Neil Patrick Harris

Whoopi Goldberg

Tig Notaro

Richard Pryor

Group Therapy

Group Therapy (2024)

Michael Ironside

Art Evans

Dennis Farina

Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling

Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling (1986)

Marty Feldman

Peter Boyle

Louise Lasser

In God We Trust

In God We Trust (1980)

Patti LaBelle

Jennifer Lee

Huey P. Newton

Following a performance by singer Patti LaBelle, comedian Richard Pryor walks on stage at the Terrace Theater in Long Beach, California. He opens the show by comparing the public behavior of white people and African-Americans and imagines a white man in the audience behaving nicely when he finds an African-American has stolen his seat.Pryor remarks on his recent trouble with law enforcement, which involved shooting at a car while intoxicated. He describes his difficulty in finding a watchdog to protect him from police canines and remembers beloved pets, such as his lustful squirrel monkey and a miniature horse named Ginger that dogs mistook for a canine.The comedian recounts having a recent heart attack and enacts his emergency telephone call to God. Amid the hostile environment of the hospital, Pryor demonstrates that only the resilient John Wayne can defeat death. On the subject of dying, he recalls that his father passed away while having sex, which Pryor argues is a better option than being hit by a bus. Returning to the subject of race, Pryor impersonates the frenzied mourners of an African-American funeral and states that his grandmother used the same behavior to make him flush cocaine down the toilet. Although his grandmother disciplined him with switches and douche bags, Pryor preferred her punishment to the scare tactics of his father. Segueing to the topic of nature, the comedian is grateful that his father introduced him to the outdoors and illustrates the difference between men and women urinating in the woods.Furthermore, Pryor claims African-Americans are rarely bitten by snakes because their stroll is too "cool." He impersonates two bumbling hunters tracking a deer and warns that one has to be careful among wild animals, unless you look like fearsome boxer Leon Spinks.Next, Pryor recalls the championship match between Spinks and Muhammad Ali and mentions that he was once in the ring with Ali. Although the event was a benefit, Pryor relates that the heavyweight champion was still intimidating. During his youth, he remembers being a good boxer in the gym, but a punching bag in the ring. The comedian then explains why running is not always an attractive sport and mimics a white man jogging. However, Pryor says that running is an important skill when you need to escape from a scary situation and advises against trying to be a "macho man" and fighting back. He comments that using your fists is ineffective against today's youth who know martial arts. Another useful skill is exercising in the pool, but Pryor admits he cannot swim. He recalls that his children laughed as they watched him almost drown. Unlike his parents, Pryor admits he is not a strict disciplinarian and imitates how children fib to get out of trouble.Next, Pryor introduces Huey P. Newton in the audience. After speaking to an Hispanic man in the crowd, Pryor states that there are only forty Mexicans in the world when compared to the billions of Chinese. He does impressions of a Chinese man with a stutter and a Chinese waiter, who screams if you do not eat all of your food, then very calmly presents the bill. Pryor closes the show by discussing the topic of sex and orgasms. He assumes the character of the "macho man," who is confronted by fear, ego, sensitivity, and back strain in the effort to please a woman.

Richard Pryor: Live in Concert

Richard Pryor: Live in Concert (1979)

Mike Epps

Howie Mandel

Lily Tomlin

Sandra Bernhard

I Am Richard Pryor tells the story of the legendary performer and iconic social satirist, who transcended race and social barriers by delivering his honest irreverent and biting humor to America's stages and living rooms until his death at 65. Featuring an iconic comedic cast, historians, activists and artists who provide a unique brushstroke into the complex world of Pryor. The film dives deeply into the psyche of a comedic genius whose mother was a prostitute, father a pimp, and grandmother a madam. Pryor dispensed a penetrating comedic view of African American life - essentially comedy without jokes - that struck a chord with audiences of every ethnic, social and economic disposition.

I Am Richard Pryor

I Am Richard Pryor (2019)

Chuck Williams

Richard Pryor Jr.

