The Corporate Line: Comedians, politicians and rock stars all graced The Dick Cavett Show stage, but the audience favorites were often the movie stars. And when the guests were greats like Fred Astaire, Bette Davis, Kirk Douglas, Robert Mitchum and Orson Welles, Cavett often devoted the full 90 minutes to them. In the case of Katharine Hepburn, the interview went so well that it required two full 90-minute shows.
The Review: Dick Cavett is one of the great interviewers of our time. His laid-back demeanor, conversational style, sly wit and uncanny mastery of subject matter have often made him more interesting than those he’s hosted.
This release features a collection of celebrity interviews from the ’70s deemed to be some of his best, where he chats with the likes of Katharine Hepburn, Marlon Brando, Groucho Marx, Alfred Hitchcock and others. Cavett is such a skilled host that he’s able to draw out detailed—and sometimes exhaustive—responses from his guests as in the case of Katharine Hepburn, where she had to return a second time to complete her session. Cavett’s quirky style shines through on these clips.
The Features: This four-disc set has a slew of interviews, plus extras including uncut interviews, promo clips from various years, and a featurette on Cavett’s foray into showbiz territory.
Frankly: Personally, I don’t see the need for several hours of one-on-one interviews, in spite of the variety of guests Cavett hosts. But, Cavett is such a compelling host that even when skipping through some of the longer bits, it’s still a pretty entertaining collection.
+ Jim Kaz
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