Orson Welles Recounts Crossing Paths With Hitler And Churchill! | The Dick Cavett Show

[@TheDickCavettShow]

Orson Welles' interviews don't come short of name drops!

[@augustintamard3850]

I doubt he met Hitler, he was way too young, about 15, when his story would have taken place, odd..

[@backmanmorgan08]

😂

[@Johnny_Savage]

@@augustintamard3850 after his father passed away when he was 15, Welles inherited a bunch of money and went to travel to Europe by himself, started his career in theatre in Ireland, travelled to North Africa, and married. all of this happened while he was still in his teenage years

[@bidoofismyking8962]

in fairness he did try to steer the conversation away from celebrity names

[@JamesRichards-mj9kw]

@@augustintamard3850 Welles was notorious for telling tall stories.

[@voorster]

Orson Welles looks so modern and contemporary in this video. It's crazy to hear him talk about people he met in the 1930s and 1940s, while dressed like he could be alive today.

[@phillipecook3227]

When he spoke about meeting the lady in her mid 90s who'd been a young " hostess" during the American Civil War knowing Lincoln and Welles own great, great grandfather ..... holy moley.

[@tablon6948]

To think he was bprn in 1915..

[@TheSolidheroes]

voorster achternaam OW is obviously a serial liar he is too young to have met these people and even if he was old enough I still don't believe him

[@phillipecook3227]

@@TheSolidheroes It's 2020. My grandfather was born in 1864. Does that make me a liar?

[@tablon6948]

@@TheSolidheroes dude, he died in 1985 at 70, he was one of the youngest and most prolific cinema directors, he was travelling all around tge world and he spent a lot of time in germany in the 30s, around the time the nazis started becoming powerful..

[@darbycarol6137]

i nearly expected him to say “ah, julius ceasar, lovely fellow. i met him once during my trip to rome. truly a shame what happened to him”

[@petermokran381]

you are a legend

[@burningmisery]

OW talking about FDR, Churchill & Hitler sounds like Eddie Izzard making a joke. Lovely chap.

[@devolutionary]

That Brutus, what a back-stabber, huh?

[@greengardengreen6666]

Interesting, wouldn’t it be wonderful to travel back 2080 years and meet Julius Caesar 😉

[@Dawn24Michele]

Exactly correct considering he was only 5 when Hitler was coming up. He would have only been hitting puberty when Hitler came into power. So he really expects people to believe he was hiking and having dinner with and exploring the world at 5.

[@Nero-ox5tw]

Notice how the audience don't whoop every 5 seconds. A different time when conversation was interesting and people were famous for doing something notable.

[@stefan1024]

The audience did what they told them to do, just like today.

[@Nero-ox5tw]

@@stefan1024 Right? That still supports my point.

[@magistrumartium]

Also, audiences only gave standing ovations at the end of an extraordinarily good performance. Today, standing ovations are given for nothing at all, merely for a celebrity walking onstage. They have become as worthless as a kindergarten diploma.

[@abc8722]

@Dorset Deb Oh no, friend, white baby boomers did it to themselves, and then raised these snowflakes. You can't force people to abandon their values, if they actually have them.

[@Nero-ox5tw]

@Mr Zeus Accurate summary of pop culture.

[@badwolf7367]

The thing I like and admire about Dick Cavett is that he actually lets his guests speak and not constantly interrupting them when they speak. The talk show hosts these days can learn a lot from Cavett.

[@anthonygalzarano8099]

The talk show hosts back then could have learned a lot from Cavett.

[@Neufertful]

This was a truly talking show

[@Baystreetboy1947]

One of THE great shows!

[@Wa3ypx]

Johnny Carson as well.

[@SuperDoggy99]

You have to understand, though, that people back then could actually talk eloquently about their experiences. Many talk show hosts today have to step in because their guests are functionally illiterate halfwits, and are incapable of carrying the conversation.

[@MrRookie1981]

As a European I find it fascinating how the talk show host is still alive who talked to Orson Welles about talking to a Lady who had known personally all the great personalities of the Civil War who must in turn have known personally some of the founding fathers... Thats basically Your entire history in the span of 4 generations.

[@MrRookie1981]

@@johnbull1568 I was not aware, thanks! Being born to a 63 year old dad and later at the age of 75 becoming a dad yourself is just cheating the floating gap ;)

[@johnbull1568]

@@MrRookie1981 I had to wrap my head around it tbh, the numbers seem nonsensical, which they are lol. I'm 48, and my grandfather was slightly too young to serve in WWII, so the idea that a person who is still alive has a grandfather that was President nearly 200 years ago is plain nuts.

[@MrRookie1981]

@@johnbull1568 well, Im almost 40, and my grandfather was my age when he got drafted into WW II in 1940, so I am literally familiar with the concept of stretched generations, but your example is much more bizarre ^^

[@tomwallen7271]

@@MrRookie1981 Yes, when your grandfather would've died a half-century before you're born, it's not as tight of a connection as it would otherwise seem to be.

[@heishephaestion4178]

awesome comment

[@Ewan999]

The fact that this was filmed 50 years ago, amazes me for some reason.

[@ck891]

Amazing isn’t it! Also, 2001: a space odyssey was made in 1969?!?

[@jcmea13]

C K crazy how some of the best movies of all time were made in the early eras of cinema

[@jamesanthony5681]

@@ck891 Made from 1965 to 1968. Released in 1968.

[@ck891]

@@jamesanthony5681 that’s very true. I did actually know that, don’t know why I didn’t just say that in the first place... Edit: my god though, ‘65 that’s truly amazing

[@jonnybirchyboy1560]

What amazes me more is your poor grammar.

[@rocknroller167]

"The man sitting next to me was Hitler. And he made so little impression on me that I can't remember a second of it." What a comment.

[@MegaZeta]

Who knows if Welles was right, but as the man usually did, he presents a miniature thesis to Cavett here: that there was not really an Adolf Hitler as history knows him until thousands of people were already saluting him. They provided Hitler, even to Hitler.

[@nicktrice4921]

@@MegaZeta interesting comment. Carl Jung said something very similar as well.

[@Adonnus100]

@@nicktrice4921 Jung said it was impossible to be friends with Hitler, because Hitler was not a real person so to speak, only the reflection of (the dark part) of his nation.

