Richard Burton on The Dick Cavett Show July 1980 (FULL) PLUS Cavett's reminiscence of the interview.
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He was sitting in front of his dressing room mirror after a tiring performance of "Camelot," removing his make-up for the who knows how many thousandth time. Paler, with the greasepaint cleansed from the famous face, he managed to look, simultaneously, handsome, vibrant and worn.
"Richard has been entertaining the idea of doing your show, Mr. Cavett," a man who appeared to be both valet and companion said.
"And letting the idea entertain him," the Welshman intoned in that unmistakable voice.
In fact, Richard Burton was still pondering whether to do my show, and it was thought that my visiting him backstage informally might help.
I tried to imagine what fears or hesitations Burton might have about appearing with me. Could he be afraid that the rich voice, those rugged good looks, the manly erotic charm, the hypnotic blue eyes, the articulacy, the fine wit and the ready storehouse of classical and modern literary quotations and allusions were not quite enough to qualify him for sitting next to Cavett? (Did anyone think, just now, that I was describing myself?)
Could he really think that maybe a boy from Nebraska - who had only been to Yale and not, as he had, Oxford - might outshine all those charms? As my Aunt Eva would say, "The very idea!"
Hoping for the effect of light humor, I said, "I hope I don't frighten you, Mr. Burton."
"No, Mr. Cavett, you do not. I do that to myself."
I liked him immensely.
Even under regression hypnosis, Richard would probably not have recalled how we had briefly met about a quarter of a century earlier when only one of us had a familiar name, but more of that anon.
Memories of that night backstage: Richard's expertly flipping a single, long Marlboro - the mendaciously advertised "light" version - from its box, contemplating it for a moment in a manner that brought to mind an actor holding Yorick's skull, and saying, as if a little embarrassed to be lighting up, "Looks like these lethal goddamn things will be with me to the end of my days."
"And hastening them," I decided not to say. Later, with us knowing each other better, he wouldn't have minded and would have had a wry response.
Then came the best thing.
Leaving the theater by the stage door required crossing the wide New York State Theater stage. The "Camelot' sets had been struck for the night and the house and stage were dark; dark except for the murky bulb in a cage on a stand downstage center - the thing known in the theater world as "the ghost light," an aptly named light that somehow manages to make a vast, dark space seem darker and spookier than it would with no light at all.
What happened next was in the too-good-to-be-true category. Burton stopped near the light, his coat draped over one shoulder, gazed out at the empty house, tilted his head back and, with the famous, full chiming resonance, began, "O for a Muse of fire, that would ascend / The brightest heaven of invention . . . " - and went right on through that ringing prologue to "Henry the Fifth" (known to actors as "Hank Cinq").
Goose flesh manifested.
He was standing no more than a yard from me, and I thought, "Talk about front-row seats!" Unforgettable.
Maybe our meeting did the trick. A day or two later, Burton agreed to do the show. But, sadly, requested that there be no studio audience. I felt sorry for a bunch of strangers I would never meet who would never know what they missed.
You can do a good show without an audience, but I knew from experience that audiences sometimes buoyed guests who at first feared them.
"What if I made a deal with you?" I dared. "Since they already have their tickets, why don't we start with them and if you feel uncomfortable we'll tell them there's a technical problem and we have to stop for that day and see them out?"
This gambit could accomplish one of two things: (a) he would feel sorry for the disappointed folks and relent, or (b) I would learn how to say "bugger off" in Welsh.
He accepted the offer.
Category:
Entertainment
Tags:
richard burton interview dick cavett elizabeth taylor wales mining alcoholism acting liz
Richard Burton was so handsome & I love the way he spoke. I met him once in N.Y. TO SEEHIM IN A PLAY HE SHOOK MY MOTHERS & MINE SO GENTLY. HIS EYES WERE BEAUTIFUL. BLUE. HE WAS SUCH A GENTLEMAN. RIP 🙏
He was such a handsome man with beautiful eyes.
Boy I wish current talk shows had interviews like this! I miss Dick Cavett and articulate, charming guests like Richard Burton.
