Easily the foremost comedian of his generation, Richard Pryor brought a distinctively ribald tradition in African-American comedy to mainstream audiences. Often cited as a major inspiration by a roster of younger black comedy writer-performers (including Eddie Murphy, Keenan Ivory Wayans, Robert Townsend and Martin Lawrence), Pryor's influence has transformed American comedy by expanding our notions of what may be perceived as funny. Long before the vogue for "performance art", Pryor's material was profane, socially astute and confessional, provoking thought and anger as well as laughter. Though a veteran of 40 films between 1967 and 1991, only his comedy performance films--particularly the first two, "Richard Pryor Live in Concert" (1979) and "Richard Pryor Live on the Sunset Strip" (1982)--accurately conveyed the nature of his genius. A gifted mimic, Pryor often focused on such marginal members of the black community as bums, winos, junkies and street corner philosophers. However, he rarely settled for easy ridicule or condemnation but instead unerringly found the humanity of his characters. His harshest criticism was reserved for his own foibles, be they with drugs, drink or women.
After surviving a childhood that would have given Dickens nightmares (raised in a brothel run by his grandmother where his mother was a prostitute beaten by his ne'er-do-well father; a victim of sexual molestation at age six; abandoned by his mother at age ten; a high school drop-out by 14; a father himself by 17), Pryor began performing stand-up comedy in his native Peoria, IL. He moved to NYC in 1963 and established himself as a successful performer in night clubs and on TV. The young Pryor idolized Bill Cosby and his early stand-up was similarly nice and non-confrontational. Legend has it that, in 1969, he experienced what amounted to a nervous breakdown while performing onstage in Las Vegas. Pryor fled the stage and never performed "safe" comedy again. The following year, Pryor moved to Berkeley, CA, where he became heavily involved in the counterculture and socialized with cutting-edge black writers like Ishmael Reed and Cecil Brown. Pryor reinvented his stand-up routine and went on to win five Grammys for his comedy recordings (reissued on CD in 1995). Unfortunately, his screen career was never as epochal.
After making his feature debut in William Castle's comedy, "The Busy Body" (1967), Pryor gained notice as the militant Stanley X in the teen exploitation classic "Wild in the Streets" (1968). He earned acclaim for his dramatic supporting role as "Piano Man" in "Lady Sings the Blues" (1972) and went on to enliven a host of urban romps such as "Uptown Saturday Night" (1974) and "Car Wash" (1976). Pryor co-scripted the classic Mel Brooks western spoof, "Blazing Saddles" (1974), but lost the promised lead role to Cleavon Little. One of his better comic character roles was playing Negro League ballplayer Charlie Snow in "The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars and Motor Kings" (1976). African-American director Michael Schultz helmed Pryor's early star vehicles "Greased Lightning", a comedy-drama biopic about black racecar driver Wendell Scott, and "Which Way Is Up?" (both 1977), an American version of Italian director Lina Wertmuller's 1972 comedy "The Seduction of Mimi". Both films were deemed flawed and did disappointing business. He also played the title role in Sidney Lumet's reviled film version of "The Wiz" (1978). Pryor's powerful portrayal of a Detroit auto worker driven to rob his own union in Paul Schrader's "Blue Collar" (also 1978) suggested that his talents would have been better served by more dramatic film roles.
TV was another medium which provided an uncomfortable fit for Pryor. The squeaky clean comic was a regular on "Kraft Summer Music Hall" (NBC, 1966), a family-oriented variety series. Fellow comic Lily Tomlin took a chance and hired the transformed Pryor as a writer and performer for her two acclaimed comedy-variety specials "The Lily Tomlin Show" and "Lily" (both CBS, 1973). The writing team was nominated for an Emmy for the first outing and took home the prize for the second. Pryor received more exposure on two specials starring Flip Wilson in 1974 and 1975. He wrote and hosted his own hilarious showcase, "The Richard Pryor Special?" (NBC, 1977), before being briefly afforded his own comedy-variety series "The Richard Pryor Show" (NBC, 1977). Network interference and disappointing ratings soon sent Pryor back to the movies.
Pryor teamed with Gene Wilder in a series of mild but (initially) popular buddy movies including "Silver Streak" (1976) and "Stir Crazy" (1980). He segued to feature directing with "Richard Pryor Here and Now" (1983), his third and least impressive concert film. Pryor became less active as the 80s progressed, due partly to ongoing substance abuse and personal problems and the serious burns he suffered in 1980 while drinking and freebasing cocaine. Matters were made worse by the onset of multiple sclerosis in 1986 (which he did not publicly acknowledge until 1991). At the peak of his commercial powers, Pryor's choice of material was often appalling but audiences kept coming long after the work warranted attention. He was reportedly paid more ($4 million) for his role in the forgettable "Superman III" (1983) than was the star Christopher Reeve ($3 million). The profoundly insensitive would-be comedy "The Toy" (1982)--in which Pryor became the willing slave of the young son of millionaire Jackie Gleason--was viewed as the artistic nadir of his film acting career.
Ironically, while Pryor points to Walter Hill's lackluster 1985 remake of "Brewster's Millions" as the first film he made totally sober (though some associates claim that the comic was never totally sober), his earlier film appearances in which he was often drunk or stoned were far more compelling. Pryor served as producer, writer, director and star of the semi-autobiographical but highly sanitized "Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling" (1986). Critical and commercial reception was lukewarm to what Pryor apparently viewed as his "All That Jazz". By the time of "See No Evil, Hear No Evil" (1989), a limp pairing with Wilder, his reign as a box office champ was definitely over. Later that year, he looked frail and sickly as Eddie Murphy's mentor in "Harlem Nights" (1989). Pryor was paired with Wilder again for "Another You" (1991) but it hardly registered.
Despite persistent rumors of being near death, a broken but unbowed Pryor has remained on the scene to make rare TV guest shots ("Martin", "Chicago Hope") and receive heartfelt tributes from his peers. He co-wrote a memoir of his remarkable life entitled "Pryor Convictions and Other Life Sentences" in 1995. The following year there was even talk of him returning to the screen in several projects at various stages of development.