Dick Cavett with Emerson College

Interviewer

View Full Interview

The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

02:26

Tab

About

About this interview

In his two-hour interview for the American Comedy Archives at Emerson College, Dick Cavett talks about the wisdoms and anecdotes he's gathered over his long career in comedy. He talks about how depression and comedy go hand in hand, and how every performer puts on "the mask of sanity" before getting on stage. He also speaks of the Pagliacci Syndrome, which draws links between depression and comedians, and discusses learning from, working with, and/or writing for several comedy legends, including Jack Paar, Bob Hope, Johnny Carson, Groucho Marx, and Woody Allen. He recalls his first performance on The Ed Sullivan Show, shares insights into his style of comedy, and offers advice to aspiring comedians. Bill Dana and Jenni Matz conducted the interview on February 23, 2005 in New York City, NY.

All views expressed by interviewees are theirs alone and not necessarily those of the Television Academy.

"Exposure to the best in your field is not the easiest thing to come by, except maybe as a spectator. But if you're lucky enough to get to be working for them, as I was lucky enough to get to be, that's priceless."

People Talking About ...

Highlights

Dick Cavett on the profession he most identifies with -- he feels most comfortable as a writer, yet has a penchant for being in front of an audience

05:30

Dick Cavett on the Pagliacci syndrome and the relationship between comedy and depression

07:24

Dick Cavett on his creative influences

02:46

Dick Cavett on how he feels about being called "intelligent" and the challenges of writing for himself as opposed to writing for others

03:10

Dick Cavett on what he learned from Groucho Marx during the two weeks Marx hosted The Tonight Show

02:14

Dick Cavett on a piece of advice he once offered to young people

01:42

Full Interview

Play Full Interview

Chapter 1

On the profession he most identifies with -- he feels most comfortable as a writer; on when he knew he wanted to be in front of an audience; on enjoying being heckled; on humor as a tool for maintaining sanity; on the Pagliacci syndrome and the relationship between comedy and depression

On Bob Hope likely not having depression and what he learned from Bob Hope; on the importance of knowing the great comedians who came before you; on what he learned from classic comics, including Groucho Marx; on performing when depressed; on being depressed during an appearance on David Letterman's show

On whether humor saves his life every day; on the power of comedy to affect change and on performing at USO shows; on how he tells jokes to people going off to war; on Bob Hope at USO shows; on the likeability of comics and the possibility of laughing at comics you don't like; on his first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show; on his creative influences; on how he feels about being called "intelligent" and the challenges of writing for himself as opposed to writing for others; on the predominance of Jewish comics when he was starting out

On the business of comedy; on his comedy style and the difficulty of writing material for yourself; on moments when comics appear unlike themselves

On whether or not he should have done something else with his life; on a dinner he once had with Johnny Carson, at which he and Carson got emotional; on how TV show hosts balance public and private lives; on a piece of advice he once offered to young people; on Emerson College; on a memory of Aaron Brown and Charles Grodin

Shows

Ed Sullivan Show, The aka Toast of the Town

Dick Cavett on the comedy team Wayne and Shuster appearing on The Ed Sullivan Show and Ed Sullivan being hard of hearing

02:05

Dick Cavett on his first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show

01:21

Emmy Awards, The (Primetime and Daytime)

Dick Cavett on a line from Jon Stewart at the Emmys

00:29

Tonight Show, The (1962)

Dick Cavett on what he learned from Groucho Marx during the two weeks Marx hosted The Tonight Show

02:14

Topics

Advice

Dick Cavett on a piece of advice he once offered to young people

01:42

Creative Influences and Inspiration

Dick Cavett on his creative influences

02:46

Historic Events and Social Change

Dick Cavett on Bob Hope getting booed at a USO show in Vietnam

01:03

Pivotal Career Moments

Dick Cavett on his creative influences

02:46

Television Industry

Dick Cavett on the business of comedy

03:03

Dick Cavett on a piece of advice he once offered to young people

01:42

Vietnam War

Dick Cavett on Bob Hope getting booed at a USO show in Vietnam

01:03

War

Dick Cavett on Bob Hope getting booed at a USO show in Vietnam

01:03

Professions

Comedian

View Profession

Dick Cavett on the likeability of comics and the possibility of laughing at comics you don't like

04:50

Dick Cavett on his comedy style and the difficulty of writing material for yourself

08:26

Hosts

View Profession

Dick Cavett on how TV show hosts balance public and private lives

03:05

Performers

View Profession

Dick Cavett on the likeability of comics and the possibility of laughing at comics you don't like

04:50

Dick Cavett on his comedy style and the difficulty of writing material for yourself

