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The two most beautiful words
in the world of comedy:
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Richard Pryor.
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00:00:25,360 --> 00:00:28,114
(audience cheering)
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Good evening. Wait for the people
to get from the bathroom.
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People in there pissing are like,
"Wait, the shit's done started."
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00:00:39,680 --> 00:00:43,117
Dave Chappelle: Richard Pryor,
undisputed champion of the world.
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The greatest of all times. Case
closed. Period. Exclamation point.
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This is the fun part for me
when the white people come back
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after intermission and find out
niggers have stolen their seats.
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(laughter)
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(imitating)
"We were sitting here, weren't we?"
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(imitating)
"Yes, we were sitting right there."
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(laughter)
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(imitating) "Well, you ain't
sitting there now, motherfucker!"
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It's amazing to see him live.
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It's like saying that
you saw Coltrane play.
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What you taking my picture for?
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You know you ain't got no film
in the camera.
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(laughter)
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Ain't nothing flashing.
Sit your ugly ass down.
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Most of us saw Richard
and thought, he's free flying.
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I want to free fly.
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I love when
white dudes get mad and cuss.
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'Cause you're all some funny
motherfuckers when you cuss.
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They be saying shit like,
"Yeah, come on, pecker-head!"
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(laughter)
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"Come on, you fucking jerk-off.
Come on!
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Yeah.
You're fuckin'-A right, buddy."
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Niggers be talkin' bout,
"Buddy this."
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Cecil: Always talked about making
them brave enough to see themselves.
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And the demons that he wanted
to exorcise in the audience
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became demons that he found hard
to exorcise in himself.
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(humming "Close Encounters of
the Third Kind" theme tune)
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Reporter: Richard Pryor,
the comedian and writer,
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was badly burned in an accident
at his home in California last night.
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Authorities say Richard Pryor
either walked or ran
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nearly a mile and a half
from his house to this location,
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- where an ambulance rescued him.
- (siren chirps)
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Interviewer: There was an indication
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that a butane lighter
exploded on Mr. Pryor.
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What can you tell us
about that?
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Right now, I'm not going to say
anything about cause or determination
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until we know anything for sure.
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Reporter: Is there any indication
that there might have been
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some manufacturing
of drugs on the premises?
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I can't say that either at this time.
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Reporter: Pryor's attorney talked
with reporters
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and disputed the LAPD theory that
Pryor was using freebase cocaine.
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He had a glass of rum in his hand.
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He was lighting a cigarette
when-- Boom!
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- No cocaine?
- No cocaine.
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If anyone is monitoring
the intercom, let me inform you
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that we have the right to check
the premises for flammables.
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We intend to make entry by force
if necessary.
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We have a verbal search warrant.
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Reporter:
Fire and police investigators
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obtained a search warrant
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and forcibly entered Pryor's home
to look for clues this morning.
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But police said someone had already
cleaned up the scene of the fire
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00:03:26,440 --> 00:03:28,318
and they could find no evidence.
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00:03:28,960 --> 00:03:31,721
Sheila Frazier: Everybody had this
sense that something was ultimately
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going to happen and it finally did.
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This is it.
He's finally killed himself.
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Presenter: For the first time
on television, Richard Pryor.
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- (applause)
- (saxophone music plays)
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Uh, I'm going to tell you
a few things about myself,
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because a lot of you probably
don't know me. I'm not a New Yorker.
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My home's in Peoria, Illinois.
And, uh--
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00:04:09,840 --> 00:04:12,036
- (laughter)
- (clapping)
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00:04:12,200 --> 00:04:13,429
Thank you.
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I'm from an average size family.
Eleven kids.
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(laughter)
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No mother and father, just kids.
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Sandy Gallin: I was roaming
around Greenwich Village
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and I wandered
into the Cafe au Go Go.
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And I saw this guy do a set
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and I was completely mesmerized.
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I thought this guy
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is going to be a major star,
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00:04:46,920 --> 00:04:50,436
if I can get him to be able to put
two sentences together
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00:04:50,640 --> 00:04:54,554
without "fuck, motherfucker, cunt".
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The next party you go to,
everybody'll be dancing away,
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00:04:56,920 --> 00:04:58,115
having a heck of a time.
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One guy in the corner by himself,
checking himself out.
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Everybody else will be dancing.
One guy in the corner...
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00:05:02,720 --> 00:05:04,757
(humming)
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00:05:06,240 --> 00:05:10,393
Sandy: Richard and I would have to go
through the material,
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rehearsing and preparing.
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And it was never to make it funny.
It was to make it cleaner.
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Budd Friedman: I went to
the opening night
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at his first legitimate gig
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00:05:25,720 --> 00:05:29,077
at The Living Room,
which was a chic East Side boîte.
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And it was very crowded.
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The maître d' said,
"Could Nipsey Russell join you?"
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"Sure. Of course. Nipsey sit down."
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And all during the show,
Nipsey's going... (tutting)
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I said,
"What's wrong with you, Nipsey?"
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At the end of the show.
"What was wrong?"
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He said, "He's doing Bill Cosby."
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Paul Mooney: Bill Cosby did what
they called the crossover.
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You know, he'd gotten
white people to like him.
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00:05:49,800 --> 00:05:53,111
I think Richard thought
he had to imitate Bill
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00:05:53,280 --> 00:05:57,752
to get over to become part of the
circus or whatever it was.
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- All the success came within a year?
- Yes.
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How is it up here?
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- Oh, wow!
- How does it come out?
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- Oh, hostile.
- Really?
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00:06:05,600 --> 00:06:07,956
Oh, yes. I go out.
I don't know. I go crazy.
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Tell us the big things
that are going to happen to you.
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Well, a big thing
that's going to happen is,
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I'm going to Las Vegas.
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Scott Saul: He plays Vegas in 1966.
He's a huge success.
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That world
that he so aspired to join,
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wanted to impress everybody,
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wanted to be a big star
with his name in lights.
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Suddenly, there's a hollowness
to that price.
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Presenter: Richard Pryor.
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(applause)
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Richard Pryor: I want to really tell
you, it's really "wow" being here.
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My home's in Midwest, Illinois.
Peoria.
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- Audience member: Peoria, where?
- Richard: Yeah.
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Peoria where? Peoria, Illinois.
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00:06:52,400 --> 00:06:54,437
Cecil Brown: When he was
in Las Vegas performing,
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he looked out in the audience
and saw some white people.
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Dean Martin was in the audience
and he was looking at him.
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And Richard said, "I looked
at Dean Martin through his own eyes
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00:07:05,520 --> 00:07:08,877
and saw me looking
like a damn fool."
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00:07:09,840 --> 00:07:11,280
Bob Newhart:
It was like an epiphany.
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I don't want to do it
that way anymore.
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00:07:13,360 --> 00:07:17,195
I want to do it the way I hear it.
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That was probably when Richard Pryor
decided to become Richard Pryor.
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Sandy: In the middle of the night,
I got a call.
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"You'd better get out here, because
Richard Pryor has just gone nuts
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00:07:35,080 --> 00:07:40,109
and he's literally hanging
from the chandeliers in the lobby.
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I want him out of the hotel,
and he is finished."
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No "Nice talking to you."
You know?
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Bob: It was all over town:
"You heard what happened last night?"
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And I think he was fired
the next day.
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00:08:06,400 --> 00:08:10,519
Ron: It was so public, he had a Vegas gig.
That's what every comic wants.
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And you blew it?
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And I guess everybody thought,
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"Well, that's the end
of Richard Pryor."
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Sandy: I did not hear from him.
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I did not know where he was.
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Richard was gone.
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David Banks:
Don't try to find no logic.
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A lot of this in here,
logic is omitted.
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And sometimes, to understand Richard,
you had to first omit logic.
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And then you come close.
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Because,
what you think it ought to be,
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it ain't going to be nothing like it.
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♪ Talking, talking to the people ♪
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Paul: Richard is a superstar
all over again.
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He had a new name.
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00:09:21,080 --> 00:09:24,710
It was... Edward or Edwin,
or something stupid.
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"This is what
I'm going to call myself."
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He says,
"I'm going to come and pretend
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like I have nothing and see how--
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Get to know these people here,
the hippies.
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00:09:33,200 --> 00:09:34,395
I'm going to be one of them."
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Patricia von Heitmann:
He gave up everything.
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He gave up his driver's license,
his bank account.
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He gave up any kind of ID.
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He lived in this horrible little
clapboard boarding house.
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He invited me
to go to an after party.
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And, um, we weren't apart
for like six years.
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- I am.
- Crowd: I am.
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00:10:00,480 --> 00:10:01,516
A revolutionary.
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00:10:01,680 --> 00:10:03,717
Ishmael Reed: There was a lot of
feverish things going on.
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00:10:03,880 --> 00:10:07,430
People asserting their rights.
Demonstrations.
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00:10:07,720 --> 00:10:10,110
There was just a lot
of ferment in the Bay Area.
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00:10:11,160 --> 00:10:15,040
Something different was happening
with African-American culture.
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It had come into its own.
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Richard showed up.
And gave it new life.
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00:10:21,536 --> 00:10:23,176
There used to be
some beautiful black man,
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00:10:23,200 --> 00:10:24,190
would come through
the neighborhood,
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00:10:24,360 --> 00:10:26,875
dressed in African shit.
Really nice shit, you know.
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00:10:27,040 --> 00:10:29,635
They'd be,
"Peace, love, black is beautiful.
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00:10:30,120 --> 00:10:33,750
Remember the essence of life.
We are people of the universe.
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00:10:34,120 --> 00:10:36,919
Life is beautiful."
My parents go, "That nigger crazy."
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00:10:37,080 --> 00:10:38,150
(laughter)
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No one had heard him using
the N-word the way he does.
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00:10:41,760 --> 00:10:44,798
He was just starting to do that.
He was tiptoeing into it.
184
00:10:45,560 --> 00:10:48,120
In comedy, you'd just never heard
anything like this.
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00:10:48,760 --> 00:10:52,151
Cecil: So Richard would nudge
this audience to some kind of feeling
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00:10:52,320 --> 00:10:55,916
about who they really were.
So, he's telling the joke.
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00:10:56,280 --> 00:10:59,352
And, er, white guy in the back says,
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00:10:59,520 --> 00:11:02,957
"You ought to be glad
I've got a sense of humor."
189
00:11:03,120 --> 00:11:05,760
And Richard said, "Yeah, I am glad
you've got a sense of humor,
190
00:11:05,920 --> 00:11:08,071
because I know
what you do to us niggers."
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00:11:08,240 --> 00:11:13,474
He was acutely aware
of the dynamics of political,
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00:11:13,640 --> 00:11:15,791
- racial segregation.
- I'd hate to be white...
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00:11:15,960 --> 00:11:18,794
David Steinberg: This audience that
he was playing to was as hip
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00:11:19,360 --> 00:11:21,192
an audience as you could get.
195
00:11:21,920 --> 00:11:24,799
And they weren't sure
they were going to go along.
196
00:11:24,960 --> 00:11:27,316
That's how radical Richie was.
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00:11:27,840 --> 00:11:30,275
(rapping and screaming)
198
00:11:30,440 --> 00:11:32,750
Paul: I think he was very conscious
of what he was doing.
199
00:11:32,960 --> 00:11:35,191
Richard knew how to drop
atomic bomb words.
200
00:11:35,360 --> 00:11:37,113
He knew that words were powerful.
201
00:11:37,280 --> 00:11:40,318
They accidentally shoot more niggers
out here than any place in the world.
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00:11:40,480 --> 00:11:41,516
Every time you pick up a paper:
203
00:11:41,720 --> 00:11:43,234
"Nigger accidentally shot
in the ass."
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00:11:43,400 --> 00:11:44,400
(laughter)
205
00:11:44,560 --> 00:11:47,951
How do you accidentally shoot
a nigger six times in the chest?
206
00:11:48,200 --> 00:11:50,240
(imitating) "Well, my gun fell
and just went crazy."
207
00:11:51,160 --> 00:11:53,755
David: He was fully blown
as Richie Pryor.
208
00:11:53,960 --> 00:11:56,520
It was astonishing.
209
00:11:56,840 --> 00:12:01,551
His point of view, his attack
on the culture from every version.
210
00:12:01,720 --> 00:12:05,509
No holds barred.
Not thinking about a career.
211
00:12:05,680 --> 00:12:09,310
Not thinking about what you have
to do to be right and wrong.
212
00:12:10,320 --> 00:12:12,161
Walter Mosley:
He wasn't a civil rights leader,
213
00:12:12,240 --> 00:12:14,835
like you would say Huey Newton
or Martin Luther King,
214
00:12:15,040 --> 00:12:17,316
but he was somebody who
215
00:12:17,480 --> 00:12:22,157
inculcated the spirit
of the movement.
216
00:12:25,320 --> 00:12:27,516
Cecil Brown:
Richard, in Berkeley, was,
217
00:12:27,720 --> 00:12:28,836
you know, a lovable person.
218
00:12:29,000 --> 00:12:30,753
But Berkeley's not the world.
219
00:12:30,920 --> 00:12:34,436
You had to meet the monster.
You had to go through Hollywood.
220
00:12:55,040 --> 00:12:56,952
Ron De Blasio:
I met Richard Pryor in 1972.
221
00:12:57,520 --> 00:13:00,672
At an upscale garden party
in Beverly Hills.
222
00:13:02,120 --> 00:13:05,272
I asked him what he was doing,
and he said, "Nothing."
223
00:13:05,520 --> 00:13:07,000
I said, "I know you're doing nothing,
224
00:13:07,120 --> 00:13:08,634
but, I mean,
what are you working at?"
225
00:13:08,800 --> 00:13:10,961
He said, "I'm not working
at anything. I'm unemployed."
226
00:13:11,040 --> 00:13:12,394
I said, "How long have you been
unemployed?"
227
00:13:12,600 --> 00:13:13,875
He said, "A long time."
228
00:13:14,040 --> 00:13:16,714
I said, "Really? Who's managing you?"
"Nobody."
229
00:13:16,880 --> 00:13:18,473
"Who is agenting you?"
"Nobody."
230
00:13:19,640 --> 00:13:22,200
He didn't really have any place
to go at that time,
231
00:13:22,400 --> 00:13:26,713
so he took a job,
doing punch-up lines for Redd Foxx.
232
00:13:27,240 --> 00:13:29,596
I thought, "This is not right."
233
00:13:29,760 --> 00:13:31,911
So, I said to Richie,
"Let's record an album."
234
00:13:34,400 --> 00:13:36,710
Richard: Don't ever marry
a white woman in California.
235
00:13:37,560 --> 00:13:39,074
A lot of you sisters are probably,
236
00:13:39,240 --> 00:13:41,277
"Don't marry a white woman anyway,
nigger."
237
00:13:41,440 --> 00:13:43,397
(cheering)
238
00:13:43,560 --> 00:13:45,233
"Why should you be happy?"
239
00:13:45,560 --> 00:13:47,836
(laughter)
240
00:13:50,080 --> 00:13:51,912
Sisters look at you
like you killed your mama
241
00:13:52,080 --> 00:13:53,833
when you're out with a white woman.
242
00:13:54,440 --> 00:13:56,113
You can't laugh that shit off either.
243
00:13:57,440 --> 00:13:58,720
(imitating) "She's not with me."
244
00:13:58,920 --> 00:14:00,912
(laughter)
245
00:14:01,240 --> 00:14:05,951
Richard said, "Look, I know that you
like it and I know that I like it.
246
00:14:07,080 --> 00:14:08,639
Black people don't like this."
