Official Synopsis:
Growing up in Nebraska, Dick Cavett never dreamed that the movie stars he worshipped on the silver screen would someday be guests on his show. But that's exactly what happened. Fred Astaire sang and danced. Katharine Hepburn gave her first television interview. Bette Davis, Robert Mitchum and Kirk Douglas - raconteurs, three - charmed the audience. Marlon Brando made one of his very rare television appearances. And Groucho Marx and Mel Brooks disrupted the proceedings as only they could, with Debbie Reynolds falling prey to Groucho's comic devices. Cavett also welcomed the masterminds behind the scenes: directors Alfred Hitchcock, Orson Welles, Frank Capra, John Huston, Robert Altman and Peter Bogdanovich. Through it all Cavett remained that awestruck Nebraska kid in the balcony - thrilled to be in the presence of his cinematic heroes, yet also uniquely able to get them to open up and share private moments, inside stories and a lot of laughs, all of which make The Dick Cavett Show: Hollywood Greats an important piece of movie history.
Robert Altman
Fred Astaire
Peter Bogdanovich
Marlon Brando
Mel Brooks
Frank Capra
Bette Davis
Kirk Douglas
Katharine Hepburn
Alfred Hitchcock
John Huston
Groucho Marx
Robert Mitchum
Debbie Reynolds
Orson Welles
Our Take:
Aside from Johnny Carson, I think Dick Cavett is probably one of the greatest talk show hosts ever. I never watched the show when it was on (it was a bit before my time), but through the Dick Cavett collections that have been released on DVD by Shout! Factory, I've come to appreciate what a great show he had. Cavett was easygoing, laid back, funny, and most importantly, he was never afraid to laugh at himself. He was definitely not a guy who took himself too seriously, and that's a great quality in a television host.
Of the Cavett DVD's that have been released, the Hollywood Greats is easily the best of them. Look at that roster of guest stars: Alfred Hitchcock, Orson Welles, Katherine Hepburn, Frank Capra, Fred Astaire, Marlon Brando... this set has some of the biggest of the big in terms of Hollywood. These people weren't just celebrities, they were icons, and they remain legends to this day. It's truly impressive to watch interview after interview with these larger than life personalities, especially with so many of them having passed away.
In terms of extra features, the DVD collection isn't jam packed, but what's on there is worth watching.
* Seeing Stars With Dick Cavett and Robert Osborne (37 minutes) - A nice interview piece featuring Cavett talking about the show and recalling some of the memorable Hollywood great segments.
* Introductions - New introductions for each episode by Cavett.
Anybody who's a film buff or movie historian is missing out if they don't check out this fascinating set. You get legendary figures interviewed by the amiable Cavett, and the result is, in most cases, magical.
Overall Picture:
Show: A
DVD: B
- Mike Spring
Editor
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