John Huston on Working With Marilyn Monroe for 'The Misfits' | The Dick Cavett Show

John Huston chats about working with Marilyn Monroe on her final film.
Date aired - February 21st, 1972 - John Huston
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Dick Cavett has been nominated for eleven Emmy awards (the most recent in 2012 for the HBO special, Mel Brooks and Dick Cavett Together Again), and won three. Spanning five decades, Dick Cavett’s television career has defined excellence in the interview format. He started at ABC in 1968, and also enjoyed success on PBS, USA, and CNBC.
His most recent television successes were the September 2014 PBS special, Dick Cavett’s Watergate, followed April 2015 by Dick Cavett’s Vietnam. He has appeared in movies, tv specials, tv commercials, and several Broadway plays. He starred in an off-Broadway production ofHellman v. McCarthy in 2014 and reprised the role at Theatre 40 in LA February 2015.
Cavett has published four books beginning with Cavett (1974) and Eye on Cavett (1983), co-authored with Christopher Porterfield. His two recent books -- Talk Show: Confrontations, Pointed Commentary, and Off-Screen Secrets (2010) and Brief Encounters: Conversations, Magic moments, and Assorted Hijinks(October 2014) are both collections of his online opinion column, written for The New York Times since 2007. Additionally, he has written for The New Yorker, TV Guide, Vanity Fair, and elsewhere.
#thedickcavettshow

[@jackwmith8445]

Larger than life. His work during WW2 and his awareness and documentary of post-traumatic stress syndrome exceptional.

[@mate1030]

I think you saw the master

[@gonavy5607]

That voice!

[@eddierushing5416]

The man's voice is incredible and addictive to listen to. Love his films. Angelica and her siblings also honor this man in their great performances.

[@ianbauer4703]

It's a voice which seems as old as time itself.

[@Chrisdrumz]

Voiced Gandalf in the Rankin/Bass animated Hobbit and Return Of The King movies.

[@fifthbusiness1678]

@@ianbauer4703 So true!

[@julietrask7497]

John Huston did a lot of voiceover work for films, documentaries.

[@dirtyunclehubert]

thick, full and satisfying.

[@nickstoli]

I don't smoke, I don't like to be in the presence of smokers, and yet I love when they light up on these old talk shows.

[@brendanjobe6895]

I do smoke (Lucky Strikes) - and boy, I miss those days. The oddity is how things have changed over fifty years. As a young person and nonsmoker, I never recall paying any attention to it. Hardly anyone did. A "No Smoking" sign was a rarity and actually considered a little "rude" (for lack of a better word)

[@gonavy5607]

Yeah, I always think about how strong and powerful these guys were, smoking all that crap yet they worked hard and were so intense. I look at the Beatles, in particular, and how hard they worked 1960-1966 always with a cigarette. I would fall over dead after two days of that.

[@keithsmith4780]

The way Cavett and Huston let the conversation proceed and develop at its own pace is enjoyable and very different from the hectic pace of today’s talk shows. Nowadays it’s considered dead air if the guest is quiet for a beat or two to collect his thoughts. I doubt that Huston was prepped as I believe guests are today, so he didn’t know what the questions were going to be and had to think about his answers. Of course the interview lasted much longer that today’s talk show appearances: spend three minutes talking about the new movie; show a 90-second clip from the movie; thanks for coming.

[@mclare71]

It’s a Shame the caption or title of this interview is clickbait about “working with Marilyn Monroe” when Huston barely touches on it. One the billions things wrong with media and social media.

[@ronmackinnon9374]

It is a clickbait-y headline, I agree. Fortunately, I enjoy listening to Huston anyway, whatever the actual subject.

[@harpereion8702]

This is true. I thought it was going to be about working with her on "The MISFITS"

[@franknemeth7430]

It's a funny thing when a hour turns into a minute - when something is so interesting - it's funny .