247
00:14:08,960 --> 00:14:11,156
I said, "Richard,
I can't answer that. I don't know."
248
00:14:11,520 --> 00:14:15,116
He said, "Let's hope so.
If not, we're both out of business."
249
00:14:15,280 --> 00:14:17,795
I don't know how you feel
about the title of your album,
250
00:14:18,000 --> 00:14:19,832
- but I find it difficult to say.
- You do.
251
00:14:20,040 --> 00:14:22,350
Most white people,
it's hard to say "crazy".
252
00:14:22,520 --> 00:14:24,000
(laughter)
253
00:14:24,200 --> 00:14:25,839
No, the title. You tell them the
title of the album.
254
00:14:25,960 --> 00:14:27,030
I can't say that.
255
00:14:27,160 --> 00:14:29,800
The title of the album is
"That Nigger's Crazy."
256
00:14:29,960 --> 00:14:31,189
(laughter)
257
00:14:31,360 --> 00:14:34,353
See now, you can just say that.
If I said that, won't you get mad?
258
00:14:34,560 --> 00:14:36,279
I'd punch you out.
259
00:14:36,440 --> 00:14:38,318
(laughter and applause)
260
00:14:43,840 --> 00:14:47,038
Michael Schultz:
While I was in my college years,
261
00:14:47,280 --> 00:14:51,832
we'd get together
and play Richard Pryor LPs
262
00:14:52,000 --> 00:14:53,798
and have listening parties.
263
00:14:54,360 --> 00:14:55,680
My father when he ate was fun.
264
00:14:55,840 --> 00:14:57,720
(imitating father)
"Hey, bitch, where the food?"
265
00:14:58,320 --> 00:15:01,836
"Goddamn mother, come on.
Oh, you motherfucker!"
266
00:15:02,040 --> 00:15:03,076
(laughter)
267
00:15:03,240 --> 00:15:05,630
Budd: Saying "fuck" in those days
was unheard of.
268
00:15:05,920 --> 00:15:07,832
They had blue laws,
for crying out loud.
269
00:15:08,000 --> 00:15:09,280
Mike Epps: It was just a secret.
270
00:15:09,520 --> 00:15:14,879
It was like learning how to say,
"Motherfucker. Bitch, kiss my ass."
271
00:15:16,240 --> 00:15:20,029
Ron: The people that had it first,
I don't know why,
272
00:15:20,240 --> 00:15:22,675
they were pimps and hoes.
273
00:15:22,840 --> 00:15:25,992
Mike: This is the only guy
really touching on some shit like,
274
00:15:26,160 --> 00:15:29,392
Oh, taboo to other people. Like,
"Don't go there."
275
00:15:30,320 --> 00:15:32,516
He was the Messiah, the messenger,
276
00:15:32,840 --> 00:15:34,672
for the real niggers in the streets
277
00:15:35,040 --> 00:15:37,509
that wanted to express
themselves but couldn't.
278
00:15:39,080 --> 00:15:40,681
Ron: The album
was a Grammy award winner.
279
00:15:40,760 --> 00:15:45,232
Number one on the R&B charts
in 1974 for five weeks,
280
00:15:45,400 --> 00:15:48,677
which is unheard of for
a comedy album in the R&B charts.
281
00:15:50,160 --> 00:15:53,198
Thom Mount: This was a time when
Richard was moving up very quickly.
282
00:15:53,360 --> 00:15:55,477
It was rather like
being fired out of a cannon.
283
00:15:56,800 --> 00:15:59,793
Alan Farley: We hardly ever went
to two gigs in sequence.
284
00:15:59,960 --> 00:16:04,751
From LA, to Washington, back to LA,
to New York, back to LA.
285
00:16:05,640 --> 00:16:07,393
You use the term, "Nigger".
286
00:16:07,560 --> 00:16:10,792
Now, does the black community get
on you for using that on a show?
287
00:16:10,960 --> 00:16:14,158
- How do you answer that?
- I say, "Nigger, get out of my face!"
288
00:16:14,320 --> 00:16:15,390
(laughter)
289
00:16:16,695 --> 00:16:19,336
Paul: People were fascinated with
Richard, especially white people.
290
00:16:19,360 --> 00:16:22,080
They never heard anybody talk
like that. They were fascinated.
291
00:16:22,240 --> 00:16:25,631
How could this young, black person
have this kind of power?
292
00:16:25,960 --> 00:16:27,394
That's power.
293
00:16:32,615 --> 00:16:35,376
George Lopez: When he would drive
down and perform, word would spread.
294
00:16:35,400 --> 00:16:38,154
Everybody got on the phone and said,
"Richard's at The Comedy Store."
295
00:16:38,400 --> 00:16:39,914
The word got out so quickly
296
00:16:40,080 --> 00:16:41,753
that Richard was backstage
at The Comedy Store,
297
00:16:41,920 --> 00:16:46,073
but by the time he got on,
there wasn't a comedian in town
298
00:16:46,240 --> 00:16:47,754
who wasn't in the audience.
299
00:16:47,920 --> 00:16:49,360
Richard: I took some acid once, too.
300
00:16:49,520 --> 00:16:51,432
A white dude gave me some.
At a party.
301
00:16:51,600 --> 00:16:53,478
Dude said, "This is far out."
302
00:16:54,600 --> 00:16:56,671
Get the fuck out of my face!
303
00:16:56,840 --> 00:16:58,957
About 20 minutes later,
I was at the party, you know,
304
00:16:59,160 --> 00:17:01,117
"I can't breathe!
305
00:17:01,280 --> 00:17:03,237
I don't remember how to breathe!"
306
00:17:04,960 --> 00:17:07,077
(imitating)
"I told you it was far out."
307
00:17:07,240 --> 00:17:08,469
(laughter and applause)
308
00:17:08,640 --> 00:17:13,840
Alan: When he performed, he would
sometimes make a couple of notes
309
00:17:14,000 --> 00:17:16,560
on the back of an envelope
of some of the things he might do.
310
00:17:16,760 --> 00:17:22,279
He never worked out in advance what
his... It wasn't really a routine.
311
00:17:22,440 --> 00:17:24,477
Skip Brittenham: Every night,
you see something different
312
00:17:24,640 --> 00:17:25,835
that you hadn't seen before.
313
00:17:26,000 --> 00:17:29,630
He would do a riff here and a riff
there. Just spontaneously.
314
00:17:29,800 --> 00:17:31,519
What kind of shit
are you handing me?
315
00:17:31,720 --> 00:17:35,475
What the fuck is it? I don't know
what you're handing me to sign.
316
00:17:35,640 --> 00:17:37,199
What the fuck does it say on it?
317
00:17:37,640 --> 00:17:41,111
Champagne! Listen, I ain't signing
for no goddamn champagne.
318
00:17:41,280 --> 00:17:42,841
Alan: He was always
doing something new.
319
00:17:42,960 --> 00:17:45,714
All of a sudden, "Oh, my God,
look what he's doing now!"
320
00:17:45,880 --> 00:17:48,315
He wasn't just telling jokes,
he was telling stories.
321
00:17:49,400 --> 00:17:54,236
And stories that were so vivid
and so funny
322
00:17:54,400 --> 00:17:56,153
that you had to stay with him.
323
00:17:56,320 --> 00:17:59,677
And you think, "OK, that's amazing."
324
00:17:59,840 --> 00:18:02,594
Lily Tomlin: I mean, he just had
that laser-like wit.
325
00:18:02,760 --> 00:18:07,277
Bringing so much tenderness to it.
And do the wino on the street.
326
00:18:07,840 --> 00:18:10,992
I'm going to help you, boy,
because I think you've got potential.
327
00:18:11,815 --> 00:18:13,976
That's right. You can be
somebody because you're sharp.
328
00:18:14,000 --> 00:18:16,356
You know what I mean?
Try some of that.
329
00:18:17,000 --> 00:18:19,196
Don't you drop it, nigger.
Put it safe.
330
00:18:20,040 --> 00:18:21,759
Bob: You're watching a world that,
331
00:18:21,920 --> 00:18:25,834
at least in my case, I would never
have known but for Richard Pryor.
332
00:18:26,200 --> 00:18:30,353
What a colorful world it is
that he paints.
333
00:18:30,880 --> 00:18:34,032
Thom: He'd go out and he'd do two
minutes, three minutes, sometimes,
334
00:18:34,200 --> 00:18:36,920
if the wind was right,
he'd do four or five minutes.
335
00:18:37,080 --> 00:18:40,551
Eventually, there'd
be about 40 minutes of material.
336
00:18:40,960 --> 00:18:42,917
And when there was
40 minutes of material,
337
00:18:43,360 --> 00:18:46,956
he knew then he could get
from there to a concert.
338
00:18:47,360 --> 00:18:50,876
I discovered masturbating
by accident.
339
00:18:52,080 --> 00:18:54,879
I'm not lying.
I was about ten. I was in the tub.
340
00:18:55,560 --> 00:18:59,395
And that's when you used to hold
your dick with two fingers.
341
00:18:59,560 --> 00:19:00,914
(laughter)
342
00:19:01,360 --> 00:19:02,760
Hey!
343
00:19:06,240 --> 00:19:08,118
I'm on to something here.
344
00:19:09,800 --> 00:19:12,269
I bet Dad don't know about this.
345
00:19:12,440 --> 00:19:15,797
He understood how to excavate
the human soul on stage
346
00:19:15,960 --> 00:19:18,919
in front of 600 people,
without blinking.
347
00:19:19,080 --> 00:19:22,232
First time I came to ejaculate,
it scared the fuck out of me.
348
00:19:23,080 --> 00:19:25,072
I thought something was wrong.
349
00:19:25,240 --> 00:19:28,358
I was with this woman. I said, "Look,
what the fuck you done did!"
350
00:19:30,400 --> 00:19:33,757
About an hour later, I was back.
"Can you do it again?"
351
00:19:34,920 --> 00:19:37,594
Dave: I think if comedy was a woman
I'm in love with,
352
00:19:37,760 --> 00:19:40,992
I know Richard Pryor
would just fuck the shit out of her.
353
00:19:41,200 --> 00:19:43,920
He'd fuck her in every orifice
of her body.
354
00:19:44,120 --> 00:19:48,319
Can I...? Is there anywhere this guy
didn't fucking put his prints on?
355
00:19:50,960 --> 00:19:54,431
Lonette McKee: Richard had become big
in the live concert,
356
00:19:54,600 --> 00:19:57,513
doing his brand of risqué humor.
357
00:19:57,680 --> 00:20:00,195
These large audiences
were fascinated with Richard.
358
00:20:01,280 --> 00:20:03,431
He had not crossed into film.
359
00:20:06,320 --> 00:20:09,313
Patricia:
Somehow, Berry Gordy tracked him down
360
00:20:09,680 --> 00:20:13,959
and wanted him to audition
for the role of Piano Man
361
00:20:14,120 --> 00:20:16,954
in the film he was about to do
of Billie Holiday,
362
00:20:17,120 --> 00:20:19,316
which was going to star
Diana Ross.
363
00:20:20,120 --> 00:20:22,635
Paul: Lady Sings The Blues,
when Richard auditioned,
364
00:20:22,800 --> 00:20:24,154
they let him do improv.
365
00:20:24,320 --> 00:20:26,880
You can't let Richard to improv,
he'll steal the show.
366
00:20:28,160 --> 00:20:29,560
Which he did. The rest is history.
367
00:20:29,720 --> 00:20:31,791
Everybody got
a room full of girls at home.
368
00:20:32,000 --> 00:20:33,440
You're just going to be another one.
369
00:20:33,600 --> 00:20:35,000
Billie, you've got too much going.
370
00:20:35,160 --> 00:20:37,040
Come on. You don't need
this gutter-pusher shit.
371
00:20:37,160 --> 00:20:39,152
Stan Shaw:
He was huge in Lady Sings The Blues.
372
00:20:39,320 --> 00:20:41,915
It sealed it for him
in terms of his performance
373
00:20:42,080 --> 00:20:44,311
and having the audience crave
to see more of him.
374
00:20:45,920 --> 00:20:47,877
- (knocking)
- We're coming.
375
00:20:49,320 --> 00:20:51,676
Paul: That part got bigger
and bigger and bigger.
376
00:20:51,840 --> 00:20:53,911
By the time they finished
cutting that movie,
377
00:20:54,080 --> 00:20:55,912
Richard was co-star in that movie.
378
00:21:01,840 --> 00:21:04,196
Mel Brooks: I met him in '72.
379
00:21:04,360 --> 00:21:08,240
He wasn't that famous,
but the word was out.
380
00:21:11,200 --> 00:21:13,954
I said to him, "Why don't you meet me
for breakfast?"
381
00:21:14,120 --> 00:21:18,273
He said, "Breakfast. OK. I'll meet
you at four." I said, "Four?"
382
00:21:19,520 --> 00:21:22,911
I told him about
a black sheriff in 1874.
383
00:21:23,080 --> 00:21:25,754
He loved the idea. He just loved it.
384
00:21:25,920 --> 00:21:29,516
I said, "I'm going to fight for you
to be the lead in Blazing Saddles."
385
00:21:29,760 --> 00:21:32,320
I said, "Look, I'm going to write it
like a gang comedy.
386
00:21:32,520 --> 00:21:35,319
Anybody got a good idea, it's in.
We're all going to be equal.
387
00:21:35,520 --> 00:21:38,240
I will be a little more equal
than anybody else,
388
00:21:38,640 --> 00:21:42,316
but we're all going to be equal
and we're all going to have fun.
389
00:21:42,520 --> 00:21:45,319
I want you to be
one of the writers."
390
00:21:47,240 --> 00:21:48,674
Ron: He called me up.
391
00:21:48,840 --> 00:21:51,912
And said, "Listen, I would like
to be the star of that film,
392
00:21:52,120 --> 00:21:53,998
Blazing Saddles.
That would be terrific."
393
00:21:54,160 --> 00:21:55,640
This is going to be something big.
394
00:21:56,560 --> 00:21:58,074
Mel: I wrote most of the black jokes,
395
00:21:58,240 --> 00:22:00,118
and Richard wrote
most of the Mongo jokes.
396
00:22:00,280 --> 00:22:03,079
He was like this big, tough baby.
397
00:22:03,240 --> 00:22:07,314
Richard wrote lines like,
"Mongo only pawn in game of life."
398
00:22:07,480 --> 00:22:08,550
...game of life.
399
00:22:08,760 --> 00:22:11,229
He wrote these meshuggener,
wacky lines.
400
00:22:11,400 --> 00:22:14,916
The next day, he showed up
in my apartment with cigars
401
00:22:15,080 --> 00:22:19,757
and a very expensive Dunhill
lighter, and I said, "What's this?"
402
00:22:19,920 --> 00:22:22,230
He said, "We're going to be signing
a lot of contracts."
403
00:22:27,320 --> 00:22:29,789
Mel: Somebody higher up
at Warner Brothers had heard
404
00:22:29,960 --> 00:22:33,840
that Richard was doing drugs
and Richard was unreliable
405
00:22:34,040 --> 00:22:35,076
and I was fighting.
406
00:22:35,200 --> 00:22:37,635
He said, "We appreciate
his contribution as a writer.
407
00:22:37,800 --> 00:22:38,836
We know how funny he is.
408
00:22:39,040 --> 00:22:41,555
It's the starring role.
We won't star him in the picture."
409
00:22:42,000 --> 00:22:45,596
It got to the fucking board
of Warner Brothers,
410
00:22:46,200 --> 00:22:49,591
where he lost on some vote,
and that was it. You know.
