Orson & Dick shmooze about tv interviewers

[08Annasia]

epic

[7beers]

Welles looks fantastic. Better at 60 than at 30!

[SimAlex20000]

this is one of my fav youtube clips, period.

[1angelheadedhipster]

"A rather dim gong". ...... victory puff

[viniciusb]

Cavett, "Does Jerry Lewis ring a bell?", Welles, "A rather dim gong..."

[9162vb48]

He made all that crap up.

[ftheGOP]

Orson Welles was the MAN!!!!

[NeonBlueAlex]

I didn't know what a good talk show host was until I watched this.

[viniciusb]

@NeonBlueAlex I didn't know him either, watch his other stuff on Youtube, his interviews with Woody Allen, they are all great!

[SimAlex20000]

@NeonBlueAlex i wish there was something like this on tv today. the closest thing i can think of is charlie rose, but think he can be a bit pompous.

[phil1958uk]

I could listen to this man, for hours!

[AlecTheConfused]

these 2 are great together ^^

[crawfordc1971]

orson welles...the coolest

[MrJeppelin]

Orson.

[BlackenedForLife]

Dick is extremelly clever and a capable interviewer. Most people always give that "the interviewer is fucking awful -let the guest fucking talk!"

Well you cant use that phrase with Cavett.

[BlackenedForLife]

Dick is extremelly clever and a capable interviewer. Most people always give that "the interviewer is fucking awful -let the guest fucking talk!"

Well you cant use that phrase with Cavett. 

[kookie888]

@BlackenedForLife So true. Have you seen Jonathan Ross (UK)? He's constantly interrupting and acting like an arse.

[poonandcheese]

For my money this is the best excerpt from the best interview I have ever seen.

[Cybele1986]

This is a remarkable format that just doesn't eist anymore. Cavett only facilitates the conversation. If someone is speaking, is speaking well and speaking with purpose and momentum, Cavett is silent. The modern guys, Letterman, Larry King etc. constantly interrupt. Cavett LISTENS and in doing so is therefore able to form intelligent questions. Listening is passe nowadays. Maybe networks are too afraid to let intelligent people speak, or maybe hosts are too egotistical

[tami32961]

@Cybele1986 its part of the dumming down of america,, intelligence is elitism in the new sara palin america,, i grew up with cavett and i adore him ,, carson, leno, jimmy fallon really bad... they are struggling for the spot lite against their quests ,,,,one ups manship. orson welles though was hard for even johnny to wrestle the spot lite from

[johnnycheck99]

Was Dick Cavett the biggest talkshow host in the USA ?

[jennifersman]

@johnnycheck99 He wasn't, he was regularly beaten by Johnny Carson, but Cavett was probably the SMARTEST talk show host there was and held his own for several years because he booked a lot of people Johnny didn't have on as much.

[Ballsarama]

Cavett was the one, or one of the few, who actually did interviews of substance. Frost and Suskind come to mind in the same catagory. Some of the personal interviews on 60 Minutes were along the same lines. Allen, Parr, Carson, Griffen, Douglas, Bishop, et al, were entertaiment interviews on afternoon and late night variety shows. Don't get me wrong, some of those interviews were entertaining and interesting...but not what you might call an "in depth" interview of someone.

[calchick82]

Dick Cavett was a great interviewer. He actually LISTENED. This is something Larry King(and others today)don't understand. They are too busy trying to throw themselves back in the conversation. Larry, for one, constantly interrupts his guests when they are in the middle of talking, and oftentimes has ruined what were usually pretty good interviews. He also tends to wander off to other topics, usually after-surprise!-interrupting somebody, totally throwing off the guest sometimes.