[@binder0301988]

He couldn't met Hitler. Hitler hadn;t been in Austria till 1938.

[@waterhead1029]

@@MegaZeta Great comment.

[@misanthrophex]

He has unmatched charisma. He talks in such unique way where he controls the conversation very tightly, yet remains very friendly at the same time. And it's honest friendliness. I have never seen anyone do that in such way before.

[@TheDreamingJune]

Very true. This is why I love watching Orson's interviews because he possessed a wealth of knowledge, and charisma that you don't see in many famous Hollywood people.

[@ShermerHighSchool]

Who needs cable when you have thousands of hours of VERY HIGH quality interviews like this one. Just WOW!

[@paddiokin1493]

Same here

[@sadderbythecloud]

This was on cable wasn't it ?

[@jayizzett]

It’s all a script. Either way it theatre

[@mistervic85]

@@sadderbythecloud there was no cable TV back then. You had the big 3 networks; NBC, ABC and CBS. That's it.

[@mikek5958]

You said it Superma...uhhh..., I mean Clark.

[@Jaytisphere]

Orson was ahead of his time you could feel it, he speaks as if he is still alive today, he doesnt sound outdated or old.

[@michaeljames4904]

It’s striking indeed that his manner and speech seem ageless fifty years hence when Welles was a man who deeply despised the evolution of modernity becoming evident during his time.

[@shamanic1]

@@michaeljames4904 Yes! Welles is most charming, when he speaks of gentlemen, and geniuses, with a reverence which indicates, he didn't fully grasp that his dues were paid forward, in both of those clubs!

[@logansowers1674]

Even more than that he seems timeless. Like he could fit into any point in history and make it work.

[@arriuscalpurniuspiso]

​@@logansowers1674it's a rare quality. He was a master of voice and inflection. Hands down the greatest speaker of his time. He was a Shakespearean actor.

[@corvettez06usa]

Welles's command of the English language is amazing.

[@michaeljames4904]

When Welles says he’d ran away to the theatre to avoid getting an education, at Harvard, there’s something left unsaid, namely, that to be a serious stage actor during his time meant committing vast tracts of Shakespeare and the classics to memory, for life. Churchill himself won two Nobel Prizes: peace and literature, despite being a calamitous failure at school in particular and education in general. He’d read. Voraciously.

[@viralbuthow000]

Then define "Mahahaha" for me.

[@jonathangwynne1917]

"Command" is an excellent choice of words. One gets the impression that the language wouldn't dare not do his bidding.

[@mondegreen9709]

Him and Peter Ustinov. I could listen to them for hours.

[@aaronmendonca6040]

Fo sho

[@michaelbruns449]

Not to be forgotten, we'll never see and hear another Polymath like Orson Welles again.

[@arriuscalpurniuspiso]

We would be lucky if we did

[@hwoods01]

This man has a voice & cadence that would convince me the earth was under assault from indigenous creatures that inhabit mars.

[@GiandomenicoDeMola]

He would have surely convinced me, too. In fact, he did convince a good number of fellow citizens of his.

[@miketheyunggod2534]

hwoods01 😆

[@vantheman12welshman66]

hwoods01 hahahahaha good one 👍

[@jaredf6205]

He has an interesting accent.

[@MrPlooky]

good one

[@martymcdonough1111]

"My camera was angled so he didn't know he was being photographed into anybody's film of memory." What a sentence!

[@chrisjones3901]

And he liked young boys it seemed,we never got to see that footage from orson

[@SundayGravy812]

Van Halen, not Van Haggar

[@Dinnerwiththeavilas]

Right! When i heard that I thought " I want to talk like that"

[@LordofMovies91]

@@SundayGravy812 I understood that reference

[@Finians_Mancave]

I think he said "filmic memory" which means the same thing, and of course is no less impressive.

[@timconnecticut6263]

I am so happy we had Dick to talk to all these people and have it all recorded. People actually had real conversations with him. Dick is still the master of the " talk show " in my mind.

[@TOCC50]

Ridgefield Tigers 🐅

[@robbie_]

Agreed.

[@svenhaheim]

I cant imagine any of todays batch doing this, it would be a terrible conversation.

[@gardensofthegods]

True but Tom Snyder did some really great interviews also ... and there's one of them here with Orson Welles also

[@timconnecticut6263]

@@gardensofthegods Yep. I used to watch Tom too.

[@littleghostfilms3012]

Orson is one of the truly greatest personalities to have walked this earth. His warmth, insights, irony, sense of adventure, embrace of life in all it's mad unpredictability is just too much to take in all at once. Just by listening to his tales I feel elevated to a better place temporarily.

[@Sublight77]

Well said and agreed.

[@ME-gz8yi]

@Little Ghost Films - beautiful homage/comment. Btw his Venice anecdote reminded me of the time [33 years ago] when my Type A ex and I were walking in the Cinqueterre and we ran into our hosts' sweet neighbor, Bruno. It tickled me that he stopped every few minutes to tell us a story [and no doubt to catch his breath] thus annoying my ex who wanted to cover all five towns on foot that day. He nearly blew a gasket when the man took us on a tour of his family's ancient fruit grove on the way. Bruno recalled visiting Venice after the war where he encountered Mr. Welles sitting on the steps of the Doges palace and the latter telling him the story of the scorpion and the frog.

[@tylerpurrden]

Agreed! I could listen to him talk for hours on end. Doesn't hurt that he has one of the most wonderful speaking voices of all time

[@David-Field.Stuff01]

Agreed. I'd recommend you listen to his radio dramas from the late 1930s. The Mercury Theatre on the Air. Truly magnificent radio from a forgotten age.

[@turdfurgeson517]

Hemingway had the same type of charm.

[@bomaveety3408]

I was struck with the impression, after stumbling across this interview the other day, of how close it is to perfection. Intelligent interviewer questions his articulate guest who has mingled with major historical figures, and the guest is humbly forthright and honest. I'm just a young pup at 63, but for now this is the most fascinating interview I've ever seen, and the final story is the superb send off. Thank you Mr. Cavett and staff for sharing this historical document.

[@dabdelaziz777]

I have been enthralled with great interviews for a long time. Orson Welles, one of the best. I will never forget how in his Paris interview he said how much ignorance helped his creativity. Find this interview if you haven't watched it yet. I suffer now because I am around people who are formulaic in their approach and they suffocate me. It's time a new blank sheet of paper.