411
00:22:53,120 --> 00:22:54,961
Scott: He wished that he got
the starring role.
412
00:22:55,120 --> 00:22:58,955
That was a disappointment,
a major disappointment.
413
00:23:01,400 --> 00:23:03,835
Patricia: Just put him over the edge
when they said that.
414
00:23:04,000 --> 00:23:07,880
And he became high,
so high and out of control.
415
00:23:08,040 --> 00:23:10,760
So he decided to shoot up the house.
416
00:23:12,280 --> 00:23:16,194
We had a huge saltwater fish tank,
it was like 150 gallons.
417
00:23:16,360 --> 00:23:17,510
I mean it was huge.
418
00:23:17,680 --> 00:23:22,800
And, of course, it killed
all the fish and buckled the floor
419
00:23:23,000 --> 00:23:27,313
and shot the Charlie Parker painting
that was hanging above the fireplace.
420
00:23:27,480 --> 00:23:29,597
A huge Charlie Parker painting.
421
00:23:29,800 --> 00:23:31,029
He shot him in the heart.
422
00:23:36,480 --> 00:23:38,995
Cecil: It's really hard
to live in Hollywood.
423
00:23:39,320 --> 00:23:41,198
It's so controlled by white men.
424
00:23:41,880 --> 00:23:46,432
Very hard to do anything, because
they're so greedy and so insecure.
425
00:23:47,040 --> 00:23:51,193
Patricia: He decided he was going to
fire everyone and start all over.
426
00:23:51,360 --> 00:23:55,354
New lawyers, new agent, new manager.
427
00:23:55,520 --> 00:23:59,230
He called Ron
and just said it was over.
428
00:23:59,400 --> 00:24:03,440
I mean, it was a pretty harsh,
cold moment.
429
00:24:04,280 --> 00:24:06,636
Ron: "So, what became
of the change of heart?"
430
00:24:07,400 --> 00:24:09,232
He said,
"I don't know, man. Just did."
431
00:24:09,760 --> 00:24:13,879
I puzzled over that for many,
many years.
432
00:24:14,160 --> 00:24:17,358
Richard: I don't like movies when
they don't have no niggers in them.
433
00:24:17,600 --> 00:24:19,671
(laughter)
434
00:24:23,560 --> 00:24:25,870
I went to see Logan's Run, right.
435
00:24:26,080 --> 00:24:28,390
They had a movie of the future
called Logan's Run,
436
00:24:28,560 --> 00:24:30,074
and there ain't no niggers in it.
437
00:24:30,280 --> 00:24:33,273
I said, "Well, white folks
ain't planning for us to be here."
438
00:24:37,040 --> 00:24:38,759
That's why we've got to make movies.
439
00:24:45,080 --> 00:24:49,871
Lonette: David was a very powerful
black manager, based out of Atlanta.
440
00:24:50,040 --> 00:24:52,555
Very militant. Very pro-black.
441
00:24:53,240 --> 00:24:54,560
Very, very smart.
442
00:24:55,400 --> 00:24:58,393
A gift for making huge deals
and huge money.
443
00:24:59,240 --> 00:25:01,197
And Hollywood loved David.
444
00:25:02,200 --> 00:25:07,798
Cecil: David Franklin was a pudgy,
brilliant, black man, who stuttered.
445
00:25:08,600 --> 00:25:09,920
And Richard loved that.
446
00:25:10,080 --> 00:25:15,280
He said, "Because he st-st-utters,
he can ge-get sympathy."
447
00:25:15,600 --> 00:25:17,592
So, David went on to manage Richard,
448
00:25:17,760 --> 00:25:20,912
be his agent and act as his lawyer.
449
00:25:21,160 --> 00:25:23,550
Lonette: Other than Richard's
pure talent,
450
00:25:23,720 --> 00:25:28,351
David was absolutely responsible for
Richard becoming really big in film.
451
00:25:30,520 --> 00:25:32,591
Thom: We did nine or ten
pictures together.
452
00:25:32,800 --> 00:25:36,111
The first of them, The Bingo Long
Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings,
453
00:25:36,280 --> 00:25:37,953
about the Negro National Leagues.
454
00:25:38,840 --> 00:25:40,080
Richard: Like batting averages.
455
00:25:40,160 --> 00:25:42,675
See, you take the number of times
a man been in bat
456
00:25:42,840 --> 00:25:45,833
and you divide that by the number
of times a man got a hit.
457
00:25:46,000 --> 00:25:50,199
Like me, I've been in bat 100 times.
I've got 25 hits. That's simple.
458
00:25:50,400 --> 00:25:52,198
Twenty-five goes into 100 four times.
459
00:25:52,400 --> 00:25:53,959
It gives me a batting average
of four.
460
00:25:54,120 --> 00:25:57,318
That's wrong.
That ain't no way to do that.
461
00:25:57,480 --> 00:25:59,312
Thom: The second film was Car Wash.
462
00:25:59,760 --> 00:26:01,720
I wasn't going to make
that movie without Richard.
463
00:26:01,800 --> 00:26:07,194
Believe in the Lord and, most of
all, believe in that federal green.
464
00:26:08,840 --> 00:26:10,035
Lonette: I remember the day
465
00:26:10,200 --> 00:26:12,840
that David came back
from a meeting with Richard,
466
00:26:13,000 --> 00:26:15,595
driving a brand-new Rolls-Royce.
467
00:26:15,800 --> 00:26:18,998
He must have been doing something
that was making Richard pretty happy
468
00:26:19,160 --> 00:26:21,720
for Richard to give him
a brand-new Rolls-Royce as a gift.
469
00:26:21,880 --> 00:26:25,317
Right at that moment,
the notion that he could hold
470
00:26:25,520 --> 00:26:29,719
the lead in a picture
was a totally unproven notion.
471
00:26:31,080 --> 00:26:32,230
Richard: Take this radio.
472
00:26:32,400 --> 00:26:35,359
When you step out, you got
to step out of here like king shit.
473
00:26:35,520 --> 00:26:37,432
Right, you bad.
Put that radio to your ear.
474
00:26:37,600 --> 00:26:38,875
That's going to help cover
your face, all right.
475
00:26:39,040 --> 00:26:40,872
- Move with the rhythm of the music.
- (music plays through radio)
476
00:26:41,040 --> 00:26:42,235
Move your body
with the rhythm of the music.
477
00:26:42,400 --> 00:26:45,074
That's all you've got to remember.
Let me see you try.
478
00:26:45,240 --> 00:26:47,197
Step to the music.
Step to the music. Yeah.
479
00:26:47,360 --> 00:26:49,511
Step to the music.
480
00:26:49,680 --> 00:26:50,750
Stop.
481
00:26:51,320 --> 00:26:54,199
How come you whities
got such a tight ass, man? Do it.
482
00:26:54,360 --> 00:26:55,794
Can't you feel it? The tempo...
483
00:27:01,560 --> 00:27:04,837
Scott: He basically launched
a new genre of comedy:
484
00:27:05,200 --> 00:27:06,714
Interracial buddy comedy.
485
00:27:07,200 --> 00:27:10,716
This was a new kind of formula
for comedy in Hollywood.
486
00:27:10,880 --> 00:27:13,031
He broke the glass ceiling.
487
00:27:13,600 --> 00:27:17,150
Lonette: He made earning a certain
amount of money for black people
488
00:27:17,360 --> 00:27:19,875
that was not possible at that time,
possible.
489
00:27:20,040 --> 00:27:22,874
One of the films I did with him,
called Which Way Is Up?,
490
00:27:23,040 --> 00:27:27,034
I designed the film
around his stand-up routine.
491
00:27:27,200 --> 00:27:29,396
Come on, Pop,
get your old ass out here.
492
00:27:29,600 --> 00:27:31,398
Michael: Richard played himself.
493
00:27:31,560 --> 00:27:33,552
He played his father.
494
00:27:35,000 --> 00:27:36,070
Fuck you!
495
00:27:36,240 --> 00:27:38,880
I heard that. Fuck you too, boy!
496
00:27:39,040 --> 00:27:41,032
And he played a bootleg preacher.
497
00:27:41,200 --> 00:27:45,752
What kind of lowlife dog, scoundrel,
snake in the grass...
498
00:27:45,920 --> 00:27:50,073
Michael: I think it was the first black
film that ever did multiple characters.
499
00:27:50,920 --> 00:27:53,913
Cecil: Richard would come and say,
"Hey, Cecil, come to watch this."
500
00:27:54,400 --> 00:27:56,756
I come upstairs and he said, "Look!"
501
00:27:57,600 --> 00:28:01,071
I look out the window,
and by the swimming pool,
502
00:28:01,280 --> 00:28:06,674
would be sitting famous
white people, famous producers,
503
00:28:07,280 --> 00:28:10,432
dying to be allowed
to come up the stairs,
504
00:28:10,600 --> 00:28:12,398
up to the place where we were.
505
00:28:12,560 --> 00:28:14,233
- Do you ever go home?
- Yes, I do.
506
00:28:14,400 --> 00:28:16,756
- I'm not allowed in Peoria any more.
- I didn't know that.
507
00:28:16,960 --> 00:28:19,794
When you make some money, niggers
don't want you in town no more.
508
00:28:19,960 --> 00:28:24,796
Paul Schrader: He desired to be
the biggest star in entertainment.
509
00:28:25,120 --> 00:28:27,635
As big as Cosby, as big as Poitier.
510
00:28:29,320 --> 00:28:31,551
He also wanted
to be the blackest star.
511
00:28:31,720 --> 00:28:34,076
You know. As black as Malcolm X.
512
00:28:34,800 --> 00:28:36,632
- Bird head.
- Cracker.
513
00:28:39,680 --> 00:28:42,673
- Spear chucker.
- White trash.
514
00:28:42,840 --> 00:28:44,911
- Jungle bunny.
- Honky.
515
00:28:45,200 --> 00:28:48,159
Bob: His appearances
on Saturday Night Live were
516
00:28:48,320 --> 00:28:51,996
very instrumental in walking
the very thin line between
517
00:28:52,160 --> 00:28:55,437
what was acceptable on television
and his mind.
518
00:28:56,000 --> 00:28:58,117
- Nigger.
- Dead honky.
519
00:28:59,880 --> 00:29:02,793
My grandmother would walk
by the living room and she'd say,
520
00:29:02,960 --> 00:29:04,400
"Are you watching that Negro again?"
521
00:29:04,480 --> 00:29:06,870
It was the only black person my
grandmother would allow in the house
522
00:29:07,040 --> 00:29:08,360
was Richard Pryor.
523
00:29:09,200 --> 00:29:12,830
The audiences absolutely loved it.
The network loved it.
524
00:29:13,000 --> 00:29:15,151
That's why the network
went after him
525
00:29:15,320 --> 00:29:19,360
and said, "We want you to do
a television show."
526
00:29:23,400 --> 00:29:25,551
Rocco Urbisci: We had the best time.
527
00:29:25,720 --> 00:29:30,476
When you have the support of someone
who carries that much weight,
528
00:29:30,640 --> 00:29:34,156
it trickles down to everybody
to be courageous and crazy.
529
00:29:34,360 --> 00:29:36,033
- Mr. President, Mr. President.
- Yes.
530
00:29:36,200 --> 00:29:38,795
Mr. President,
since you've become President,
531
00:29:39,000 --> 00:29:41,196
you've been courting
an awful lot of white women.
532
00:29:41,360 --> 00:29:43,033
Will this continue?
533
00:29:43,440 --> 00:29:45,557
(laughter)
534
00:29:48,240 --> 00:29:50,311
As long as I can keep it up.
535
00:29:51,000 --> 00:29:53,071
Rocco: I actually hired
a court stenographer,
536
00:29:53,240 --> 00:29:54,879
- because the ideas were...
- (clicking)
537
00:29:55,040 --> 00:29:56,720
One day he walked
into the conference room,
538
00:29:56,880 --> 00:30:00,191
he jumped on the table and said,
"Let Bojaws handle it."
539
00:30:00,440 --> 00:30:02,033
We didn't know who Bojaws was.
540
00:30:02,520 --> 00:30:03,670
What do you say?
541
00:30:03,840 --> 00:30:04,876
(shouting)
542
00:30:05,040 --> 00:30:06,040
Are you crippled?
543
00:30:07,200 --> 00:30:09,032
Let Bojaws handle it.
544
00:30:09,600 --> 00:30:13,879
Bojaws was this weird medicine man
that lived in the Louisiana bayou.
545
00:30:14,240 --> 00:30:15,240
Healing people.
546
00:30:15,600 --> 00:30:19,719
Mr. Bojaws, I've got a bad arm.
I can't move it.
547
00:30:19,920 --> 00:30:24,073
He's got a bad arm
and he can't move it.
548
00:30:24,240 --> 00:30:27,392
- (crowd gasping)
- (crunching)
549
00:30:28,400 --> 00:30:30,357
Let Bojaws handle it.
550
00:30:30,520 --> 00:30:34,036
It was ground-breaking
within the rules
551
00:30:34,200 --> 00:30:36,954
of how mundane
television was at the time.
552
00:30:37,120 --> 00:30:38,918
There's a lot of things
written about me.
553
00:30:39,080 --> 00:30:40,958
People wondering
if I'm going to have a show,
554
00:30:41,120 --> 00:30:44,238
if I'm not going to have a show.
Well, I'm having a show.
555
00:30:44,560 --> 00:30:48,600
People say, "How can you have
a show? You've got to compromise.
556
00:30:48,760 --> 00:30:51,434
You've got to give up everything."
557
00:30:51,600 --> 00:30:53,114
Is that a joke or what?
558
00:30:53,640 --> 00:30:56,439
Well, look at me!
I'm standing here naked.
559
00:30:58,760 --> 00:31:02,151
I've given up absolutely nothing.
560
00:31:04,040 --> 00:31:05,679
(laughing and cheering)
561
00:31:06,960 --> 00:31:09,680
So, enjoy the show.
562
00:31:11,016 --> 00:31:13,136
Robin Williams: It was pretty crazy.
It was wonderful.
563
00:31:13,160 --> 00:31:16,790
He was always pushing the envelope.
That's when I went, wow!
564
00:31:17,320 --> 00:31:20,438
That was the best thing, the start
of the season. It was like, wow!
565
00:31:20,695 --> 00:31:22,496
Lily Tomlin:
He was always between two worlds.
566
00:31:22,520 --> 00:31:26,639
He was between that acceptable,
sort of mainstream white world,
567
00:31:26,800 --> 00:31:31,113
and, of course, a much stronger,
harder, knowing street place.
568
00:31:31,600 --> 00:31:35,355
But the networks were so leery
of him, so scared of him.
569
00:31:36,480 --> 00:31:38,437
Rocco: The show was supposed
to air that night.
570
00:31:38,760 --> 00:31:41,320
NBC censored the opening.
571
00:31:41,600 --> 00:31:43,671
I called Richard at home and said,
572
00:31:43,880 --> 00:31:46,349
"You know we're going to edit out
the naked opening."
573
00:31:46,520 --> 00:31:49,638
It caused a shit storm. He quit.
574
00:31:53,695 --> 00:31:55,496
Robin: The first thing
is you start off going,
575
00:31:55,520 --> 00:31:57,477
"This is my attempt
to make a statement.
576
00:31:57,680 --> 00:32:00,514
If they don't air that,
that really sets the rules. OK.
577
00:32:01,040 --> 00:32:03,080
You're not going to let me do
what I'm going to do."