If ppl still read novels that would be possible.
Storytelling has gone in interviews, replaced by soundbites for quick laughs. People don't have the attention they used to have.
Society then wasn't poisoned by Feminism yet
I'm with you. It seems everything is geared toward people who stopped maturing emotionally/mentally at age 19. There's nothing for adults and that's a shame.
I used to come home from school (South Florida and BROILING hot) and I'd turn on the TV and crank the air-conditioner and watch Merv Griffin and Mike Douglas...usually light-weight stuff but still thoughtful and smart. I just loved it! You couldn't MAKE me watch the nightly chat shows now. Dick Cavett should come out of retirement...unless of course, he's now a whining Leftist/Socialist.
'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf' is one of the greatest performances ever. It's an acting masterclass from start to finish from both of them.
I can't believe he didn't win the Oscar for that performance.
@@lisahayes8834 I know, he should have, but lost out to Walter Matthau.
They were both magnificent in that film, at least Elizabeth got her recognition for it
It was mesmerizing to me..the cast..incredible character study!!
One of my all time favorites..
Indeed.
Intense, as their lives together seemed to have been.
Richard Burton was one of our greats. He lives on. What a voice. What charisma. Talent.
So true
Alcohol , indirectly, killed him. By the time he understood that it was too late.
When men were men.
Strong respectful smart and confident. Look what the modern day world has done…
Dylan Mulvaney
I could listen to him all day.....he has a way of describing the mundane with such beauty, it makes it sound exciting......Beneath the outer hard shell, and dry wit, you can see an almost respectful humbleness and slight vulnerability in his eyes, which I find endearing.....A mesmerising actor, and memorable, fascinating, interesting person...x
I think what you describe might be what America's Princess Elizabeth found so irresistable
I totally agree with you.
What an eloquent and strong man. Incredible presence yet also; so very humble. We can all learn a lot from this true gentle man. Taken from this planet far, far too young. Loved and missed 💜 🏴
You haven't read all about him 📖🙄(Burton)
@@kevinruddy448 They probably have but don't dismiss it because he had faults and feet of clay like so many do 🙄🙄 Most people realize other human beings are flawed but yet can be admired.
@@kevinruddy448 so what I have to do with anything just somebody might’ve read all about it about him or whatever don’t mean crap serious or people in the public guy I just like everybody else they make mistakes and do dumb shit stop criticizing their personal life
I loved how comfortable and relaxed that Richard Burton was, and also down to earth and real he was, with the stories that he told, and his sense of humor, and I just loved everything about him. What a wonderful and delightful man he was Never to be Forgotten.
May He Forever Rest In Peace, & May God Bless Him Always!
E IS WITH ELIZABETH NOW
I know. Relaxed and natural.
This is what you tube was created for, so that we can re-live these magic moments with one of the most charismatic men of our age. Over the years I have read and heard so many stories about Richard and all of them are great.
Thanks for uploading!
Dick Cavett was a great host, too.
I couldn't agree more. You tube has become an open door to a magical world l would never have crossed, and which made my life richer and more knowledgeable. Thank you.
I concur wholeheartedly. Much of the TV 📺 production in 2023 is goat 🐐 Tripe
Men sat cross legged back in the days I can't imagine it now. My uncle was his freind in school and I visited his house in the village of Ponthrydyfn which is mentioned in this show. There is a sign there in memory of him and Ivor Emmanuel
I so liked Dick Cavett...an intelligent, classy gentleman, who treated his guests with quiet respect and warmth....and never resorted to sleaze or attacks. I used to watch his show faithfully. He never set out to hurt anybody, as they do now. He was the best at what he did. I loved seeing him here, talking with the great Richard Burton....how wonderful!
They don't have actors like this anymore, Burton had class and poise.
Yes I saw this show! He and Peter O'Toole were great actors, they were as big in life as they were on the screen. I was quite surprised how erudite Mr.Burton was in his personal life, he read voraciously as witnessed by his personal well-stocked library and he famous 'book bag' that he carried throughout his travels. He also could quote Shakespeare verse very well, demonstrating a great memory despite all of his hard drinking and he knew a bit of foreign languages as well. He was a man of many hidden talents and he died too young. He and O'Toole were cheated out of their well-deserved deserved acting recognition.
