tavm Review of Richard Pryor: Live and Smokin'

Richard Pryor: Live and Smokin' (1971 TV Special)

Richard Pryor: Live and Smokin' is a worthy look at his stand-up from the early '70s

[6/10 · 7 February 2012]

With it being Black History Month and all, I've been going through various movies featuring people of color in chronological order since the first day of February. So now I'm at 1971, April 29th in fact, at New York Improvisation where Richard Pryor has his stand-up act being filmed for the first time. Lots of stuff about getting' some especially with white women, a few digs at the Nixon White House, the contrast between his people and the white people he knew, before he finishes with a rambling monologue about an elderly and drunk man he portrays thinking back to when he was young. The last one seems more serious in intent so not much laughs there. In summary, most of what I heard wasn't great but since this was when he was truly exploring his background for material, there were still some genuine laughs coming from me when he touched on subjects like Dracula with black people or someone's reaction when the ice cream man's music is heard in the 'hood as well as some of the above. So on that note, Richard Pryor: Live and Smokin' is worth a look.