578
00:32:07,640 --> 00:32:10,553
John Moffitt: Richard came back and,
after pleasantries, Richard said,
579
00:32:10,720 --> 00:32:14,509
"Television chews you up and
spits you out, and I don't want that
580
00:32:14,680 --> 00:32:18,310
to happen to me, so
I've decided not to do the series."
581
00:32:20,000 --> 00:32:23,914
He went to NBC and, of course,
they said Richard had to do the show.
582
00:32:24,080 --> 00:32:25,878
They weren't going to let him
off the hook.
583
00:32:26,040 --> 00:32:28,839
From the looks of things,
I'll be seeing you next time.
584
00:32:29,000 --> 00:32:32,994
NBC made sure of that.
I'm not going anywhere.
585
00:32:36,600 --> 00:32:38,671
They kept saying,
you've got to be more mainstream.
586
00:32:38,840 --> 00:32:40,832
He was going:
"No, fuck you. No, we can't."
587
00:32:41,000 --> 00:32:42,719
If it wasn't real, fuck it.
588
00:32:43,040 --> 00:32:45,600
You know what I mean?
He wasn't compromising.
589
00:32:46,080 --> 00:32:49,073
Rocco is the token
white person on the show.
590
00:32:49,240 --> 00:32:50,720
John: He wanted a lot
of changes made.
591
00:32:50,880 --> 00:32:53,714
He wanted more black people
involved in the production staff.
592
00:32:53,880 --> 00:32:57,351
He only wanted
three "whities" to come back.
593
00:32:57,520 --> 00:32:59,557
Rocco: We're in a rehearsal hall
one day,
594
00:32:59,720 --> 00:33:01,359
and a guy walks in
595
00:33:01,520 --> 00:33:06,037
with an African cap,
a dashiki and a stick.
596
00:33:07,080 --> 00:33:09,436
I said, "Richard, who is that guy?"
597
00:33:09,880 --> 00:33:11,758
He said,
"His name is Prophet Jennings.
598
00:33:11,920 --> 00:33:13,036
He's a nigger expert."
599
00:33:13,600 --> 00:33:16,080
John: He was the one to judge
whether Richard was black enough.
600
00:33:16,240 --> 00:33:20,553
Richard looked at him, and he'd
either go like this or like that.
601
00:33:20,720 --> 00:33:24,555
I love American people.
I want to say, I had two for lunch.
602
00:33:24,720 --> 00:33:26,951
(laughing)
603
00:33:27,440 --> 00:33:30,194
In the end,
they demanded that he do stand-up,
604
00:33:30,400 --> 00:33:32,960
which didn't sit well with him,
anybody making demands on him.
605
00:33:33,120 --> 00:33:35,555
So they recorded 45 minutes
of him doing stand-up.
606
00:33:35,720 --> 00:33:37,279
They had ten seconds they could use.
607
00:33:37,440 --> 00:33:39,432
A lot of people here
might be offended.
608
00:33:39,600 --> 00:33:42,593
So you should leave, because
I'm going to say fuck and suck.
609
00:33:44,760 --> 00:33:46,274
And shit and doo-doo.
610
00:33:47,960 --> 00:33:50,316
It's amazing that he got things
on that he got on,
611
00:33:50,480 --> 00:33:53,393
but it's only because 90 percent
of what he wanted to get on
612
00:33:53,560 --> 00:33:56,439
he didn't get on, that ten percent
of it actually got through them,
613
00:33:56,600 --> 00:33:59,752
because they couldn't fight
with him that much.
614
00:33:59,920 --> 00:34:01,240
Those bells again!
615
00:34:01,960 --> 00:34:04,111
That was it.
He went out swinging.
616
00:34:07,840 --> 00:34:10,116
Well, good night.
See you next week.
617
00:34:12,600 --> 00:34:14,398
(laughter)
618
00:34:20,800 --> 00:34:23,952
And we're delighted to have with us
two of the very best friends I have
619
00:34:24,160 --> 00:34:27,836
who dropped by:
Miss Pam Grier and Mr. Richard Pryor.
620
00:34:28,040 --> 00:34:30,032
(applause)
621
00:34:33,640 --> 00:34:35,552
Rocco: Richard was dating Pam Grier.
622
00:34:36,480 --> 00:34:38,597
You know, she was crazy
about that guy.
623
00:34:38,800 --> 00:34:41,872
We bumped into each other on the set
of Greased Lightning, in which
624
00:34:42,040 --> 00:34:46,193
we were both starring in, which
will be released sometime in April.
625
00:34:46,360 --> 00:34:49,114
- You say you bumped into each other.
- Yes, we bumped.
626
00:34:49,280 --> 00:34:51,272
That must have been
quite a collision.
627
00:34:53,496 --> 00:34:55,576
Jennifer Lee Pryor: I know that
Richard's grandmother
628
00:34:55,600 --> 00:34:57,671
wanted Richard to marry Pam.
629
00:34:57,840 --> 00:34:59,991
She thought she was certainly
an accomplished actress.
630
00:35:00,200 --> 00:35:02,795
She was black
and she was a healthy girl.
631
00:35:02,960 --> 00:35:04,189
She wasn't a party girl.
632
00:35:04,360 --> 00:35:06,511
I'll be jogging in the morning,
police.
633
00:35:06,680 --> 00:35:09,514
Me and Rashon, two black men,
will be jogging.
634
00:35:09,680 --> 00:35:11,512
We're not robbing anything.
635
00:35:12,520 --> 00:35:14,352
John: Richard was completely sober.
636
00:35:14,560 --> 00:35:17,394
He played tennis
every morning at seven o'clock.
637
00:35:17,560 --> 00:35:19,916
It was a Richard that I had not seen.
638
00:35:20,760 --> 00:35:22,752
Rocco: Richard came into my office
and said,
639
00:35:22,920 --> 00:35:25,674
"I'm getting married tomorrow.
I'll be late."
640
00:35:26,760 --> 00:35:30,879
I said, "Wow! Congratulations!
That's fucking great."
641
00:35:39,280 --> 00:35:41,078
I had a cake this big.
642
00:35:41,840 --> 00:35:44,719
"Congratulations, Richard and Pam."
643
00:35:50,240 --> 00:35:52,516
My phone rings and Pam says:
644
00:35:52,680 --> 00:35:55,320
"You tell the son of a bitch
I'm coming down I'm gonna kill him."
645
00:35:59,200 --> 00:36:01,078
Richard Pryor had married a girl...
646
00:36:02,240 --> 00:36:05,039
...that he got pregnant.
And he walks in.
647
00:36:05,440 --> 00:36:07,033
I start moving the cake out.
648
00:36:07,200 --> 00:36:09,920
He looks at the cake and realizes
that it's Pam on there
649
00:36:10,080 --> 00:36:11,720
and there's Richard
with this other woman.
650
00:36:11,760 --> 00:36:14,594
There was a prop cart,
and it had plastic flowers on.
651
00:36:15,200 --> 00:36:17,431
I shoved it
in the middle of the cake,
652
00:36:18,760 --> 00:36:20,592
to blur out "Pam and Richard".
653
00:36:22,215 --> 00:36:23,776
Jennifer: A lot of people
were surprised
654
00:36:23,800 --> 00:36:24,960
that Richard married Deborah,
655
00:36:25,120 --> 00:36:27,760
because it did come out of,
sort of come out of nowhere.
656
00:36:28,200 --> 00:36:30,669
There were many women
in Richard's life.
657
00:36:31,440 --> 00:36:33,397
I recognized and he told me this,
658
00:36:33,720 --> 00:36:35,393
that they wouldn't
be around that long.
659
00:36:35,960 --> 00:36:38,000
Richard: This is about the...
time I'd been married,
660
00:36:38,280 --> 00:36:42,433
and it was really exciting
because I really am trying,
661
00:36:42,600 --> 00:36:44,910
I really am trying.
662
00:36:46,280 --> 00:36:48,795
I'm telling you I'm fucking trying,
OK?
663
00:36:50,120 --> 00:36:54,637
But it's hard to wake up and see
the same person all the fucking time.
664
00:36:55,680 --> 00:36:57,956
David: Richard had--
I done forgotten now.
665
00:36:58,120 --> 00:37:00,954
Eight, nine, 12 wives. I don't know.
666
00:37:01,120 --> 00:37:06,593
But I know that all of them was
what they was to him when they was.
667
00:37:08,600 --> 00:37:09,954
Was once was.
668
00:37:10,640 --> 00:37:12,757
Paul: Richard had a pimp's mentality.
669
00:37:12,920 --> 00:37:16,152
He pretends like he's controllable.
He's like a spider.
670
00:37:16,320 --> 00:37:19,154
That's to lure you in till you get
caught in the web.
671
00:37:19,320 --> 00:37:22,358
Richard had a compulsion
to be married,
672
00:37:22,480 --> 00:37:24,039
because he didn't want to be alone.
673
00:37:24,160 --> 00:37:27,836
But once he would marry,
the magic would be off.
674
00:37:28,200 --> 00:37:31,113
It would be gone because he won.
675
00:37:31,320 --> 00:37:34,154
If he wanted you, you had that power.
676
00:37:35,320 --> 00:37:38,950
And usually that would
just about last until he got you.
677
00:37:39,120 --> 00:37:41,396
And then it would be time to go
after another woman.
678
00:37:41,560 --> 00:37:42,994
And that was the game with Richard.
679
00:37:43,160 --> 00:37:44,560
Then the whole fun of the game was,
680
00:37:44,720 --> 00:37:46,439
"How do I get this bitch
out of my house?"
681
00:37:47,000 --> 00:37:51,870
Skip: I was the best man at a wedding
with Jennifer in Hana, Maui.
682
00:37:52,080 --> 00:37:55,391
And the next morning after
the wedding, I was in my room,
683
00:37:55,560 --> 00:37:58,553
and about seven in the morning,
there is a knock on the door.
684
00:37:59,040 --> 00:38:01,350
I go and open the door,
and there's Richard Pryor.
685
00:38:01,840 --> 00:38:05,993
I said, "Richard, what are you doing
here at seven in the morning?"
686
00:38:06,520 --> 00:38:09,115
And he says, "I want a divorce."
687
00:38:09,360 --> 00:38:12,239
No, I'd like to die
like my father died.
688
00:38:12,480 --> 00:38:14,358
Right, my father died fucking.
689
00:38:15,520 --> 00:38:20,356
He did. My father was 57 when
he died, right. The woman was 18.
690
00:38:21,760 --> 00:38:24,958
My father came and went
at the same time.
691
00:38:25,120 --> 00:38:27,112
(laughter)
692
00:38:29,360 --> 00:38:31,040
Would you like to introduce
our next guest?
693
00:38:31,120 --> 00:38:32,759
- Yes, who?
- Your grandmother.
694
00:38:32,920 --> 00:38:34,195
Oh, man, don't do that.
695
00:38:34,480 --> 00:38:36,358
(applause)
696
00:38:39,960 --> 00:38:41,553
(cheering)
697
00:38:43,080 --> 00:38:45,879
- I'm told that you run a pool hall.
- Yes, I do.
698
00:38:46,040 --> 00:38:48,111
Did Richard spend much
time in the pool hall?
699
00:38:48,280 --> 00:38:50,920
Yes, he used to come down there
and shoot pool after school.
700
00:38:51,280 --> 00:38:53,590
They used to cuss in the pool
room before she took over.
701
00:38:53,760 --> 00:38:56,036
Now the language is, "Why you..."
702
00:38:57,040 --> 00:38:58,440
I keep them in their place.
703
00:38:58,600 --> 00:39:01,115
See, I'm an old lady
and I stay in old ladies' place
704
00:39:01,280 --> 00:39:03,112
and I respect them young men,
705
00:39:03,280 --> 00:39:05,078
and they must respect me,
isn't that right?
706
00:39:05,280 --> 00:39:06,280
That's exactly right.
707
00:39:06,440 --> 00:39:07,635
(applause)
708
00:39:09,960 --> 00:39:11,952
Rashon Khan:
I remember meeting Marie Carter.
709
00:39:12,240 --> 00:39:14,960
She's a grandmother
that you see in books.
710
00:39:15,560 --> 00:39:19,395
She had the long white hair
and she was dressed very smart.
711
00:39:20,160 --> 00:39:25,952
I bow to her. And this old bitch
hit me in my chest so hard.
712
00:39:26,120 --> 00:39:27,315
Boom!
713
00:39:27,960 --> 00:39:32,796
And I felt the breath leave out
and before I let her hit me again,
714
00:39:32,960 --> 00:39:34,679
I rushed and started choking her.
715
00:39:34,840 --> 00:39:36,911
And she started laughing at me.
716
00:39:37,080 --> 00:39:39,993
She'd laugh like it was
the funniest shit she had seen.
717
00:39:40,280 --> 00:39:43,637
And Richard stood to the left and he
said, "That's my grandmother, man."
718
00:39:47,680 --> 00:39:51,435
Richard: I was born Richard Franklin
Lennox Thomas Pryor Ill.
719
00:39:53,000 --> 00:39:55,754
I got names from pimps
and gangsters.
720
00:39:55,920 --> 00:40:01,632
Grew up seeing my mother
go into rooms with men
721
00:40:01,800 --> 00:40:03,996
and my aunties
go into rooms with men.
722
00:40:04,160 --> 00:40:06,152
I remember tricks used to come
through our neighborhood.
723
00:40:06,320 --> 00:40:07,834
That's where
I first met white people.
724
00:40:08,000 --> 00:40:10,640
They come down through our
neighborhood to help the economy.
725
00:40:11,960 --> 00:40:13,360
Man, but I met nice white men.
726
00:40:13,520 --> 00:40:14,874
(imitating) "Hello, little boy,
is your mother home?
727
00:40:15,040 --> 00:40:16,156
I'd like a blowjob."
728
00:40:18,000 --> 00:40:21,789
When he told us about it, we laughed.
"Get the fuck out of here."
729
00:40:21,960 --> 00:40:26,398
"Your mother sucked dick?"
We didn't really grasp it.
730
00:40:26,560 --> 00:40:30,110
And when you realize it really
happened. It wasn't jokes.
731
00:40:30,720 --> 00:40:34,680
It makes us, if you didn't have that
experience go, "What is that like?"
732
00:40:34,840 --> 00:40:36,559
And how do you maintain love?
733
00:40:37,320 --> 00:40:39,312
His uncle and his daddy were pimps.
734
00:40:40,640 --> 00:40:45,032
I'm talking about not no play pimps,
real pimps.
735
00:40:45,200 --> 00:40:48,193
Them guys would pimp a Barbie doll.
736
00:40:48,360 --> 00:40:50,352
"Bitch, go out and get the money."
737
00:40:50,680 --> 00:40:54,151
Scott: The grandmother was the madam
in chief of the whole operation.
738
00:40:54,840 --> 00:40:57,912
Basically, keep the girls in line.
Keep the Johns in line.
739
00:40:58,920 --> 00:41:00,877
Rashon:
That's when I realized who she was.
740
00:41:01,040 --> 00:41:04,511
In terms of this is the whole house,
she runs everything.
741
00:41:05,015 --> 00:41:06,856
You know, she lived
in the south side in Peoria
742
00:41:06,880 --> 00:41:09,156
and she could sleep
with the door unlocked.
743
00:41:09,600 --> 00:41:13,071
People knew you're not coming
up in this house.
744
00:41:13,280 --> 00:41:15,397
You know if you do come up
in the house,
745
00:41:15,560 --> 00:41:17,233
you know what's going to happen.
746
00:41:18,120 --> 00:41:22,034
Jennifer: The grandmother was
the matriarch of the family,
747
00:41:22,200 --> 00:41:25,113
upon whom everybody else's
survival depended.
