Becoming Richard Pryor (93 page)

playing in Ontario, 113

politics of, 135, 138, 167, 170, 211, 212, 223, 250–52, 257, 265–69

relationship with his mother, 227–28, 229

relationship with Maxine Silverman, 138–41, 155, 171–72, 183, 235, 516n138, 516n142

relationship with Patricia Heitman, 265–66, 269

relationship with Shelley Bonis, 187–89,
190
, 191–92, 220–21, 232–34, 235, 240

residences, 118, 155, 159, 167, 172–73, 188, 213, 233, 241–42, 248

Roberts as manager, 178, 194, 197, 200, 213

Roth as manager, 119, 128–35, 143

Sammy Davis, Jr. advice to, 112

singing onstage, 159

substance abuse and (cocaine, alcohol, marijuana), 117, 125, 147–48, 172, 173, 175, 196, 213, 215, 216, 217, 220, 226, 241, 245, 257–58, 261, 266, 518n148, 522n173

Sunset Towers assault charge, 173–75, 183

TV appearances, 141, 143, 148–54, 157–59,
158
, 179, 210, 211, 212, 257

TV debut, 130–35,
132
,
133

—1971–1975 (H
OLLYWOOD STARDOM
), 273–358

acting roles, 276–80, 290, 294–97, 299–300, 320–27,
323

appearance,
275
, 279, 281, 321

arrest for obscenity, 339

“black goes first” chess incident, 315–16

at Cannes Film Festival, 314–17,
315

comedy, concerts, 327–29

comedy, touring, 338–41

cottage at Yamashiro, 280–81, 290, 297–98, 305, 317, 347

DeBlasio as manager, 305–6, 314, 327, 329, 334, 338, 339, 349–50

finances and, 292, 341, 349–50

Franklin as manager plus, 350–53

friendship/feud with Billy Dee Williams, 309, 368, 372

jail sentence for tax evasion, 334–35

lack of professionalism, 279–80, 294, 307

meltdowns and self-destructive behavior, 294–96, 307 (
see also
substance abuse
below
)

in Monaco, 316

Pay Back Inc. founded, 341, 352

Peoria return (1974), 340–41

politics of, 304

Queen Booking as agent, 329, 347

relationship with Patricia Heitman,
275
, 275–76, 280, 297–98, 305, 309–10, 317, 347–49

“Richard Pryor Enterprises,” 352

“Richard Pryor Salute,” 306

screenwriting opportunities, 281–88, 290–94, 320–27

as sensation, hot item, 347

substance abuse, 275–76, 280, 282, 287, 291, 294, 307

testing new collaborators, 318–19

TV appearances, 314, 320–27, 342–47

Watergate scandal, Nixon presidency, and, 336–37

—1975–1978 (
THE PLANET’S FUNNIEST MAN
), 361–470

acting roles, 363–73, 380–403, 417–26

in Barbados, 404–7

career peak, 430

car shooting by, 461, 466, 468

comedy recordings, 373–75, 397

concerts and club dates, 374

conflict with TV networks, 361–63

as crossover artist, 363, 367, 374–75, 380, 383, 414

death of grandmother, and her message to him, 470, 471–72

education sought, 404

finances and, 384, 396, 415

Franklin as manager, 362, 368, 392, 395, 415, 428

gay sex and, 442–46, 558n457

gifts to Peoria friends and family, 416

heart attack, 465–66

Hollywood Bowl incident, 439–46,
441
, 556n442

home bought in Northridge, 384–85

identity issues, 470

inner chaos and, 427–28, 433, 448–49

lack of professionalism, 370, 371

lawsuit against, 421

living “clean” regimen, 397, 404

marriage to Deboragh McGuire, 447, 448–53,
451
, 465–66

meltdowns and destructive behavior, 361, 439–46,
441
, 556n442

NBC program deals, 408, 412–15

relapse into drug/alcohol lifestyle, 417, 426

relationship with Jennifer Lee, 449–51, 465, 467,
467

relationship with Pam Grier, 400–401, 404,
405
, 406–7, 416–17, 452

return to standup comedy, 467–68

Richard Pryor Enterprises, 384

substance abuse, 361, 417, 420, 426, 428, 433–34, 448, 450, 452, 465, 467

TV appearances, 362–63, 375–80, 412–15, 427–39, 454–62

women and, 428–29, 458

—1978–2005 (
EPILOGUE
), 471–87

artistic legacy, 482–87

career decline, 475–76, 477

critical judgment about, 481, 482, 486–87

as Dark Twain, 484

death of, 480–81

descent into addiction, 472

diagnosed with MS, 478–79

farewell tour (1993), 479–80

fighting over estate of, 481–82

finances and, 479

funeral, 481

legacy as a stand-up comic, 483–84

legacy as crossover artist, 485–87

legacy as social critic, 484–85

marriage to Jennifer Lee, 480–81

paranoid dementia, 472

peak of his career, 475

personality change, post-fire, 476, 478

relationship with his children, 480

setting himself on fire, 472–74, 560n474

—
ACTING AND FILM WRITING CAREER,
xiii, 320.
See also
films (below)

