Lenny Bruce Without Tears (1972)

Director:

Fred Baker

Writers:

Fred Baker
John Parson (narration)
(more)

Genre:

Documentary | Biography

Plot:

Documentary on the life and death of Lenny Bruce.

Plot Keywords:

Character Name In Title

Cast

Lenny Bruce	...	Himself / Various (archive footage)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Steve Allen	...	Himself / DJ (archive footage)
Fred Baker	...	Narrator
Martin Garbus	...	Himself (archive footage)
William Glenesk	...	Himself (archive footage) (as Rev. William Glenesk)
Nat Hentoff	...	Himself (archive footage)
Frank Hogan	...	Himself (archive footage)
Paul Krassner	...	Himself (archive footage)
Malcolm Muggeridge	...	Himself (archive footage)
Mort Sahl	...	Himself (archive footage)
Jean Shepherd	...	Himself (archive footage) (as Jean Shepard)
Kenneth Tynan	...	Himself (archive footage)
Lyndon Johnson	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)

Directed by
Fred Baker

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Barbara Baker
Fred Baker
John Parson		narration (as John Parsons)

Produced by
Barbara Baker	....	producer
Fred Baker	....	producer

Original Music by
Fred Baker		(uncredited)
Tom Finn		(uncredited)
Gigi Gryce		(uncredited)

Film Editing by
Edward Deitch		(as Edward Deutsch)

Other crew
Barbara Baker	....	associate director
Barbara Baker	....	researcher
Fred Baker	....	researcher
John Parson	....	narration writer (as John Parsons)

Thanks
Steve Allen	....	acknowledgment
Martin Garbus	....	acknowledgment (as Martin Garbus Esq.)
William Glenesk	....	acknowledgment (as Rev. William Glenesk)
Nat Hentoff	....	acknowledgment
Paul Krassner	....	acknowledgment
John Magnuson	....	acknowledgment
Malcolm Muggeridge	....	acknowledgment
Mort Sahl	....	acknowledgment
Jean Shepherd	....	acknowledgment (as Jean Shepard)
Kenneth Tynan	....	acknowledgment

Production Companies

• Fred Baker Films

Distributors

• Fred Baker Films
• Saguenay Films (Canada)

Runtime:

85 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:X | UK:15 (video) (2006)

Company:

Fred Baker Films

Movie Connections:

Features Double Dynamite (1951)

Soundtrack:

All Alone

Moving

This film - obviously made on a shoestring budget - is artful and touching. It starts rather slowly - Bruce's appearance on the Steve Allen Show is noteworthy in that what was cutting-edge back then is now rather stale. But the material too controversial for broadcast - and which here we have only in audio - like, for instance, his bit on reuniting with his wife, is as fresh and funny and honest as Richard Pryor at his best.

Watch Nat Hentoff puff nervously on his cigarette as he interviews a sadly broken Bruce near the end of Bruce's life. Do a slow burn while you watch the police descend on Bruce's house after the overdose that killed him. That's Bruce's body there on the bathroom floor - the authorities, guardians of morality when arresting Bruce innumerable times, allowed his death scene to be filmed. And be angry at fate. If Lenny had been born five, ten, years later ... well, rent this video and decide for yourself.