John Cleese on the Dick Cavett Show, 1979, part 1 of 6

[Sheepy007]

compared to the vid quality, the audio is surprisingly good

[twooffour]

4:13 Willem Dafoe ;)

[MrS98VAC]

John Cleese was so SEXY here !!

[MetrazolElectricity]

studio's too dark.... indicating the decline of dick. poor guy, i always liked him. Monty Python's the shit though

[thatblokestevieH]

Dick is terrible!!! So embarrassing, how did he keep that job for so long!

[seppsters]

dick cavett is a joke.

[Johnfranorge]

Pretty cool that George harrison talked about monty phyton on this show in 1971 :)

[hamilton7750]

I remember seeing this in 1979. Good stuff, thank you, thank you, thank you.

[james7300]

What a meandering and ridiculous intro.

[kemp10]

why does he hope no one has heard of monty python?

[nag73]

Thanks for the upload. Don't apologise for the quality, if this had been on VHS it'd be unwatchable. I still don't understand how Betamax lost the war.

Betamax pissed all over VHS.

[maybepumpkins]

@nag73 Marketing and public perception, I think.

[dunnudoit]

@nag73 I still think betamax can beat vhs. Its not too late.

[sondano]

There are no civilized people like Dick Cavett on American TV anymore. Now everything is about showing outrage and/or making stupid sex jokes.

[kontrapunkti]

@sondano

So so true!

[berner]

I can't tell if John is tall or Dick is short

[reyzaguirr]

thanks for posting this great video

[DementedAbsolution]

John is... Taaaallll....

[TeteromPRS]

"I'm the worst singer in the world. Well, certainly in Europe!"



[MsKatyDod]

I'm awfully happy to see this despite the poor quality. I would have been only 3 years old when this interview first aired! LOL I've been a Python fan for several decades but only recently discovered Dick Cavett's genius. This is an amazingly *genuine* interview! Dick Cavett's interviewing style is pitch-perfect and his interest is not fake or gimmicky. Watching these two icons together is magical!

[GrittyMcCheese]

WILLEM DEFOE?!!

[LordEizen]

wow 9 years later he looks so much older than on his interview with john lennon on 1970

[Shalashaska777]

Oh, man. I had to pause the video to laugh when John walked onto the set. He's like Conan O'Brian. Wow... Haha.

[pretorious700]

Dick Cavett-not the most scintillating performer nor interviewer.

[CrimsonToast]

"Unperson"

Was that a reference to 1984? Or is that a common-place phrase that I just haven't happened to come across until now?

[tamlando]

did Cavett ALWAYS talk like he couldnt speak proper English or form a complete sentence?

[LeamingtonSteve]

They need to do a Muslim version- Life of Raamiz

[roadrunner3100]

Great video. Dick needs to do his homework though. Python wasn't six Brits, Gilliam is American.

[knektkock]

Pretty amazing quality really considering it's a 30 year old recording, oh and thanks for uploading it.

[bunkerpoopie]

boring interview

[bapyou]

@bunkerpoopie <--- boring commenter

[neilandrewporter]

jesus, bring john on already...

[litlemadguitarist]

"Wich was a great success in the eyes of the monty python since it seems to have offend just about everybody" XD

[Juel92]

That host is terrible.

[chuckiejay]

John Cleese's original family name actually WAS Cheese, as Dick alludes to in his monologue.

[MrHopeTelevision]

fawlty towers is his masterpiece

[uani69]

hey betamax quality is better than vhs quality

[insainiac33]

I just laughed at the size difference at the start between them.

[DazedConfused1969]

@PokerPlum lmao

[MoveOverCasanova]

what devices does it take to load a vhs video into computer -

i have a normal midiman delta 9624 soundcard with a pair of audio and an optical input jack and a rather basic corel video editor -----??

[jonjononeone]

Just discovered The Dick Cavett Show... respect

[OeditpusRex]

Cleese has undermined his singing ability in several interviews, yet in the intro to the "Vocational Guidance Counselor" bit in episode 10, which was done in four-part progressive harmony, he sang the last line perfectly, and it was the 7th note, arguably the most difficult to harmonize.

[WintersWar]

Cavett just had to do the fake British accent. Very weak attempt at humor. Cleese was a gentleman about it though.

[HunterMann]

thanks for the video. beta tape was fine for me.

[AshLuvsJonnyStew]

OMG the disparity in height between he and Dick is staggering!

[EminemBase]

Lmao funny when he said people have suggested the Queen didn't write that letter.

American interviews / hosts seemed to be much more intelligent in the 70's than now. Even though he is a little... Bumbling at times, it feels rich and not cheesy.

[randomloves74]

I agree! I kinda wish that talk shows were a bit more like this talking to guests for more than 5mins and having their little skits and whatnot. I wish they would talk to the stars more.

[sirtinycreep]

What a stupid moustache.

[rusamene]

3;20 ;d

[arlichar11]

this isreply to colbert comment who cares what a n idiot like colbert thinks hes a nobody cleese is a genius and legend! leeave that garbage aside from cleeses presence lol

[graaar]

I'm pretty sure Colbert still respected John Cleese a great deal, and I don't think the commenter meant any harm either. Any little kid would be bored by a serious interview no matter who it's of :)

[godwhyisthistaken]

this is faboulus the actual rcording of a show in 79 thank for this rare great interview, dick cavett interview so many greats.

[Steve7508]

That was the longest intro I've ever seen.

[redskies12]

they wernt all english?one was american and one was welsh

[mts1977]

This is great, thanks for posting this!