Edmund Charles Quote Shakespeare? His manner of writing, was, and is so obsolete, that the even the British, didn't bother to read it. From hundreds of years ago. Burton to me, had the mindless talent, of taking Liz Taylor away from her abused husband Eddie Fisher. He then dumped his wife and 2 daughters, to pursue HER career, and she brought him to stardom. During their marriage, he was seeing some Princess of a Slovak country, while she had affair with a journalist, who had written an article of praise to her talent. These people are so intently occupied with themselves, they have no time for dedication to any living soul.
Shakespeare is obsolete? I cannot find an equivalent English writer. His shorelines and characters are timeless.
Try Edgar Alan Poe. His "Annabel Lee" is recited in every elementary school in this country. Charles Dickens, and Mark Twain are on the lips of every student during their Jr. High years. Yes, I love short stories, and poetry.
@Nexus 6 Just read this post - maybe you've got started now on Sh/peare? If not, in today's Black Lives Matter age, try 'the Merchant of Venice' - where Shylock, a Jew who is angry and hurt by discrimination, protests: ""If you prick us, do we not bleed?" Or try his sonnets - as love poems, unbelievable. Or 'Julius Caesar', where Cinna argues that Caesar is no Great Man, no King-Emperor, just a man like any other - maybe D Trump should have read the speech where Cinna argues "The fault lies not in our stars but in ourselves that we are underlings!". And yet you say his works are obsolete?!
Absolutely incandescent! Burton is just a priceless gem to hear, listen to and watch. Dick Cavett is a master at interviewing. Outstanding in every sense.
Incandescent! What a perfect adjective!!
Ray Kaelin u got be kidding he was a drukard women beater dont be rediculous
any top english actor can do this - sadly not as many of them around
@@RICARDOGarcia-ey9hh Yes..but one of the greatest actors ever...
Whats does that word mean please,the long one?
Thanks to Dick Cavett, we are able to enjoy in-depth informative interviews with the great actors, musicians, directors, novelists, critics, politicians and personalities of the 20th century. Cavett's style was incomparable.
I agree. Nothing close to this anymore
❤❤
@@Rory626❤❤❤
Also the individual who uploaded this video!
This was 4 years before he died. What can you say about a Legend. That voice. Those eyes. Just beautiful. They don't make them like Richard Burton anymore. He was one of a kind. He broke the mold!
Another great interview was with Robert Mitchum. Another of my favorite actors of all time. What an interview. What a Legend!
This is two years after The Wild Geese, and the drinking has taken its toll.
He is charismatic, funny and interesting, very much one of a dying breed along with Richard Harris and Peter O'Toole.
In marrying Elizabeth Taylor not once, but twice, he was luckier than any man on the planet, and I'm sure he knew it.
He was a complex actor: brilliantly talented but self destructive, with a devil may care air and engaging charm.
Noone like him before or since.
He had aged quite a bit since The Wild Geese and he had lost weight here. During the film he was dry.
@@Voxac100b he aged without elizabeth, sadness and depression are real monsters
he was lucky and yet did eveything in his power to destroy the marriage. Yes, elizabeth was flawed as well, but his alcoholism was really out of control and it shows here.
I adore this man. He was so intelligent, was an avid reader, had a mind that strived for more and more. His voice is hypnotic. Such a wonderful addition to this world.
So well said and so well put.
He always got up very early in the morning so that he could read longer.
Yes, Mr. Cavett was all those things.
Lol
He Makes me incredibly proud to be Welsh. He really was something special.
He makes me proud to be English. To know that I come from the same island as this titan.
You should be and yes, he was.💖
Why be proud of something you're just born with? You haven't earned it.
@@lepetitchat123 There's no need to be negative here.