ABC Movies of the Week deal, 229–32

ambition and, 404

biopics that frame his career, 477–78

Black Sun production company, 217–24, 235

buddy movies, 392

on character, 299–300

collaboration with Lily Tomlin, 300, 318–27,
323
, 540n325

collaborators, 281–88, 486, 534n282, 535n288 (
see also Blazing Saddles;
Mooney, Paul
; Richard Pryor Show, The; Richard Pryor Special?, The; Saturday Night Live; Which Way Is Up?
)

co-writing dynamic of, 70

critics and reviews, 277, 305, 306, 310–11, 312–13, 323–24, 381–82, 390, 411, 419, 423, 429, 431, 475–76, 547n383

early acting and writing, Peoria, 66–74, 505n69

Emmy for
Lily
, 325–26, 340

film scenarios, Berkeley year, 258–61

first leading man role, 399

first role in TV series, 163–64

Hollywood debut, 163

Hollywood dissidents and, 392–97

identity issues, 487

improvisational approach, 387–90, 540n325, 548n388, 552n408

influence of, 292

“Juke and Opal” sketch, 320, 322,
323
, 323–26, 540n325

Juliette Whittaker as first co-writer, 70

“The Pimp’s Lament” (recitation), 284–85

reputation for unreliability, consequences of, 307

Rumpelstiltskin
production, 69–70

strategy for expanding a role, 274, 276–80, 391

turning point in perception of him as a performer, 312

“Uncle Sam Wants You Dead, Nigger” (screenplay), 250–52, 531n251

Universal Studios deal, 396

The Vanishing Pearl
(Peoria play), 71

Warner Bros. multi-film deal, 430

—
ALBUMS AND CONCERT FILMS

Bicentennial Nigger
, 331, 397–99, 484

‘Craps’ (After Hours)
, 237–41, 529n238

Is It Something I Said?
373–75, 384

And It’s Deep Too!
480

Live and Smokin’
(filmed Improv show), 252–53

Richard Pryor
(first album), 194–203,
203
, 213, 221, 526n213

Richard Pryor: Live in Concert
, 1–2, 46, 78–79, 468–70, 474

Richard Pryor Live on the Sunset Strip
, 474

“That Nigger’s Crazy,”
329–31, 336, 337, 338–39, 341, 342, 349, 352

—
COMEDY AND COMEDIC ROUTINES

abuse of audience and, 180, 236, 253

“Acid,” 331–33, 376, 518n148

act as character-driven and rooted in the black community, 182, 330–31, 353–58

act opening, whisper, 152, 153–54

Aladdin hotel episode, 175–80, 182–83, 332

as autobiographical, xiii, 1–2, 78–79, 81, 142, 165, 182, 229, 238, 240, 252, 330, 432, 467–69, 529n238