[@zegfeldmobata4160]

John Huston was a fantastic director still remember watching behind the scenes of Night of the Iguana and very impressed with his work ethics.

[@waynej2608]

Night of the Iguana is an amazing film. Besides his obvious classics he has done some terrific, disparate work. Another example of his tremendous skill is 1972s' Fat City. One of the best boxing films, ever. Up there with Raging Bull and The Set-Up. Great cast, headed by Stacey Keach and an early role for Jeff Bridges. A character study, about the seedy side of journeymen fighters in Northern California. A truly amazing film.

[@jonboz7585]

What an interesting man, with so many fascinating stories of lifetime experiences. I could listen to him for hours. RIP John Huston, one of the greats!

[@jefolson6989]

He gave up big game hunting, so I have no reason not to love him completely.

[@Joshualbm]

What an elegant and gracious man. But his dedication to make great films is on par with the greatest of all cinema art. But the story of Truman and Bogart wrestling, well that's amazing.

[@mikefannon6994]

James Agee was such a talented writer! "A Death In the Family" is a masterpiece.

[@suzannek3493]

How ignorant the comments bout her getting " bigger " .. my God she was so incrediibly beautiful no matter what stage of her short ife

[@friendlywomble]

well MM was tiny before she died - during the Misfits she was pregnant 😒 the poor dear.

[@christinepaige2575]

@suzannek3493 I agree. Imo Cavett was an insufferable little tw*t who was always desperately trying to upstage his guests, even to the point of saying something that stupid, if he couldn’t think of anything else at the moment. Of course, he couldn’t upstage Huston, but it’s surprising that Huston even gave him the time of day. My guess is that it was in the service of a project he cared about, so the great director was willing to “play nice” and put up with the little creep for a while.

[@TheDennys21]

Americans used to be so eloquent and well spoken back in the day, where did it all go wrong?

[@fifthbusiness1678]

I’ve forgotten the name of the film, but Houston’s last was among his best. It was no more than an hour long, as I recall, as was filmed in Ireland. It was brilliant. He died shortly after.

[@waynej2608]

I think you are referring to The Dead, made in Ireland, in 1986. I believe it's longer than an hour, but I haven't seen it in years. I remember liking it a lot. It's very well filmed and acted. Angelica's excellent, as usual. It was the last film he directed. Huston is my favorite American director, along with Orson Welles, Robert Altman and Francis Ford Coppola.

[@dbob3405]

If you like the film (The Dead) then you should read the James Joyce short story, The Dead. The Dead is the basis for the movie. The short story is contained in the collection, Dubliners.

[@ronmackinnon9374]

Fittingly, the film you're referring to -- his last -- was entitled 'The Dead' (which he himself was by the time of its release in late 1987). The screenplay was written by his son, Tony Huston, adapted from a James Joyce story.

[@WintersWar]

he's simply a magnetic personality, man in the wilderness his small role dominates the film.

[@brendanjobe6895]

Simply an incredible man and wondeful guest

[@Falconlibrary]

This interview is missing one of Huston's better stories. Errol Flynn had insulted a friend of Huston's. Huston challenged Flynn to a fistfight at a party at David O. Selznick's house. The two men went outside to a private area of the garden, no witnesses, and Flynn knocked Huston down at least ten times. No surprise there, since Flynn famously knocked out tough stuntmen who challenged him and made a very credible boxer in his role as Gentleman Jim Corbett, but Huston said that Flynn was quite sporting and didn't hit Huston when he was down. Despite clearly losing the fight, Huston did hand Flynn a black eye that swelled shut for days and two broken ribs. In the aftermath, the two actually became friends and went on hunting expeditions together. It's a guy thing.

[@thegreenbird795]

I read that Flynn was such an alcoholic that when producers wouldn't let him bring booze on the set he would inject oranges with booze and eat them on set...lol

[@Bobmacca64]

@@maximilian2974 well let's say it's a ' guys from a different time' thing:) That's how many men asserted their masculinity then. Quite glad that changed, though. I don't think packing a bigger punch that the next guy is that strong a proof of anything but what can you do, right?