08:26

Talk Show Host

View Profession

Dick Cavett on how TV show hosts balance public and private lives

03:05

Writers

View Profession

Dick Cavett on the profession he most identifies with -- he feels most comfortable as a writer, yet has a penchant for being in front of an audience

05:30

Dick Cavett on his comedy style and the difficulty of writing material for yourself

08:26

Genres

Late Night

Dick Cavett on how TV show hosts balance public and private lives

03:05

Music Shows & Variety Shows/Specials

Dick Cavett on what he learned from Groucho Marx during the two weeks Marx hosted The Tonight Show

02:14

Dick Cavett on his first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show

01:21

Dick Cavett on the comedy team Wayne and Shuster appearing on The Ed Sullivan Show and Ed Sullivan being hard of hearing

02:05

Talk Shows

Dick Cavett on how TV show hosts balance public and private lives

03:05

People

Basil Rathbone

View Person Page

Dick Cavett on a comment by Basil Rathbone about Danny Kaye

00:59

Bob Hope

View Person Page

Dick Cavett on Bob Hope likely not having depression and what he learned from Bob Hope

03:16

Dick Cavett on an interaction between Bob Hope and Maurice Chevalier

03:56

Dick Cavett on how he tells jokes to people going off to war and on Bob Hope at USO shows

03:41

Dick Cavett on Bob Hope's influence on Woody Allen and on him

01:36

Buddy Hackett

View Person Page

Dick Cavett on the late Buddy Hackett

00:52

Charles Grodin

View Interview Page

Dick Cavett on a memory of Aaron Brown and Charles Grodin

01:52

Danny Kaye

View Person Page

Dick Cavett on a comment by Basil Rathbone about Danny Kaye

00:59

David Letterman

View Person Page

Dick Cavett on being depressed during an appearance on David Letterman's show

02:24

Ed Sullivan

View Person Page

Dick Cavett on the comedy team Wayne and Shuster appearing on The Ed Sullivan Show and Ed Sullivan being hard of hearing

02:05

Groucho Marx

View Person Page

Dick Cavett on what he learned from Groucho Marx during the two weeks Marx hosted The Tonight Show

02:14

Dick Cavett on a letter he received from Groucho Marx

00:40

Dick Cavett on his comedy style and the difficulty of writing material for yourself

03:27

Dick Cavett on the last time he saw Groucho Marx and one of the last conversations he had with Groucho

02:27

Jack Paar

View Person Page

Dick Cavett on his creative influences - Jack Paar

00:26

Dick Cavett on the predominance of Jewish comics when he was starting out; on his first comedy writing job -- for Jack Paar, who wasn't Jewish, and on the many comics with the last name "Allen"

01:30

Dick Cavett on how TV show hosts balance public and private lives

03:05

Joan Plowright

View Person Page

Dick Cavett on suffering from depression when Laurence Olivier and Joan Plowright were guests on the show

04:03

Johnny Carson

View Person Page

Dick Cavett on wondering for how many hours of his life Johnny Carson was "on"

00:37

Dick Cavett on being told by announcer Bob Johnson that he, like Johnny Carson, would get out of Nebraska

01:06

Dick Cavett on a dinner he once had with Johnny Carson, at which he and Carson got emotional

07:08

Dick Cavett on how TV show hosts balance public and private lives

01:09

Jon Stewart

View Person Page

Dick Cavett on a line from Jon Stewart at the Emmys

00:29

Laurence Olivier

View Person Page

Dick Cavett on suffering from depression when Laurence Olivier and Joan Plowright were guests on the show

04:03

Marlon Brando

View Person Page

Dick Cavett on Marlon Brando suffering from depression and how he gets through depressive episodes

02:35

Mel Brooks

View Person Page

Dick Cavett on improvising with Mel Brooks - one of the biggest thrills he ever had

01:51

Mort Lachman

View Interview Page

Dick Cavett on what Mort Lachman taught him about comedy writers

00:39

Oliver Hardy

View Person Page

Dick Cavett on moments when comics appear unlike themselves - Laurel and Hardy

01:31

Stan Laurel

View Person Page

Dick Cavett on moments when comics appear unlike themselves - Laurel and Hardy

01:31

Steve Allen

View Interview Page

Dick Cavett on how TV show hosts balance public and private lives

03:05

Woody Allen

View Person Page

Dick Cavett on Bob Hope's influence on Woody Allen

00:34

Dick Cavett on his comedy style and the difficulty of writing material for yourself; on guidance from mentor Woody Allen

05:15

Dick Cavett on a joke he wrote that Woody Allen liked

00:38