[@louisewilliams7492]

Well Hitchens is my favourite interviewee for his knowledge, wit, anecdotes and subject matter of the role of religion on humankind and the critical right to freedom of speech (caveat would be that he went off the rails supporting the US proxy wars of the early part of the 21st century). However this guy is very genuine and humble and it produces a nice, leisurely productive chat show exchange. Certainly amusing last story about Churchill.

[@timh1907]

I agree ... Also try watching Michael Parkinson interview Peter Ustinov

[@vingotaq777]

Welles was a natural born story teller and Dick Cavett the most subtle but effective interviewer,

[@TheDrudgenator]

Donal Casey such a shame you don’t see show host like him now .

[@acsentu8]

Dick Cavett's fashion: 1970 Orson Welles fashion: 2019

[@briangoldy8784]

Man Ahead of His Time...........In so many Ways............ Old World Manners an Gentleman.... though........which is very rare in 2019..........

[@JudgeJulieLit]

Cavett's fashion (but for the 1970s longer sideburns) is classic educated gentleman's ... perhaps until the 2020 Brooks Brothers bankruptcy.

[@jamesanthony5681]

Orson wore black, which was a slimming color - and never out of fashion - because Welles was, how shall we say, VERY heavy? Cavett looks somewhat contemporary in his clothes, and he dressed at a time before the wide ties and wide lapels and ugly browns came out in men's fashion not too long after this.

[@tonygumbrell22]

Fashion is a tyrant whom the wise ridicule and obey. - Ambrose Bierce Cavett is just about sophisticated enough to see the silliness of the current fashion, and yet be very up to date. Wells is older and not so much ahead of the times as above it all. Cavett seemed almost taken aback by Well's description of Hitler, as if Wells' sophistication catches him off guard.

[@gavinmillar7519]

Too right. Amazing.

[@murrayspiffy2815]

Holy smokes - what a timeless interview. History being told by a historical figure.

[@TOCC50]

She was delicious

[@fluxcapacitor1621]

Every episode of The Dick Cavett Show captures history like no other show.

[@williambauscher9296]

Absolutely... one could even say Orson Welles was creating history here.

[@KalisFlame]

​@williambauscher9296 that's exactly what he was doing, lying. To believe an actor without evidence is foolish, they are liars. So much of the history of Germany in that era is... lies and fabrications to cover the true murderous evil of the allies.

[@Hola-ro6yv]

He had no respect for philosophy. I never realized how foolish Orson was until I watched this interview.

[@NeonRadarMusic]

I love how the audience is so quiet that it seems like Welles is just chilling with Cavett and telling him cool things about his youth.

[@cygnusprime6728]

They were in the presence of greatness and didn't want to miss anything

[@timgulstine2767]

for a few minutes I wondered whether there was even an audience at all.

[@dallas-cole]

Being suspicious about philosophy is the most philosophical thing you can do

[@winnifredforbes8712]

Jay Amen!

[@phillipecook3227]

Touche!

[@soldierofscience2888]

Yes because Philosophy is not science.

[@itsawonderfullife4802]

Philosophy is the basis of science (and scientific method) and cornerstone of all civilization, especially Western civilization.

[@spectralv709]

Philosophy is sometimes blind to the biases of its western, rationalist foundations. Disciplines like cultural anthropology have challenged some deeply ingrained ways of thinking that have become institutionalized in philosophy

[@themobseat]

The intelligence of Orson Wells is staggering. Every sentence, every single word is so well thought out as he speaks.

[@jamesanthony5681]

He read everything.

[@zachgates7491]

He’s not dumb, but more than anything he’s articulate.

[@mskidi]

Thats not intelligence. Thats pedigree. Welles was american aristocracy on both parents.

[@jamesanthony5681]

@@mskidi It's both, actually: intelligence and pedigree. Orson read books and knew Shakespeare as a young boy. The old abdicator, Edward V111, had pedigree - looked good, carried himself and spoke reasonably well - but behind those words was a bleeding idiot. The 'Duke of Dumb', as Mordecai Richler once referred to him.

[@chris2kostya]

Exactly! Same thing with Maya Angelou

[@williamwhite2113]

Welles was quite a storyteller. I didn't realize just how good an interviewer Cavett was. He just asked a question and Welles took it from there. This is what an interview should be. Welles is that guy whom you could have a conversation for hours and never be bored. Love this video.

[@johndenugent4185]

storyteller is right....

[@michaelbruns449]

So many things are so fake now its sad and frightening.

[@clarkgrayhame1250]

I could sit and listen to him talk for hours. He had a storybook sound to his rich and beautiful voice. Orson Welles was a truly talented man.

[@TOCC50]

You can’t handle the facts

[@pablozewoppa]

Dick Cavett was a great interviewer. He knows implicitly when to ask a question, when to stay quiet, and when to encourage his guest. This is like a conversation between two great friends I feel privileged to have witnessed.

[@bartlettmichael62]

This is literally worthy of a time capsule. This is iconic, culturally significant.

[@proto-geek248]

Agreed. How could you not be impressed?

[@jimjoe9945]

Why?

[@georgial6398]

it's just a theater actor fabulist making up stories.

[@mikegross6107]

@@jimjoe9945 if you don't know by now there's no use in telling you!

[@DriveupLife22]

Dick Cavett's interviews are often included in Criterion Collection releases, so they in fact already are!

[@edwardmonsariste4050]

This is the first time I’ve actually had taken the time to listen to Orsen Wells. I was fascinated by every word. When he stood up at the end, laughter burst out of me like I haven’t done in ages.

[@news603redux]

Can you imagine Jimmy Fallon falling over with laughter every twenty seconds? Ugh. This one interview is more important than ALL of Facebook.

[@percussionnow5982]

Lmao, they would never talk on Fallon he would have Orson playing a trivia game while the roots played covers of Rihanna songs.

[@johny5593]

Ok boomer

[@johny5593]

@Gubba Bump ok boomer

[@dancingheroes]

OK BOOMER

[@mantistoboggan5171]

he's so fake.

[@lowifrles9813]

The original “most interesting man in the world,” Mr. Orson Welles. What a true intellect.

