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

Orson Welles tells stories of crossing paths with high-profile people, from Winston Churchill to Adolf Hitler.
Orson Welles' interviews don't come short of name drops!
Date aired - July 27th, 1970 - Orson Welles
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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 #OrsonWelles #WinstonChurchill #AdolfHitler #1970s #CitizenKane #TouchOfEvil #Directors #Films #WorldWarII #Jewish

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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

[@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.

[@murrayspiffy2815]

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

[@Afterlife7377]

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.

[@Fire_ov_Renewal]

​@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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

[@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.

[@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.

[@Afterlife7377]

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.

[@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

[@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

[@punishedsnake6141]

Van Halen, not Van Haggar

[@Dinnerwiththeavilas]

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

[@LordofMovies91]

@@punishedsnake6141 I understood that reference

[@Finians_Mancave]

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

[@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

[@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!

[@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

[@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.

[@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 .

[@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 :)

[@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.

[@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

[@FloridaJay]

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.

[@idlehour]

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

[@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 🤣🤣

[@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!

[@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

[@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.

[@jakobvonbugmann]

“I feel that anthropology is only at it’s beginning, you know, and that philosophy is at really at it’s end” Oh, how true you were

[@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."

[@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.

[@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

[@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.

[@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. ;)

[@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

[@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!

[@cavarANIMA]

The way Dick Cavett says “Certainly” and smiles when Wells asks can he tell a story about George Marshall is what’s it all about. Joy to listen to his interviews

[@potatoface4698]

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.

[@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.

[@boohutt]

Cavett: So, Abraham Lincoln......... Orson Welles: I was performing on stage when I heard the shot...!

[@Colspex]

Cavett: So, Jesus... Orson Welles: Well I was teaching Josef carpentry when he one day said...

[@ahyan6681]

Cavett: So, Marlon Brando... Orson Welles: I was right there when the oscar thing happened

[@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

[@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.

[@ericad8616]

I love listening to Orson Welles speak. He was so articulate and his voice had such a rich timbre. I could listen to him talk for hours and hours, regardless of the subject.

[@Drazicist]

Never let the truth get in the way of a good story. Something Welles lived by

[@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?

[@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

[@zzz181085]

The amount of charisma this guy radiates is immeasurable.

[@darkevilazn]

This is an amazing interview. I wish talk shows of today would still have the poise, dignity, and respect for intellectual guests. Letting him tell the story, only interjecting when you want help smooth the flow of the story while actually listening to the guest doesn't exist much anymore.

[@gypsylily2949]

Tucker is the great interviewer of today.

[@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.

[@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

[@dr.barrycohn5461]

Such humanity and humility. A larger than life personality to match his intellect.

[@michaelbruns449]

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

[@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.

[@Afterlife7377]

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.

[@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?

[@munkeybutt]

What an amazing way to insult Hitler without actively insulting him - “He was invisible. He made no impression on me whatsoever.” Love Welles!!

[@emmetzet]

... until 5,000 people started shouting " seig heil! " 😐

[@dandankovsky7968]

That description fits Putin so well. He had a nickname Gray Moth for looking so insignificant.

[@brianpeppers7455]

Its a fabrication, if you dont realize he made this up, then you are dumb or blind.

[@gardensofthegods]

Decades ago I read a book about him called Morning of the Magician , wherein it describes him as just another starving artist and a nobody who became involved with a group of people involved with some esoteric knowledge and that one day they had him go in an office there and when he came out he was trembling and sweating saying he had just met this very tall superhuman and it changed him ... and shortly thereafter, that he went from being this invisible nobody to talking to groups at places like a local tavern where all of a sudden he was full of charisma representing this group and speaking for them . And of course his power grew and I really do believe that Orson Welles saw him and sat near him

[@thomashernandez8700]

@@dandankovsky7968 thanks. Cool.

[@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.

[@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

[@StuffMadeOnDreams]

I find Orson Welles more fascinating on film screen as on TV screen talking about himself. He certainly was one of those examples of what a lack of traditional education can achieve in the human mind: limitless energetic creativity.

[@prla5400]

This dude has a very good imagination and can make up intriguing stories on the go.

[@3UZFE]

Nothing like some fiction!

[@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 !

[@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.

[@danielcliment8251]

What an awesome man, one tends to think than people of this caliber are solemn, serious, or even pedantic, he was so funny, light and such a cool person to had a casual chat.

[@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.

[@whatisiswhatable]

Man.. if Philip Seymour hadn’t passed, he probably would have played him in a biopic

[@reprogrammingmind]

PS is too dumb and full of heroin to play a genius legend.

[@imthedogsbollocksnotyou.7826]

@@reprogrammingmind PSH was a fantastic Actor, You do know he's dead right??

[@Frottagecub]

There’s always Oliver Platt.

[@kristopherryanwatson]

Oh man...PSH. Good eye. i totally see that. Now I think we might only have Jack Black to possibly ever have that opportunity if ever.

[@katsam4457]

I think Russell Crowe could play older Orson Welles

[@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

[@sailingstpommedeterre4905]

Orsen Welles is one of those people who can make any story absolutely interesting. He also was witness to many world events and met many important people in the day. Loved every movie this man was associated with.

[@gaae2000]

Can you imagine, he is only 55yo on this interview from 1970.

[@MrDaddynomates]

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

[@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.

[@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.

[@Squired85]

I don't know how many times I've watched this video but it's by far the greatest interview of all time.

[@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

[@grantbarnes6004]

"I knew Napoleon too. Short, angry man but a genius."

[@mgn5667]

haaa right on

[@elwoodjacobs4353]

Of the classic talk show s I've seen, Dick Cavett has to be my favorite because it's actually a *talk* show. Dick sits & talks with the guest, doesn't cut them off, doesn't clog up the interview with stupid jokes, & waits for them to finish before asking the next question. The audience is great too. As far as I can tell, they aren't being told to react, they do it naturally.

[@pasosdegigante7]

Such a delight to listen to these "little stories" so wonderfully told

[@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

[@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!

[@taterbapple9847]

Such well preserved interviews. Awesome. The pace and style of the engagements is enchanting.

[@johnlarocco3348]

This is a great interview of two Americans who loved their country and boy do we like them some too. Cavett had the best guests ever.

[@umungus518]

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

[@martinallen6170]

Basically boring

[@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

[@judypasqualone5392]

What an experience.....just to hear this man speak. I love his humor. An amazing person..I wish I could have met him.

[@ehlerhog]

This man is so fascinating, I loved his acting as well as the man himself. The best storyteller...

[@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

[@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!

[@jiminycrint]

Such a good interview. Back in the day it was often like this, a proper discussion between two bright people

[@jeremybear573]

Shout out to Dick who's still kicking in 2022!

[@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.

[@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

[@ruksanakabir46]

Orson welles talk very artistic way, he was theater actor I can see with all his brilliance he could do well with anthropology

[@augustwest5273]

My grandfather and Orson were friends. They did war of the worlds together. My grandfather was the radio announcer while Orson narrated. The stories I heard were fascinating given the political climate. He performed in front of hitler years before WW2 in the 30’s. I’ve always been interested in Orson Wells and the community surrounding given their friendship but more so how easily the Gov would blacklist anyone in the 50s and 60s with MCarthy-ism etc.

[@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.

[@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.

[@StephNuggs]

"Ah Jean d'Arc, lovely woman. We shared a cup of coffee together in Marseille a while back"

[@GregorySkidmore]

Epic. That's a word I reserve only for the penultimate examples of experience, knowledge, and poise. What a great person, to share these anecdotes from such a unique perspective in life.