Timothy E. Goodwin

Barbie Pocase

What happens when "city slicker" Christian Andrews is thrown into a cowboy world of five sisters, two bullies, a load of cattle, a grungy dog, and the woman who runs it all, with only his faith to guide him through it?

Amazed by You

Amazed by You (2017)

James Earl Jones

Billy Dee Williams

Stan Shaw

Tired of being treated like a slave by team owner Sallison Potter (Ted Ross), charismatic star pitcher Bingo Long (Billy Dee Williams) steals a bunch of Negro League players away from their teams, including catcher/slugger Leon Carter (James Earl Jones) and Charlie Snow (Richard Pryor), a player forever scheming to break into the segregated Major League Baseball of the 1930s by masquerading as first a Cuban ("Carlos Nevada"), then a Native American ("Chief Takahoma"). They take to the road, barnstorming through small Midwestern towns, playing the local teams to make ends meet. One of the opposing players, 'Esquire' Joe Calloway (Stan Shaw), is so good that they recruit him. Bingo's team becomes so outlandishly entertaining and successful, it begins to cut into the attendance of the established Negro League teams. Finally, Bingo's nemesis Potter is forced to propose a winner-take-all game: if Bingo's team can beat a bunch of all-stars, it can join the league, but if it loses, the players will return to their old teams. Potter has two of his goons kidnap Leon prior to the game as insurance, but he escapes and is key to his side's victory. As it turns out, there is a major league scout in the audience. After the game, he offers Esquire Joe the chance to break the color barrier; with Bingo's blessing, he accepts. Leon glumly foresees the decline of the Negro League as more players follow Esquire Joe's lead, but Bingo, ever the optimist, cheers him up by describing the wild promotional stunts he intends to stage to bring in the paying customers.—SL

The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings

The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings (1976)

Noble Willingham

Sid Melton

A Federal Agent, whose daughter dies of a heroin overdose, is determined to destroy the drug ring that supplied her. He recruits various people whose lives have been torn apart by the drug trade and trains them. Then they all leave for France to track down and destroy the ring.—frankfob2@yahoo.com

Hit!

Hit! (1973)

Ned Glass

George Wyner

Born Elinore Harris, Billie Holiday had a difficult teen and young adulthood period, which included working in brothels, both as a cleaning woman and a prostitute, and being raped. Through this difficulty, she dreamed of becoming a jazz singer. She got her initial singing break when she applied at a Harlem club that was looking for a dancer, but where she got hired as a singer. There, she met and fell in love with the suave Louis McKay. After this initial break, Billie wanted her singing career to move to the mainstream clubs in downtown Manhattan. She took a risk when she agreed to be the lead singer for the Reg Hanley Band, a primarily white group, who convinced her that she would have to make her mark in regional tours before her Manhattan dream could happen. As Billie tried to advance her career, pressures of life, including being a black woman, led to her not so secret substance abuse (especially of heroin), not so secret because of her increasingly erratic behavior, both on stage and off. As those around her, including Louis, worked to support Billie emotionally to get off drugs, Billie faced other issues, such as open narcotic use being a criminal offense, which in combination with the effects of the heroin use itself could be Billie's downfall despite her singing talent.—Huggo

Lady Sings the Blues

Lady Sings the Blues (1972)

Joseph Stalin

Liz Garbus

Ward Churchill

A documentary look at the changing interpretations of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution--laws and court cases that have alternatively broadened and narrowed the amendment's protection of free speech and assembly. The film's thesis is that post-9/11, the government has seized unprecedented license to surveil, intimidate, arrest, and detain citizens and foreigners alike. The film also looks back to the 'Pentagon Papers' case and compares it to cases since 9/11 dealing with high-school students' speech and protesters marching in New York City during the 2004 Republican convention. Comment comes from a range of scholars, pundits, and advocates.—

Shouting Fire: Stories from the Edge of Free Speech

Shouting Fire: Stories from the Edge of Free Speech (2009)