748
00:41:25,280 --> 00:41:29,035
She was Richard's nurturer,
749
00:41:29,200 --> 00:41:31,396
the punisher, the disciplinarian.
750
00:41:31,560 --> 00:41:32,960
Everything rolled into one.
751
00:41:33,120 --> 00:41:35,077
My grandmother would wake my ass up,
you know.
752
00:41:35,240 --> 00:41:38,312
(imitating grandmother)
"Get your ass, put your hand--
753
00:41:38,480 --> 00:41:40,119
"Get your ass, put your hand--
Don't you run from me."
754
00:41:40,360 --> 00:41:42,920
"Don't you run... from... me."
755
00:41:44,080 --> 00:41:47,437
You were 15 years old
when your first child was born?
756
00:41:47,600 --> 00:41:49,557
Yeah. Yeah.
757
00:41:52,080 --> 00:41:53,799
- How could you...?
- It was fun.
758
00:41:53,960 --> 00:41:55,280
And then after she was born?
759
00:41:55,440 --> 00:41:57,750
I didn't know my father
was making love to her too.
760
00:41:57,920 --> 00:42:00,594
And I was standing
in the dining room, and I was crying.
761
00:42:00,760 --> 00:42:02,956
My mother said,
"What's wrong with the boy, Bucky?"
762
00:42:03,160 --> 00:42:04,480
My father said,
"Ain't nothing wrong with him.
763
00:42:04,640 --> 00:42:06,233
"He got some girl pregnant."
764
00:42:08,240 --> 00:42:11,836
Michael: I think, when you grow up
around a bordello,
765
00:42:12,000 --> 00:42:16,791
you see people at their very core,
in a way.
766
00:42:16,960 --> 00:42:21,477
There's no facade,
there's no masks on.
767
00:42:23,120 --> 00:42:26,636
Richard: I don't know what it was
that made me that way,
768
00:42:27,800 --> 00:42:29,792
that could laugh at anything.
769
00:42:30,840 --> 00:42:36,677
Nothing was too sad, some humor
could not be found in it.
770
00:42:38,920 --> 00:42:43,153
Michael: His sensitivity made him
so brilliant as a comedian.
771
00:42:43,320 --> 00:42:48,793
But some things were so painful
that he wanted to be somewhere else.
772
00:42:49,120 --> 00:42:54,036
I think if you are
a sensitive type that it...
773
00:42:55,200 --> 00:42:56,793
That you self-medicate.
774
00:42:57,280 --> 00:42:59,033
It's easier to self-medicate.
775
00:43:02,480 --> 00:43:04,711
Richard: I snorted cocaine
for about 15 years.
776
00:43:05,280 --> 00:43:06,953
I must have snorted up Peru.
777
00:43:09,800 --> 00:43:13,157
He'd do a line and drink
some Courvoisier. That's lunch.
778
00:43:13,360 --> 00:43:16,159
I'm going to have some lunch,
get high. Go back to work.
779
00:43:16,360 --> 00:43:20,195
Watching Dad doing drugs, you know,
snorting some lines or smoking...
780
00:43:20,520 --> 00:43:23,194
those were things
that you didn't really question.
781
00:43:23,640 --> 00:43:27,680
Richard: Listen, I was doing so much,
I embarrassed cocaine dealers.
782
00:43:28,640 --> 00:43:31,235
They would say,
"Richard, man, God damn."
783
00:43:33,200 --> 00:43:35,351
"Well, how much do you want?"
"Kilo...
784
00:43:37,520 --> 00:43:39,000
Just for the weekend."
785
00:43:40,720 --> 00:43:43,918
Patricia: A lot of people came
to the house to play cards, hang out.
786
00:43:44,080 --> 00:43:47,391
For the drugs, of course,
because he bought coke by the key.
787
00:43:47,600 --> 00:43:51,833
Low-lifes, drug dealers,
card people, hookers.
788
00:43:52,000 --> 00:43:53,719
I don't like cocaine, I love it.
789
00:43:53,880 --> 00:43:55,553
That's why
I have to stay away from it.
790
00:43:55,920 --> 00:43:57,559
I enjoyed it for a long time.
791
00:43:57,720 --> 00:43:59,518
Maybe you want
to change your whole life
792
00:43:59,680 --> 00:44:02,400
and you swear tomorrow
I'll never do this again.
793
00:44:02,560 --> 00:44:03,755
Stan Shaw:
Success doesn't change you.
794
00:44:03,920 --> 00:44:06,754
It only magnifies
who you've been all your life.
795
00:44:06,920 --> 00:44:10,231
And success magnified
the kid from Peoria with Richard.
796
00:44:10,400 --> 00:44:14,713
But now he had endless money,
endless fame.
797
00:44:14,920 --> 00:44:18,516
Thom: When he would betray himself,
which he did with some frequency,
798
00:44:18,680 --> 00:44:23,038
he thought that that betrayal
belonged to everyone else.
799
00:44:23,200 --> 00:44:25,078
If he was
in a particularly good mood
800
00:44:25,240 --> 00:44:27,391
and he was being nice to everybody,
he could charm
801
00:44:27,600 --> 00:44:31,116
anyone on the set and then
he would go home that night and stew
802
00:44:31,280 --> 00:44:35,433
and say, "What kind of Tom am I?
I'm everybody's black pal."
803
00:44:35,760 --> 00:44:38,036
And the next day, he would be mean.
804
00:44:38,200 --> 00:44:42,592
David: Richard was about
13 different personalities.
805
00:44:42,760 --> 00:44:45,753
Nine of them you could deal with.
806
00:44:45,920 --> 00:44:48,913
But the other four
could be a motherfucker now.
807
00:44:49,120 --> 00:44:52,591
Richard was very intense...
808
00:44:53,960 --> 00:44:58,113
about his personal pride.
And he didn't care where it took him.
809
00:44:59,240 --> 00:45:01,960
Michael: There was a huge benefit
810
00:45:02,120 --> 00:45:05,909
for gay pride at the Hollywood Bowl.
811
00:45:06,640 --> 00:45:10,998
A lot of performers
were at the Hollywood Bowl
812
00:45:11,160 --> 00:45:12,640
to lend their support,
813
00:45:12,920 --> 00:45:14,115
Richard being one of them.
814
00:45:14,640 --> 00:45:18,634
David: Richie came on,
and the audience was waiting for him.
815
00:45:18,800 --> 00:45:19,950
Great applause, and he said,
816
00:45:20,120 --> 00:45:23,670
"You know, I've sucked
some cock myself."
817
00:45:23,840 --> 00:45:26,071
That was the first thing
that he said.
818
00:45:26,280 --> 00:45:30,354
I thought, "Uh-oh. Here we go." But
the audience, of course, cheered.
819
00:45:30,520 --> 00:45:34,116
And then he went on
to just really go a little nuts.
820
00:45:34,840 --> 00:45:36,160
(Richard speaking)
821
00:45:52,160 --> 00:45:54,197
They wanted to shock,
because it was the truth.
822
00:45:54,360 --> 00:45:57,319
And the truth defends itself.
And it was quiet.
823
00:45:57,680 --> 00:46:00,673
It was quiet. You could hear a rat
pissing on cotton in Georgia.
824
00:46:00,840 --> 00:46:02,354
I mean, it was real quiet.
825
00:46:02,840 --> 00:46:04,797
(Richard speaking)
826
00:46:15,640 --> 00:46:19,429
Michael: "You all can just kiss
my rich, black ass."
827
00:46:19,800 --> 00:46:23,999
And walked off. So...
828
00:46:24,160 --> 00:46:26,595
Center stage. Hello, everybody.
829
00:46:26,880 --> 00:46:27,880
I'm terribly embarrassed
830
00:46:28,040 --> 00:46:30,760
and I don't know what to say
about what just happened.
831
00:46:30,920 --> 00:46:32,832
But I do think...
832
00:46:33,000 --> 00:46:34,070
(audience chattering)
833
00:46:34,240 --> 00:46:36,880
May I please finish talking?
834
00:46:37,040 --> 00:46:38,190
David: They stood up.
835
00:46:38,360 --> 00:46:42,400
Booing, hissing,
throwing some chairs.
836
00:46:42,560 --> 00:46:46,873
It was the scariest event
that I've ever been at.
837
00:46:47,880 --> 00:46:49,997
Everyone in show business was there.
838
00:46:50,200 --> 00:46:52,669
I thought, "We're never going
to hear from him again."
839
00:46:56,080 --> 00:46:57,594
I got a call from David Franklin,
840
00:46:57,760 --> 00:47:01,231
and he said, "Ce-Ce-Cecil,"
'cause he stuttered.
841
00:47:01,440 --> 00:47:04,911
He said,
"R-Richard fucked up I-last night."
842
00:47:05,600 --> 00:47:08,399
So I drove over to Richard's house,
and nobody was in the house.
843
00:47:08,560 --> 00:47:11,029
I went out, and he was
sitting by a swimming pool.
844
00:47:11,200 --> 00:47:13,874
He was smoking a cigarette,
and he had a scotch
845
00:47:14,040 --> 00:47:16,396
and an orange juice
and vodka was his drink.
846
00:47:16,600 --> 00:47:20,230
And I said, "Man, what happened?"
He said, "Man, fuck it, man."
847
00:47:20,440 --> 00:47:23,911
He said, "I just told them
to kiss my ass." "Man, but why?"
848
00:47:24,080 --> 00:47:26,436
He said,
"If that's the way they want me,
849
00:47:26,600 --> 00:47:28,910
I don't have a career
any damn way."
850
00:47:31,640 --> 00:47:34,917
David: It wasn't Hollywood
that beat him in any way.
851
00:47:35,120 --> 00:47:38,716
He defeated himself
with what his bad habits were.
852
00:47:41,936 --> 00:47:43,096
Reporter: Pryor went to court
853
00:47:43,120 --> 00:47:45,316
because of an incident at home
on New Year's Day.
854
00:47:45,600 --> 00:47:49,071
He's been charged with two counts
of assault with a deadly weapon
855
00:47:49,240 --> 00:47:52,233
and one count of felony
malicious mischief.
856
00:47:52,400 --> 00:47:56,110
I don't want to never see
no more police in my life.
857
00:47:56,280 --> 00:47:57,430
(laughter)
858
00:47:57,640 --> 00:47:58,960
At my house.
859
00:48:00,240 --> 00:48:02,118
Taking my ass to jail.
860
00:48:04,440 --> 00:48:05,635
For killing my car.
861
00:48:07,320 --> 00:48:09,960
I shot the motor. The motor
fell out of the motherfucker.
862
00:48:10,120 --> 00:48:11,679
The motor say, "Fuck it."
863
00:48:13,440 --> 00:48:14,954
Then the police came.
864
00:48:15,200 --> 00:48:17,317
I went into the house.
865
00:48:17,760 --> 00:48:19,513
'Cause they got Magnums too.
866
00:48:21,320 --> 00:48:25,519
And they don't kill cars...
they kill nigg-ah.
867
00:48:25,840 --> 00:48:27,160
(cheering and applause)
868
00:48:27,360 --> 00:48:29,317
Walter: You know, Richard Pryor
was always in the news.
869
00:48:29,480 --> 00:48:31,597
Richard Pryor shoots his car.
870
00:48:31,880 --> 00:48:34,349
Richard Pryor has a heart attack.
871
00:48:34,680 --> 00:48:37,434
He ran into these tragedies
one after another.
872
00:48:37,640 --> 00:48:40,314
But you also knew
that three months would go by
873
00:48:40,520 --> 00:48:42,830
or six months or a year
would go by, and then
874
00:48:43,000 --> 00:48:45,674
he was going to bring
this experience back to you.
875
00:48:45,840 --> 00:48:49,038
Anyone here ever had a heart attack?
Them motherfuckers hurt.
876
00:48:50,040 --> 00:48:53,192
I'm not bullshitting, man.
I was walking in the front yard.
877
00:48:53,360 --> 00:48:56,478
I was just walking along,
and something said, "Don't breathe."
878
00:48:58,680 --> 00:49:00,512
I said, "Huh?"
"You heard me, motherfucker."
879
00:49:00,680 --> 00:49:02,353
I said, 'Don't breathe.' "
880
00:49:02,520 --> 00:49:05,718
"OK, I won't breathe."
"Then shut the fuck up, then."
881
00:49:05,920 --> 00:49:07,354
"OK.
882
00:49:07,520 --> 00:49:09,034
"Don't kill me."
883
00:49:09,200 --> 00:49:12,318
"Get on one knee and prove it."
"I'm on one knee."
884
00:49:12,480 --> 00:49:14,392
"Thinking about dying now,
ain't you?"
885
00:49:14,560 --> 00:49:16,517
"Yeah, I'm thinking
about dying."
886
00:49:16,720 --> 00:49:19,758
"You didn't think about it
when you was eating all that pork."
887
00:49:19,920 --> 00:49:21,320
(laughter)
888
00:49:39,280 --> 00:49:42,876
Rashon: We was on the road
and seen Marie Carter
889
00:49:43,080 --> 00:49:45,231
every day while she was dying.
890
00:49:45,400 --> 00:49:48,074
We'd do the shows,
go check on his grandmother.
891
00:49:48,680 --> 00:49:51,070
She said, "You watch out for my boy."
892
00:49:51,240 --> 00:49:53,118
Jennifer: She was dying,
and basically,
893
00:49:53,280 --> 00:49:54,760
they said,
"You have to get here now."
894
00:49:54,880 --> 00:49:56,439
So we rushed there.
895
00:49:56,600 --> 00:49:58,557
We went into her hospital room.
896
00:49:58,760 --> 00:50:02,390
I remember she touched
his camel-hair coat.
897
00:50:02,600 --> 00:50:05,035
And said, "That's blue azure.
898
00:50:05,920 --> 00:50:07,559
Is it warm enough?"
899
00:50:08,400 --> 00:50:11,074
And he said,
"Yes, Mom, it's warm enough."
900
00:50:12,240 --> 00:50:16,757
We went back to the hotel,
and she died a few hours later.
901
00:50:35,840 --> 00:50:38,799
Richard:
My grandmother Marie used to say:
902
00:50:39,280 --> 00:50:41,431
"They can kill you,
but they can't eat you."
903
00:50:43,440 --> 00:50:44,794
I love you, Grandmother.
904
00:50:45,000 --> 00:50:46,275
Wherever you are.
905
00:50:47,640 --> 00:50:52,112
Jennifer: She was his conduit
to reality, to the world.
906
00:50:52,760 --> 00:50:56,993
To everything that tethered him
to Earth.
907
00:50:57,160 --> 00:51:01,120
And I really think that that's
when he started to come apart.
908
00:51:05,920 --> 00:51:09,038
Rashon: Dr. Al Canning came
and told Richard, he said,
909
00:51:09,200 --> 00:51:10,998
"When you finish going
through this...
910
00:51:12,520 --> 00:51:15,479
...go to Africa. You need to find
out something about yourself."
911
00:51:33,840 --> 00:51:35,433
Richard: I went home
to the motherland.
912
00:51:35,600 --> 00:51:37,398
I was going to find my roots.
913
00:51:37,640 --> 00:51:39,996
700 million black people.
914
00:51:40,280 --> 00:51:42,272
Not one of them motherfuckers
knew me.
915
00:51:42,440 --> 00:51:43,590
(laughter)
916
00:51:43,720 --> 00:51:46,394
I looked in every
phone book in Africa.
917
00:51:46,960 --> 00:51:49,475
I didn't find one goddamn Pryor.