[@lilchaos4792]

Yessss

[@sirhiss5915]

He's got nothing on peter ustinov

[@briangoldy8784]

@@sirhiss5915 Ustinov.........Quite the Interesting Gentleman.......Could listen all day.......

[@crispereira2020]

He’d be great in those commercials

[@GarretGrayCamera]

"His beard alone has experienced more than a lesser man's entire body."

[@donclark4685]

I could listen to Orson Welles talk all day. He is so interesting.

[@Kareragirl]

That's also because he happened to have one of the greatest voices ever.

[@phillipecook3227]

There's something characteristic of people of that generation , perhaps because they grew up in a time when people of all classes were taught to speak and use language properly.

[@josephtravers777]

One of the most creative minds of the 20th Century. Citizen Kane was voted greatest motion picture of all time for a very good reason. He was genius.

[@amerispunk]

Think of how talented he was... he made Citizen Kane when he was only 25 years old. And many people for many years considered it the best movie ever made.

[@josephtravers777]

@@amerispunk His cinematic contributions greatly influenced many. He was ground-breaking for his time.

[@bme7491]

You just can't beat a well spoken person where their speech flows so easily into your ears that comprehension is a delight rather than a chore.

[@jima8632]

What a great way to put it, “making comprehension a delight rather than a chore” I’ll remember that one

[@robertsaca3512]

O'Biden and Kamala have entered the chat.

[@dorianphilotheates3769]

Stunning. Orson Welles ought to have won an Academy for his performance on this interview alone...what a raconteur! - an absolute delight. People like that don’t exist anymore. Imagine having Welles as a dinner companion: oh, the stories...

[@robdeskrd]

@Dorian Philotheates Bro is that your real name? By all the elder gods of yore that is an almost impossibly cool & powerful name!

[@dorianphilotheates3769]

Robert Deskins - Ha! 🙂Thanks; I was named after my grandfather and he, after his grandfather before him. The last name is derived from the toponym of our ancestral village in the prefecture of Doris in Central Greece (the original homeland of the ancient Dorians, who gave it its name).

[@walterguanti8383]

He was the best .

[@roddyboethius1722]

This is masterful acting

[@geojmartinez]

There is a book called “My Lunches with Orson” that’ll satisfy what you’re talking about in the last sentence.

[@e.l.norton]

"Desperate not to be educated, I went into theater." The most succinct definition of actors and entertainers ever given.

[@wiseonwords]

No, it isn't. Welles was too modest to say that he'd actually received a first-rate education at his school. He continued his education in the theatre.

[@deadfreightwest5956]

No, to be uneducated go into politics.

[@jamesanthony5681]

Orson read everything and anything from a very early age.

[@claudiodominguez.]

Welles consumed knowledge but mostly food.

[@TheKennethECarper]

@@claudiodominguez. I think it's clear he consumed equal amounts of both. ;)

[@EdPawley]

A 12 minute interview with true stories of such gravity as to put a year's worth of modern television to shame. What a life of clarity and perspective.

[@garethsmith3036]

About three hours an interview too short

[@TheLostBoyHaim]

Of the 100,000 videos I’ve seen on KZbin, this is the greatest, so well spoken, so ahead of his times. 1970 but sits there looking like he’s in 2020. What he’s seen, done and experienced. Not a single minute of this you get derailed or bored, the world would never appreciate this sort of intelligence, just remarkable. Any students looking to do a piece on someone historic, here’s the man to choose!

[@noidph]

This conversation just confirms why Orson Welles was considered a genius. He's an awesome storyteller! And that story about Churchill was hilarious! :D

[@allanzagami4302]

Rock music rock music

[@Jim-Tuner]

The Churchill story is a Richard Burton story that Welles stole and told about himself.

[@tylercass2584]

@@Jim-Tuner or that Burton stole from Welles, and told about himself, perhaps.

[@Jim-Tuner]

@@tylercass2584 Burton told it first and Burton has a better reputation by far than Welles in terms of making things up.

[@DavidNorthMusic]

He's an Orson storyteller

[@MrEab2010]

I cannot imagine a conversation like this occurring today anywhere on the planet.

[@mikepristave5573]

Well Cavett was on Seth Meyer recently and it basically went just like this.

[@MrEab2010]

@Anton Boludo from the little I've seen, no he can't.

[@fluffmcgruff8400]

Anton Boludo Jordan is a phony

[@fluffmcgruff8400]

Anton Boludo Owen Benjamin has proved his point on Jordan.

[@hanorabrennan8846]

So right Anton but has he the humour and wit?

[@srami004]

Can't help but admire the pace. No rushing...Just a smooth flow of conversation.

[@willkirkoff1333]

Yes absolutely.

[@stephenfiore9960]

.....could NT finish interview-too slow

[@Cerph]

I think that's mostly due to Dick Cavett's excellent ability to actually listen to his guests, and not interrupt them.

[@captaincrash12]

@@stephenfiore9960 loves himself much.

[@ThomasEdge]

OW - "Can I tell a little story about him?" (Marshall) DC - "Certainly." The appropriate response. Otherwise we'd have never heard the response. What a gem.

[@Supervoter1992]

One of the best interviews I have ever seen. To have a beer with this man would be life changing.

[@FACELOWNER]

I totally agree, would you mind if I bring my friend Peter Ustinov along he's got a few good stories to tell.?

[@proto-geek248]

Yes, exactly one beer and no talking.

[@MitchClement-il6iq]

Or me smoking a blunt and him smoking cigars would be amazing.

[@southerndiy1]

I would love to share a bottle of Paul Maison with him

[@spinandmarty]

People in Hollywood are great at making up stories and telling them. Very entertaining- just don’t believe half of what they tell you!

[@Europa1749]

As time goes on, I appreciate Dick Cavett's interviews more and more, especially if I attempt to watch some of the current late night talk show interviews.

[@danicabuckley5734]

Current ones are so insipid.

[@ladicius5741]

Yes, especially the one with Eddie Murphy.

[@johnwright3815]

Understatement: love DC

[@melgriffin3437]

The odious Jimmy Fallon springs to mind.

[@jamesanthony5681]

He had some good ones with Katharine Hepburn, Welles, Robert Mitchum. He did a series of interviews with Jonathan Miller around 1980-1985 that were very good.

