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 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.

I caught this documentary on the Sundance channel, knowing Lenny Bruce very well as being influential (I listened to one of his later recordings) though not knowing a whole lot on why he became the most controversial comic of the pre-Vietnam era. What I learned was that Lenny Bruce's story - of rising to fame as a satirist and stand-up comic after working in strip joints, and then being put down by the legal machinations of the United States government - is both hilarious and engrossing, and here and there a (necessary) downer. What the system pulled over on Lenny was a travesty, and the mere fact that (technically) the charge of swearing/indecency still stands decades later is an insult to, if any, meaning by the constitution. When Lenny does do his act in the film, one who's never heard most of his material can be drawn in, the style in which he lays his bits is extraordinary. If one had to describe this film to someone who hasn't seen it, or perhaps might not know who Lenny Bruce is (most of my friends don't, though they know his descendents like George Carlin), 'Lenny Bruce: Swear to Tell the Truth' is about a terrific wordsmith who's self-esteem got crushed to oblivion & suicide by those who felt that they had the right over another person's language. It also includes some good narration by old Bobby De Niro. Grade: (strong) A

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."

As a serious lifelong Lenny Bruce fan (I'm actually old enough to remember seeing him "live" on Steve Allen) I don't think there is any treatment, film or documentary that comes close to Mr. Weide's labor of love "Swear to Tell the Truth."

That includes Fosse & Dustin Hoffman's famous collaborative work on the film "Lenny." See this documentary, then go back and watch the film "Lenny" and you will see what I mean. The film "Lenny" is well intentioned and well done, but it can't carry the jock of Weide's "Swear to Tell the Truth."

"Swear to Tell the Truth" is the first work I've seen that correctly shows in detail and explains THE REAL REASONs why Lenny Bruce was hunted and persecuted by the authorities all the way to his eventual death. It wasn't "dirty words" in his act: the true cause of his persecution was his ruthless-yet-funny satires of the Catholic Church (I am catholic btw) and (initially) a major blunder on Bruce's part - when he blew the whistle publicly on a bribe he was offered to get out of a minor drug bust. Bruce is actually shown doing both on film in the documentary.

Weide really did his research and homework (supposedly 12 years worth). There are scenes and interviews with Lenny, his family, and close friends of Lenny's that even I have never seen before.

If it's so great, WHERE CAN I SEE IT? you ask:

Here is the BAD NEWS: This documentary as of the date of this post, will likely NEVER become available on DVD. I personally contacted Mr. Weide's Whyaduck Production company to find out why (a duck).

The reason?

According to Whyaduck, there are copyright hassles / issues with the excellent jazz soundtrack (includes early Miles Davis and others). I was told due to these unresolved licensing squabbles (translated "greed" imo), we may never see the release on DVD of this excellent film. What a shame. Luckily I taped it (VHS) and I still go back and watch it all the time: never bored, always fascinated and finding new treats with each viewing.

Luckily it was a 1998 Oscar nominee for Best Documentary, so it is sometimes (rarely) still shown on cable. Your best bet is to search for it occasionally on your PBS, Sundance, or HBO listings. Per Mr. Weide, it costs ~ 4 times as much to show it on regular cable (HBO / Sundance) due to commercial licensing fees, as opposed to PBS.

Thank you Mr. Weide for this excellent documentary, and I share your frustration. Greed is keeping this work of art from the public.