I'm baaaaack!
After a couple weeks away from Thursday Movie Picks, I've rejoined the festivities. The topic for this week, chosen by our host Wanderer at Wandering Through the Shelves, is "the stage." It's a vague, which is fine. It just gives me some freedom to put my own twist on things. The twist? How about guys standing on a stage making us chuckle?
Richard Pryor: Live on the Sunset Strip
(1982)
Pryor is possibly the most honest stand-up comedian of all-time and arguably the greatest. By arguably, I mean I'll let you name someone else, but you'd be wrong. This one finds him speaking on the night he infamously set himself on fire while free-basing cocaine, and why he will stop saying the n-word (as far as I know, he kept to his word). He also riffs on plenty of other stuff, and keeps us laughing while simultaneously talking himself through his own pain.
Eddie Murphy Raw
(1987)
One of the names I'll allow you to throw out when arguing the greatest stand-ups of all-time is Eddie Murphy. If you're under thirty, there's a good chance you only know him as the star of a lengthy string of middling family movies. You may not realize that he was ever a stand-up comic. He was, and as this film shows, he was a great one.
The Original Kings of Comedy
(2000)
Instead of just one funny guy, why not four? That's what we get with The Original Kings of Comedy. In the time between starring on a moderately successful sitcom and becoming an inescapable presence on TV, Steve Harvey handles hosting duties. He never does a complete set, but keeps the laughs rolling just the same while introducing his friends D.L. Hughley, Cedric the Entertainer, and the late-great Bernie Mac, in that order. All of them are hilarious, but trust me, Mac closes the show for a reason.
Interesting way to go Dell. I've seen the first two and I'd agree that Richard Pryor was one of the very best, though I have always leaned more towards Rodney Dangerfield.
ReplyDeleteEddie Murphy is undeniably talented and there was a time when he was razor sharp but when I was working in DC I had such a negative experience with him it soured me on him personally and I've never been able to enjoy him quite as much. Honestly though he's not what he was.
I'm shaky on the last since beside Bernie Mac I've never found the other three performers very amusing. I'm sure it's a treat for their fans though.
Stand-up never occurred to me so I went strictly for pictures that centered around the theatre world. My first impulse was perhaps the ultimate stage film-All About Eve but I've used it before and I was pretty sure it would crop up on its own. I did reach back quite a ways for all of mine this week. I enjoyed them all but my first is one I have a particular affection for.
The Velvet Touch (1948)-Stage star Valerie Stanton (Rosalind Russell) attempts to break ties with her longtime producer and paramour Gordon Dunning (Leon Ames) after the closing of her latest play so she can move on with her life and career but during an argument in his office she accidently kills him. Unobserved she leaves and as suspicion falls on Gordon’s former flame Marian Webster (Claire Trevor) the film looks back at how matters came to such a pass. Meanwhile jocular policeman and theatre buff Captain Danbury (Sydney Greenstreet) investigates. Nice stage atmosphere and excellent performances add much to this undeservedly obscure, efficiently made little drama with a twist of noir thrown in that has a great ending.
A Double Life (1947)-You’ve heard people jokingly tell others when they are getting carried away with something to “not get lost in the part!” but that’s just what happens in this noirish drama that won Ronald Colman a Best Actor Oscar. Anthony John (Colman) is a famed stage star greatly respected for his Shakespearian interpretations. The problem is that he lives the roles both onstage and off, when playing comedy he is the best guy in the world but when the material is dark so are his moods which among other things has led to the end of his marriage to his frequent costar Brita (Signe Hasso). Now he’s undertaken Othello and as he immerses himself deeply into the role his sanity begins to slip putting all around him including Brita and his mistress Pat (a young, whippet thin Shelley Winters) at risk.
