[Simon Foxx]

Perhaps he didn’t get Cavett’s dry wit. Was Cavet trying to pay him a compliment by lampooning his critics - and he totally misunderstood?

I attended the taping of 2 Cavett shows in 1977 when I was in high school in NYC. One was with Gore Vidal. The only thing I remember about it is that Vidal had a facial twitch and fired off every minute or so. *LOL*

The Cavett interviews are a goldmine for the lovers of pop culture, particularly the old time stars of the pre-WW2 era.

His interviews with Groucho Marx and Kate Hepburn are my favorites.

[cgbg]

Perhaps he didn’t get Cavett’s dry wit. Was Cavett trying to pay him a compliment by lampooning his critics - and he totally misunderstood?

I totally agree with your comment. The proper response would have been to laugh and joke about "third rate critics".

That was the response Cavett was hoping for--and then Cavett would have said: "Guess you got me." and the audience would have laughed and applauded.