Lenny (1974)
- Starring:
- Dustin Hoffman, Valerie Perrine, (more)
- Director(s):
- Bob Fosse
- Theatrical MPAA Rating:
- R
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Adapted by Julian Barry from his own Broadway play, Lenny manages to be both brutally frank and highly romanticized in detailing the short life and career of influential, controversial stand-up comedian Lenny Bruce. The chronology hops, skips and jumps between Lenny (Dustin Hoffman) in his prime and the burned-out, strung-out performer who, in the twilight of his life, used his nightclub act to pour out his personal frustrations at great, boring length. We watch as up-and-coming comic Bruce courts his "Shiksa goddess," a stripper named Honey (Valerie Perrine). With family responsibilities, Lenny is encouraged to do a "safe," conformist act, but he can't do it. Constantly in trouble for flouting obscenity laws, Lenny develops a near-messianic complex, which fuels both his comedy genius and his talent for self-destruction. Worn out by a lifetime of tilting at Establishment windmills, Lenny Bruce died of a drug overdose in 1966. Director Bob Fosse chose to film Lenny in black-and-white, giving the film the texture of a documentary. Though a film as verbally graphic as Lenny could not have been made when the real Lenny Bruce was alive, audiences in 1974 responded, to the tune of an $11 million gross. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Theatrical Feature Running Time:
- 111 mins
Complete Cast:
- Dustin Hoffman - Lenny Bruce
- Jan Miner - Sally Marr
- Gary Morton - Sherman Hart
- Guy Rennie - Jack Goldstein
- Lee Sandman - Judge
- Allison Goldstein - Kitty at Age 1
- Martin Begley - San Francisco Judge
- George de Witt - Comic
- Clarence Thomas - New York Attorney
- Ric O'Feldman - Court Clerk
- Don Newsome - Connection
- Bob Collins - New York Assistant DA
- Monroe Myers - Judge
- Mark Harris - Defense Attorney
- Valerie Perrine - Honey Bruce
- Stanley Beck - Artie Silver
- Rashel Novikoff - Aunt Mema
- Bruce McLaughlin - Judge
- John DiSanti - John Santi
- Ted Sorrell - Defense Attorney
- Frank Orsatti - Hunter
- Jack Nagle - Rev. Mooney
- Mike Murphy - District Attorney
- Robert Parsons - Chicago Plainclothesman
- Phil Philbin - New York Cop
- Bridghid Glass - Kitty at Age 2
- Susan Malnick - Kitty Bruce at Age 11
- Director(s):
- Bob Fosse
- Writer(s):
- Julian Barry
- Producer(s):
- Marvin Worth, Robert Greenhut
- Theatrical MPAA Rating:
- R(Adult Situations, Nudity, Sexual Situations, Not For Children, Profanity)
- Closed Captioning:
- Check All Versions
- Subtitles:
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- 1975 - Lenny - British Academy of Film and Television Arts - Most Promising Newcomer
- 1974 - Lenny - National Board of Review - Best Supporting Actress
- 1974 - Lenny - New York Film Critics Circle - Best Supporting Actress
