From the Vault: Comedy

In this episode of From the Vault, we’ll explore an aspect of the Pacifica Radio Archives that is often overlooked — comedy. Drawing from unique programs within our collection, we are able to revisit some of the funniest folks of years past. The first selection is from a 1961 panel discussion on censorship in comedy recorded at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles — the panel includes Carl Reiner, Steve Allen, Groucho Marx, Robert Young, and Los Angeles Times columnist Cecil Smith. (The moderator tries to start a discussion, and of course the comedians resist!) Then we’ll shift to 1968, when Pacifica Radio recorded Pat Paulsen’s 89-cent fund raising dinner –introduced by Carl Reiner — held in the midst of his satirical presidential campaign. Finally, we’re treated to the forefather of the ’socially conscious’ comedian, Lenny Bruce, by means of a 1963 documentary on Bruce by Albert Goldman — and then from Bruce himself, in a 1963 performance entitled Lenny Bruce Comes Clean, in which he examines the comedian’s struggle for free speech on stage, reminding us of the challenges facing community media today.