Showing results by author "Lenny Bruce" in All Categories

During the course of a career that began in the 1940s, Lenny Bruce challenged the sanctity of organized religion and other societal and political conventions and widened the boundaries of free speech. Critic Ralph Gleason said, "So many taboos have been lifted, and so many comics have rushed through the doors Lenny opened. He utterly changed the world of comedy."

Lenny Bruce was a prominent stand-up comedian, social critic, and satirist who heralded the free-speech movement and helped to push culture towards open and honest expression. He was repeatedly arrested for obscenity. Here he performs at the Gate of Horn in Chicago, December, 1962 - a performance that concludes with his arrest.