@@lepetitchat123 its a welsh thing if your not welsh then your just not going to understand we are a very proud people with a rich history that stretches back before the romans had even hered of Britain a language that stretches back thousands of years still used today more castles than anywhere else in the UK and an incredibly unique culture we also feel eachothers success and failures love and heartbreak like its happening too you I love the fact I'm from Wales and could t be prouder to call myself a welshman
His voice sounds like a lion's purring. Considering he's been dead for over 30 years, I feel totally insane;)
True Roman Cat Excellent comparison!
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It was a pleasure to listen to Richard Burton (I'm one of those who'd pay to listen to him read the phone book; that marvelous voice) but this was also a reminder of how great an interviewer Dick Cavett was.
+Steve B I wonder if his "shoe business" line was improvised, it was so clever and spot-on. It couldn't have been prepared beforehand! the "shoe-in-front" situation that spawned it was rather unique.
Under Milk Wood is available on TH-cam if you are interested. Burton plays the narrator.
Re: "I'm one of those who'd pay to listen to him read the phone book; that marvelous voice..."
Burton DID read the phonebook! I think it was on the Today show (or some such morning show).
He did it with all that wonderful cadence and mellifluous voice could muster. He was blessed.
@Jeepman89 I've noticed this type of thing with a lot of famous people on different old chat shows, they sometimes repeat the same one liners and anecdotes. Orson Welles for instance repeats in most interviews how he started working at the top and has been working his way down ever since.
Dick caveat is a new find for me!
Man i wish we still had interviews like this..
Amen! In depth and openly honest conversations with genuinely talented people.
just people knockin the breeze and being genuine. it shouldn't be called art, but just humans appreciating other human beings. i feel like everything, and it's fact not an opinion, is scripted and the same.
or men like him;
Or people with notable interviewee talents, like story telling
@john ferguson nobody listening, just talking it seems.
the importance of Richard Burton as an actor must never be forgotten - Elizabeth Taylor
she was good to him despite his behavious as a womanizer and druken outbursts.
@@melisagalvalizi6982was her true 1 love despite the problems.
Being a Welshman myself and with the obvious bias of a," Common fool ".I think Richards voice is the greatest that Ive ever heared in my lifetime .and I miss him very much .
lived in Wales many years, and many Weshmen had similar voices and charisma
Except for Tom Jones of course.
When he speaks on the nobility of the working class people is priceless
Agreed. He makes me very proud indeed to be British and working class. His eloquence shows that a gentleman can originate in any class; it simply takes quiet determination and good manners. A marvellous man 💜
Richard Burton forever.
There will never be another like him.
You can really see how proud Richard was of his father. The stories about him are wonderful.
"You couldn't do it unless the speech was so simply and beautifully written." Burton was as humble as he was great.
Today's "talent" couldn't be on this level on their best day. This was the real Hollywood era.
"Talent". You nailed it. Today's "talent" can never stand up to this. This is how talk shows are done. Sadly, it is a lost art form.
Absolutely agree, today sctors are merely preteders.
So sad that this kind of talk show interview is gone. Dick Cavett was among the best. And Sir Richard Burton!! Omg, the man, the talent, the voice!!
He was never knighted.
@@markharrison2544 I stand corrected. Thank you.
Brilliant. What a man, what a voice, what a character.
I have lost count on how many times I have watched this ... it’s still a go to video, when I’m feeling low. Works like a magic, always !!
Agree! Back in 2020
It really does lift the spirits!
I agree. I was a big fan of his. Met him, saw him on stage and even gave him a kiss. I love this interview. Always intelligent, articulate, funny. Fascinating and lovely man.
@@christinescheiner5194 did he smell like cigarettes?
@@kindregardless like any real man.
Burton was quite simply the best there’s ever been. He may have been a hell raiser but he was also a man full of compassion and kindness to his family and friends. A superstar in the truest sense of the word
Compassion for family and friends, is not real compassion. That is expected. Real compassion is when it extends to complete strangers from around the world, and for animals who are suffering. There was not much of that in Burton. He preferred to blow his time and money on booze and smoking himself to an early grave. Don’t let fame and stardom mesmerise you, into thinking that he was any more humane or compassionate than anyone else.
