Lenny is a 1974 film about the life of the comedian Lenny Bruce, starring Dustin Hoffman. Directed by Bob Fosse. The screenplay by Julian Barry is based on his play Lenny.

Plot summary

The chronology hops, skips and jumps between Lenny Bruce in his prime and the burned-out, strung-out performer who, in the twilight of his life, used his nightclub act to pour out his personal frustrations. We watch as up-and-coming Bruce courts his "Shiksa goddess", a stripper named Honey. With family responsibilities, Lenny is encouraged to do a "safe" act, but he cannot do it. Constantly in trouble for flouting obscenity laws, Lenny develops a near-messianic complex which fuels both his comedy genius and his talent for self-destruction. Worn out by a lifetime of tilting at Establishment windmills, Lenny Bruce died in 1966.