[@loyalrammy]

We would never see an interview like this today. A well spoken guest and an interviewer who seemed interested in the answers to his questions and who also gave the impression that he had all day to hear those answers. It was a different age...

[@eme.261]

The majority of viewers lack the attention span required to sit through this interview.

[@laramccully3272]

Russell Brand

[@zxb995511]

You can still find such things if you know where to look. Peter Robinson From "Uncommon Knowledge" by the Hoover Institute is an excellent interviewer and has had some fantastic interviews over the years.

[@michalvento]

....Joe Rogan.....

[@beckydavis1820]

He is more of a journalist than a comedian. Difference in talk shows these days. I would imagine 60 minutes these days but not long enough for a full interview.

[@jpaulglobal]

I fall more and more in love with Orson Wells every time I watch his interviews. What a great man. Well spoken. Remarkable story teller. Strong and kind and considerate and thoughtful. No ego. Beautiful person. RIP.

[@danielplatts9446]

What a fascinating man Orson Welles was. Yet he speaks of other men with admiration, and a lost generation of great men. Today, there is hardly a man alive that could compare with such character.

[@constantravens4800]

I disagree

[@arriuscalpurniuspiso]

I can't think of anyone today who has his eloquence and way with words

[@DarkMsStress]

This was riveting. I feel like my vocabulary went up 80% in 12 minutes.

[@Pirosbor]

Indubitably.

[@rocistone6570]

These shows come from a time when both education and intellect (and the application of both) was not considered "Toxic" somehow, as it seems to be today.

[@elizabethdevries8028]

Agreed!

[@apolloptx]

How dumb were you before watching this? I shudder at the thought.

[@501promo]

Clikt in bcuz I knew sumdumF was gunna hav2 make a retahd'd crak - I aints disgaMcperntd

[@clearlyarussianbot]

Podcasts have replaced this kind of talk show.

[@vonlondon4575]

Nailed it 👌 and that's why podcasts are doing so good

[@djstarsign]

Facts

[@SquidkidMega]

Can you imagine if Orson Wells had his own podcast

[@teodelfuego]

It's easy for us older people to forget that there are some good things in modern days

[@painkillerjones6232]

They are often better than anything professionally produced.

[@511dydy]

Why cant americans have talk shows like this again

[@cookiess5049]

Ariaditya Pramestu because the only people who would watch this are boomers

[@511dydy]

@@cookiess5049 the shows that millenials watch are made and owned by boomers.

[@cookiess5049]

Ariaditya Pramestu so the creators of the game of thrones show are boomers let me check........one was born in 1971the other in 1970 both missed the cut off to be boomers therefore your comment is made irrelevant

[@cookiess5049]

Ariaditya Pramestu only thing y’all made is a horrible world to live in

[@511dydy]

@@cookiess5049 Haha. Stupid ignorant milenial. You think you are always right arent you. The guy who wrote the books were born in 48. Im really enjoying this you know.

[@umungus518]

This is one of the most fascinating interviews I've ever listened to.

[@martinallen6170]

Basically boring

[@stevenj9970]

I could listen to this man forever, what a treasure he was. You notice how still the audience is, Even if there is laughter it cuts off so as to not miss a syllable of what he would say next

[@TheJonathanExp]

That last story about Churchill bowing to him was freaking hilarious 😂

[@codent]

even better when you know that Orson Welles spent most of his life scrounging for financing of his film projects

[@erfgtdsfsdf6993]

i dont think it actually happend like that. He just made this story up in my opinion. Maybe he met Churchill in a hotel but thats all. Churchill was five years dead in that time (when this interview was aired) so noone could prove him wrong anyway. I met few people like Orson Welles and they like to be in center of attention. They make up funny stories very often even borrowing them from other people. Also this story with Hitler is most likely not true. I guess he was in Austria in that time and maybe one of his friends or tutors met Hitler but i dont think he personally met him.

[@toast2610]

Didn't notice. Switched off already by that time. The guy is a narcissistic fabricator.

[@seethoseareyourtearsman.1758]

@@erfgtdsfsdf6993 okay, mr. Random Internet guy

[@erfgtdsfsdf6993]

@@seethoseareyourtearsman.1758 Russians say "Trust, but verify." You can apply it to this interview.

[@lawrencegoldworm]

I wish the world still had characters like Orson Welles, and a new generation of interviewers like Dick Cavett.

[@silverado0938]

70s are an awesome time. Modern enough to have tv shows like this but old enough that people who knew/worked with the leaders of the Second World War were not just alive but still able to get around and give interviews. Absolutely amazing

[@justayoutuber1906]

Yeah, they are better in memory. Nostalgia makes you forget how truly awful the 1970s were.

[@piustwelfth]

Also the Hollywood stars from the Golden Era. There was a nostalgia moment in the early '70's, and many of the great stars were "re-discovered" while fortunately, many were still alive. On one of Cavett's shows, the guests were Janis Joplin and Gloria Swanson!

[@TheSquareRoundTable]

Yes, my thoughts exactly. Such a bizarre time

[@SuperEgo19]

The 1970’s was the apotheosis of civilization. Not to quote he who shall not be named, but I got a feeling when he says make America great again, this is what he’s talking about.

[@dr.willyvan2116]

“My camera was angled so he didn’t know he was getting photographed in anybody’s film of memory”. Drop the Mic.! Orson Welles the greatest storyteller of all time. the greatest director , producer, actor , cameramen , screen writer , and crew of his own life. Making all of us citizens of Wells As he was Shakespeare himself coming to life .Oscars , all around .

[@7348727]

That phrase about memory knocked me out. Genius!

[@truck9moon100]

Could listen to him speak for hours. Thanks for the video.

[@BiffBallbag]

he did have quite a voice

[@wherethewildthingsarenot]

The same can be said for Dick. This video can both excite me and lullaby me to sleep

[@judechauhan6715]

Listen to the war of the worlds, goes on for a while XD

[@stevebano5874]

*....I Can Lie My Ass Off Too....*

[@AOK342]

Definition of charisma

[@Danny-ux1il]

"She was a great certainly as... Churchhill, as Roosevelt..." what a remarkable statement from a great man. To have been able to have known historical movers and shakers and to have had the experience of coaxing an old lady into telling her old memories of people long dead. If I had known Orson Welles - or if you had met him - he might have related to me, or you, too as just another human walking the earth, living life.