918
00:51:50,320 --> 00:51:51,959
Jennifer:
What he saw was black people
919
00:51:52,120 --> 00:51:53,190
who were walking around.
920
00:51:53,360 --> 00:51:57,354
Everybody was professional, everybody
had their own lives and purpose.
921
00:51:57,520 --> 00:52:00,194
And he felt really at home
on that land.
922
00:52:01,200 --> 00:52:04,193
Richard: I was sitting in the hotel,
and a voice said to me, he said,
923
00:52:04,360 --> 00:52:08,036
"Look around," he said,
"Do you see any niggers?"
924
00:52:09,200 --> 00:52:13,080
I said, "No." "You know why?
'Cause there aren't any."
925
00:52:13,760 --> 00:52:16,832
And it made me think,
"Oh, my God. I've been wrong."
926
00:52:17,000 --> 00:52:21,074
I said, "I ain't going to never
call another black man 'nigger'."
927
00:52:21,400 --> 00:52:23,710
(applause)
928
00:52:24,680 --> 00:52:27,275
He really had this epiphany that
929
00:52:27,440 --> 00:52:29,477
he was never going to use
the word again.
930
00:52:30,720 --> 00:52:35,078
Walter: When he came back, he said,
"I'm not going to use that no more."
931
00:52:35,240 --> 00:52:37,357
And he stuck with it.
932
00:52:37,520 --> 00:52:41,230
When he went to Africa,
the word had no meaning.
933
00:52:42,800 --> 00:52:46,430
But on the streets of Detroit,
it might be something else.
934
00:52:46,800 --> 00:52:49,440
He'd tell the same joke,
just take "nigger" out.
935
00:52:49,640 --> 00:52:51,597
"Oh, he's not funny no more."
936
00:52:52,240 --> 00:52:55,278
So, the punch line
was "nigger" for you all?
937
00:52:56,240 --> 00:52:59,199
And that bothered him that
some people just wouldn't elevate.
938
00:53:00,600 --> 00:53:03,069
Jennifer: He was at such a point
of a growth spurt.
939
00:53:04,440 --> 00:53:06,113
And he didn't want the job.
940
00:53:06,920 --> 00:53:11,199
You know: "I'm a fucking artist. I do
what I do. Leave me the fuck alone."
941
00:53:11,600 --> 00:53:14,593
And shortly thereafter
freebase was introduced.
942
00:53:18,000 --> 00:53:20,390
Kathy: At the time,
everybody was doing cocaine.
943
00:53:20,800 --> 00:53:22,280
We were snorting cocaine.
944
00:53:23,080 --> 00:53:27,757
A lot changed when everybody
switched from snorting cocaine
945
00:53:27,920 --> 00:53:29,639
to freebasing cocaine.
946
00:53:30,640 --> 00:53:34,634
Somehow, everybody knew
that this was a really bad thing,
947
00:53:34,800 --> 00:53:36,519
that turned dark.
948
00:53:36,960 --> 00:53:38,679
Jennifer: And he found freebase.
949
00:53:39,000 --> 00:53:43,950
And after two weeks of watching him
really get addicted to this stuff,
950
00:53:44,120 --> 00:53:46,589
I moved out, because it was clear
951
00:53:46,760 --> 00:53:51,437
the drug had moved in and it had
become his lover, his everything.
952
00:53:52,200 --> 00:53:56,319
And I didn't exist anymore.
953
00:53:56,640 --> 00:54:00,759
Patricia: Richard wasn't an addict.
He was a flat-out, full-blown junkie.
954
00:54:00,960 --> 00:54:05,000
I mean, he might be clean for
four days but be drinking booze.
955
00:54:05,480 --> 00:54:09,440
Be clean for a week
but just snorting a little coke.
956
00:54:09,840 --> 00:54:12,560
So he was not honest with himself.
957
00:54:15,520 --> 00:54:17,989
Patricia: June 9th, 1980.
958
00:54:18,560 --> 00:54:22,839
Richard had walked off the set
of Stir Crazy a few days earlier.
959
00:54:23,840 --> 00:54:25,797
The freebase had been escalating.
960
00:54:26,680 --> 00:54:28,353
He was not able to stop.
961
00:54:28,840 --> 00:54:32,197
Richard was so coked out
that he began
962
00:54:32,360 --> 00:54:35,512
withdrawing large sums of money
out of the bank.
963
00:54:35,680 --> 00:54:41,039
And I'm talking like $500,000,
$100,000, another $250,000.
964
00:54:41,320 --> 00:54:43,039
He was hiding it at his house.
965
00:54:44,040 --> 00:54:45,520
Kathy: Rashon had called.
966
00:54:45,680 --> 00:54:48,718
He was calling and recruiting several
people that he felt were close
967
00:54:48,880 --> 00:54:51,031
enough to Richard
to come to the house.
968
00:54:51,320 --> 00:54:55,075
To rescue Richard,
to try to get Richard to stop.
969
00:54:55,360 --> 00:54:58,000
Richard was in a very scary place.
970
00:54:58,160 --> 00:55:00,834
Richard didn't just have
a couple of ounces of cocaine.
971
00:55:01,000 --> 00:55:05,438
I'm talking about a mound
of cocaine on his bed.
972
00:55:05,600 --> 00:55:06,875
On the bed.
973
00:55:07,040 --> 00:55:11,671
And he had the pipe and the torch,
and he wasn't going to put it down.
974
00:55:11,840 --> 00:55:15,516
You could see that
he was absolutely manic.
975
00:55:15,920 --> 00:55:18,754
When I saw him,
I didn't know him anymore.
976
00:55:18,960 --> 00:55:23,193
He looked like something
had been taken from him.
977
00:55:23,920 --> 00:55:27,596
You know, some spirit
had been ripped out of him.
978
00:55:30,040 --> 00:55:32,157
Rashon: He was high.
979
00:55:32,800 --> 00:55:35,918
We were watching the Vietnam special.
980
00:55:36,240 --> 00:55:41,440
Where they were showing
the monks' protest to the war.
981
00:55:41,600 --> 00:55:43,910
And this particular monk
took gasoline
982
00:55:44,080 --> 00:55:46,311
and poured it on himself
and he lit it.
983
00:55:46,480 --> 00:55:49,791
I said to Richard,
"Look at this man's commitment."
984
00:55:49,960 --> 00:55:52,555
And Richard looked at me and said,
985
00:55:53,320 --> 00:55:56,279
"Fuck his commitment,
he didn't even flinch."
986
00:55:57,480 --> 00:56:00,598
He laughed.
And I went up to go to the kitchen.
987
00:56:01,440 --> 00:56:06,560
On my way back to the room,
a ball of fire is running towards me.
988
00:56:07,600 --> 00:56:09,432
And I just jumped out of the way.
989
00:56:09,600 --> 00:56:12,434
I see it run past me,
and I got up against the wall,
990
00:56:12,600 --> 00:56:14,159
and it run down this long hallway
991
00:56:14,320 --> 00:56:16,994
and then outside,
and then I see it outside, running.
992
00:56:17,160 --> 00:56:18,640
Ball of fire.
993
00:56:23,080 --> 00:56:28,155
In Richard's room before I leave,
there was a fifth of 151 rum.
994
00:56:28,800 --> 00:56:30,792
Three fourths of the bottle was gone.
995
00:56:32,280 --> 00:56:34,670
Thom: I got a call saying
that Richard was
996
00:56:34,840 --> 00:56:37,912
in an ambulance on the way
to the Grossman Burn Center.
997
00:56:38,920 --> 00:56:44,040
I called Dr. Grossman, who I knew.
I said, "This guy is my friend.
998
00:56:44,800 --> 00:56:46,314
Make sure he lives."
999
00:56:56,280 --> 00:57:00,638
Richard: This is my impression
of a heart talking to a brain.
1000
00:57:01,520 --> 00:57:05,150
(heart beating)
1001
00:57:06,000 --> 00:57:07,673
(as heart) Brain.
1002
00:57:08,200 --> 00:57:09,919
(laughter)
1003
00:57:10,640 --> 00:57:12,393
Brain.
1004
00:57:15,560 --> 00:57:17,153
(as brain) What do you want?
1005
00:57:19,640 --> 00:57:21,836
- (heart beating)
- (as heart) You've been naughty.
1006
00:57:22,080 --> 00:57:23,434
(laughter)
1007
00:57:23,680 --> 00:57:24,909
(brain) Go to hell.
1008
00:57:27,640 --> 00:57:30,519
(as heart)
Don't make me angry, brain.
1009
00:57:33,160 --> 00:57:34,514
(as brain) Drop dead.
1010
00:57:37,760 --> 00:57:40,355
(laughter)
1011
00:57:55,880 --> 00:57:58,440
The police had just brought in
a burn victim
1012
00:57:58,600 --> 00:58:00,432
who had been running down the street.
1013
00:58:00,880 --> 00:58:02,439
And he was awake.
1014
00:58:02,920 --> 00:58:08,712
He had burns of his face, neck,
chest, abdomen, back and arms.
1015
00:58:08,920 --> 00:58:11,276
That was like 35-40 percent
of his body burnt.
1016
00:58:11,960 --> 00:58:16,034
Thom: Dr. Grossman told me that based
on the severe extent of those burns,
1017
00:58:16,200 --> 00:58:18,510
there was almost no chance
he would live.
1018
00:58:19,920 --> 00:58:24,437
Patricia: I flew back to Los Angeles
and went the Sherman Oaks Burn Center
1019
00:58:24,640 --> 00:58:29,112
where everyone else was having
a vigil about Richard.
1020
00:58:29,280 --> 00:58:30,760
Kathy: The word kept coming out.
1021
00:58:30,920 --> 00:58:32,957
Everybody kept saying
that Richard had died.
1022
00:58:33,120 --> 00:58:36,272
David: When he got burned, all
of them showed up at the hospital.
1023
00:58:36,480 --> 00:58:39,040
And I had to turn
to a security guard.
1024
00:58:39,600 --> 00:58:42,434
I said, "Them bitches
was about to kill people
1025
00:58:42,600 --> 00:58:45,115
if you couldn't let them
go to the burn center."
1026
00:58:48,080 --> 00:58:49,434
Jennifer: I told the doctors,
1027
00:58:49,600 --> 00:58:53,992
"He's on Courvoisier,
he's on vodka, he's on cocaine."
1028
00:58:54,160 --> 00:58:58,279
'Cause I knew, you give him morphine,
you could overdose him.
1029
00:58:58,440 --> 00:59:00,238
(monitor bleeping)
1030
00:59:01,280 --> 00:59:03,112
Thom: On my desk at the studio,
1031
00:59:03,280 --> 00:59:05,954
I had a phone that Mr. Wasserman,
the chairman of the company,
1032
00:59:06,120 --> 00:59:08,589
used to call me on, and nobody
else used that phone.
1033
00:59:08,760 --> 00:59:10,956
- (soft beeping)
- It rang at ten o'clock one morning.
1034
00:59:11,920 --> 00:59:15,596
And I said, "Hello,"
and I heard a voice say...
1035
00:59:16,480 --> 00:59:18,472
(in a hoarse whispering voice)
Thom.
1036
00:59:19,320 --> 00:59:20,754
And I said, "Who's this?"
1037
00:59:20,920 --> 00:59:22,798
(in a hoarse whispering voice)
Thom.
1038
00:59:23,520 --> 00:59:25,273
And I realized it's Richard.
1039
00:59:26,360 --> 00:59:27,589
And he said...
1040
00:59:28,640 --> 00:59:30,677
"Am I going to die?"
1041
00:59:31,720 --> 00:59:33,951
And I said, "No, Richard,
you're not going to die."
1042
00:59:34,120 --> 00:59:35,440
And then he hung up.
1043
00:59:35,600 --> 00:59:37,114
And I called Dr. Grossman and said,
1044
00:59:37,280 --> 00:59:41,115
"There's a fucking phone
in Richard's room next to his bed."
1045
00:59:41,720 --> 00:59:42,720
And he said, "What?"
1046
00:59:42,880 --> 00:59:46,112
Comedian Richard Pryor,
critically burned Monday night,
1047
00:59:46,280 --> 00:59:48,636
was sitting up
in his hospital bed today
1048
00:59:48,800 --> 00:59:50,996
and eating Cream of Wheat
and talking to his doctors.
1049
00:59:51,160 --> 00:59:54,995
They said his chance of recovery
was still only about one in three,
1050
00:59:55,160 --> 00:59:58,119
but they were more optimistic
than they were yesterday.
1051
00:59:58,560 --> 01:00:01,314
Interviewer: All day long, I've been
hearing that he's improving.
1052
01:00:01,480 --> 01:00:03,039
Is there still a chance he would die?
1053
01:00:03,240 --> 01:00:05,960
I want you to understand
that you have a man who still has
1054
01:00:06,160 --> 01:00:08,231
a 50 percent burns
of third-degree nature...
1055
01:00:09,360 --> 01:00:10,840
...who's very, very sick.
1056
01:00:11,480 --> 01:00:14,871
And until all of that burn tissue
is taken off of his body...
1057
01:00:15,840 --> 01:00:19,038
...and covered with grafts, which
will require a number of operations,
1058
01:00:19,200 --> 01:00:20,520
he's going to be that sick.
1059
01:00:21,520 --> 01:00:22,715
David: A burn, you know,
1060
01:00:22,880 --> 01:00:26,715
you got to let it form
a scab first before,
1061
01:00:26,880 --> 01:00:28,872
then you got to brush that out.
1062
01:00:29,320 --> 01:00:31,880
He was crying like a baby,
rightly so.
1063
01:00:32,160 --> 01:00:36,518
And when that guy hit that brush
and did all this here,
1064
01:00:36,680 --> 01:00:41,755
I could see not the pain at that time
but the pain in his life.
1065
01:00:42,400 --> 01:00:43,550
That come back.
1066
01:00:43,720 --> 01:00:45,518
'Cause he starts talking.
1067
01:00:45,680 --> 01:00:47,353
"Mom, I didn't mean to do it.
1068
01:00:47,520 --> 01:00:49,751
Mama, I didn't want to do it."
1069
01:00:53,240 --> 01:00:55,709
Skip: Everybody had said
it was freebase. It was an accident.
1070
01:00:55,920 --> 01:00:58,230
He said,
"No, no, I did it on purpose.
1071
01:00:58,400 --> 01:01:02,713
I poured the rum on myself
and lit myself on fire."
1072
01:01:03,080 --> 01:01:07,632
Now, keep in mind he was high,
so whether it was...
1073
01:01:08,640 --> 01:01:10,438
...an unconscious suicide attempt
1074
01:01:10,640 --> 01:01:12,472
or a conscious suicide attempt,
who knows?
1075
01:01:12,640 --> 01:01:14,871
But he definitely deliberately
set himself on fire.
1076
01:01:15,440 --> 01:01:18,638
I just think he was
in a pain at that moment.
1077
01:01:20,600 --> 01:01:22,080
And like this monk...
1078
01:01:22,720 --> 01:01:25,474
Committed. But to what,
he don't know.
1079
01:01:26,080 --> 01:01:28,311
Whoopi: Junkies are just dumb.
1080
01:01:28,760 --> 01:01:29,910
They do dumb shit.
1081
01:01:30,120 --> 01:01:32,271
They set themselves on fire.
1082
01:01:32,440 --> 01:01:37,435
But then I'm sure he went, "What's
that smell? Hey, I think that's me.
1083
01:01:37,920 --> 01:01:40,480
"Aargh!" And that's what
he basically says he did.
