The Dick Cavett Show: Hollywood Greats

Like millions of people around the world I have enjoyed talk shows since I was old enough to turn on the television. Since I grew up in the fifties and sixties my idea of such a format was created by such luminaries as Steve Allen, Jack Parr and Mike Douglas. Now, must talk shows are little more than commercials for some star’s latest project. They offer a pre-planned interview lasting all of six to eight minutes of sound bites. If you see the same guest on another talk show later on you hear the same stories almost verbatim. I know this may sound amazing but a few decades ago talk shows involved something lost on television now, in depth discussion. Yes, the host and the guest would actually talk to each other often for the whole hour length of the show. Frequently, several guests would stay on the venerable couch and the discussion would involve more than two people, incredible. One of the greats among talk show hosts is without a doubt Dick Cavett. This brainy Nebraska born man was not an imposing man. He was slight of build but his degree from Yale attests he had the intellect to more than hold up his end of any conversation. Shout Factory has been releasing DVD box sets of his seventies show, not as season sets but instead by themes. There was rock icons followed by comic legends. Now we have a third gem Hollywood greats.

This set opens with a Cavett considering a question that has often been put to him, who was your greatest guest star. As he explains he can not answer that question. He has interviewed so many truly great people that there is no answer. As he puts it ‘how can you choose between Orson Wells and Alfred Hitchcock, they are not comparable.’ Each of his guests where unique but all shared one thing in common, they where at the top of their fields. Back in the golden era of talk shows some guests where sought after but never would consent to appearing on television. One such star was the Holy Grail of talk shows, Katherine Hepburn. The screen legend greatly prized her privacy and her refusal to be interviewed on television was well known. On October 2, 1973 Miss Hepburn consented to a tour of the Dick Cavett show’s studio just to see what format the show had. She was always a strong willed and decisive woman and stated that she would do the interview but it had to be done there and then. There was no studio audience present. As Cavett explains the laugher and applause was from the fortunate few crew members and musicians that happened to be in the area. Not even Barbara Walters was able to book this most prized interview. The segment includes scenes of Miss Hepburn walking on set and sitting down. The fact that it is completely unplanned is evident by the crew members walking in front of the camera. She notes the table is unsteady and moves another in to its place quipping that she has been in the business so long she has a (union) card. With her foot propped up on the table she begins her chat with Cavett. So much was covered that Miss Hepburn’s appearance was spread over two nights. Miss Hepburn displayed an amazing ease, not only with the interview but with her own life.

Sometimes the show displayed a synergy when more than one guest appeared at the same time. This happened on December 16, 1971 when Groucho Marx and Debbie Reynolds appeared on the show. Groucho was a frequent guest of Cavett’s and felt very at home on his stage. After doing his usual song and some stand up he sits down with Cavett and Reynolds. Groucho tells a few bawdy stories while Reynolds sat their obviously enjoying herself immensely. The two worked so well off each other. Separately they were fantastic guests but together you got the feeling of being at a small cocktail party listening to some very funny and interesting after dinner conversation. Another show that displayed marvelous interactions took place on January 21, 1972 when the line up was Mel Brooks, Frank Capra, Robert Altman and Peter Bogdanovich. Any one of them would be a treat to watch but having them all on the same set at the same time was nothing short of perfection. Cavett was not afraid to mix and match the talents of guests especially when more than one would appear at the same time. Sometimes a couple of the men would hold back and have a smoke, other times the debate would get rolling pulling everyone into a lively discussion. The set also includes incredible interviews with such personages as Alfred Hitchcock, Orson Wells, Kirk Douglas and Marlon Brando. No matter when you tuned into the Dick Cavett show back then you could be certain that something wonderful was about to happen.

One thing these box sets brings out is the production values of the show where not exactly the best around. The network did not pay attention to certain little matters as they would with something like the Tonight Show. You frequently can see a boom microphone hanging down over a guest. Extraneous noise from the streets of Manhattan can be heard jut under the audio track. Some call this flaws, I see it more as part of the charge of the show. It added to the dinner party atmosphere of the proceedings. Of course unlike such a party the host would not be required to stop a few times to hold up a bottle of shampoo and give a live commercial. This series had charm, something that has been lost over the years. Cavett was intelligent to be sure but what made him one of the greatest television interviewers ever was his natural wit and manner. He was obviously in awe of many of his guests. Although this was his job he could be just as star struck as the rest of us and this translated to him asking the questions we might ask if only we had his opportunities. Going to Yale and having his own talk show did not take the simple Nebraska boy out of Dick Cavett. He was able to put his guests at ease and this resulted in them letting their guard down and just relating to Cavett and the audience. How could a six minute movie plug seen today ever hope to compare to the in depth talks shown on these discs?

I for one am extremely grateful to Shout Factory for bringing sets like this to DVD. Now a whole new generation can appreciate just how fantastic a talk show can be. I can’t wait to share this set with my twenty two year old daughter so she can come to know that all talk shows are not like Jerry Springer. Like the other sets in this (hopefully) ongoing series there are all new introductions by Dick Cavett. He looks back on the episodes with fondness and pride that comes form knowing you made television history. These are complete episodes, including the stand up monologue by Cavett. Okay, his humor during these moments is dry but they set the stage for what is to come. There are also extras that include some never before seen moments of the guests. These are great and add to the overall understanding of these great men and women of the film business. Do your self and your family a favor and get all the members of this series. This was classic television at its best and it should be remembered and appreciated for generations to come.

Posted 9/10/06