[@oldgreggscreamybaileys6618]

The story about Churchill had me in stitches, it’s like a comedy sketch. The way he tells the story paints a perfect scene in my mind.

[@JohnTaylor-pe5gf]

I've heard so many great Churchill stories. Not heard that one before though. lol

[@phillipecook3227]

Watching this I realise how far we've fallen.

[@TheRightLadder]

I know right? We went from two *amazing* world wars to nothing but skirmishes. Fingers crossed we'll have another big war soon so people can look back on us as worthy of existence.

[@marywebb9127]

I agree 👍 People had manners and class back then.

[@phillipecook3227]

@@TheRightLadder You're a stupid individual aren't you? You wouldnt recognise intelligent discourse from one of the 20th century's cultural giants if it ran you over.

[@rabby77777]

how dare you . you forget about the real house wives of new jersey

[@fuckamericanidiot]

@@TheRightLadder He was talking about this TV program, Orson Welles and the calibre of the conversation you attention-seeking dolt.

[@marc108]

After watching this interview..I watched it again and I suspect I will repeat that ritual from time to time. I want to be reminded of the wonder of intellect and how respectful it is to listen without interrupting. Tremendous stories what hero’s.

[@nomansland00707]

I thought I was the only one doing this :D

[@Kevin-gf5dh]

I agree it was heartwarming

[@TheAlps36]

Let Fallon, Leno, Corden and Ferguson have their shows but there needs to be a separate format with a silent audience and educated conversation where people just tell stories uninterrupted for minutes on end

[@SupremeBros2012]

I always have deep respect for people who stood up for what was right when it wasn't fashionable to do so, Long live Orson Welles

[@collisw8302]

He stuck his neck out for Isaac Woodard and called for justice when he didn't need to, he spent 4 consective Sunday broadcasts talking about it exclusively. Orson was a good man :)

[@robr9411]

Wow, shortest 12 minute clip on KZbin.

[@incognito4825]

Still worth it.

[@heymancoolvideo]

Orson Wells is often depicted as a raging narcissist, but he seems like a thoughtful, sensitive person. And who would've thought he was such an incredible witness to history?

[@kevinzhang3313]

Because one interview reflects the entirety of his life?

[@nicholasreid1836]

I have the greatest admiration for Orson Welles as a film-maker and have seen virtually all of his oeuvre. However, having read three full biographies of him (two admiring, one not-so-much) I am also aware that as a raconteur he was an awful bullshitter. Even when it is delivered as smoothly, and with such well-rehearsed "modesty" as here, I would take with a very big pinch of salt much of what he says. Notoriously he was a self-mythologiser who simply made up many details when he claimed to be remembering his life. Of course I am sorry we no longer have such civilised interviewers as Dick Cavett, but that doesn't erase the fact that much of Welles' patter is well-honed fiction.

[@ProgRockNerd]

@@nicholasreid1836 We used to call them "tall tales". We weren't *really* supposed to believe them, but they were entertaining.

[@mats7492]

@@nicholasreid1836 well, considering the humour of winston churchill, its quite believable that he wouldve done it exactly as told

[@heymancoolvideo]

THE GENERAL Interesting. What are those traits? I’d like to be able to pick up on them too.

[@keepinmahprivacy9754]

I like how Orson calls his eyes his "camera" and his memory a "film".

[@JonnyUnderrated]

I like how you reminded us. Velly niiice.

[@70mjc]

Keepin Mahprivacy a 2nd grade allegory. How grossly elementary

[@ZiddersRooFurry]

@@70mjc The only thing second grade here is your attitude.

[@keepinmahprivacy9754]

Ah, you are so much more advanced I guess. How many Academy Award winning films have you written and directed?

[@keepinmahprivacy9754]

@Mind Control Experiments Wow, you noticed.

[@idlehour]

Amazing writer. Great voice, great story teller, extremely articulate, an intellectual, cultured, human.

[@mikemiles728]

It's wonderful to watch an actual conversation. We so rarely see those any more.

[@BubblewrapHighway]

That's why I love Christopher Hitchens and Joey Diaz.

[@wetdroidedition2549]

Joe Rogan Show, you can watch or listen real conversations there

[@vanessalaurence1597]

The entertainers back in the day lived very interesting lives!

[@RealmDesigner]

@Big Bill O'Reilly 100% podcasts are great and provide massive amounts of long-form conversations.

[@RoseSharon7777]

People no longer have the mental capacity to undestand more than one sentence without foul language. Threw my TV out 4 years ago, the best thing I've done since 1979!

[@johnnieireland2057]

When people didnt have the attention span of a gold fish, and the art of conversation was at it's finest.

[@GronkDroid]

Wise beyond your years 👍

[@Syncopator]

Everything is relative. There's a Cavett interview with François Truffaut where the subject of US audience attention span came up. Truffaut challenges Cavett to have them both sit completely silent for 60 seconds. Reluctantly, Cavett agrees. So they sit there for 60 seconds in complete silence, with Cavett fidgeting nervously. When the time is up, Truffeaut asks Cavett what was going through his mind during that time, and Cavett says he was wondering what people would think who happened to be changing channels right then and came to their silence and thought their TV audio might have gone out, and how many of his viewers might have chosen that moment to switch away to something else. It REALLY made Cavett anxious.

[@God-mb8wi]

well, kurt cobain was brilliant; but his interviews are generally terrible

[@rawmark]

Amen to that. This is exactly why I don't have an idiot phone, commonly known as a smartphone.

[@johnnieireland2057]

@@God-mb8wi what does kurt cobain have to do with this

[@questioneverything3026]

I am 43 how have i managed to miss this, You could sit and listen for hours.

[@larrytate4586]

I forgot how captivating this man’s voice, tone and manner in speaking and storytelling can draw you in and make you forget about time, living only in that moment.

[@MrDaddynomates]

A host allowing the guest to speak. And an audience doing the same. How times have changed.

[@ChadTownsend]

The ending to his last story about Churchill had me laughing so hard. I would have loved to talk with Mr. Wells.

[@davidlogansr8007]

Chad Townsend Mr Welles.

[@lan._.]

Such a great story

[@mymh8633]

Maybe you will one day, this mans definitely in heaven

[@ilaser4064]

Yeah, I don't often find things funny but that was hilarious!