@@hazlitt1 You have no idea what he may have contributed to, "around the world", to help others. But you make your lame point well, not to give him any credit due him. Hope you don't suffer the same fate, but if you do, so what. Judge not others, lest ye be judged. And as far as his stardom goes, you're simply jealous.
Two hours. Think about that.
Back in the days when people had more than a minutes attention span.
NICK nikki Crawl back to your cave
+Nathan Jeremy Logan The live audience sat through this wonderful interview which must have lasted at least 3 hrs., breaks included. The half hr. segments were aired on tv on consecutive evenings.
Nathan Jeremy Logan God you sound like an arrogant prat. With a pretentious name to match.
You are so right -- it would never work today -- too much "me-itis" everywhere!
and the pace is so relaxed, not rushed like today's shows.
1:30:34 - Richard Burton compares alcoholism to a daily boxing match. Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant and very powerful. Probably my favorite part of this whole interview.
That narration he went into about the wretched figure, hung-over and contemplating the shame of his life, was a moment of spontaneous performance art of the highest order. I have no idea whether Burton had ever used those phrases or those words to describe alcoholism before this moment, but it doesn't really matter -- his genius as a speaker and, yes, as an actor was never more splendidly displayed than at this moment.
Agreed.
A never-ending boxing match is an excellent analogy.
Rampant alcoholism (and any other drug or narcotic addiction) is never really "beaten" per se, it is simply "kept at bay" (by those strong-willed and determined enough to keep it as such).
Sadly, Mr Burton was already facing major health issues by the absurdly young age of 41 due to his heavy drinking and smoking and subsequently got worse with escalating health problems until he passed away at the age of 58, only four short years after this televised interview with Dick Cavett.
Brilliant part of the interview the seriousness yet touching too
That 5 minute bit about alcoholism is the most powerful part of an interview, any interview I've ever seen.
that's something the writer jimmy breslin wrote to him in a letter.
An absolutely mesmerizing interview. Perhaps the greatest celebrity interview ever-because of Burton AND Cavett!
His voice. His accent. His delivery. All without conscience of being contrived entertaining. He was a gift to the world. A man of a type sadly missing in the world today. Not world saving. Not enlightening in a spiritual way. But just a delight to witness in his delightful delivery of a simple memory
and he actually thinks before speaking... He is so respectful and considerate and can laugh at himself, great sense of humor. Dick Cavett can relate well to him
Richard Burton. A wonderful actor, well spoken and articulate in every aspect. A lovely heart and handsome man. Speaking the way he does shows what a great actor he is. One of my mothers favourite actors. Both born on the same day. A gracious man indeed. Tom Jones, the fantastic singer worked in the horrible coal mines before his musical career. Rest in Paradise Mr Richard Burton
It's good to know there have been people like Dick Cavett in the U.S. that were excellent interviewers that asked good questions & didn't back down with even the most belligerent of guests regardless of their fame or ego (not thinking of Burton but definitely thinking of Norman Mailer!) People of his calibre are sadly thin on the ground in modern America.
Welsh and wonderful, honest to the core.He makes me proud to be Welsh.I love you Richard Bach !!!!!!
11:27 His mining story is actually superb.
Absolutely. So evocative and visual.
Totally mate
A world that has now been destroyed, so tragic.
He was so many things to so many people. I, for one, absolutely adored him! RIP Richard Burton. ❤️🙏✝️
Never seen an interview where the audience was so quiet and transfixed! What an amazing monologue of the Camelot performance!!
Such a great storyteller describing the nobility of mining... I could listen to him for hours
I grew up in West Wales, a region where every pub bore thought they entertained us with their rich views on life with a Richard Burton-like voice. Those old buggers might have shared that voice, but they did not have his intelligence, his talent, his memory, his humility or his grace. He was unique. No wonder he escaped the bores as soon as all those gifts began to tell.
