Richard Pryor didn't perform standup comedy...he ACTED it!!!! That's the difference in my mind. Most comedians perform routines. Richard told vignettes, stories, free-verse poetry in stand-up form. And his subject was being black in America.
He reminds me for some reason of Jimi Hendrix on Dick Cavette. You could tell that he was talking to a shy genius who couldn't have said a dishonest word if he tried. RIP Richard.
@The Waco Kid not any more it isn't, obviously. In all likelihood whomever captured it before it was digitised got it on tape, not film. Can't really see how that's a "lol", but whatever keeps you entertained, I guess....
PRYOR also played drums...HE did it on the mike Douglas show, him and SLY stone ,played together! it's here on youtube! he could really play! WHO KNEW?? LOL!
I've only heard this routine on audio recorded in a San Francisco. Even though this version was heavily sanitized for TV standards, it was a privilege to see it.
I've posted this before so it may actually be somewhere way down in the comments from years ago but here goes. Hearing Richard Pryor saying that he had a concert in DC in '74 reminds me of something I've been wondering about for almost 50 years now. I was in the Navy in 1974 and had seen him 2 or 3 times at a club called the Cellar Door. Well this one time he was appearing at RFK Stadium. I went to see him with a couple of buddies. Our seats were in the balcony. Pryor came on and went into his *_ drunk in a bar_* routine. We could hear the people below us laughing but up in the balcony we couldn't really understand what he was saying. After a few minutes when he noticed everyone wasn't laughing he stopped and said *_what's wrong with you so and so's?_* We in the balcony were yelling that that 'we couldn't make out what he was saying.' We only heard every other word. After we tried to let him know that we couldn't hear him he said "what?" Suddenly he jumped way to the end of the routine to the part where he's telling his lady to open the door. After he said *_I'm going to *_make love to you tonight_* (now y'all know that's not how he phrased it - and we heard that part because he said it real loud.) he said goodnight and walked off the stage. He probably was ticked. The promoters probably were too; only getting a few minutes of Richard Pryor. So his routine only lasted about 5 minutes I would say. Now to this day I don't know if he truly heard us and realized the sound system was bad or he didn't think he was funny or what. Yet I doubt that because like I said the audience on the lower level was laughing. However, Richard only being on stage for so short a time must have known something was wrong. Funny how some things comes around that reminds you of certain moments in your life.
So blessed to have been a “youngster“ (early 20s) in that era .-- 60-70s--we had the BEST SOUNDTRACK, comedians, TV, Etel. I miss those fun, innocent days soooooo much!
Omg how I loved Richard Pryor. He had standup and physical comedy down to a art form. He could just give off these facial expressions, which made you die laughing. He was the master for sure. I think Johnny really loved having Richard on his show.
He did he said he was the funniest to ever live he was his favorite. Johnnys friend and attorney wrote a book stating there were only two people Johnny would speak to behind the scenes and Richard was one of them.
@@sparx180 I didn't grow up on Richard prior to be honest, I wasn't even born til the 80s. I thought he was vulgar in his stand-ups, but I liked him in "Harlem nights" and all of his interviews are a joy to watch. His 1 on 1's are what drew me in. I can see why people really liked him he cracked me up in this interview and he was just different.
@@christinamitchell6796 😂😂😂 Richard Pryor is the 🐐 to this day. What you call “vulgar “ was part of his genius that came from his childhood life experiences- the rawness of adult life- which inspired him to weave these tales based on truth and he made it funny and relatable. But as much as a “blue” comedian as he was - he was equally funny doing standup and telling stories without a single curse word. And his versatility in movies was also genius: From “Which Way is Up” to his co-staring role alongside Max Julien in “The Mack” - the totality of his work is unmatched and inspired a whole generation of comics who have a bit of Pryor in them!!🙏🏿👏🏾👏🏾✊🏾
Great comedians, like all great artists, are keen observers of the world. Mr. Pryor was an extremely intelligent observer, I believe. His talent was immense.
Dec.1: Happy birthday Comedian-actor Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor, Emmy Award winner, co-writer "Blazing Saddles" (1940-2005) God bless. Thanks for the upload, Archilochus Moz. Blessings. RIP Legend
I have never understood the impulse to wish "Happy Birthday" to the dead. Dear Richard had been DEAD for over a decade when you wished him a happy b-day.
Technologically speaking, 1974 was not that long ago. This level of quality is quite normal for videotape footage of that time period, and even decades before.
People don't realize analog has advantages over digital in some ways, including audio.. Analog is real even though there's more distortion, and stuff like that.. if you watch true analog that's high quality it just feels like it's more realistic not fake.. it's closer to feeling like they're in the room with you including the audio if you close your eyes!!! Try that with a record player or good cassette, or if you can get your hands on a 1in reel to reel or bigger!! Despite the crackling popping, it just feels more like they are theres a special presence that digital cannot compete!! They take the old analog video and they digitally remaster it, and it is just awesome!!! The Best of both worlds!
@@muzikmon2267 So so true!!!!! Aww.. I miss cassettes. CDs as well but the cassettes, so right something about them, a very intimate feel, like you said its like your right there next to everything.
That's a great bit to choose for The Tonight Show. Guaranteed nobody else was doing anything like it, and if they were attempting to do similar, there's no way they'd do it on Carson.
Viva la 70s man✌ I couldn't help but notice how much of Richard Pryor rubbed off on Eddie Murphy's stand up Like Raw and Delirious, RIP RICHARD PRYOR ✌💙💯
I miss this MAN A GIANT IN STAND UP HE LIVES THE PARTS Funny is an UNDERSTATMENT HILARIOUS MASTER AT WORK LISTEN, LAUGH AND ENJOY GODS GIFT TO THE US I MISS THIS MAN❤️
Johnny Cs has a twitch or tick there. When he says 'January' he moves his head a bit, which nearly everyone does at times, but when he says 'Pryor' there is a definite tick. I've never noticed him do that before.
Man I watched Pryor get interviewed by Cavett and Cav came off as such a racist. I came here to see why Carson hung around so long. First thing he does when he sits down is find something in common with his guest. They're from the midwest. They've seen their fair share of bar fights. I think that's what makes a great talk show host and why Carson is so adored. He didn't mention Richard's race, didn't pry when he mentioned race riots. He just tried to find something in common with his guest. If more people behaved that way, the world would be a far better place.
I agree. He wants to put his guest s at ease. I've seen Cavetts interviews with Pryor, Murphy but he also is off with anyone that doesn't fit the status quo. Lots of awkward pauses, putting his foot in his mouth, cringworthy
Is weird but I saw a movie in the eighthies and didn’t speak English at all by the time that I went.but it was something about him that make him natural funny
@@CaneFu Johnny Carson was not a young man when he died. Give people back their Marlboro's and Camels and maybe it will take them 50+ years to die vs dropping dead at 19 and 20 from heroin, Fentanyl, and meth.
I don't believe it was censored in the original broadcast. These clips have been repackaged for video release by Carson Entertainment Group, and I think that's where the extensive editing happened. In the 70's shows like "All IN The Family" and "The Jeffersons" said things in prime time that you don't see on TV today. (whereas Carson was on late night) As the most extreme example, both shows used the n-word. Good luck finding that word on network TV today.
A lot of pain in Pryor. He could make me laugh so hard I cried and sometimes I almost cried listening to him and hearing the pain even though I was laughing. If you understand what I'm trying to say.
To me this is kind of sad... Because he is probably using events from his childhood for this.. But he was the best. I was thinking of his mother, father, and grandmother. : (