[@jamesguy1030]

Chad Townsend ~ Yeah, Check out the amazing documentary footage called = “Churchill’s War!” By David Irving You Won’t Be Disappointed !

[@gertrudemcfuzz74]

Bored by Hitler, bowed to by Churchill, and rebuilt Megatron. What a life.

[@jaronimo1976]

Very clever! :-P

[@garyenwards1608]

@Tom Bombadildo i dunno but we gotta take him out before he bewitches us with his silver tongue

[@bfettrulez6734]

You can clearly tell Maurice Lamarche was inspired by Orson Welles when providing the voice of Brain on Pinky & The Brain

[@jayzrat]

Billy McCarthy The person who scared america on October 31, 1939

[@davidbeattie4328]

@Tom Bombadildo Look him up, he did a lot of interest shit, one thing that springs to mind is a radio broadcast narration of 'War of the Worlds' that many Americans believed to be a true news report of an alien invasion. Hundreds of people armed them selves and quite a few people committed suicide.

[@GenMasterB]

I watched this back in the day. I love Cavett. His style was 2nd to none and also makes me realize his style is not unlike Joe Rogan's sit and chat. It's shows this is still the best way to interview. So glad they posted Cavett's interviews. Classic stuff.

[@khizersultan42]

"my camera was angled so he didn't know he was being photographed in somebody's film of memory", what a line

[@readmelancholystrumpetmaster]

Cavett, smart as he is, knows when to step aside in the face of greatness.... Name one of today's talk-show clowns with such sense.

[@traddad9172]

True + name someone current day worth hearing from on one of those clown interview shows

[@traddad9172]

@John it sure is, nothing on television intrests me anymore

[@kenneththompson8933]

Tv reflects the popcorn trash of today's media culture..

[@FireMrshlBill]

Podcasts are the best medium for this kind of conversation and story telling right now.

[@mitch9347]

Letterman, Conan, Ferguson, Stewart.

[@Joseph_Greco]

I grew up on this era of television when talk shows were truly interesting, entertaining and not to be missed, especially with a guest like Orson Welles.

[@eerievibes6854]

So you're like 100? Jk

[@tuxguys]

An excerpt from one of the greatest conversations in late-night talkshow history, between one of the greatest hosts, and one of the greatest guests.

[@richardsiciliano7117]

I could listen to Orson Welles talk for hours and hours. Absolutely fascinating individual.

[@mduyn]

Love listening to Orson tell his stories, always creates a perfect mind picture

[@riccardoverde4683]

He's greta to listen to- but he never stops lying. None of this is true.

[@portaadonai]

I guess that was his special talent wasnt it? So good, the public went into a hysteria believing aliens had invaded our land

[@riccardoverde4683]

@Benny Hill no, I wasn't becasue i was playing golf with Stalin, in those days.

[@riccardoverde4683]

@Benny Hill very ruthless golf player- not a nose bleeder, if he got his nose in front.

[@MarioAtheonio]

Of course it's all made up, this is Orson Welles we're talking about.

[@mtobrien1]

I had no idea Orson Wells was so humble and self-deprecating.

[@abc8722]

Yes, he could play that role well from time to time. What an American original, though.

[@AnnusMirabilus]

He often said that his success was due to luck. "There is no justice. People just get good luck or bad luck."

[@abc8722]

@Agent J Cool -- I wasn't complaining about anything. I wasn't being sarcastic about him being an American original. I love his work, and his interviews. But let's not pretend he was humble in all settings, because that's just not supported by the facts.

[@abc8722]

@Agent J "Dip shits dispense unwanted, unqualified advice." You're not my life coach; you're an internet stranger. We're done here.

[@richardgillette5759]

only in his elder years

[@zzz181085]

The amount of charisma this guy radiates is immeasurable.

[@Rickyroo1980]

Incredible that next year this interview will be 50 years old, this was only 25 years after ww2

[@ryandewhirst1579]

And to think his War of the Worlds broadcast was over 80 years ago...

[@phillipecook3227]

Yes. I was thinking recently about something I'd forgotten. When I was growing up in the UK in the 1960s almost every single male adult you met or read about had WW2 service of one kind or another. It was so all pervasive that you hardly gave it a second thought.

[@sirfredrickeggenhauser2795]

So to us ww2 would’ve happened in ‘95

[@coult45usmc]

He’s that friend who always has a story to “one up” any story you’re trying to tell.

[@phimseto]

And the damnable thing is that he can do it every time! :-D

[@shamanic1]

Yes, but it wouldn't be born of insecurity, which is the usual impulse.

[@CoreyJason]

And you wouldn’t be threatened in the slightest every time he did.

[@guidoguido2245]

And effortlessly, as well, of course. Never trying so hard that it could come off as desperate. Simply because he HAS those stories.

[@goat504]

But his stories really did one up ours and you got the feeling that if he did one up you, you would let him.

[@iangarner8857]

I love how he speaks. His voice is captivating. Could listen to him all day.

[@michaeljames4904]

I’ve never seen Cavett so happy as when Welles asks whether his host would mind if he recounted a story... Dick just sits back and grins and hands over the stage. The perfect guest.

[@iangarner8857]

I must say Cavett is such a great interviewer he lets his guests speak and makes it all about them. I think he's even better than Michael Parkinson for doing that. Orson Welles must have been a gift of an interview.

[@CaapriceTube1]

right, like he's reciting a play or doing theatre.

[@travismiles5885]

The story of the General and the young soldier is true leadership on display. That General tended to his troop first. That soldier was more important than what the General and Mr. Wells were doing at that moment. As a veteran myself that story warmed my heart. Respect.

[@terragthegreat175]

Imagine Orson Welles on the Joe Rogan Experience

[@carrollshelby8690]

I can't imagine Welles sitting across from that idiot Rogan.

[@odw_99]

Carroll Shelby can’t you imagine them sat across from each other, smoking cigars, discussing DMT and elk meat?

[@Geotubest]

Joe Rogan is a meathead with the intellectual capacity of a gnat.

[@carrollshelby8690]

@@odw_99 No. And I have met Orson Welles (at a dinner party at director Joseph Sargent's home in Malibu).

[@odw_99]

Carroll Shelby ah that’s a shame, I’d love to know Mr. Welles opinions on DMT! It was just a light hearted comment, lighten up!

