s fascinating life became a subject of pop culture. Dustin Hoffman played the comedian in ‘Lenny,‘ the autobiographical drama based on the comic’s life. Cliff Gorman also played a version of the comedian in Bob Fosse’s movie ‘All That Jazz.’
Robert Weide made an Oscar-nominated documentary about him titled ‘Lenny Bruce: Swear to Tell the Truth.’ Bob Dylan commemorated him in the song ‘Lenny Bruce,’ which he wrote about sharing a brief cab ride with the comedian. He also makes an appearance in Don DeLellio’s novel ‘Underworld.’
Canadian actor Luke Kirby plays a fictionalized version of the comedian on the Amazon Prime drama ‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.‘ At the time of his death, the comedian was undergoing an obscenity trial for his Greenwich Village performance. On December 23, 2003, New York Governor George Pataki finally granted him a posthumous pardon.
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