A Reel Retro Review: LENNY (1974)

With the 93^rd Academy Awards approaching, this month’s Retro Reviews will look back at Oscar nominees and winners from the past. 

There is little argument that the 47^th Academy Awards, held in 1975, featured one of the strongest classes of nominees, with four of the five Best Picture contenders destined to become legends. First and foremost was the big winner, Francis Ford Coppola’s THE GODFATHER PART II, along with Roman Polanski’s mystery film CHINATOWN, the Steve McQueen-led thriller THE TOWERING INFERNO, and another Coppola film, THE CONVERSATION. The fifth film was the now forgotten LENNY; a biographical movie that has taken a long-time backseat to its fellow Best Picture classmates. 

 

Based on the true story of controversial stand-up comedian Lenny Bruce (Dustin Hoffman), Lenny causes an uproar nearly every time he is on stage; using vulgar language to tell jokes about race and sex…which often lands him in hot water with police. He is pressured to tone down his act but refuses, which puts pressure on his marriage to his stripper-wife Honey (Valerie Perrine). 

 

Directed by Bob Fosse and based on the stage play of the same name, LENNY operates with a unique structure. The story is told through the recollections of Honey and other people in Lenny’s life as they are interviewed. The film flashes back and is then amplified by one of Lenny’s stand-up shows, as he uses chapters of his life as material for his act. Lenny’s style of commenting on sex and society makes him a hit, even when it gets him into trouble. Fosse has a lot going on here; not only telling a life story, but tackling the touchy issues of free speech as Lenny is often arrested for his choice of words. 

 

The film is driven by stellar performances from Dustin Hoffman and Valerie Perrine. Hoffman is relentless in his delivery, and gives the complicated character of Lenny a human element that really works. Valerie Perrine, only a few years away from her role as Miss Teschmacher in SUPERMAN (1978), is spectacular as the troubled wife who struggles with drugs and her difficult role as a support system for Lenny. 

 

Anyone who is familiar with the true story of Lenny Bruce will not be surprised by the tragic ending that the film wraps up with, as the film sticks close to the true story. Lenny has been considered to be one of the top three greatest comedians of all time, behind Richard Pryor and George Carlin…and this film certainly shows why. LENNY is a gripping piece, and in any other year when it wasn’t going up against cinematic goliaths, would have had a better place in Oscar history. 

 

BOTTOM LINE: See it 

 

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Reel Facts: LENNY was nominated for six Oscars; Best Picture, Director, Adapted Screenplay, Cinematography, Actor (Hoffman), and Actress (Perrine). It would not win any category. Valerie Perrine would be named Best Actress at the 1975 Cannes Film Festival.