New Documentary Covers San Francisco Comedy In The 80s
San Francisco based comedians Will Durst, Larry “Bubbles” Brown and Johnny Steele are spotlighted in a brand new documentary about the comedy boom of the 1980s and its impact on the Bay Area scene.
The film, “3 Still Standing” directed by husband and wife, Robert Campos and Donna LoCicero, will premiere at the Mill Valley Film Festival this Saturday, October 4th at 8 pm. While the focus of the film is on Durst, Brown and Steele, the documentary looks at some of the other major names to come out of San Francisco during that era. It includes interviews and memories from Dana Carvey, Rob Schneider, Paula Poundstone, Bobby Slayton and Robin Williams to whom the documentary is dedicated.
The movie also recalls memories of the San Francisco clubs and that were at the center of the comedy heyday in the 1980s, like the Holy City Zoo and the Punchline.
Durst, Brown and Steele all said they had reservations about doing the film. Johnny Steele told SFGate, “I was of two minds on it. On one hand, it sounded like a fun project, and I really wanted to be a part of it. On the other hand, the documentary really is about three guys too stupid to go to Los Angeles and get rich and famous.”
Will Durst talked about arriving in San Francisco – “When I first moved here in ’79, comedy was embryonic. There were certain guys who were headliners. There was a caste; there was a hierarchy, but around ’85, cable TV discovered comedy and how cheap it was, and clubs just started opening all over. That was so exciting to be part of that wave and to try to keep your balance.”
There’s more information on the documentary and screenings at 3StillStanding.com.
