Lenny Bruce
| Lenny Bruce | |
|---|---|
Bruce in 1961
|
|
| Born |
Leonard Alfred Schneider October 13, 1925 Mineola, New York, U.S. |
| Died | August 3, 1966 (aged 40) Hollywood, California, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Drug overdose |
| Resting place | Eden Memorial Park Cemetery |
| Nationality | American |
| Years active | 1947–1966 |
| Comedy career | |
| Medium | Stand-up, film, television, books |
| Genres | Satire, political satire, black comedy, improvisational comedy, blue comedy |
| Subject(s) | American culture, American politics, race relations, religion, human sexuality, obscenity, pop culture |
| Spouse | Honey Harlow (m. 1951–1957; 1 child) |
| Notable works and roles |
The Lenny Bruce Originals The Carnegie Hall Concert Let the Buyer Beware How to Talk Dirty and Influence People |
Leonard Alfred Schneider (October 13, 1925 – August 3, 1966), better known by his stage name Lenny Bruce, was an American stand-up comedian, social critic, satirist, and screenwriter. He was renowned for his open, free-style and critical form of comedy which integrated satire, politics, religion, sex, and vulgarity. His 1964 conviction in an obscenity trial was followed by a posthumous pardon, the first in the history of New York state, by then-Governor George Pataki in 2003. He paved the way for future outspoken counterculture-era comedians, and his trial for obscenity is seen as a landmark for freedom of speech in the United States. In 2017, Rolling Stone magazine ranked him third (behind disciples Richard Pryor and George Carlin) on its list of the 50 best stand-up comics of all time.
Lenny Bruce was born Leonard Alfred Schneider in Mineola, New York, grew up in nearby Bellmore, and attended Wellington C. Mepham High School. His parents divorced when he was five years old (the documentary Lenny Bruce: Swear to Tell the Truth claims he was eight years old), and Lenny lived with various relatives over the next decade. His British-born father, Myron (Mickey) Schneider, was a shoe clerk and Lenny saw him very infrequently. Bruce's mother, Sally Marr (real name Sadie Schneider, born Sadie Kitchenberg), was a stage performer and had an enormous influence on Bruce's career.
After spending time working on a farm, Bruce joined the United States Navy at the age of 16 in 1942, and saw active duty during World War II aboard the USS Brooklyn (CL-40) fighting in Northern Africa, Palermo, Italy in 1943 and Anzio, Italy in 1944. In May 1945, after a comedic performance for his shipmates in which he was dressed in drag, his commanding officers became upset. He defiantly convinced his ship's medical officer that he was experiencing homosexual urges. This led to his dishonorable discharge in July 1945. However, he had not admitted to or been found guilty of any breach of naval regulations and successfully applied to have his discharge changed to "Under Honorable Conditions ... by reason of unsuitability for the naval service". In 1959, while taping the first episode of Hugh Hefner's Playboy's Penthouse, Bruce talked about his Navy experience and showed a tattoo he received in Malta in 1942.
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