42nd Street (1933) - Aspiring hoofer Peggy Sawyer (Ruby Keeler) is a greenhorn new to the Broadway stage where through a friendship with two other chorines, the brassy Lorraine (Una Merkel) and the loose “Anytime Annie” (Ginger Rogers) she gets a spot in the chorus of a new show “Pretty Lady”. Through huge contretemps the star of the show has to bow out and Peggy is plucked from the line and told by the producer Julian Marsh (Warner Baxter) “You’re going out there a nobody…but you’ve got to come back a STAR!” And she does with the help of mind bogglingly elaborate dance numbers staged by Busby Berkeley. Incredibly influential musical invented just about every cliché in the book.
I've always loved Dangerfield, however I view him as a guy who just tells jokes. Pryor, George Carlin, and even Bill Cosby (setting aside the disturbing stuff) offer insight into their own lives and the world around us. I know, it seems like I'm giving Rodney no respect. I do enjoy him, but that's just how feel.
DeleteI'm curious about your experience with Murphy.
All About Eve would have been a great choice. I haven't seen any of your actual picks, though.
About Eddie Murphy, I was managing a Blockbuster in Georgetown when the concierge of the hotel he was staying at called and said he wanted to purchase a film we had for rental that was extremely hard to get. We weren't allowed to do that if the title was rare and I explained that. It didn't go over well and he spent the night barraging us with phone calls which quite frankly by the end of I wouldn't have sold it to him if I could. Then he came in the next day with some of his sycophants and could not have been more of a douche. Noxious, condescending and entitled.
DeleteSorry you that experience. That sucks. I'm also a former Blockbuster employee. I never had anyone famous call, bur the people who did could be very nasty, so I get it. Still, I miss those days. I wrote about it a while back...
Deletehttp://dellonmovies.blogspot.com/2013/12/on-my-mind-good-ol-days.html
I have heard that Eddie Murphy has those sad personality issues and that his fame really went to his head. From what i have read, you are not the only one to experience his entitled, omni-impotent rants
DeleteI hadn't heard that but I can't say I'm surprised. That tends to happen to people who achieve fame and fortune as young and as quickly as he did.
DeleteAh, three great comedy films. I saw The Original Kings of Comedy in the theater. Man, that shit was funny. All of them, including pre-talk show host Steve Harvey, were great. I miss Bernie Mac too.
ReplyDeleteAs a child of the 80s, how could I not love Eddie Murphy in those days? The man was the funniest man in the world at that time. I also love watching Richard Pryor. He is also missed. Man, I bet he's got a lot of shit to say about that hypocrite Bill Cosby.
I saw both Eddie Murphy Raw and The Original Kings of Comedy in the theater. Fun times.
DeleteAhh I love the way you went here. I've seen all of these.
ReplyDeleteEddie Murphy and Bob Saget were two comedians that (like you said) I associated with wholesome family things because that's what they were doing when I was a kid, then I watched their stand up and they were bother pretty raunchy. lol
Yes, two very different sides to their careers, lol.
DeleteLOL. I've not seen these particular performances, but I do love me some Richard Pryor and Eddie Murphy. The Original Kings... not quite so much, but I do like Bernie Mac. I got to meet him once when he was shooting a movie where I worked. That dude is a GIANT. And also very nice.
ReplyDeleteObviously, I highly recommend them all. I will say that Raw hasn't aged as well due to having more pop culture references, but it's still very funny. Mac always looked big, so I could imagine. Glad he was nice.
DeleteI haven't seen any of these but nice twist!
ReplyDeleteThanks!
DeleteI have not seen the last one but I like Steve Harvey and Bernie Mac. Richard Pryer is, by far, one of the top comedians ever. he could make anything funny and that is hard. Eddie Murphy is funny and this one is funny but by the 1hr mark I was beginning to find his use of the F word a bit much. By the end of it the F word seemed to overpower his comedy for me. I am not a prude by any means and the F word is one of my favourite swear words but it was way too much for me. I love George Carlin, Robin Williams, Rodney Dangerfield and, here's one from the early days...Flip Wilson. He was very funny
ReplyDeleteFair point about Murphy. I love all those guys you just mentioned, including Wilson. Here come de judge!
DeleteHaven't seen any of them...not much for stand up comedy.
ReplyDeleteThat's too bad. I'm a fan, myself.
ReplyDelete