Lenny Bruce (1925-1966)

"Thank You, Mask Man" (1968)

IMDB:  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0121802/

"Thank You Mask Man" is an animated short film using audio from a Lenny Bruce routine about The Lone Ranger and Tonto. The film was produced by John Magnuson, and directed by Jeff Hale.

Filetype: AVI
Video dimensions: 512x384
Audio: 64 kbps
Duration: 7m 18s


Plot:
After years of saving a small town, its population is angered that The Lone Ranger never stays long enough to receive gratitude for his deeds. One day he bows to pressure and stays - and finds that he likes hearing the phrase, "Thank you, Mask Man". He then becomes too busy enjoying the thanks to do further good deeds. When finally asked what he would like from the community in return for his services, The Lone Ranger points to an Indian (Tonto) and says that he wants him. Asked why, The Lone Ranger replies that he wants to have sex with him, explaining that he has "heard a lot about it and read exposés" and would like to "try now to see how bad it is. Just once." The Lone Ranger then requests a horse, for the same purpose. The townspeople react in disgust as The Lone Ranger and Tonto ride off into the sunset.


About:
The Lone Ranger character dates back to the 1930s on radio and was later adapted into a TV show that ran in the 40s and 50s. Tonto was added in the 11th radio episode, so that The Lone Ranger would have someone to talk to. Lenny Bruce was a legendary comedian who blazed a trail for freedom of speech. In the early 60s, Bruce was arrested on-stage many times for the “dirty words” he used in his routines. His rapid-fire, jazz-influenced, social satire had a free-flowing style where he never quite delivered his routines the same way twice. The content and mischievous glee of his routines got him labelled as "sick comedy" in the late 50s.


Production:
Bruce intended to deconstruct homophobia, and other aspects of typical American small-town mentality, explored within the routine. The audio is derived from a recording of Bruce's routine. The film was completed in 1968 - two years after Bruce had died. It was scheduled to be screened at the premiere of Costa-Gavras's film "Z" in 1969, but it was pulled at the last moment, and not released for a further three years (until September 1971). The short was made by San Francisco-based company Imagination Inc., and directed by Jeff Hale, a former member of the National Film Board of Canada.