[blindtimes]

Charlie Rose is getting better he used to be incredible self related with his subjects. One would say he is more well rounded with all types of professions he interviews, but his questions like many interviewers today are brief and straight to the point which never lets the guest expand on stuff that would be interesting to the fan of that person. More questions never means a more thorough interview; Cavett asks questions that can be expanded on, and lets his interviewee talk a timeless art

[Roddyreta]

There are still some pretty decent interview shows out there -- a lot on NPR, and Charlie Rose, and some of the C-SPAN shows.

[ptboat67]

@Roddyreta I love Rose, but he still brings the topic around to him too much.

[deceiver123m]

@Roddyreta and on pbs, that one black guy.

[greenroadster]

What a remarkably interesting man. No trace of arrogance. Just learning, experience and charm. Thanks for posting.

[bjnevin]

"...a rather dim gong..." LOVE THIS GUY!!!

[cranky1chick]

Imagine having a conversation with a man as learned, well-traveled and talented as Orson Welles. He is the definition of a star, now and always.

[alborzbathaei]

THANKS fellow for the comment , i read about him and now i love him too. :D

[seinfeld522]

"a rather dim gong" lmao

[jennifersman]

I know, that's the funniest part! Just the pause and the look on his face, classic!

[Bix12]

You bet--"a rather dim gong"--absolutely hilarious! Orson was a treasure.

[are56]

I see there are some rumours going around here that Orson Welles did right after this interview. That is NOT true. This interview is from the Dick Cavett show in 1970, and Welles did not die until 1985...two hours after being interviewed on the Merv Griffin Show:) You just got the facts mixed up, that´s it:)

[nikosvault]

wrong. he died in 1985

[jordandavidfilm]

so this was his last interview...two hours later after the interview he died of a heart attack?

well atleast he gave his perspective about life/history,etc before he passed.

R.I.P. Orson Welles, you will be missed.

[Steadno]

Flip the script!

[SME1984]

Orson, Dick, this video, cavettbiter, all amazing! Thank you!

[blinkzone1]

"I think man is a crazy animal" well said

[Kloxboy]

"do we clap now? or wait...er..."

[neonatalpenguin]

Orson's such an egomaniac. Love him.

[outrider52]

I don't get that impression from him. To me, he seems to be at peace with his success, he knows a lot about the world.

[neonatalpenguin]

That's all probably true as well. I think Orson Welles was a contradictory guy. Clearly very knowledgeable and appreciative of art and culture, fascinating to watch, but I get the feeling he liked to have his finger in everyones pie does he really have to interview Cavett for so long?

Then again, if I was as talented as him, Id probably be a bit of an egomaniac too.

[brcx300]

People go through stages but he was an extremely depressed man at the end of his life. He had ups and downs, and he was at an age now where he free to tell his stories and opinions, of course he'll be happy right now. This was probably a great time for him at this moment. Its an awesome interview.

[65g4]

absolutely wonderful interview orson was a true genius

[Alexsy82]

I. LOVE. this video.

[blinkzone1]

Dick is a mystery like rosebud

[blinkzone1]

1971

[tomes55moon]

i always have a feeling cavett has it against the english. whats this question about..

'well, don't you think in England, the english would have done the same to indians as we did?'

what kind of question is that?

[TheLittleRussian2]

@tomes55moon It's an obvious question. The people who fought the Indians in North America were British before they became "American".

[KajiCarson]

Sublime.

[youvebeenthunderstru]

I like how as soon as he says "I like to preserve mystery" a huge sign flashes up that says "DICK CAVETT" on it.

[beerasaurus]

Interview take over! DOHOHOHOHOHOHO!

[AristYdes]

All directors are control freaks, sadistic, addicted to torturing people

[KajiCarson]

I'm sure Orson would agree.

[eddtoro]

I love Orson

[jennifersman]

I could watch this all night, such a fascinating pair. I love the answer he gives about Jerry Lewis!

[DazedSheep]

I love Orson Welles. He was so intelligent , you don't get many people like him now.

[guillermogg75]

Orson Welles was a genius. This interview is a very good sample of the great personality and intelligence he had.

