- 1974|35mm|Rated 15|111m|Dir Bob Fosse; Written by Julian Barry|Starring: Dustin Hoffman & Valerie Perrine|Genre: Biographical Drama
Lenny (1964) is a black and white mockumentary style drama about the rise and fall of controversial cult comedian Lenny Bruce.
This first attempt at a non musical film stars Dustin Hoffman and Valerie Perrine and although it is mostly static and serious, it retains and somehow amplifies Fosses flair for percussive editing and unmasking of the dark underworld of back stage.
Lenny was nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Cinematography. Valerie Perrine won the award for Best Actress at the 1975 Cannes Film Festival.
“Lenny Bruce was one of the precursors of social upheaval, and like most pioneers, he got clobbered for his foresight. Bob Fosse’s remarkable film version of Julian Barry’s legit play, Lenny, stars Dustin Hoffman in an outstanding performance.” Variety, DEC 31, 1973
“As directed by Bob Fosse, Lenny is one of the most powerful films of the 1970s, yet it seems on the verge of being forgotten” National Review, 2018
Tickets will be available directly from the venue online in August 2019, or you can buy tickets on the door.
This film screening is in partnership with the Creatures of the Night programme at Hyde Park Picture House.
Fosse in Film: Mashiya Presents is screening five Bob Fosse films (Sweet Charity, Lenny, Cabaret, Liza with a Z and All That Jazz) to demonstrate and celebrate the breadth and skill of Fosse’s directing and choreography in film. The films will be shown as part of Scalarama Festival Leeds 2019 with funding from Leeds Inspired and support from key Leeds partners including Hyde Park Picture House, Leeds Film and Northern School for Contemporary Dance.