1084
01:01:40,840 --> 01:01:43,400
It's almost like jumping
off a building.
1085
01:01:44,440 --> 01:01:45,669
And then you lived.
1086
01:01:45,840 --> 01:01:47,274
You fucked up.
1087
01:01:47,440 --> 01:01:48,794
But you lived.
1088
01:01:48,960 --> 01:01:50,792
I tried to commit suicide.
1089
01:01:56,000 --> 01:01:57,275
Interviewer: Intentionally?
1090
01:01:57,800 --> 01:01:59,439
That's all I want to say.
1091
01:02:03,760 --> 01:02:05,911
- Next question.
- (interviewer chuckles)
1092
01:02:07,080 --> 01:02:08,275
Interviewer: It didn't work.
1093
01:02:09,200 --> 01:02:10,350
Yes, it did.
1094
01:02:11,000 --> 01:02:13,037
Interviewer:
You killed the old Richard Pryor?
1095
01:02:13,600 --> 01:02:14,829
Yeah, that person's dead.
1096
01:02:19,000 --> 01:02:20,480
He was a horrible man.
1097
01:02:26,960 --> 01:02:29,680
Skip: An executive from one
of the studios called me
1098
01:02:29,840 --> 01:02:32,674
and asked me to go see him,
because he needed help.
1099
01:02:32,840 --> 01:02:37,835
So I flew over to Hana, Maui,
and he came out to greet me.
1100
01:02:38,120 --> 01:02:41,477
I could see the burns all over him.
1101
01:02:42,040 --> 01:02:43,679
And I was kind of taken aback.
1102
01:02:44,120 --> 01:02:48,558
And I remember he looked down,
he said, "Don't worry, my junk is OK.
1103
01:02:48,720 --> 01:02:49,995
I still got my junk."
1104
01:02:50,200 --> 01:02:54,513
I thought, "OK!" And I shook
his hand, and we started talking.
1105
01:02:55,200 --> 01:02:58,193
And I learned that he was dead
broke, owed money to the IRS.
1106
01:02:58,360 --> 01:02:59,794
And he thought his career was over.
1107
01:03:00,000 --> 01:03:03,630
What we discovered was there
were a lot of inconsistencies,
1108
01:03:04,000 --> 01:03:05,559
financial inconsistencies.
1109
01:03:06,000 --> 01:03:08,993
Richard suspected
that David Franklin
1110
01:03:09,160 --> 01:03:10,674
and his lawyers were cheating him.
1111
01:03:11,680 --> 01:03:13,114
Jennifer: People came in
1112
01:03:13,280 --> 01:03:15,715
and they uncovered
a lot of these business dealings
1113
01:03:15,880 --> 01:03:17,314
that were crooked.
1114
01:03:17,760 --> 01:03:19,877
Richard sued David Franklin.
1115
01:03:20,560 --> 01:03:23,917
And got a million dollars back,
but the most important thing
1116
01:03:24,080 --> 01:03:27,710
to Richard was getting
David to apologize to him.
1117
01:03:27,880 --> 01:03:31,430
That was more important to Richard
than the million dollars.
1118
01:03:32,880 --> 01:03:35,270
Skip: I had to figure out
where he was financially,
1119
01:03:35,440 --> 01:03:37,750
he owed a lot of money
to a lot of people,
1120
01:03:37,920 --> 01:03:41,436
and I came up with an idea
for him to do a concert movie.
1121
01:03:43,240 --> 01:03:45,232
Jennifer:
He was really needing to heal.
1122
01:03:45,400 --> 01:03:49,360
And the lawyer said to him, "You got
to get back on that horse now,
1123
01:03:49,520 --> 01:03:51,796
it's your time. If you don't do
it now, you're never going to do it.
1124
01:03:51,960 --> 01:03:53,713
They're going to forget you."
1125
01:03:54,520 --> 01:03:57,354
The worst thing Richard
could have done was come back.
1126
01:03:57,560 --> 01:03:59,995
He wanted to go back to work.
1127
01:04:00,480 --> 01:04:02,233
You got to understand something,
1128
01:04:02,440 --> 01:04:04,909
you don't make
Richard Pryor do anything.
1129
01:04:05,080 --> 01:04:08,039
Richard Pryor has to want
to do whatever he's doing.
1130
01:04:09,320 --> 01:04:11,437
I'm going to see Richard Pryor!
1131
01:04:14,280 --> 01:04:15,280
Yeah!
1132
01:04:15,440 --> 01:04:17,272
He better be funny!
1133
01:04:17,920 --> 01:04:19,434
Tell Richard he better be funny.
1134
01:04:22,960 --> 01:04:24,553
Rashon: The who's who of Hollywood,
1135
01:04:24,720 --> 01:04:27,554
they filled the theatre up
at the Palladium.
1136
01:04:29,800 --> 01:04:31,951
Then Richard got on stage.
1137
01:04:33,120 --> 01:04:35,760
And it was the worst show
I've ever seen him do.
1138
01:04:37,120 --> 01:04:38,793
Where was I?
1139
01:04:39,280 --> 01:04:41,317
I was here - what's the date?
1140
01:04:43,480 --> 01:04:44,834
This camera's looking at me.
1141
01:04:45,000 --> 01:04:46,400
Audience member: You're doing fine!
1142
01:04:46,560 --> 01:04:47,789
Thank you, brother,
I needed to hear that.
1143
01:04:47,960 --> 01:04:49,360
(applause)
1144
01:04:49,520 --> 01:04:51,955
He started doing his act backwards.
1145
01:04:52,840 --> 01:04:54,513
And he got confused.
1146
01:04:57,960 --> 01:05:02,352
It was rough, and you just knew
it wasn't going to be OK.
1147
01:05:06,160 --> 01:05:07,355
(laughter)
1148
01:05:13,600 --> 01:05:15,034
That mother...
1149
01:05:15,880 --> 01:05:17,837
The Lord doesn't want me
to smoke it.
1150
01:05:19,480 --> 01:05:21,949
- Audience member: Burn it up.
- Burn it up.
1151
01:05:25,520 --> 01:05:26,715
Tough group.
1152
01:05:27,800 --> 01:05:30,360
Richard didn't feel
it was a perfect fit.
1153
01:05:31,160 --> 01:05:33,038
The audience didn't think it was.
1154
01:05:33,240 --> 01:05:36,551
Let me say this to you, this
is honest, this shit didn't work.
1155
01:05:37,200 --> 01:05:38,200
For me, I mean...
1156
01:05:38,360 --> 01:05:41,034
I know y'all laugh
at something... I feel...
1157
01:05:41,200 --> 01:05:44,876
I wanted it to be something else
that it's not, it's just not there.
1158
01:05:45,080 --> 01:05:48,073
It's just there right at this moment
in time and space, for me.
1159
01:05:48,880 --> 01:05:52,476
And I hope that nobody feels
cheated or nothing, 'cause at least
1160
01:05:52,640 --> 01:05:55,075
you're getting to see
a motherfucker crucify himself.
1161
01:05:55,720 --> 01:05:58,872
He was supposed to do 90 minutes,
he did about an hour.
1162
01:05:59,040 --> 01:06:00,360
And walked out.
1163
01:06:00,560 --> 01:06:02,392
(audience murmurs)
1164
01:06:02,600 --> 01:06:03,750
(scattered applause)
1165
01:06:03,920 --> 01:06:05,440
I thought
there was going to be a riot.
1166
01:06:06,200 --> 01:06:07,554
(audience murmurs)
1167
01:06:11,520 --> 01:06:13,000
He disappeared.
1168
01:06:14,400 --> 01:06:17,359
Of course I was concerned,
but I also know Richard.
1169
01:06:17,520 --> 01:06:20,831
And I knew how resilient he was.
1170
01:06:21,600 --> 01:06:23,751
And I knew that he'd come back.
1171
01:06:27,040 --> 01:06:30,431
The next day, same show, same place.
1172
01:06:30,600 --> 01:06:32,592
(cheering and applause)
1173
01:06:33,920 --> 01:06:36,799
He was so upset and
he told all the people that,
1174
01:06:36,960 --> 01:06:38,838
"I'm going to
do it all over for you again,
1175
01:06:39,000 --> 01:06:40,321
cause I messed the first one up."
1176
01:06:42,760 --> 01:06:45,070
Rev. Jesse Jackson:
He was going back on stage again.
1177
01:06:45,360 --> 01:06:47,591
He would be accepted or rejected.
1178
01:06:47,880 --> 01:06:49,280
Embraced or pushed aside.
1179
01:06:50,600 --> 01:06:54,116
There was something within him
that said, "Go forward."
1180
01:06:55,080 --> 01:06:56,594
The show was flawless.
1181
01:06:56,760 --> 01:06:59,798
All my friends know this to be true,
'cause everybody knows me,
1182
01:06:59,960 --> 01:07:04,079
I usually, before I go to bed,
I have milk and cookies.
1183
01:07:07,480 --> 01:07:10,279
And one night,
I had some low-fat milk...
1184
01:07:11,280 --> 01:07:14,910
...and some pasteurized,
and I mixed them together...
1185
01:07:15,240 --> 01:07:17,914
and I dipped my cookie,
and the shit blew up.
1186
01:07:18,160 --> 01:07:20,072
(laughter)
1187
01:07:21,800 --> 01:07:23,234
Paul: The audience went nuts.
1188
01:07:24,120 --> 01:07:28,831
I mean, I think the laughter
was at least 15 minutes.
1189
01:07:29,480 --> 01:07:32,473
I'll tell you one thing,
when that fire hits your ass...
1190
01:07:33,240 --> 01:07:35,800
that will sober your ass up quick.
1191
01:07:36,080 --> 01:07:37,799
(laughter)
1192
01:07:38,440 --> 01:07:41,638
I mean, I was standing there on fire
and someone said,
1193
01:07:41,800 --> 01:07:44,315
"Why that's a pretty blue.
1194
01:07:46,160 --> 01:07:50,279
You know what?
That looks like...Fire!"
1195
01:07:51,480 --> 01:07:53,278
And you know something I found out?
1196
01:07:53,440 --> 01:07:56,592
When you're on fire and running
down the street,
1197
01:07:56,800 --> 01:07:59,474
people will get out of your way.
1198
01:08:01,800 --> 01:08:04,190
Except for one old drunk
who's going,
1199
01:08:04,360 --> 01:08:06,317
"Hey, buddy, can I get a light?"
1200
01:08:07,496 --> 01:08:08,976
Johnny Carson:
His latest performance,
1201
01:08:09,000 --> 01:08:10,150
Live On The Sunset Strip,
1202
01:08:10,320 --> 01:08:12,880
it had runaway
with the top box office spot.
1203
01:08:13,040 --> 01:08:14,713
Made eight million dollars
in three days.
1204
01:08:14,880 --> 01:08:16,553
Would you welcome Richard Pryor?
1205
01:08:16,720 --> 01:08:17,949
(applause)
1206
01:08:27,040 --> 01:08:29,680
Reporter: Pryor's firm, headed
by long-time friend Jim Brown,
1207
01:08:29,840 --> 01:08:31,559
entered into a 40 million dollar
1208
01:08:31,720 --> 01:08:33,871
five-year deal
with Columbia Pictures.
1209
01:08:34,040 --> 01:08:36,600
Thom: Richard wanted very badly
1210
01:08:37,040 --> 01:08:40,317
to elevate the status
of African-Americans.
1211
01:08:40,760 --> 01:08:44,674
Shelia: Indigo was going to
be the first time that a black person
1212
01:08:44,840 --> 01:08:49,517
had a 40 million deal
with a major studio.
1213
01:08:49,880 --> 01:08:53,191
And so we were going to do films,
we were going to do this,
1214
01:08:53,360 --> 01:08:55,192
we were going to change the industry.
1215
01:08:55,400 --> 01:08:56,754
This was going to be it.
1216
01:08:58,040 --> 01:09:00,760
Rocco: The phone rang, and he said,
"Rocco, it's Richard.
1217
01:09:01,440 --> 01:09:02,715
What are you doing?"
1218
01:09:02,920 --> 01:09:05,037
I said, "I'm about
to go to the bathroom."
1219
01:09:05,600 --> 01:09:07,956
He said, "After you take a shit,
come over to Columbia."
1220
01:09:08,160 --> 01:09:10,160
Reporter: Richard Pryor
is getting ready to prepare
1221
01:09:10,320 --> 01:09:12,039
for his role in Jo Jo Dancer.
1222
01:09:12,200 --> 01:09:13,839
It's a movie written by himself,
1223
01:09:14,040 --> 01:09:16,953
based loosely on incidents
from his own life.
1224
01:09:17,120 --> 01:09:21,512
He was an actor and
a producer, and a director,
1225
01:09:21,680 --> 01:09:24,115
so Richard became a role model.
1226
01:09:25,640 --> 01:09:30,760
Michael: He hired Jim Brown
to run the company for him.
1227
01:09:31,240 --> 01:09:34,074
I think he made a decision
to have somebody tough,
1228
01:09:34,600 --> 01:09:40,392
but not somebody who really knew
the film business side of it.
1229
01:09:41,080 --> 01:09:43,640
Skip: I brought him
the Prince movie, Purple Rain.
1230
01:09:43,960 --> 01:09:49,274
And he said, "Great." And then Jim
Brown didn't want to do the movie,
1231
01:09:49,440 --> 01:09:53,753
because there wasn't
an all-black crew.
1232
01:09:54,160 --> 01:09:58,677
They kind of let a lot
of mistakes happen.
1233
01:09:58,960 --> 01:10:01,600
Think that was part of the
reason why that company
1234
01:10:01,800 --> 01:10:02,995
didn't take off.
1235
01:10:03,320 --> 01:10:06,279
It was a huge disappointment
for black filmmakers.
1236
01:10:07,440 --> 01:10:10,797
He really wanted to be who he was.
He wanted to be an artist.
1237
01:10:12,280 --> 01:10:14,112
And it was too much pressure.
1238
01:10:21,520 --> 01:10:26,197
Cecil: Richard began this tragic role
where whites came in
1239
01:10:26,360 --> 01:10:28,317
and just gave him white scripts.
1240
01:10:28,480 --> 01:10:29,880
And that's what did him in.
1241
01:10:32,640 --> 01:10:35,474
Ishmael: I think he appeared in
a movie where he was this kid's toy.
1242
01:10:35,640 --> 01:10:38,792
His career, as far as
we were concerned, went downhill.
1243
01:10:41,160 --> 01:10:43,595
Richard: I'm doing a film called
Moving for Warner Brothers.
1244
01:10:44,000 --> 01:10:46,959
- Interviewer: What's it about?
- About two hours too long.
1245
01:10:49,240 --> 01:10:52,870
Skip: Eddie wrote, produced,
was directing Harlem Nights.
1246
01:10:53,360 --> 01:10:57,320
But Richard thought he
should have first credit, not Eddie,
1247
01:10:57,520 --> 01:11:00,354
and Eddie was a much bigger
star at that time than Richard.
1248
01:11:02,480 --> 01:11:03,834
It was finished then.
1249
01:11:04,000 --> 01:11:09,678
The whole thing had been untethered
so long and it never got back.
1250
01:11:15,640 --> 01:11:18,314
Stan: Went to The Comedy Store.
Richard wasn't there.
1251
01:11:18,920 --> 01:11:21,196
So I looked at everybody and said,
"Where's Richard?"
1252
01:11:21,360 --> 01:11:22,760
I ran upstairs.
1253
01:11:23,000 --> 01:11:24,673
And this comedian...
1254
01:11:25,160 --> 01:11:29,234
had Richard against a wall
with the cocaine...