[patch5129]

When Orsen Welles talks about politics and whatnot, thats an educated opinion. When its some celebrity these days, thats someone talking out of their ass

[maddymud]

Orson does the talk show host as police interrogator. brilliant

[Astroptx]

i listened to a merv griffen interview years ago, he was the one eating with orson and followed him to a drive in ; it was 6 hot dogs !

[Orsley]

Welles at his most forthcoming and charming.  Excellent interview of a great and brilliant man who was loathe to reveal much about himself. Thanks so much for sharing this.

[Bobjb999]

I read a tale (by ?)of a lunch with Orson at an upscale LA restaurant.A pleasant lunch, but Orson's pal was surprised to see Orson order but a tiny portion of some healthy dish, & that's all he ate. Orson by this time packed a considerable paunch,leaving his friend puzzled. Where could all those pounds come from?...After lunch the two parted, but the friend saw Orson's car stop at a well known burger joint.He watched Orson's driver come out with a huge bag, presumably full of burgers for Orson!

[TopDog69]

Haha "A rather dim gong."

[miyayo]

Welles and Huston were both cigar lovers, and good friends at that. There are no legends like these guys left!

[ottoskidoo]

Welles is probably the greatest interview I've ever seen. What depth.

[billingsly5150]

I feel like we lost an entire generation of charm and class—wisdom and wit—when we lost Orson Welles.

[rawoctopus]

orson's liberal rants are more universal than the one-sided liberals of today; he's really talking about everyone

[NGS712]

rawoctopus: I agree, but don't think all of them are 'one-sided'. If you think about it, almost everyone is these days.

[toReasonWhy]

Welles astounds me in these interviews, truly astounds me. This man encompasses the type of merciless and universal humor which is necessary to do such justice as he did to Kafka's "The Trial."

[NGS712]

Can you imagine if Orson hosted 'Meet the Press'?

If he was that persistant with Cavett, imagine how he'd treat a politician. ;)

[jennifersman]

Great stuff! I could watch Cavett all night, he had such a great style and let the guests talk. He was just as good with rock and roll stars too, check out the times Hendrix, Lennon, George Harrison or Joplin were on his show

[jennifersman]

Has to be early 1970's.

[7beers]

Orson looks fantastic. Imagine if he had stayed fit how gorgeous he would have looked.

[SuperNosfe1994]

great

[babyycat]

I love the people he has one but i cant stand him(dick)

[perchloythene]

you're the dick

[hardtimesincountry]

What a treat - two intelligent, witty, articulate men playing off each other. Great stuff, love it!

[aaroninpa]

is it me...or does that not give a glimpse into Mr. Cavett's mind when he says that the British would not have done what we did to the Indians, had there been Indians in Britian??? How quick did Mr. Welles correct him? Of course the British treated the people of India as badly as the Early Americans (British and European...by the way)

treated the Native Americans. Any thoughts as to why Mr. Cavett would think the British are more civilized than most other people on the planet? Any thought?

[crash669]

But I do like how Orson Welles is able to tell the truth in an unbiased and fair way. The British did bring justice and peace to a great many areas and committed attrocities in a great many areas. Orson is a very great man and he was able to see things more clearly than most and express it in a wonderful way.

[drummer78]

Maybe Cavett was a WASP...I don't know. Emerson and TS Elliot believed the English were morally superior so perhaps it is that same belief system. Good for Orson for bringing in more clarity and complexity to the overall question.

[EdOscuro]

I've watched through a bunch of these videos tonight (courtesy of Cavettbiter), and I'm just flabbergasted at this constant parade of erudition, charm, and wit from the various guests (and Cavett himself, of course).

"And there you have it!"

[risetoboredom]

man, Welles totally amazes me. Probably one of the few hollywood directors whose ego is not inflated and whose charm is expelled so naturally and gracefully.I love him!

[NGS712]

rise: I assume you've never seen John Huston.