[@Thecoochincanoocheecreek]

When he said “anthropology” my heart skipped a beat! I so admire him, and I dropped out of college after taking 4 semesters of only anthropology courses 🤣🤣

[@ferretcatcher2377]

I wonder if the interviewer knew what Anthropology is about.

[@scottk1525]

*Talk shows then:* Adolf Hitler, Winston Churchill *Talk shows now:* Carpool Karaoke, Jimmy Fallon laughing

[@LookToWindward]

Talk shows in the future: Hitler Karaoke with Jimmy Fallon

[@Necrosoro1]

I'm very much torn with your comment. I want to give a like to you for the truth, I would also want to dislike it for the same truth.

[@dianheffernan2435]

Jerry Springer??...🤪🤕😱😓

[@liquidsonly]

Orson Welles was well known for inventing entire fictional stories about himself.

[@bjorn-jameshanrahan8183]

That’s what podcasts are for

[@ThrobbGoblin]

Every time I thought "Well, I've heard what I came to hear," he pulls me back in to hear the next story. What an interesting conversationalist.

[@ableone7855]

This is an example of two intelligent and interesting men in an era when the intelligent public had the capacity to appreciate simplicity of plain speaking men.

[@Dr.TJ_Eckleburg]

Just IMAGINE the insane SJW outrage if a celebrity today had talked about having dinner with Hitler like this.

[@Learned_English_Dog]

What about the Hitler anecdote makes you think that? Welles makes a point of highlighting Hitler's vacuity, his utter lack of personality. Insulting Hitler tends to go down very well with social justice types.

[@Dr.TJ_Eckleburg]

@@Learned_English_Dog He came off as nowhere NEAR indignant enough to satisfy the SJW mob. To normal people he was very obviously being insulting towards Hitler and the Nazis. But SJWs are not normal people. This conversation would never ever be tolerated today. Look at what happened with Liam Neeson. He tried to have a similarly adult conversation about his own deeply personal experience with racism after his sister was raped, using it as an example of how not to react to tragedy and a cautionary lesson to not allow hate to consume you. And for that he got nothing but SJW outrage and blacklisted from Hollywood. On a show like this his story would have been thoughtfully considered and appreciated by the host and the audience. But we cannot have adult conversations about ANYTHING anymore.

[@moominpic]

It would never work today!

[@stephenhargrave7922]

Hit the nail on the head! ADULT conversations. We are not allowed adult ANYTHING! Conversation music movies art etc etc And the dialogue now in television serials (I mean you too Netflix) everybody including the 30 and 40yo actors sound like my sister talked whenever she was 12. It's pathetic and OUTRAGEOUS! They try to write witty and young hip banter but it comes off infantile flat and obnoxious

[@brandonguthrie8122]

The way he shapes his sentences and wording is astounding. Such an awesome story teller.

[@mskidi]

He shapes them exactly like Gore Vidal or vice versa. Both from affluent, well educated families, you could say some type of american aristocracy, both very fond of themselves.

[@katherinekelly6432]

"A tremendous gentleman, an old fashioned institution that is not with us anymore" He would be shocked to see how it is in 2019.

[@ronnieacerra1382]

Katherine Kelly So agree. We should start a club. We need our voices to heard!

[@patricksalish]

You and me could make an orson baby

[@news603redux]

Not only shocked, Kelly, sickened as well.

[@johnlandeche5056]

Hey your pretty, interesting, and smart

[@katherinekelly6432]

Thank you! I don't really think of myself in those ways but I appreciate the compliment

[@anthonybeasley7076]

What I gathered about Churchill standing to bow, was that he was bowing for his role in getting Orwell's project financed, which was BRILLIANT!!!

[@zflynn2]

"...That day at lunch I came with the financier again and Mr. Churchill rose...and bowed." I laugh harder every time I hear him say that. One of the greatest true stories ever.

[@honesty_-no9he]

It is total bullshit. Great to listen to. But it is BS.

[@cgh6114]

Why isn't the interviewer interrupting every 20 seconds to tell the guest what the real answers to his questions are?

[@richardbird6945]

Because Wells was a total fool.

[@dennismcclain1931]

Because Cavet had some class, and allowed guests to speak uninterrupted, as that was the actual point of a talk show, unlike the rubbish shows that turned into a circus years later with ratings being the prime concern.

[@twod0ves]

@@richardbird6945 shut up soyboy

[@JoshuaKevinPerry]

This isn't run by Operation Mockingbird like the "news" of today

[@lstarrtna4288]

@@richardbird6945 shut up

[@astroman71]

He's such a captivating and witty person, I could listen to his stories for hours Thanks for sharing.

[@MrMatisse22]

Probably the most interesting interview I've ever watched. How refreshing to listen to someone intelligent who has something to say, and says it well.

[@martinallen6170]

I punched him once, but i admit he took it gracefully, a true gentleman.

[@martinallen6170]

He was so refreshing even ten pints of cider have no quality Street on legs! Thank you sir, i take a bow, you must admit though, i have talent.

[@martinallen6170]

Im waiting!

[@martinallen6170]

Im waiting!

[@martinallen6170]

Still waiting sir! Only gentlemen like me will wait for recognition , you like that word?

[@NeonRadarMusic]

It makes me sad that most audiences wouldn't have the patience for stunning interviews like this today.

[@noriemeha]

You'd have to put it down a phone to them

[@jimmy2k4o]

I’m watching this on my phone. It looks like I’m looking at some brain rot but I’m not.

[@i.m.7710]

"In the days when the Nazis were just a very comical kind of minority party of nuts that nobody took seriously at all." - Orson Welles

[@thegreenbird795]

People too often laugh at the strange and unusual....

[@moesypittounikos]

At least the Nazis wanted your kids to have zero dept education.

[@tobiashirup953]

@@casje6063 I think he meant debt

[@anthonya2349]

@Not In The Box Right he's one of your guys, at least till one of you step out of line.

[@paulthepainter2366]

2015 usa

[@bernardguynunns5658]

The story he relates about Churchill is one of my all time favourites. Welles is sometimes thought of as a 'storyteller' but this vignette rings absolutely true.

[@tomf1dublin1]

This has got to be one of the best uses of youtube - to see old heroes of the past. Cavett just puts out a topic and allows time for guest to speak. amazing to see.