Robert Altman/Mel Brooks/Peter Bogdanovich/Frank Capra

The Dick Cavett Show: Altman/Bogdanovich/Brooks/Capra (1972)

If you're a film buff then you'll certainly want to check out this episode of The Dick Cavett Show as we're given four legendary directors, three of them at the start of their careers. This here is really a lot of fun but it's a shame that it lasts just a hour. The four men are brought on stage one at a time and then there's a round table discussion where various topics are brought up including if Hollywood is on their last legs. It's interesting getting to hear from the likes of Altman and Bogdanovich who had just scored some major critical hits and Brooks does his comic bits just before his own career would take off. It's most fascinating getting to hear from Capra who talks about IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT, the disastrous LOST HORIZON screening and of course he gives some tips to the younger guys. The extended version of LOST HORIZON has been something that historians have tried to find for decades now and hearing Capra here discuss burning two reels will probably make some cry.

Episode: A

Instead of Kimmel, this late night ABC talk show starring Dick Cavett is fondly remembered - and watching this vintage episode (running 61 minutes without commercials and with a hindsight looking back at it from 21st Century vantage point intro by DC himself) was enlightening and enthralling.

Mel Brooks dominates the show, but before bringing out his quartet of film director guests, Cavett does a silly bit (typical of later Letterman antics) running up into the balcony to kid around briefly and check the operation of his lapel mic. He soon settles down to an intellectual approach, the way I remembered him.

While Brooks is all impromptu jokes and silly stream of consciousness, throwing in a pointless but dead-on Bogey (CAINE MUTINY) impression, the other three master helmers use the time to present still-potent philosophy of the film medium. Both Altman and later Capra stress that film is still in its infancy, and that purely cinematic (as opposed to movies relying heavily upon earlier art forms for structure and content, like literature and stage plays) films are yet to be made.

Even at this early stage, with only 2 features released and WHAT'S UP DOC still in the can, Bogdanovich excels as a raconteur with timely and pertinent stories of Hollywood. Both Altman's and Capra's reportage of disastrous sneak previews (BREWSTER McCLOUD and LOST HORIZON) are priceless anecdotes of how film distribution really works and all assembled are not afraid to name names when it comes to heroes (Harry Cohn, despite all the disparagement of him personally) and villains (creeps like James Aubrey and faceless conglomerate stooges) behind the scenes and not representing the creative end of the filmmaking process.

I hope more and more of these '60s and '70s talk shows like Cavett, Merv Griffin, Carson, Paar, Steve Allen, Joey Bishop and Irv Kupcinet and even the lesser lights (Les Crane and Woody Woodbury) would be made available to contrast with the often funny but generally mindless fare currently on the air. I don't think the high-brow regulars of that period (plus Andy Warhol superstars on the Griffin afternoon show) like Ashley Montagu, Alexander King, Linus Pauling, Mailer, Vidal, etc., would be invited on today.