Wesley Snipes

Rachel Ticotin

Joe Mantegna

Kevin Lennihan is a con artist. But this time he's framed and comes before a judge. By claiming insanity he hopes to get off the hook. He manages to end up in a hospital on Governors Island in New York Harbor for a mental examination. That night a storm breaks out over the area and the electricity to the hospital is out. In the ensuing chaos that follows Kevin is mistaken for a doctor, Eddie Slattery. Suddenly he is in charge of a whole hospital.—Mattias Thuresson

Critical Condition

Critical Condition (1987)

Carmen Filpi

Hank Worden

Tim Thomerson

Richard Pryor plays three roles: Leroy Jones, a poor orange-picker who gets laid off for accidentally joining the workers' union during one of their demonstrations; Leroy's father, whom he leaves behind with the rest of his family to go to Los Angeles; and Reverend Lenox Thomas, who impregnates Leroy's wife Annie Mae during his absence. In Los Angeles, Leroy ends up working for the same company that fired him back home; he is a manager at the company, but is now distant from his former pals. Though married, he falls in love with labor organizer Vanetta and must divide his time between her and Annie Mae. When he discovers that Annie Mae is pregnant by Reverend Thomas, he puts the moves on Mrs. Thomas.—mts77

Which Way Is Up?

Which Way Is Up? (1977)

Scott Schwartz

Ned Beatty

Tony Burton

On one of his bratty son Eric's annual visits, the plutocrat U.S. Bates takes him to his department store and offers him anything in it as a gift. Eric chooses a black janitor who has made him laugh with his antics. At first the man suffers many indignities as Eric's "toy", but gradually teaches the lonely boy what it is like to have and to be a friend.—Paul Emmons

The Toy

The Toy (1982)

Johnny Brown

Michael Jackson

Willie C. Carpenter

24-year-old kindergarten teacher Dorothy, born, raised, and still working in Harlem, is celebrating Thanksgiving with her extended family, but she doesn't seem to be thankful for much. She lives a sheltered life and is shy and unfulfilled. When she gets caught in a snowstorm while chasing her dog Toto, they're transported to the mysterious Land of Oz, where she's informed that the only way she can find her way home is through the assistance of the powerful wizard in the Emerald City. As she searches for him by easing down the Yellow Brick Road, she befriends some creatures who face problems in their lives. In their quest to find the wizard, they also face Evillene, the equally evil sister of Evermean, the wicked witch whom Dorothy inadvertently killed when she arrived in Oz; Evillene might be their biggest obstacle.—Huggo

The Wiz

The Wiz (1978)

Rosalind Cash

Flip Wilson

Bill Cosby

Steve Jackson and Wardell Franklin sneak out of their houses to visit Madame Zenobia's: a high-class but illegal nightclub. During their visit, however, the place is robbed and they are forced to hand over their wallets. Steve's wallet turns out to have contained a winning lottery ticket, and together they must recover their stolen property.—Murray Chapman

Uptown Saturday Night

Uptown Saturday Night (1974)

Ted Lange

Ossie Davis

Isaac Hayes

Documentary with a selection from a non-stop 7-hour musical event at Watts, the Los Angeles Coliseum, August 20, 1972. It's a sort of Woodstock event but with black artists, namely the groups Dramatics, Staple Singers, Rance Allen Group, Emotions, Bar Kays, Mel & Tim.—Artemis-9

Wattstax

Wattstax (1973)

Harvey Keitel

Ed Begley Jr.