1255
01:11:30,880 --> 01:11:33,349
...spoon, holding it
to Richard's nose.
1256
01:11:33,840 --> 01:11:37,231
I went fucking berserk.
1257
01:11:37,560 --> 01:11:40,871
And I put him up against the wall,
and his feet were off the floor.
1258
01:11:41,400 --> 01:11:43,869
And I'm choking him
and yelling at Richard,
1259
01:11:45,040 --> 01:11:47,157
"Da fuck is wrong with you?!"
1260
01:11:47,680 --> 01:11:49,911
I went to see him,
and he was back on drugs.
1261
01:11:50,080 --> 01:11:51,753
And I could see he was high.
1262
01:11:52,040 --> 01:11:53,679
And I said, "Richard...
1263
01:11:54,760 --> 01:11:55,881
...this doesn't work for me.
1264
01:11:55,920 --> 01:11:59,516
I'm not going to stand by like
everybody did with John Belushi,
1265
01:11:59,680 --> 01:12:00,830
let you do drugs."
1266
01:12:01,040 --> 01:12:05,398
So I said, "You and I are done
unless you go into rehab."
1267
01:12:05,920 --> 01:12:09,800
Then he sent me a letter firing me
and accusing me of this and this,
1268
01:12:09,960 --> 01:12:11,758
saying I hadn't done this,
hadn't done that,
1269
01:12:11,920 --> 01:12:13,752
all which was a bunch of nonsense.
1270
01:12:16,440 --> 01:12:18,113
And he was going back...
1271
01:12:19,120 --> 01:12:23,239
...to a dark place that he couldn't--
I didn't think would come back from.
1272
01:12:23,480 --> 01:12:26,314
He kind of tried drying out
for a while and he said...
1273
01:12:26,480 --> 01:12:29,917
He said he was too afraid to go
on stage, he was too vulnerable.
1274
01:12:30,080 --> 01:12:31,080
He was really raw.
1275
01:12:32,280 --> 01:12:33,680
Rashon: It looked like...
1276
01:12:33,840 --> 01:12:36,753
unlike the fire,
this time he gave up.
1277
01:12:37,400 --> 01:12:40,438
You just watched him begin
to deteriorate in front of you.
1278
01:12:44,440 --> 01:12:45,760
I felt really bad...
1279
01:12:46,760 --> 01:12:48,752
that, uh...
1280
01:12:49,800 --> 01:12:51,314
That he was going down
1281
01:12:51,480 --> 01:12:55,679
to where I basically tried to help
take him out of. I mean...
1282
01:12:56,800 --> 01:12:58,792
I wanted him to have a good life.
1283
01:12:59,000 --> 01:13:02,755
I felt...I felt bad for him.
Not for me.
1284
01:13:04,800 --> 01:13:06,961
I think it was very self-destructive
on Richard's part.
1285
01:13:07,000 --> 01:13:09,151
I think that was a real
meaningful relationship.
1286
01:13:09,360 --> 01:13:11,955
A relationship of substance,
I should say.
1287
01:13:13,280 --> 01:13:17,593
That had real connection
and real affection.
1288
01:13:18,360 --> 01:13:20,272
And somebody really was
watching out for him.
1289
01:13:20,440 --> 01:13:21,880
There weren't a lot of those people.
1290
01:13:22,200 --> 01:13:23,759
And sometimes...
1291
01:13:23,960 --> 01:13:25,440
your best isn't good enough.
1292
01:13:27,000 --> 01:13:28,354
And you can't...
1293
01:13:29,200 --> 01:13:32,079
save them from themselves.
1294
01:13:40,160 --> 01:13:42,629
Paul: I remember I hadn't seen him
for a while.
1295
01:13:44,160 --> 01:13:46,516
And I went to some
premiere of something.
1296
01:13:46,680 --> 01:13:48,512
And he walked up on me
1297
01:13:48,680 --> 01:13:52,117
and he had lost so much weight
that I really didn't recognize him.
1298
01:13:52,320 --> 01:13:54,789
And then it hit me. I said,
"My God, that's Richard."
1299
01:13:55,000 --> 01:13:58,710
I lost 20 pounds to do a film
and I kept losing,
1300
01:13:58,880 --> 01:14:00,519
I couldn't get it back, you know?
1301
01:14:00,680 --> 01:14:03,200
I got real scared, Johnny,
you know, 'cause I was losing weight,
1302
01:14:03,360 --> 01:14:07,673
and my pants were falling down,
and I said, "Something's wrong."
1303
01:14:08,200 --> 01:14:11,511
I said, "All these diseases
around, Richard,
1304
01:14:11,680 --> 01:14:13,239
finally it's caught up with you.
1305
01:14:13,400 --> 01:14:16,472
And you have one of them.
1306
01:14:16,680 --> 01:14:18,911
And you're going to die."
1307
01:14:19,080 --> 01:14:22,232
So I was very calm about it,
you know, but I'm going to die.
1308
01:14:22,600 --> 01:14:24,751
Richard: A few months ago,
I was on The Tonight Show
1309
01:14:24,920 --> 01:14:25,920
talking to Johnny Carson.
1310
01:14:26,080 --> 01:14:29,198
And then the next day,
this lady from the newspaper
1311
01:14:29,400 --> 01:14:31,073
called one of my ex-wives and said,
1312
01:14:31,240 --> 01:14:32,390
"What do you think's
wrong with Richard?"
1313
01:14:32,560 --> 01:14:34,756
- She said, "I think he has AIDS."
- (laughter)
1314
01:14:35,760 --> 01:14:39,913
Guaranteeing that I would not get
no pussy until the year 2025.
1315
01:14:40,360 --> 01:14:41,555
(laughter)
1316
01:14:43,080 --> 01:14:45,879
Dr. Grossman: One day, he called.
I said, "What's the matter?"
1317
01:14:46,200 --> 01:14:49,079
He said, "I got something wrong
with my eyes, I can't see straight."
1318
01:14:49,240 --> 01:14:52,392
I said, "Come over to the hospital,
I'll get my ophthalmologist."
1319
01:14:52,560 --> 01:14:53,880
They look at him.
1320
01:14:54,240 --> 01:14:56,709
The intensivist doctor, neurologist.
1321
01:14:56,880 --> 01:14:59,236
And both of them said,
"He may have MS."
1322
01:15:06,480 --> 01:15:08,041
Rashon: When we was doing
Harlem Nights,
1323
01:15:08,120 --> 01:15:09,440
I remember saying to Richie,
1324
01:15:09,600 --> 01:15:11,478
he was getting ready
to go do a scene,
1325
01:15:11,640 --> 01:15:14,838
he had a Bic lighter in his hand.
And I said to him,
1326
01:15:15,000 --> 01:15:18,437
"This is a period piece,
they didn't have Bics back then."
1327
01:15:19,960 --> 01:15:23,590
Said he keeps a lighter in his hand
to disguise his fist balling up
1328
01:15:23,760 --> 01:15:25,433
and what was going on with him.
1329
01:15:25,600 --> 01:15:27,512
And that's when he let me
know he had the MS.
1330
01:15:32,320 --> 01:15:37,111
Yeah, back in those days, we never
thought it would turn out like that.
1331
01:15:46,440 --> 01:15:48,636
Richard: People that have it
know what I mean.
1332
01:15:48,800 --> 01:15:51,110
The shit fucks
with your nervous system.
1333
01:15:51,440 --> 01:15:54,797
When the doctor tells you you've got
it, and then you go, "Oh, I got it?
1334
01:15:54,960 --> 01:15:56,314
"What is it?"
1335
01:15:56,480 --> 01:15:57,630
"Uh..."
1336
01:15:58,160 --> 01:16:01,153
I'd never heard
a doctor say "Uh," before.
1337
01:16:02,440 --> 01:16:04,318
Richard: It's a blessing, though.
1338
01:16:05,280 --> 01:16:06,794
When you can't walk
1339
01:16:07,040 --> 01:16:10,795
and then you have to depend
on others to help you...
1340
01:16:12,000 --> 01:16:14,310
...you have to learn to trust them.
1341
01:16:15,480 --> 01:16:17,676
Which is very hard for me.
1342
01:16:18,640 --> 01:16:19,869
Very hard.
1343
01:16:28,000 --> 01:16:31,232
Patricia: Jennifer came out to handle
his affairs
1344
01:16:31,440 --> 01:16:34,831
when he was unable,
with the MS,
1345
01:16:35,000 --> 01:16:37,674
to do that much for himself.
1346
01:16:39,000 --> 01:16:42,038
I came back in '94.
The party was over.
1347
01:16:42,800 --> 01:16:46,680
No more piles of cocaine.
That craziness was all gone.
1348
01:16:47,840 --> 01:16:52,357
Let's put it behind us and make
some lemonade out of the lemons.
1349
01:16:54,680 --> 01:16:58,515
Rashon: The drug part of it was over.
He was clean from that point on.
1350
01:16:58,680 --> 01:17:03,232
He had really learned whatever
it was to be learned from the MS.
1351
01:17:04,680 --> 01:17:09,550
Sandy: It was difficult
to visit Richard when he was sick,
1352
01:17:10,080 --> 01:17:15,997
after knowing him
as such a wiry, vital,
1353
01:17:16,840 --> 01:17:22,552
athletic type, you know,
moving around and never being,
1354
01:17:22,720 --> 01:17:26,760
you know, to all of a sudden
seeing him in a wheelchair.
1355
01:17:28,080 --> 01:17:29,434
My dick is dead.
1356
01:17:30,840 --> 01:17:33,230
No, it died in my hand.
1357
01:17:34,920 --> 01:17:37,435
I had it in my hand,
would beat it...
1358
01:17:37,720 --> 01:17:40,235
and the dick looked at me
like I was crazy.
1359
01:17:40,400 --> 01:17:42,551
(laughter)
1360
01:17:45,120 --> 01:17:46,918
(as penis)
"What the fuck's wrong with you?"
1361
01:17:48,080 --> 01:17:50,914
"It's not me, it's you,
motherfucker."
1362
01:17:51,080 --> 01:17:52,912
Jennifer: Even when he got sick,
1363
01:17:53,080 --> 01:17:56,198
I mean, him wanting to be on stage
1364
01:17:56,440 --> 01:18:00,116
in his declining years, was,
1365
01:18:00,720 --> 01:18:02,120
to me, so heroic.
1366
01:18:02,400 --> 01:18:05,040
Warren Beatty's limousine
would show up.
1367
01:18:05,760 --> 01:18:07,717
This make me cry thinking about it.
1368
01:18:07,880 --> 01:18:10,270
And he'd be sitting there
looking out at Richard
1369
01:18:10,440 --> 01:18:12,716
and he'd be crying, because...
1370
01:18:12,880 --> 01:18:16,476
because he knew
what a great genius Richard was.
1371
01:18:18,120 --> 01:18:20,316
(applause)
1372
01:18:23,840 --> 01:18:28,119
Richard Pryor defined the game
of stand-up comedy and comedy itself.
1373
01:18:28,280 --> 01:18:30,431
(applause)
1374
01:18:32,920 --> 01:18:35,116
And if you haven't stole
from Richard,
1375
01:18:35,280 --> 01:18:36,953
then you're probably not that funny.
1376
01:18:38,120 --> 01:18:41,113
And I wanted to tell him that
I wanted to be just like him,
1377
01:18:41,320 --> 01:18:43,471
except for the drug habit
and failed marriages
1378
01:18:43,640 --> 01:18:45,472
and the temper and the guns.
1379
01:18:45,760 --> 01:18:48,195
(applause)
1380
01:18:48,640 --> 01:18:51,314
Mike: As much as people
felt bad for him,
1381
01:18:51,480 --> 01:18:54,996
that man probably had some nights
and some days...
1382
01:18:55,160 --> 01:18:58,790
I mean, it'd take a lifetime
to top that motherfucker's week.
1383
01:19:01,680 --> 01:19:04,275
Alan: The last time I saw him,
he was...
1384
01:19:04,440 --> 01:19:09,674
wheelchair-bound and unable to speak.
Jennifer took me to see him.
1385
01:19:10,360 --> 01:19:12,158
He couldn't talk. All I could do was,
1386
01:19:12,320 --> 01:19:14,198
you know,
give him a kiss and tell him:
1387
01:19:14,360 --> 01:19:16,113
"I still love you, Richard."
1388
01:19:19,520 --> 01:19:21,830
Richard Pryor died
this afternoon of a heart attack
1389
01:19:22,000 --> 01:19:24,720
at his home in California.
He was 65.
1390
01:19:27,000 --> 01:19:28,832
(applause)
1391
01:19:29,000 --> 01:19:33,631
So... what I'm saying, what
the point I'm trying to make is,
1392
01:19:33,800 --> 01:19:36,031
that there is no point to be made.
1393
01:19:37,360 --> 01:19:38,635
That's all there is.
1394
01:19:38,800 --> 01:19:42,032
There ain't no point to it, 'cause
you didn't ask to come to this,
1395
01:19:42,200 --> 01:19:45,477
motherfucker, and you sure
can't choose how to leave.
1396
01:19:45,840 --> 01:19:47,911
'Cause you don't know
when you're going to go.
1397
01:19:48,080 --> 01:19:49,992
Don't take this shit serious.
1398
01:19:50,560 --> 01:19:52,870
You better have some fun
and plenty of it.
1399
01:19:53,760 --> 01:19:57,310
'Cause when the shit over and you
ask for a recharge, it's too late.
1400
01:19:59,200 --> 01:20:01,920
So all I can say is keep
some sunshine on your face.
1401
01:20:02,560 --> 01:20:04,153
(applause)
1402
01:20:15,400 --> 01:20:19,076
David: Even till the end, Richard
never did know how good he was.
1403
01:20:19,240 --> 01:20:21,391
Most people did not understand that.
1404
01:20:22,360 --> 01:20:25,558
I never heard him said,
"I knocked them off their ass tonight."
1405
01:20:25,720 --> 01:20:27,598
He always said,
"I'll get them tomorrow."
1406
01:20:29,920 --> 01:20:34,597
Jesse: As the song says, we get back
up again because of boundless mercy.
1407
01:20:34,760 --> 01:20:37,070
And that you are a champion,
Richard, you are a champion.
1408
01:20:37,240 --> 01:20:38,879
And the ground's no
place for a champion.
1409
01:20:39,040 --> 01:20:42,238
So we rise, get up,
go back and do your work.
1410
01:20:43,120 --> 01:20:44,918
They've always been
there for Richard.
1411
01:20:45,560 --> 01:20:47,119
He's always there for them.
1412
01:20:47,960 --> 01:20:49,713
Richard belongs to us.
1413
01:20:51,600 --> 01:20:54,069
What do you want to be
remembered for?
1414
01:20:56,480 --> 01:20:58,153
I'd like for people...
1415
01:20:58,320 --> 01:21:00,960
to see my picture and laugh.
1416
01:21:01,960 --> 01:21:04,111
- Just see your picture?
- Yeah.
1417
01:21:04,600 --> 01:21:07,593
And laugh
and have stories and tell...
1418
01:21:07,840 --> 01:21:09,433
tell some lies on me.
1419
01:21:10,000 --> 01:21:12,390
"He made me laugh."
"I was there, you know?"
1420
01:21:12,560 --> 01:21:15,917
"I was there Wednesday when he drove
up in the..." You know, whatever.
1421
01:21:16,400 --> 01:21:18,790
Like that. Like... bring joy.
1422
01:21:19,960 --> 01:21:21,952
That's how I'd like to be remembered.
118006
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