[craggymozzer]

dick cavett was/is a cool mutha,enjoy his shows what i've seen on dvd, lennon,hendrix,janis and the rest.i don't like being called a limey though lol!!!

[youvebeenthunderstru]

He's so soft spoken and intelligent, which is something the world really needs more of. Yes he did comedy and yes he's an actor which is seen by many as not being a "serious" profession but all of the Pythons are/were (GC) very, very intelligent.

[princesstamika]

@youvebeenthunderstru Most people worth their salt know that you have to be very intelligent to do comedy well.

Oh, I wish I could figure out which Groucho character name they were talking about, there's many: Rufus T. Firefly and stuff like that. .. I love it when my favorite people bring up my other favorite people.

On a related note the Marx Bros., are the closest thing America ever had to Python only that it occurred 60 years prior.

[OeditpusRex]

@princesstamika It must be Wolf J. Flywheel, Groucho's character in "The Big Store." Less likely, it was his character Waldorf T. Flywheel in the early-'30s radio program about a law firm, "Flywheel, Shyster and Flywheel."

[princesstamika]

@OeditpusRex I believe you are right about Wolf J. Flywheel.

[mrkato23]

@princesstamika

I don't know if this helps in solving the mystery, but Groucho's character in A Day At The Races was to be called Hugo Z. Quackenbush, but apparently there were over thirty actual Dr. Quackenbushes practicing medicine in the US who were willing to sue MGM. Groucho's character surname was changed to Hackenbush to avoid any lawsuits.

[tepporocks]

Yes, Dick may a bit on the short side, but John is very much on the loooooong side.

Actually, I don´t think many people in the world are taller than John Cleese.

[dabble778]

Ah.... There's one...

[wiihaward94]

John Cleese isn't even that tall you know, he is only 6' 4"

[youvebeenthunderstru]

I can't imagine Cleese being shorter than 6'5". Well, perhaps he shrunk, but he has certainly been 6'5.

[BoxcarFred]

6' 4" is a giant in show business. It's amazing how many damn midgets there are in Hollywood. They just surround them with other short actors so we won't notice. John Cleese, Chevy Chase, and Conan O'Brien are giants compared to most of them.

[shanebrennan0123]

@BoxcarFred I think Cleese is 6'5. I'm 6'4 and I met him once, he was a bit taller than me.

[Ballsinawad]

@BoxcarFred my dad gave me his hypothesis, according to him, short people have an "ideal" composure and so they're quite wanted in hollywood

[pugilistofpower]

He's 6'5 which was tall the last time I checked. Most people you meet on the street will be shoter than that.

[tim035]

@tepporocks

I think there would be a lot, actually.

[Friscalating]

This is a really dumb thing to say about a video like this, but in some interview I heard with Stephen Colbert, he was saying how boring it is to listen to comedians talk about comedy and he said that when he was a kid he loved John Cleese and was really excited when he found out he was going to be on Dick Cavett, only to be "bored to tears" by the actual show. I wonder if this was it.

[Dantemadison]

I guess it must have been this show. I don't know if John was on prior to this, and the show didn't last much longer.

I love both Colbert and Cleese. Never heard that comment by Colbert, but I can see what he means. Like what Palin said in his interview, people always expect you to be funny.

Howard Stern feels the same way - when he does a TV interview show he always feels he has to be amazingly funny instead of just relaxing and being real.

I would like it either way.

[KidMillions]

This is the Colbert quote: "I remember when I was a kid, I was such a huge fan of John Cleese. And he was on Dick Cavett. I thought, this is going to be wonderful, they're going to do a 3-part series. And I was bored to tears listening to him. My fear has always been that if I talk about what I do in a sincere way, that I'm going to bore some young boy out there like I was bored by John Cleese and Dick Cavett."

He said that on "Fresh Air" on NPR. (Jan 24, 2005 -- the audio is on their website)

[TheTerrorUforgot]

It is sad that Colbert thinks he can never talk seriously ever.

[KidMillions]

Well Colbert was of course talking about explaining and analyzing comedy, not that he can never talk seriously. On his show it's a problem anyway since he's always in character... And personally I agree that Cleese is a bore in interviews, no matter how great a comedian he is. So is Michael Palin. The only one who's really funny in interviews is Eric Idle.

[jerryhello100]

@TheTerrorUforgot He does a few interviews as himself. But would you really want to expose yourself to the world? I think it is good to keep a bit of mystique and privacy.

[DanRioNY]

@Dantemadison I find it interesting when he talks about what he thinks comedy is... it's roots, etc.

[nubbs]

@Friscalating

the thing is, cleese was always known for playing it straight

[pretorious700]

@Friscalating That's interesting, because Colberts' "comedy" by itself bores me to tears.

[findusfunk]

@Friscalating Stephen Colbert has never heard of Billy Connolly?

[Allrightteam]

@Friscalating I was bored senseless even before they brought Cleese out.

[unfortunatebeam]

jGreat post Dantemadison. I thank you very letting me see into a time and a cool interview that i might not have otherwise seen.

[AJTech47]

Many thanks for this video. I always got a kick out of Cavett and his interesting guests.

[burnsybaby1987]

Never ever seen this edition in my life, being 1985 born and all! Fabulous stuff!

[youvebeenthunderstru]

Holy god, the height difference when John stands next to Dick Cavett.

[rainbowsandwar]

yow, agreed!!

[NGS712]

youve: I've seen a ton of clips of Cavett.

That almost ALWAYS happens.

John Huston, Orson Welles, Robert Mitchum, . . .

Cavett should've gotten shorter guests so's not to 'upstage' him. ;)

[Pippin76]

Many thanks for posting this!

[pocketofore]

Interesting. Thanks for posting this interview!