San Francisco Fack's II October 24, 1958 end of a set; Los Angeles Club Renaissance 1962

Abstract

Presented here is a digital version of a recording containing four clips from Lenny Bruce performances. These clips were recorded on October 24, 1958 at Fack's II nightclub in San Francisco, although they may be from different sets and may not be in chronological order. The first clip begins as the set is in progress, with Bruce imagining that Pope Pius XII would sneak in one night to see him. He wonders if the name Pope Pius was, like Rip Torn, dreamed up by Hollywood talent agent Henry Willson. He reads from a negative review by Army Archerd of his performance at The Interlude, a Los Angeles club, in which patrons of the club are called limp-wristers. Bruce ponders Archerd's generalizations about faggots and does his Lie Detector bit. He points out that the California statute 288a calls criminal many sex acts that he assumes the audience has practiced, and that the law made Caryl Chessman a pervert. This same performance clip is also on file LB_64c. That section ends, and what is possibly a different set has Bruce doing bit with Santa Claus as the subject of Edward R. Murrow's show Person to Person. A third section begins. The location is Club Renaissance in Los Angeles. The exact date is not known, but the year is probably 1962. Bruce refers to the fact that the previous Sunday he'd only sold 500 tickets for a show at the Curran Theater in San Francisco, leaving 1100 empty seats. He relates a scenario in which 1100 tickets are given to winos, along with a pint of whiskey. The drunks cause trouble, pass out and stay in the theater for the next engagement, a play starring Dana Andrews. That portion ends, and the next clip is a few seconds of a bit about how Englishmen can say crap' and it sounds classy. These latter two bits, in more complete form and with more material in between, are also on file LB_64a.

Full length copies of the recordings are available for use in the department. Please contact the Robert D. Farber University Archives & Special Collections Department, Brandeis University for more information.