I had a South Yorkshire Mining Background, but I first became interested in him when he read THE JOURNALIST in WAR OF THE WORLDS. (Rawmarsh Rotherham)
Sable Basilisk still one of my favourites..be well 😊🇨🇦
@@Ingens_Scherz well put
@@Ingens_Scherz Grew up or born Welsh? There's a huge difference 😉
I have always loved Dick Cavett, so bright, funny, kind... Never thought much about Richard Burton, but now I want to watch this interview over and over, to hear his stories. I love their obvious connection, how much they enjoy each other, how compatible their humor. Just watching them smile, listening to RB's stories, is a tremendous treat. Dick, don't ever leave us.
Lisening to this great person Richard Burton is for me to understand that we never will have a man and artist like him. And Dick Cavett have done a fantastic jobb doing this interview!!! This is ART for rest of my days….
It was this time period and era.. people were real!!
a Welshman ... red socks just like Peter O'Toole who wore green socks his entire life ... Burton was only 58 when he died, four years after this interview ...
It would obviously symbolize his Welsh heritage (red) and obviously O'Toole being of Irish stock (green)
Richard was larger than life itself, he was so incredibly generous and honest in all the interviews that he gave, Richard had a gift, he was a storyteller, this kind of actors no longer exist nowdays, he was a prince, he was a king and we miss him terribly!!
@Sean Finlay The worst part of this pandemic is the fact you little shits are at home on the internet and not in school. The good news is that your education will be shit and you'll never compete with me in the marketplace.
Francis Drake well written, tiresome aren’t they?🇨🇦
He was, like Edwin Booth (yes, John Wilkes' brother) before him, the Prince of Players. Booth held the record for performances of "Hamlet" in NYC (100) until Richard Burton broke that record.
It comes from a culture that reveres storytelling and a time before television.
Spencer Tracy keeps coming to mind reflecting on Burton. Both such amazing talents and larger than life. Confident, and Did it Their Way.
What a classic voice. Just to listen to him speak fills your head with thoughts of royalty. But you can really see the many years of hard living had taken a toll.
He sensed his mortality i think. brutally honest about his life
Two class gentlemen with mutual respect and admiration for the true class and taste for the beautiful Arts in all. Burton was and still is and always will be an iconic genuine gift to the stage and screen world, one of the true defining talents of his era. Humble almost to a fault but so genuine and at ease with being so. Powerful character but in the very best way. RIP Sir!
Enjoyed the interview, perhaps Dick has reduced him to the local Welshman he has always been. Very captivating interview and many anecdotes of growing up and living in Wales. Peace!!!
It is all froth and no substance these days. I agree with Malloyism! They are all so f..... PC and afraid to speak and it's all image and bollocks. I can't remember any recent film that has moved me in any shape or form like Burton, Reed, O'Toole, Harris films do. Yes, they were "hellraisers" and some would say they wasted a lot of their talents and drunk themselves into an early grave blah blah, but I they LIVED and lived their way. When I watch them I cry because they are gone, they are unique and I look at the utter crap that we have now (with just a few exceptions) and cry a bit more!
I really loved Call Me by Your Name, the first film that impressed me and moved me in recent years
Stop crying! Keep watching classics and reading classics and enjoy the beauty in which we live. Overlook the negative bits!
My god, I can see why Elizabeth couldn't get enough of him. I can also see how they likely lived by fighting.....and making up.
***** So....I comment that he was sexy and that's why Elizabeth couldn't get enough of him, and that since they were known for fighting, that they probably had amazing sex........and that pissed you off? Go f()ck yourself. Oh, and is that your long pointy skull in your avatar?
Cindy A. yea she lived with back eyes how wonderful
+Ricardo
buddy that was her drunkenly applied mascara, im willing to wager she walloped Burton a hell of a lot more
Daniel kkk
Richard Burton should have won on Oscar. His performances in "The Spy Who Came in From the Cold," "Beckett," and "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" were stellar.
You take the trouble to construct a civilization, to build a society based on the principles of... of principle. You make government and art and realize that they are, must be, both the same. You bring things to the saddest of all points, to the point where there is something to lose. Then, all at once, through all the music, through all the sensible sounds of men building, attempting, comes the Dies Irae. And what is it? What does the trumpet sound? Up yours.
