Richard Pryor: Icon

Raised in a brothel, comedian Richard Pryor (1940-2005) was always "connected to the streets." The son of violent alcoholic parents, Pryor was bullied in schools but found a defense in humor. This PBS-aired documentary chronicles the creative yet troubled life of Pryor, who broke barriers related to race, sex, and poverty, using language as a weapon. After an unhappy stint in the Army, Pryor set out for New York City's Greenwich Village, eventually securing repeated gigs on talk shows such as Merv Griffin's, where he acted the part of a "proper black man," noted for his rubber-faced, non-confrontational style of comedy. By the late 1960s, however, the counterculture was taking root, and while performing in Las Vegas in 1967, Pryor experienced an epiphany, developing a cutting-edge humor that reached across lines of race and class, launching his career with a string of comedy albums and roles in popular movies. By 1980, Pryor had a serious drug problem, nearly killing himself when he was badly burned while freebasing cocaine (naturally, he turned this tragedy into a routine). Icon covers Pryor's multiple marriages, explosive temper, heart attacks, and finally, the multiple sclerosis that ended his career. Comedians Tracy Morgan, George Lopez, and Louie Anderson here remember Pryor as a trailblazer and inspiration, who paved the way for the likes of Eddie Murphy and Chris Rock. Regrettably, the documentary features no clips from Pryor's films, but aside from some lapses into hyperbole, this is a solid portrait of a true comic artist. Recommended. Aud: P. (S. Rees)