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WhatSecondCitywasfor"SaturdayNightLive,"aChicagocomedyclubwasforvirtuallyeveryblackcomedianwhoemergedinthe1990s.AllJokesAsidewasablack-ownedenterprisethatseemedtohaveinfallibletasteintalent,perhapsbecauseitwastheonlyclubinthecountrythatdidn'trelegateblacksto"specialnights"or"ChocolateSundays."Itsopening-nightactwasJamieFoxx,thenunknown.ItintroducedorshowcasedtalentssuchasBernieMac,CedrictheEntertainer,SteveHarvey,D.L.Hughley,CarlosMencia,A.J.Jamal,SherylUnderwood,GeorgeWallace,BillBellamy,DaveChapelle,AdeleGivens,andonandon,includingthepersonnelofthetouringKingsofComedyandQueensofComedy.<br/> "PhunnyBusiness:ABlackComedy"isamostunexpecteddocumentaryabouttheriseofaclubthatoftensoldoutthreehousesanightfor10years,wasn'tontheradarofmanyChicagoansandclosed,inaway,asthevictimofitsownsuccess:Whentheyoungcomicsitlaunchedmadeitbig,theyfoundmoremoneydoingconcertsonbigstagesthangigsinasmallroom.<br/> Thisisafilmnotsomuchaboutblackcomedians,althoughweseeandhearalotofthem,butaboutblackentrepreneurs.RaymondC.Lambert,whoco-foundedtheclub,beganasastocktraderforthefirmoftheblackChicagomillionaireChrisGardner(whohimselfinspiredthecharacterplayedbyWillSmithin"ThePursuitofHappyness").AfteravisittoBudFriedman'sImprovinLosAngeles,hewonderedwhyaclublikethatwouldn'tworkinChicago.<br/> Turnedout,itwould.HeopenedonWabashAvenueintheSouthLoop,bookedthebestofanewgeneration,insistedonimpeccablemanners,dressandtrainingforhisstaff,madeheadlinerswearsuitsandties,anddrewaffluentcrowds.Hewasalsoprovidingalmosttheonlyvenueinthenationforblackfemalecomedians,thethreatenedsubspeciesofathreatenedspecies,andbookedblackgaycomicsatatimewhenthatwasunheardof.Heevenbookedonewhitecomic,HonestJohn,whobackstageonenightadvisedDeonCole,"trysomeofthisrealCaliforniaweedinsteadofthatChicago&#!+,"afterwhichColewentonstageandfoundhimselfsuddenlygiftedwithtelescopictunnelvision.<br/> Thefilmgoesindepthaboutbusinessdetails,includingthepeculiaritythatAllJokesAsidepaiditsperformertheirfullfees,promptly,withchecksthatdidn'tbounce,nomatterhowmanyticketshadbeensold—anachievementfewcomedyclubsofanydescriptioncouldboast,thenandnow.OneofLambert'spartnerswasawomannamedMaryLindsey,herselfatraderattheCBOE,whosupervisedtalentwithafirmhand,areadytongue,anddresscodeinspections.<br/> Thefilm,directedbyJohnDavies,hasaccesstoalotofarchivalfootage,goingbacktotheearliestdayswhenthe"stage"wasacurtainonabackwall.Wegetbitesfrommanyofthecomics,butnoextendedstretches;thenarrationandeditingoftenseemtobeupstagingthecomedians.IwouldhavepreferredmorecomicsandfewermontagesaboutChicago'sweather,womenandfood.ItisalsosafetosaythatweseeenoughofRaymondLambertinthefilm,fromtheopeningtitlesonward.He'sheardnotasadoc-styletalkinghead,butinscriptedmaterialthatsellsitselfalittletoohard.Thecomedianscomeacrossasmorerelaxedandnatural.FormerSun-TimescomedyreporterErnieTuckershareswarmmemories,asdoSecondCity'sJohnKapelosandTimKazurinsky.<br/> TheclubonWabashwasthevictimoflargerpaycheckspaidbybigstages(liketheChicagoTheatre,notfaraway),arentthatdoubled,andgentrificationastheSouthLoopunderwentaboom.Lambertinvested$1millioninamoveamilenorthtothe"entertainmentdistrict,"onlytofaceruinousdelaysingettingaliquorlicense(despitearecordof10yearswithnoincidents).WhiteandAsianownersofnearbygalleriesandrestaurantssignedapetitionprotestingaboutachangeinthe"ambience"ofthearea—meaning,"moreblacks."Soitgoes.<br/> Still,itwasagrandrun,anditisgoodtohaveitmemorialized.TodayLambertsayshelooksbackwithsatisfaction.HecreatedAllLaughsAsideatatimewhenitwasneeded,anditachievedwhatitsetouttoachieve,andonitsstagemanyoftoday'smostsuccessfulblackactorsandcomediansgottheirstart.ConsiderthatJamieFoxx,hisopeningnightact,wentontowinanAcademyAward.AndFoxxstillgivesback:Hewastheheadlineratthisyear'sbenefitfortheGeneSiskelFilmCenter.
