The Dick Cavett Show: Hollywood Greats DVD Review

We’ve all heard of Johnny Carson, who ruled late night for so many years, but he wasn’t the only one interviewing the stars. With the innovation of DVD we have found a world of history opened up to us. Not only are classic television sitcoms available to be seen by younger audiences for the first time, but we can even experience late-night television on DVD as well. Great hosts like Jack Paar and Dick Cavett are brought back into the spotlight along with some of the great talent that they interviewed. The Dick Cavett Show: Hollywood Greats is a marvel to watch; especially because many of the legends in the collection take on a life I have never seen before; their own. Watching a marvelous talent like Katherine Hepburn as she has a charming conversation with Cavett is a treat that will take you to another time. For those who lived it, this collection may be a fantastic walk down memory lane, and all the rest have the privilege of experiencing a piece of history for the first time.

Some of the most fascinating footage in the collection comes from an interview that Cavett did with Katherine Hepburn, who was known to avoid press and interviews. What makes this interview even more special is the fact that it was done spur-of-the-moment. There is even footage of Hepburn as she decides to do the show, and as she takes control of the set as only a star can, rearranging furniture and insisting that the studio needs a new carpet and possibly a paint job as well. Hepburn never gave interviews and yet she ended up talking with Cavett for over three hours. The special features have even more uncut footage of this encounter

Cavett also interviews Fred Astaire, who turns the show into a grand musical spectacle with George and Ira Gershwin, Irving Berlin, Cole Porter and Astaire dancing, of course. Other greats include Alfred Hitchcock, Orson Welles, Frank Capra, Mel Brooks, John Huston, Marlon Brando and Groucho Marx. The list just keeps going, and each name seems to hold a weight of its own. The interviews are fascinating and surprisingly personal. Cavett has a conversational approach that gets each of them to open up and tell great stories.

Dick Cavett truly interviewed some great stars, as well as amazing people. The history this one man has experienced in entertainment is awe-inspiring, but what makes the collection take on such significance is the personal involvement Cavett takes in the DVD. Along with a written introduction in the photo and description filled booklet, Cavett gives extra interviews and introduces the segments, allowing us to feel even more connected to the old footage. We get tidbits of information from Cavett in these personal greetings to home viewers, some well known while others Cavett’s personal experiences. Information such fact that Katherine Hepburn never went on television programs brings a special aura about the interview, just as Cavett’s stories about Marlon Brando backstage will likely change your view of that interview as well.