DETROIT - The Elan Gate film on Lenny Bruce explores the comedian in a multi-dimensional way. It explores his turbulent history through the voices of the people who knew him intimately. The foul-mouthed comedian was more of a social commentator before the age of social media. In the mid-50's Lenny Bruce was the ultimate blue comedian. He got his start in strip clubs working as an MC. Borderline Films Media and Entertainment LLC has put together a very insightful and updated documentary.

The film starts with his statement "Every day people are straying from the church and are going back to God." Bruce challenged authority by holding up a mirror to the public and showing them what they look like. He took on religion, the church, and from every angle. He was an equal opportunity offender of sorts. But more than just shock he would examine every type of angle on a subject while exposing hypocrisy.

The film features Richard Lewis, Robin Williams, Kitty Bruce, Phyllis Diller, Roseanne, and Mort Sahl. Lenny was discovered by sax Paul Desmond from the Dave Brubeck Jazz group. Lenny was working in San Fernando as an MC and moved up the showbiz ladder by appearing on the Steve Allen Show. He had started to transform into social commentary. It took about 10 years for Lenny to become a really good comic.



In the 1950s the media was pretty sanitized. You couldn't show cleavage, and dress had to cover the knees. It is an interesting re-introduction to the comedy world of Lenny Bruce. This narrative only looks at his stand up work and the sensitivity of this subject matter. What this documentary calls attention to is in the context of the recent media news sensation. Two celebrities in particular who use shock comedy to get attention were radio shock jock Don Imus, and comedian Michael Richards.

It's a dizzying journey with lots of rare photographs and snippets of commentary from Lisa Lampanelli, Matt Amar, Jamie Masada the owner of the Laugh Factory. The story leads right to his tragic end. Lenny Bruce was picked up in Chicago, and New York City for obscenity on stage. He exhausted any money he made on legal fees and turned to drugs for relief. When asked why he was becoming so dependent on drugs he reportedly said: "once you sleep on a feather bed you can't go back to sleeping on the floor."

Lenny Bruce was once the toast of the Playboy Magazine empire and a frequent guest at the Playboy Mansion. Near the end of his career, Lenny was reduced to reading his court transcripts as part of his stand up act. He became addicted to heroin. In the 1950's it was the Right conservatives that handed out the harshest criticism and reprimand. Today in the 2020s that title would go to the Left.

The interesting part of this particular documentary is the commentary about his court appearances. The cops would write out Lenny's act in a police report when he was arrested and it would not be accurate. The courts also doctored up an inaccurate transcript. Lenny begged the court to let him do his act live in person and was denied. Lenny Bruce then started to record his court cases and typing out his transcript.

Lenny died on August 3, 1966, from a heroin overdose. He was found and photographed for the media. Lenny was found naked in his bathroom laying on the floor near the toilet with a needle in his arm. Phil Spector bought the negative to keep it out of the papers. Henry Rollins, from the rock band Black Flag, states that the LAPD repositioned his body and pulled his pants down for a better photo session. Perhaps it was to show depravity to the public. Rollins goes on to say that this happens to black people all the time.

The end of the film points out that the obscenity charges were pardoned on Dec. 23, 2003, by Governor George Pataki. It is the first time that this has ever happened in American history.