The Dick Cavett Show (TV Series) Alfred Hitchcock (1972) User Reviews

An amazing interview with a true Hollywood Film Icon ...

[beam_er · 8/10 · 18 December 2006]

Dick Cavett does a wonderful job of allowing Alfred Hitchcock plenty of time during the hour long Interview to be Alfred. Dick sits back and lets Alfred reveal all kinds of the wonderful directorial direction Alfred used in some of his famous movies.

The beginning of the show is classic, with Dick coming from the side in shadow as Alfred did so many times on his own show, then the master himself shows the skinny Dick Cavett how it is really done, coming from the other side to meet Dick belly to belly, both in shadow.

The interview lags just a few times, mostly allowing Alfred time to catch his thoughts and spew forth more intelligent banter. You get a rare opportunity to witness and hear some of the great Brilliance this amazing director possessed. I was truly amazed at how simple some of the Techniques he used in making film magic was. I guess having that great mind behind the technique helps tremendously.

I gave it an 8 out of 10, but highly recommend this interview with out any problems whatsoever.

Great Interview for Content

[ad1965 · 8/10 · 27 June 2009]

I agree this interview gives a lot of insight into Hitchcock's personality, as well as his feelings about film-making, actors, the creative process, etc. He talks about some of the special effects innovations used in his movies, which were very clever for their time, but sound a bit dated now, naturally.

As far as interviews go, this must have been a tough one for Cavett. Hitchcock was a very low-key kind of guy, and most of his answers are brief. Cavett (who obviously did his research in preparation for the interview) spends a lot of time trying to draw Hitchcock out, with only partial success. And Hitch's deadpan delivery often makes it hard to tell when he's serious and when he's joking.

If you're a Hitchcock fan, though, it goes without saying that you will enjoy watching this show. Just be prepared for a very disjointed interview that moves in fits and starts.

Good Cavett interview with a master

[blanche-2 · 8/10 · 27 June 2009]

Dick Cavett and Alfred Hitchcock meet on stage sideways in silhouette in homage to Hitchcock's famous opening for his television show. He then proceeds to interview the director about his films.

The interview is not as insightful as Cavett's interview with Katharine Hepburn, but it's wonderful fun. Hitchcock possessed a very quick wit and flawless comic timing in what he says, and the technique he reveals for various shots is fascinating. Cavett is a charming interviewer.

I remember many of these interviews from the original broadcasts. TCM showing them is a rare opportunity for those who weren't around to see some of these greats. Hitchcock was a star in his own right, and here he demonstrates his intelligence and great sense of humor.

Hitchcock as seasoned master

[barryrd · 2 November 2014]

Watching this 1972 Dick Cavett show with Alfred Hitchcock was a treat for me as a fan of this great director. Along with the books written about Hitchcock, including the renowned Truffaut-Hitchcock conversation, this interview adds a different perspective to an overall appreciation of the director and his work.

The start of the program showing the shadows of the two men coming together was a great idea and great entertainment, particularly at a time when the audience in 1972 would have remembered the Hitchcock show opening with the famous Hitchcock silhouette. In this interview, I found Hitchcock to be very droll while projecting the gravitas of a seasoned director. My memories of Hitchcock are from his television shows where he introduces each episode. Here he conveys the impression of senior statesman of the film world, very relaxed and comfortable before an audience. His replies are slow and deliberate. This might be tough for a modern audience expecting the pace of a late night talk show today. However, it had me riveted to the television screen and reinforced my own positive impression of the director.

The interview must have been a challenge for Dick Cavett, who had to deal with Hitch's short and sometimes puzzling replies. For example, Hitchcock's definition of the McGuffin. Cavett thanked the director for the clarification to the laughter of the audience but quickly moved to the next question. The interview is a major shift from the movie celebrities on talk shows who verbalize non-stop. This program shows the director late in his career paired off with one of the most intelligent of talk show hosts and he comes off looking a bit enigmatic but his stature enhanced. I hope the program is placed in the national archives in Washington. It deserves to be kept and shown to future generations.

Hitchcock on Hitchcock

[Michael_Elliott · 12 September 2017]

The Dick Cavett Show: Alfred Hitchcock (1972)

The legendary Alfred Hitchcock sat down for this interview with Dick Cavett and if you're a fan of the master then you'll certainly enjoy it. There's a very funny opening monologue from Cavett where Hitchcock plays a part and from here we get right to the interview. There are some very good discussions about the director's work including him singling out the one film of his that he would want saved so that people could watch it. He talks about his comments regarding actors being cattle and he also tries to explain his thoughts on suspense and how to achieve it. There's some really good stuff scattered throughout this interview and the director also gets to share his rather twisted sense of humor. For 1972 some of the discussions are rather graphic and I'm surprised that it went over on network television.

Episode: A