Wavy’s 8+ decades of embodying American Pranksterism, inspiring millions down the tie-dye colored path of life and spreading his ethos of Basic Human Needs, is a fundamental part of American, comedy, activist, music, food and global history. Plus he’s hilarious and a born storyteller. Wavy shares absurdist yarns from his lifelong activism using humor as a weapon, along with pals, Abbie Hoffman, Jackson Browne, the Yippies and traveling roadshows of hippies. Plus how psychedelic globetrotting led to the SEVA Foundation and Camp Winnarainbow. You will hear stories of his childhood, teen, army, college and beatnik years with Bob Dylan, Tiny Tim, Martha Graham plus tales of his comedy life with Lenny Bruce, Del Close, Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters and his friendships with music icons like Janis Joplin, Jerry Garcia, Mama Cass, Joan C. Sharing stories that even he’d forgotten with producer/host, Rainbow Valentine, of Disorganized Crime: Smuggler’s Daughter, Wavy gets down to the very nit of the grit and reminds us what it means to be human.įrom Ben and Jerry’s ice cream to Woodstock to the Acid Tests and running a pig for president, Wavy Gravy is an essential part of American counter culture history and more. Running time: 87 MIN.American Prankster is a deep dive with the iconic Wavy Gravy, unfolding his fascinating,historic and hilarious lifestory as an original Beatnik, comedy pioneer, hippie icon and pioneering activist who uses humor as a weapon. Sim music, Emory Joseph music supervisors, Jill Meyers, Joseph sound (Dolby), Dan Gleich sound designers, Dog Bark Sound, Margaret Crimmins, Greg Smith re-recording mixer, Tony Volante. But nostalgists will discover plenty to enjoy in director Michelle Esrick’s well-crafted package, which makes good use of period songs and archival footage.Ĭamera (color, HD), Daniel B. Notably, there are few interviewees from any other generation here, and those not kindly disposed toward clowns in general may find that a little of this one’s ever-cheerful, ever-punning New Age funny business goes a long way. Musician Bonnie Raitt labels him her generation’s “Pied Piper.” These days, he still lives in the same Berkeley commune he has for decades, working primarily on the kids’ circus-skills retreat Camp Winnarainbow and international health advocacy org Seva Foundation, both of which he co-founded. Still image from the film “Saint Misbehavin’: The Wavy Gravy Movie,” directed by Michelle Esrick. WAVY GRAVY, BOB WEIR and BONNIE RAITT performing for a Seva Foundation benefit concert produced by Wavy Gravy.
“I decided to skip the poems and just talk about my weird day,” he says.Īs the hippie scene’s preeminent jester, Wavy helped defuse tension at anti-Vietnam War protests (not without incurring some police beatings) orchestrated “altruistic ministrations” to the hungry, tripping and muddy masses at Woodstock ran satirical “Nobody for President” campaigns put together myriad all-star music benefits for worthy causes (an ongoing pursuit) and so forth. Gravy discusses how he transformed from underground poet to Lenny Bruce-inspired standup act. “A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall’ was written on my typewriter in that room,” he says in the film. King dubbed him “Wavy Gravy” in 1969, he was Hugh Romney, once a poet on the Greenwich Village folk scene - he even shared a MacDougal Street loft with Bob Dylan. “He’s able to bring people together above all others,” Raitt says. See Wavy at his benefits with members of the Grateful Dead, Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt and Joan Baez. Gravy still organizes several all-star benefits a year for charitable causes, including funding free cataract operations in third-world countries and Camp Winnarainbow, his own performing arts camp that helps disadvantaged children. 3 on single screens in San Francisco and Berkeley, then the following week at Gotham’s IFC Center, self-distribbed docu will primarily appeal to those who still remember (however hazily) the personalities and events on display, with tube sales possible after theatrical play.
Now, as then, a colorful footnote to the era, Wavy Gravy was present and accounted for at a number of the decade’s major moments purportedly, Bob Dylan even used his typewriter to write the lyrics for “A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall.” Opening Dec. “Saint Misbehavin'” chronicles the life of one ’60s survivor still flying his freak flag high. Patch Adams, Ram Dass, Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt. Larry Brilliant, Michael Lang, Tom Law, Jordan Romney, Dr.
With: Wavy Gravy, Jahanara Romney, Steven Ben Israel, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Odetta, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Denise Kaufman, Evan Engber, Calico, Dr. Produced by Michelle Esrick, David Becker.
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