Lenny (film)

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For other uses, see Lenny (film) (disambiguation).

Lenny
Directed by	Bob Fosse
Produced by	Marvin Worth
Written by	Julian Barry (screenplay) Based on his play Lenny
Starring	Dustin Hoffman Valerie Perrine Jan Miner Stanley Beck Gary Morton
Music by	Ralph Burns
Cinematography	Bruce Surtees
Editing by	Alan Heim
Distributed by	Metro Goldwyn Mayer
Release date(s)	November 10, 1974
Running time	111 min.
Language	English
Budget	N/A
IMDb profile

Lenny is a 1974 film about the life of the comedian Lenny Bruce, starring Dustin Hoffman. Directed by Bob Fosse. The screenplay by Julian Barry is based on his play Lenny.

It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Actress.

[edit] Plot summary

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

The chronology hops, skips and jumps between Lenny Bruce in his prime and the burned-out, strung-out performer who, in the twilight of his life, used his nightclub act to pour out his personal frustrations to great, boring length. We watch as up-and-coming Bruce courts his "Shiksa goddess", a stripper named Honey. With family responsibilities, Lenny is encouraged to do a "safe", comfortist act, but he can not do it. Constantly in trouble for flouting obscenity laws, Lenny develops a near-messianic complex which fuels both his comedy genius and his talent for self-destruction. Worn out by a lifetime of tilting at Establishment windmills, Lenny Bruce died in 1966.