Yaphet Kotto

Three workers, Zeke (Richard Pryor), Jerry (Harvey Keitel), and Smokey (Yaphet Kotto), are working at a car plant and drinking their beers together. One night, when they steal away from their wives to have some fun, they get the idea to rob the local union's bureau safe. First they think it is a flop, because they get only six hundred dollars out of it, but then Zeke realizes that they also have gotten some "hot" material. They decide to blackmail their union. The best reason for that is the union itself. All three are provoked by the fact that the union claims to have lost ten thousand dollars by their robbery.—Oliver Heidelbach

Blue Collar

Blue Collar (1978)

Johnny Carson

Jay Leno

Jerry Seinfeld

Jerry Seinfeld returns to The Comic Strip in New York City for a stand-up set at the club that helped launched his career. Interspersed with never-before-seen material -- including a library of legal pads with every joke he's written since 1975, childhood videos, and more -- Jerry performs jokes that put him on the comedy map.—Netflix

Jerry Before Seinfeld

Jerry Before Seinfeld (2017)

Julie Hampton

Jesse Jackson

Gene Cross

One of comedian Richard Pryor's live performances (at the Sunset Strip, obviously) caught on film. Pryor talks about most of his standard subjects, including rascism and the differences between blacks and whites, along with talking about some of his recent film roles.—Jean-Marc Rocher

Richard Pryor: Live on the Sunset Strip

Richard Pryor: Live on the Sunset Strip (1982)

Paul Mooney

Comedian Richard Pryor performs at the Saenger Theater in New Orleans, Louisiana. After talking to the crew backstage, he comes out on the stage of the large theater and informs the audience that he is in his fifth month of sobriety from alcohol and drugs, and that he is likely to urinate into some of the front-row seats when he runs out of jokes.Commenting on the culture of New Orleans, he discusses the local accent, the mixed-race "Creole" population, the frequent parades, and the region's history of slavery and lynching. Pryor recalls incidents from his years of drunkenness, such as regaining consciousness while driving at high speed, trying to speak coherently to police officers, being unable to sleep, episodes of nausea, and the inevitable hangovers.Segueing to the topic of the women in his life, Pryor talks about his four marriages, his divorces, and several affairs in between. He then speaks critically about his country's foreign policy, including its intervention in El Salvador's civil war and its belligerence toward Libya. Pryor describes his recent visit to Africa, where his skin color was not an issue, unless he was in the company of white tourists, and how the natives perceived the U.S. as a land of infinite wealth.The comedian recounts his unpleasant meeting with President Ronald Reagan, and suggests that Reagan's affinity for nuclear missiles is compensation for his resemblance to a flaccid penis. Pryor considers the consequences of a nuclear war, including the panicked citizenry, the high death toll, and the opportunity to have one final, ecstatic sexual encounter. He assumes the character of "Mudbone," an elderly African American who reminisces about his friends "Bob T" and "Sweet Chocolate Brown," the four women in his life, his brief residency in California, and his crab lice infestation.Pryor returns to the subject of his drug and alcohol abuse, and admits that he is not used to facing an audience while sober, and that he is embarrassed when others remind him of his behavior while intoxicated. A member of the audience hands Pryor a tiny "racing crab," and the comedian converses with it, providing the crab's voice along with his own. He then recalls how he once admired adults who used illegal drugs, unaware that their "cool" demeanor was the result of brain damage. Pryor assumes the character of a heroin addict and thief, unable to find employment because he is considered unreliable, even though, the addict argues, he maintains a $200-per-day habit. Stepping out of character, Pryor remarks on the epidemic of illegal drug use, noting that it is only considered epidemic when white people participate. He is also amazed by the changes in self-perception he has experienced since achieving sobriety, especially where his virility is concerned. Pryor closes the show by describing how men behave in public restrooms.

Richard Pryor... Here and Now

Richard Pryor... Here and Now (1983)

6.5 / 10

Action
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6.3 / 10

Biography
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5.4 / 10

Comedy

8 / 10

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6.7 / 10

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5.2 / 10

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6.8 / 10

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6.1 / 10

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7 / 10

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7.4 / 10

Documentary

5.3 / 10

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6.2 / 10

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5.8 / 10

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5.6 / 10

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Adventure

6.6 / 10

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7.6 / 10

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7.5 / 10

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7 / 10

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7.6 / 10

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7.2 / 10

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