http://www.loc.gov/mods/v3 http://www.loc.gov/standards/mods/v3/mods-3-2.xsd
1 online resource (streaming video file) (56 minutes): digital, .flv file, sound
Richard Pryor's impact on comedy and this generation's top comedians who cite Richard as their biggest influence is unrivaled. He was one of the first black men ever on television. He pioneered a new brand of humor: black man impersonating white man while making fun of himself. And he was a hit. His comedy was universal. His rise to fame was nothing short of miraculous.. But Richard's comedy was a sign of the times. And in the midst of growing racial tension in the 60s and the free speech movement, he became increasingly dissatisfied limiting his self-expression to comedy that didn't touch on religion, politics or race relations let alone the “N” word. This burden of pretending to be cut from the same non-controversial comedic cloth as Bill Cosby proved too great, and in 1967 he walked off stage in Las Vegas in front of a sold-out crowd without performing. Richard's epiphany that night would change the course of comedy forever.. In RICHARD PRYOR: ICON we delve into his life and legacy how he came up through the brothels of Peoria, Illinois, performed on the Ed Sullivan Show, got banned by the networks, and became embroiled in a pattern of self-destruction that threatened his life.