May 26th, 1969- September 19th, 1969 (ABC)
December 29th, 1969- January 1st, 1975 (ABC)
August 16th, 1975 - September 6th 1975 (CBS)
1977-1981 (PBS)
Guest: Groucho Marx.
This broadcast was reduced from its customary one hour time slot to a half hour because of a special broadcast scheduled to follow at 10:30pm (US Open Golf Highlights).
The first of five appearances by Groucho Marx on THE DICK CAVETT SHOW. Groucho is introduced by Cavett. He sings "Hello, I Must Be Going," a tune he sung in the Marx Brothers motion picture, HORSE FEATHERES. Dick comments on Groucho's hat. Groucho states that he is glad that Dick Cavett is back on television with a prime time show.
Groucho Marx reminisces about his childhood and his home where he lived in Manhattan and first days attending elementary school.
Other topics:
Dinning with Cavett at The Colony restaurant, early days making films (19 of them), Greta Gabo story about she backing up into him in an elevator, women whom flirt with Groucho, revival enthusiasm with Marx Brothers motion pictures playing to new audiences, thriftiness as a child, encounter as a youngster with a tough kid who knocked Groucho out in the street, Groucho stealing a typewriter at age ten years old, favorite singers including Al Jolson, Perry Como and Tom Jones.
Groucho Marx sings the complete song "Lydia the Tattooed Lady," from the movie A DAY AT THE CIRCUS, and states an anecdote during the making of the film when a midget had to be hired last minute to fit into an Orangutan's costume.
Dick Cavett thanks Groucho Marx for appearing on the show and mentions again the briefness of the broadcast due to a special US Open Highlights broadcast following on ABC TV.
NOTE: This night after sign off, Groucho continued to guest with Dick Cavett for another half hour. It was tape recorded but never broadcast until years later when a special composite highlights DVD was issued comprising highlights from all five of Groucho Marx appearances, including the above additional Groucho Marx second half interview with Dick Cavett.
This material does not include original open and closing remarks broadcast during the July 13, 1969 broadcast that is included in the Archival Television Audio, Inc.Air Check recording,including Mennen Protein 29 hair grooming and Playtex living bra and gertile commercials.
Dick Cavett entered late night television in 1969. During the summer of 1969 he hosted a thrice-weekly prime-time series on ABC, and later that year he succeeded Joey Bishop as host of the network's late-night talk show. Cavett brought with him the announcer and bandleader who had worked with him on his earlier shows - Fred Foy, who was for decades the announcer of The Lone Ranger on radio and television, and drummer Bobby Rosengarten. This new format was another attempt by ABC to compete against NBC's highly successful Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson. Originally broadcast five nights a week. However, by January of 1973, the show was seen only one week a month as Cavett's ratings failed to dent Carson's. Jack Paar's return to late night television after an eleven year absence was similarly seen only one week a month under the new ABC series moniker, ABC's WIDE WORLD OF ENTERTAINMENT. On January 1st, 1975, The Dick Cavett Show disappeared from the network all together.
In the fall of 1977 Cavett appeared on PBS in a half-hour talk show on which he returned to his strong talent: one - guest interviews.
Host: Dick Cavett.
Announcer: Fred Foy