A Queen's Farewell

From Woody Allen to Zack Galifianakis, The Purple Onion was a beloved comedy institution in San Francisco dating back to the late 50's. Located in the subterranean bowel of 140 Columbus Avenue in San Francisco's North Beach neighborhood, The Onion was a revered 85-seat treasure where stand-up talent thrived. When we heard the Onion was closing, Goat Song Records founder Dan Dion produced a final show to "put the girl out in style". Twenty-five comics were booked for the evening resulting in a comedy marathon for the ages. We documented the evening and put this short together as a standing homage to a lost SF institution. As the image indicates, even Don Novello came out as Father Guido Sarducci to give The Onion "last rites". The evening was hosted by comedian, Jim Short. Sadly, we lost Jim in January 2025 at 58 due to a stomach illness. If you're not familiar with Jim's work, you can be sure all the comedians you love knew Jim. Like The Onion, he was a treasure.