The Dick Cavett Show

But he was determined saying, I think a statement needs to be made here.

In 1970, on a Dick Cavett show, Hefner got called up by Women's Live, one of a couple of the representatives, not Gloria Steinem, not anyone you would know directly, but I'll give you the names later.

That was in 1970.

And then he also did a David Letterman show at the point where Letterman was wanting all the details about the mansion.

I think that women over generations and centuries have indeed been oppressed.

I think there's no question about it.

Now, the woman pushing back at that point, Susan Brownmiller with Sally Kempton on, again, The Dick Cavett Show.

Brownmiller had written a book called Against Our Will, Men, Women, and Rape, selected by the New York Public Library at the time as one of the 100 most important books of the 20th century.

I could tell you if you want, but...

The point is just to do everything slower and to clear a channel.

And I've just got a couple of stories for you in a minute, just very quick ones.

But have you meditated before or is it something you do?

I'm not saying it has to be mystical.

You're creating a space for thoughts and images to come into your head.

And the problem with thought is that it's continually blocking the channel because we're all thinking all day.

And when you do get in a meditative state, best way I could describe it, it's a bit like that moment just before you go to sleep.

[tense music]So he writes this book, and it doesn't even sell that well to begin with.

It's not until he goes on The Dick Cavett Show and gets involved in this conversation about whether the Devil exists or not.

And for some reason, that lights the spark, and literally within the week, he is on The New York Times Best Seller list.

It's incredible.

... not with Orson, but they still had a great bond.

And then Woody Allen, they use a, a Woody Allen appearing on The Dick Cavett Show to be Alvy Singer appearing on Dick Cavett.

Well, you know, it's forgotten.

Mm.

And Joni had a, had to do a TV show, uh, with Dick Cavett, which was her first television show, and it was very important for her that she make it.

And they realized that she may not be able to get out of Woodstock in time to be able to do the Dick Cavett Show.

And so when w- when we got back from Woodstock, Joni played us her version of, of, of the song, her version being slower, more purple if, if you know what I mean.

And when she played it, Stephen said, "Joni, can we have that song? I can turn it into a great rock and roll song." And she trusted Stephen, and she said, "Okay." And that's how we got w- uh, the song Woodstock.

it kind of just jammed up.

[laughs] About a month later, he was on The Dick Cavett Show, and, uh, uh, he, uh, Cavett asked Hendrix about the controversy, and Hendrix said, "I'm an American, so I played it." I d-, I, I don't know what Jimi Hendrix would've sounded like.

[laughs] Cavett said, he told the au- the audience of Hendrix's service in the 101st Airborne and called it unorthodox, and Hendrix said, "I thought it was beautiful," and the audience applauded.

So what do you think? Protest or tribute?

[laughs]

How about, uh, The Dick Cavett Show?

[laughs] Yes.

There you-

Bette Davis looked up to Gladys Cooper.

And when she did The Dick Cavett Show in the 1970s, Gladys Cooper had just died.

And so Bette Davis acknowledged that because she said, you know, "She played my mother in Now, Voyager." She had the utmost respect for Gladys Cooper.

The Dick Cavett interview is very infamous, where Bette Davis, people accuse her of, of complaining.