Sahl had modernized stand-up comedy in the 1950s. His freeform approach broke from the established contrivances of Las Vegas dominant at the time. He influenced a whole new generation of comics, but by the end of the 1960s, they passed him in popularity. As his star power diminished, he turned hostile, storming out of interviews, and the industry abandoned him. Sahl was convinced that his career was faltering not because of erratic behavior, but due to conspiracy.