[@cmoran9103]

Aren't these interviews just magic?

[@countrichardvoncoudenhovek8855]

Yes they are.....so much more interesting than the modern crap

[@-xirx-]

I love his film The Kremlin Letter. John Huston even plays a great cameo part in it.

[@philipcamp1370]

Class director and actor . They don't make them like that any more .

[@peterheiman8621]

Did he have rheumatic fever as a child? I had a classmate in sixth grade who had had to endure a year of bed rest which was an accepted treatment then. She is still going strong at 80.

[@RussMcClay]

Thanks for releases these!

[@519djw6]

*"The Asphalt Jungle" came out in 1950, and I think it was filmed mostly in 1949--posthumously to make up for John Huston's foggy memory.*

[@777poco]

love this, John Huston was a great man, love all his movies. his dad Walter was special as well

[@qwj68boots]

don't forget Angelica...

[@ronmackinnon9374]

Interesting conversation (as always with Huston), even though it doesn't really fit with the video's headline. But for those who were hoping to hear more about 'The Misfits,' you may be interested in a video on the Be Kind Rewind channel, called, 'The Making of Marilyn Monroe's Very Meta Last Film, "The Misfits".'

[@weps8983]

What a man.

[@adriaanboogaard8571]

Great Story telling. Him telling about his Childhood reminds me of me. I was also told by Doctors you can't do this and that and so I did it and then some. When know one knows what's wrong with you just concentrate on what's right with you and think possative energy thoughts. I'm still here.

[@steveconn]

She was unreliable but had that incandescence. I still think Michelle Williams got most of the mannerisms. Ana de Armas just the posed replicas.

[@JSB1882]

"The Misfits" is my all time favorite film. Miller wrote an incredible script about masculinity. I swear this is the first time Gable and Monroe actually acted.

[@ironduke2000]

I'm a great fan of The Misfits. It's imperfect but truly a film like no other and very adult, so that I can't imagine it going over well with many people in this era of Marvel movies, etc.

[@granthurlburt4062]

@@ironduke2000 It's incredible, isn't it. I spent a LOT of time reading marvel comics (and DC, and Scrooge mcDuck, etc. etc) in the 1960's but I am just amazed that these 2-D characters and simple plots are so popular. I guess it is because movies today are made for teenagers and people i the early 20's at most, and have lots of visual pizzazz but little conversation or nuances of acting and plot. I now want to see the MisFits.

[@ironduke2000]

@@granthurlburt4062 It seems to me that almost all people now have the tastes of teenagers, at least where movies are concerned. The trend started with Star Wars, I think, and gradually it pretty much obiterated everything else. One thing I neglected to mention about The Misfits: it's in black and white, and to watch a black-and-white movie is to suffer the agonies of the damned to many these days. I see almost no hope for what used to be called cinema. Increasingly "cinema" will have an audience in numbers equivalent roughly to the audience for opera now.

[@dzenacs2011]

Its so strange that it was never on tv for some reason. I still didnt saw it and im fan of monroe

[@lisajan580]

acted together you meant right?they were both great actor and actress always

[@g.e.5723]

Geez, all of the "old-timers" I loved to watch on Cavett 's and Carson's late night shows. There's no comparison today to those larger than life characters of Old Hollywood.

[@wlljohnbey1798]

Legendary director... This is what they mean by larger than life.

[@felixthelmocevallosmorales41]

John Huston (Nevada, Misuri, 5 de agosto de 1906 - Middletown, Rhode Island, 28 de agosto de 1987) fue un director, guionista y actor de cine estadounidense naturalizado irlandés. Como director, realizó 37 largometrajes, escribiendo la mayoría de los guiones de estos. De su filmografía destacan clásicos como El halcón maltés, El tesoro de Sierra Madre, La jungla de asfalto, La reina de África o El hombre que pudo reinar. Está considerado como uno de los mejores directores del cine clásico estadounidense, pese a que se encuentra minusvalorado por ciertos sectores de la crítica.