“baby being born” routine, 106, 512n106

belief in his coming stardom, 111–12

Berle dustup on
The Mike Douglas Show
, 343–46

big break (
Ed Sullivan Show
, 1965), 141, 143–44

black audiences and, 74, 105–6, 215–17, 328–29, 338, 363, 374, 454

“Black Death” routine, 484

black superhero character, 74

“burglar” sketch, 118–19

at Café Wha?, 117, 118, 128, 129, 130, 143, 174

cartoons, influence of, 48–49, 74

Casablanca club incident, 112, 511n112

change in approach, to nitty-gritty of his life, 165, 167, 171, 182

character of his grandmother in, 1–3, 46, 165

characters played by, various, 99, 105, 165

charisma as performer, 3

on Chitlin Circuit, 108, 111–15, 512n112

clubs drop RP (1970), 235–37

Collins Corner stand-up routines, 105–8

as comic genius, 301

“Cops/The Line-Up” routine, 238–39, 529n238

core audience, 338, 363

as Cosby imitator, xii, 117–19, 129, 134, 162

“crazy nigger” persona, 333–34, 354

critics and reviews, 118, 119, 130, 144, 162, 179, 200, 236, 249–50, 329, 470

as crossover artist, 154, 158–59, 337, 485–87

development of material, 164–65, 353–58

dirty joke, 151

early influences, xvi, 48, 60–61, 100, 115, 281, 411, 484, 504n60

experimentation, Bay area (1971), 247, 256–57, 264

first performance (as child), 50, 486

at the Flamingo, Las Vegas (1966), 160, 162

“Frankenstein” sketch, 201

game, hungry i engagement (1966), 152

in Greenwich Village (1963–1965), 117–19, 129, 130, 135, 151, 163

“Hank’s Place” routine, 143, 198–200, 201, 472

at Harold’s Club, Peoria, 95–96, 486

headlining, Blue Angel, Chicago (1966), 145, 517n146

heart attack as material, 466, 468–69

his father portrayed in comedy of, 47, 229

history of “nigger” parable, 303, 537n303

honesty in, 127, 346

“I Feel” riff, 195–96

impressions done by, 74, 113, 118, 149–50, 151, 229

at the Improv, 120–23,
122
, 514n121

improvisational approach to comedy, xiii, 121–22, 126–27, 143, 151–52, 431–32, 469, 484

“Jackin’ Off” riff, 238

Kennedy Center performance, 328–29

“Kill Class” routine, 83, 212

Laff Records four record deal, 237

at the Living Room, 129–30

Mark Twain Prize for American Humor (1998), 562–63n484

mask of clown and, 159

“Masturbating” riff, 238

Mudbone character, 337, 353–58, 374, 413, 432, 468, 472

new material experiments, 431

obscenities in act, 87, 139, 148, 165, 180, 181–82, 200, 216, 236, 249, 317, 337, 345, 346, 361, 375, 482, 523n180

pantomime, 149, 153–54, 159, 455

Peoria curfew sketch, 81, 171, 507n80

physical comedy of, 106, 378

plays the Apollo (1965), 153–54, 518n153

“Prison Play” sketch, 143, 196–97, 201

race issues and, 134, 238–39, 255, 286, 303, 320, 333, 376, 380, 389–90, 469, 482

records first album, 179

Reprise Records drops deal, 213

return to standup (1978), 467–68

Reverend James L. White character, 414, 433, 454, 471

Roth’s grooming of, 129–35

RP’s comedic instincts, 124–25

RP’s strengths in, 119

“rubber face” of RP, 60–61, 132, 144

“Rumpelstiltskin” act, 141–43, 159, 162, 200, 328

“Samurai Hotel” sketch, 121–22, 376–77, 547n376

school performances, Peoria, 59–63

sex issues and, 238–41, 252

show at Lorton prison, 333–35

signature greeting, 328

SNL and, 362–63, 375–80, 472

source of material, 262, 532n262

stage persona, 195–96

“Star-Spangled Night for Rights” concert, 439–46,
441
, 556n442

style, 1960s, 192–93

style, 1970s, 256

style, early, 99, 100

“Super Nigger” routine, 209–10, 217

“T.V. Panel” sketch, 143, 197–98, 201

white audiences and, 66, 113, 130–35, 236, 254, 268

“the wino” character, 94–95, 99–100, 413

“Wino and Junkie” routine, 262–65, 328, 458

“Word Association Test” sketch, 377–80

—
FILMS AND SCREENPLAYS

Adíos Amigo
, 365–66

The Assassin
(film idea), 259–60

The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor-Kings
, 366–73, 380–83, 546n373, 547n383

The Black Stranger
(screenplay), 327, 394

Blazing Saddles
screenwriter, 274, 281–88, 306–7, 535n288

Blue Collar
, 232, 417–26,
420
,
425

Brewster’s Millions
, 475

Bustin’ Loose
, 474

The Busy Body
, 163

Car Wash
, 394–95

Greased Lightning
, 393–94, 395, 397, 399–403, 429–30

Hit!
299–300, 308–11

Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling
, 475

Lady Sings the Blues
, 269–70, 274, 276–80, 305

The Mack
, 232, 274, 288–97, 307

screenplay about God as a black man, 391, 549n391

Silver Streak
, 384–92,
389
, 548n388

Stir Crazy
, 392, 474

This Can’t Be Happening to Me
, 260–61

The Toy
, 475

Uncle Tom’s Fairy Tales
, 212, 217–21, 223–24, 225–26, 230, 233–35, 258

Uptown Saturday Night
, 363–65

Wattstax
, 300–305, 311–17,
313
, 537n302

Which Way Is Up?
393–94, 403, 404–12,
409
, 462–64, 551n403, 552n406, 552n408

Wild in the Streets
, 210, 218, 219, 527n219

The Wiz
, 450, 452–54, 465

—
TELEVISION SHOWS
, 179, 211

Ed Sullivan Show
, 141, 143, 179, 182, 523n183

Carter’s Army
, 229, 230–32, 251

Kraft Summer Music Hall
guest appearances, 154, 157–59,
158
, 162, 165, 210