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An Hour With Dick Cavett

ABC Studios
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Wikimedia Commons
Dick Cavett with Jack Paar, 1973

Clive James called Dick Cavett one of the great intellectuals who shaped the 20th century. Cavett combined wit with serious discussion for ninety-minutes each night as host of  The Dick Cavett Show, welcoming a staggering roster of cultural icons that spanned the worlds of art, culture, literature, music, and politics: GrouchoMarx, Laurence Olivier, Judy Garland, Bette Davis, Richard Burton, Orson Welles, Ray Charles, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Joni Mitchell, Noel Coward, Salvador Dali, Ingmar Bergman, Mel Brooks, Mort Sahl, Angela Davis, Marlon Brando, Katherine Hepburn, Carol Burnett...the list goes on. Even today, no one comes close - not even Stephen Colbert.

American television in the 1960s and '70s wasn't entirely comfortable with Cavett's style. He was interested in ideas, not just being funny, even though his roots in late night grew from his gig as a gag writer for superstars like Jack Paar, Merv Griffin, Johnny Carson, and for "two glorious weeks," Groucho Marx. Everybody wanted to be on Cavett. Even those who otherwise shunned interviews would often reveal deeply personal stories to the man who listened - and occasionally offended.

Today, we speak with the formidable Dick Cavett.

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Colin McEnroe and Jonathan McNicol contributed to the show.

Betsy started as an intern at WNPR in 2011 after earning a Master's Degree in American and Museum Studies from Trinity College. She served as the Senior Producer for 'The Colin McEnroe Show' for several years before stepping down in 2021 and returning to her previous career as a registered nurse. She still produces shows with Colin and the team when her schedule allows.

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