[@ronmackinnon9374]

The Google translator translates the Spanish title for 'The Man Who Would Be King' as 'The Man Who Could Reign.' 😁

[@adriaanboogaard8571]

I at 8 years old in 1977 went over the handle bars of my Bicycle head first on the road They didn't make kids helmets then three days later I woke up in the Hospital from a Cuncution. They locked up my Bicycle. The next day my buddy Tom loaned me his . Never tell a Dutch Decendand kid no Bicycle. I road like it was a Rocket ship.😁

[@dancingvirgil]

Oh I’m sorry I didn’t know we were talking about you now?

[@TheMarilyn1969monroe]

Huston is a great director bit also addicted to gambling, the reason why they stopped the production of “ The Misfits “ was not the reason of Marilyn that she been in the hospital for 4 weeks in LA , but the enormous depths Huston had while gambling at night , he lost a huge amount of money, that was for financing The Misfits, he had to loan it to continue the production

[@flenif2247]

In hindsight, we can now see the magnificent performances left behind by Monroe - so was she "insecure" or smart to have an acting coach on set??? The patriachy loves to paint her one way. Imagine if a male actor had his coach there. Would anyone question it? Doubt it.

[@edeltraudbirmingham4331]

I agree with you about the patriarchy, but at the time Hollywood directors also gave male actors grief if they had coaches on set. Case in point: Marilyn's "Misfits" costar Montgomery Clift got blasted for having his female acting coach on set for many of his early films. Of course, Clift had similarities to Marilyn in personality and artistic outlook.

[@Chrisdrumz]

One of those old school dudes who smoked as if their life depended on it and eventually died from it.

[@Anthony-hu3rj]

He died at 81. I'd call his a life lived to the fullest, I'm sure you agree.

[@davidcawrowl3865]

Tough interview as Huston wouldn't elaborate on hardly anything, including Clark Gable's difficulty in working with Marilyn Monroe in The Misfits. It was known that she was having a very difficult time with prolonged absences on the set, and that her stress affected Gable directly. Huston denied this, and he tended to be ingratiating to most all of his actors. We want to know the scoop!

[@kathleengoff89]

He sounds like Lee Marvin a bit.

[@Shah-of-the-Shinebox]

Daniel Day Lewis clearly modeled Daniel Plainview’s voice after John Huston

[@caribouwho]

very interesting…

[@thegreenbird795]

very possibly

[@46metube]

You know where Day-Lewis got his voice for Daniel Plainview?

[@stutzbearcat5624]

Beat the Devil absolutely one of my favorite films!!

[@scotnick59]

Seems like Mr. Huston was a lot like Sterling Hayden

[@scotnick59]

John was a rare charismatic man!

[@mortalclown3812]

I've never thought of that before. I see them both as much larger than life with compelling bodies of work. Tbh, I could see falling in love with both of them and it being painful to be the women in their lives after they were...'finis'.

[@coreyanderson7424]

I think he's a good actor too.

[@bananaaaaaaaah]

"One of those old ladies that used to chastise Hollywood..." mmmmmk

[@edwardjnarrojr3135]

I remember watching this one

[@edwardjnarrojr3135]

At the Time it was Broadcast

[@MrGarysugarman]

The greatest Shakespearean voice of someone who never acted Shakespeare - and probably amongst those who have.

[@johnhaug9612]

Noah Cross at you.

[@PrimeMover4]

It's Gandalf!

[@mortalclown3812]

Agee died at only 45. Fwiw, can you imagine what one's life must've been like if John Huston was your wellness coach?

[@brainbaskerville3341]

monroe did best acting in the misfits

[@clarkewi]

Phenomenal performance.

[@ronmackinnon9374]

I've never thought of conversation (which is what we see here) as a 'performance.' Or are you referring to one of Huston's films in particular?