Just like Welles in character, in my opinion.

[risetoboredom]

I have seen Huston, and I gotta say I dont see him the same way. Hes still great though

[NGS712]

rise: I just saw his Cavett interview today, he didn't seem egotistical and very charming. Talking about Bogart and Ireland and so on.

[drummer78]

And inhaling cigars (yikes).

[NGS712]

drummer: Ah yes.

Well, I'd say they lived pretty long considering that. ;)

[drummer78]

Not quite sure who you are referring to as living long "considering that".  Elaborate.

[NGS712]

drummer: I thought we were talking about Welles and Huston and their cigar smoking.

[drummer78]

Oh, I thought your comment was about my take on Welle's perspective of the English via Cavett's comments. Yes, you're right, Huston lived such a long life considering he was inhaling cigars....amazing really when you think about it.

[NGS712]

drummer: That's an understandable mistake, the way YT's got these boards rigged sometimes it's hard to tell who's responding to what.

Yes it is amazing, though probably not recommended. Then again you're not supposed to 'inhale' the smoke. ;)

[drummer78]

Yes, youtube has these posts all over the place it seems. Oh well, I can't complain since youtube is the best thing about the internet. It's amazing to watch Huston and Welles. Brilliant men.

[kybo1231]

Great quality video. Orson Welles and Dick Cavett are both at their best in this interview. Interesting thing--I walked away from the keyboard while listening and realized that Kelsey Grammer sounds a lot like Orson Welles. Anyone else notice that?

[IntellectualJunior]

Yes I have. Because Grammer and Welles happen to be thespians. They have this affection of talking English beautifully. But they do share the same voice.

[tarnopol]

Welles and Grammer are lesbians?

[IntellectualJunior]

Not lesbians, THESPIANS.

[SgtTravisBickle]

I'm pretty sure the dude was just joking.

[sonjaxfactor]

LMAO!!..Im sorry!

[Mediarations]

Dick Cavett is not that good from what I have seen. He seems too passive and not charismatic enough to control the pace. However, he does seem to extract gems from his interview subjects.

[tuxguys]

Re-read your last sentence. See? You figured it out.

[ACNC1]

Dick lost control of the interview

[roscoegino]

He lost control of alot of interviews which is why he's nowhere near Larry King or even Mike Douglas. But in a way that was part of his charm.

[chapaev36]

Larry King? Larry King isn't good enough to tie Cavett's shoes.

[roscoegino]

Larry King took control better than Cavett.

[chapaev36]

Control isn't interesting. Look at Cavett with Welles - he lets Orson take control. You know why this is better? Because Orson is the show. Orson decides. Orson is interesting. Larry King never got this.

[hypnoid77]

I think Cavett was instinctively intrigued by Welles' turning the tables. He was curious about where this would go, and Welles gave the impression, with his polite requests, that he would be sensitive about it- that it was safe. But as it goes on Welles veers into toying with Cavett purely to make him sweat, and that's when Cavett feels a line's been crossed and wants to put the breaks on. But by then the tables had already been turned and Cavett couldn't smoothly turn them back around.

[chapaev36]

There's a lot of give-and-take. The talk show host is always under a lot of pressure in terms of keeping the interview in line, with a certain efficiency. It is particularly difficult when the host's shtick presents itself as the antithesis of efficiency (eg. Conan O'Brien). But I love the way you've schematized the interview - it's truly a whirlwind of effects and so funny as a result.

[lotusbuds2000]

@chapaev36 What happened to the good old days? So real...using language like it should be spoken...regular conversation..no hype soundbites..today's stuff is mostly fluff and crude...oh well...at least we have this on video..thank you forever!

[Novak67766]

@chapaev36 Neither does Opra. She always steps on the tongue of her guest.

[spagandtuna]

@chapaev36 Oh my God. You're comment about King vs. Cavett might just perfectly sum up the suckiness of our times vs. then.