[@clarkewi]

@@ronmackinnon9374 Dialogue is not performance? The actors in this film are all "Method Actors" that is, an acting style evolved by Stanislavsky and brought into prominence in the US in the 1930s. Method acting was developed by Elia Kazan and Lee Strasberg in particular, and is associated with actors such as Marlon Brando and Dustin Hoffman. And also Marylin Monroe, Eli Wallach etc.

[@ronmackinnon9374]

@@clarkewi So you're talking about 'The Misfits'? That's what I was seeking clarification on. None of what you said is news to me, it just doesn't have much to do with the interview shown in this video (the 'conversation' I was referring to). Did you actually watch it? Notwithstanding the headline, there's actually very little said about 'The Misfits' in this clip.

[@clarkewi]

@@ronmackinnon9374 I was referring to "The Misfits" which I found to be a masterpiece. The chemistry between Marylin and Gable has to be among the most powerful from the period. Nobody could say Marylin couldn't act. She was phenomenal and so was Gable. So stripped down in black and white. Ironically, the last performances for both.

[@barrykarpowich731]

What a nice man

[@granthurlburt4062]

Weird. I had little trouble following the plot of Beat the Devil. Maybe I missed something. I have seen far worse movies with far worse plots that had gaping holes and series of coincidence after coincidence clearly thrown in just to save the shaky plot

[@jaygatsby1]

Very difficult to get past the lack of a collar stay, but once I did I found this to be another great DC interview.

[@Chertoff88]

Daniel Day Lewis based the voice in There Will be Blood on this guy.

[@QuadMochaMatti]

You take the milkshake in the yard that the boys brought, and drink it all up, like a coconut with lime.

[@jefolson6989]

WISE BLOOD is a Cohen Brothers movie. Brilliant and before its time.

[@commanderkeen3787]

Blood Simple is a Coen Brothers movie. Wise Blood is a John Huston movie

[@jefolson6989]

@@commanderkeen3787 WISE BLOOD was a Coen Bros movie before there were Coen brothers. I didn't word it clearly.

[@portland9880]

@@jefolson6989 in what way

[@jefolson6989]

@@portland9880 watch it and you will see. I think it'd free on YT. Different. But all Huston films are worlds unto themselves

[@portland9880]

@@jefolson6989 I have watched it which is why I'm wondering how it's similar to a Coen brothers film

[@kathreilly7050]

💜

[@crave55555]

No one’s mentioning his massive gambling and drinking addiction that actually shut the production down of the misfits! it’s all on Marilyn! cop out back then! Poor lady I say! She was such any easy target to deflect! from the “men” at the time around her! She didn’t stand a chance

[@bugsbunnywearingasmoking801]

He adapted Under The Volcano, what did u expect?

[@maduraimannan2087]

What great conversation. Now a days tv is trash

[@mattmurdoch3397]

Daniel day Lewis there will be blood

[@babyirene3188]

A talented director. And one of the creepiest Hollywood dudes ever. I mean Ever.

[@tinderbox218]

No one would have the guts to tell that heart attack story today, they'd be afraid of violating HIPPA or some such nonsense.

[@Anthony-hu3rj]

He's telling a personal story. He wasn't a physician. So it had nothing to do with Hipaa. What are you upset about?

[@ronmackinnon9374]

@@Anthony-hu3rj Plus, he was talking about the health of someone who, at the time of the interview, was already long since dead.

[@georgehare2915]

re his comment on maralyn huddle with her drama coach not>??? get another shot of booze, lol.

[@carlbuck7193]

She did huddle with her coach from NYC. So get another shot of booze!

[@ronmackinnon9374]

@@carlbuck7193 And that coach was Paula Strasberg, wife of Lee Strasberg.

[@stevenelief6784]

Dick Cavett was an irritating no talent. He tried to be the star, great mistake.

[@bingochoice]

beat the devil is a great film