Agreed with everything except beckett while was really good in it o toole stole the show there
@@SDSen Agree! O'Toole was crackling with energy.
You are giving the Oscar too much importance.
the hollywood types didn't like him. i have no idea why. lauren bacall said horrendous things about him in a documentary done a couple of years after his death. it's free on amazon and it's called richard burton come in from the cold, or something like that. (it's a take-off on the spy who came in from the cold obviously). i have no idea what he did out there to get that reaction. maybe they think he screwed elizabeth taylor over or something.
I loved every minute of this entire interview. It was so good to see Burton as Burton (and without any association to the chaos and scandal of the Taylor debacle). He was so clearly highly educated and a master of language. Besides being massively talented, he was such a strikingly handsome, eloquent, warm and sincere person! And, my favorite parts were seeing that amazingly beautiful, slightly crooked smile when he was amused! I'd never seen his smile before! I hope this entire interview can be preserved for future viewers - it is truly a treasure!!!
I was thinking that myself,he would have been much better off if he stayed with Sybil,he had children and didn't want to divorce.
@@lioness7582 He cheated on her through the whole marriage
@@stephaniem9094 Lol. Spoilsport!
@@pedromac1620 Just saying why it did not last...
99999mmmmmmmmm
I met Richard Burton he was a gentleman i even got a kiss 💕💕💕
Texas Girl you must be reeeeeaaally old
Cool.
And you, being really young, will never be kissed by Mr Burton.
Oh god I am jealous. My Grandpa met Gary Cooper on an Premier. I'm jealous of him too.
Texas Girl, we have something in common. Only I kissed HIM! LOL.
Burton and Olivier were in a class by themselves....
His stillness throughout the interview is quite remarkable. I have observed even Brando being incredibly still throughout his interview as well. Both utterly captivating actors, of course. I wonder if their stillness, along with their incredible talents, makes them more magnetic.
A complicated, tragic man. Died too young
Hardly a tragic man. He's a legend and was a phenomenal actor. He achieved more in his 58 years than most men who live to be 80. Not to mention being married twice to and loved by the most gorgeous woman on earth.
What a remarkable gentleman of the type we don't have anymore. Fascinating
WOW....he is such a handsome man!
The honesty of this man is quite remarkable.
John Parke - and humility.
Us Welsh are very honest people no bullshit there's no point just tell it how it is it's more interesting
The Greatest Stage and Film actor of his generation....!!!
@@stevetessier6568 He was no Franklin Pangborn but he indeed was VERY good !!
I totally agree. When his diaries were published years ago I read them and they were a fascinating read ! He was incredibly intelligent & articulate !
If I was bored, and I wanted one person to walk through the door, it would be Richard Burton. His King Arthur monologue was just spellbinding.
A couple of ice cold vodka's, and a Hollywood legend recounting his youth, loves, losses and dreams.
_"I saw the blade gleaming with letters of gold. That's how I became king."_
+Mark Hilton No kidding! I could have listened to this man tell stories all night - he just draws you in!
I find it surprising that he would be willing to open up like that and do such a lengthy interview.
Still miss Richard to this day. A tremendous actor and a fantastic voice. How I wished I could have met him-when he wasn't drinking of course-and it's also very sad to realise Richard only had four years to live here. Rest in Peace, sir.
Good God, Mr. Burton was such an elegant man! These Dick Cavett interviews rule! Incredible how he interviewed the creme-de-la-creme of show business and they loved Cavett as well. Such a wonderful interview!
Great great great voice.
Great guy. A real fish out of water in an ocean of fake freaks.
He was larger than life, brilliant mind, absolute genius. 💐
When I was in media during my younger days, I once had the good fortune of speaking with Mr. Burton on the telephone, and his voice literally went right through me. I cannot imagine what actually being in the same room must have been like his charisma and magnetism was so strong. Thank you for uploading this; it was worth watching to the end just to hear those candid thoughts on his struggle with alcoholism.
I worked with him on the Film ABSOLUTION 1979, and had a 25 minute one to one chat with him, hearing him call my name was AMAZING, as you say his voice was stunning, and he was such a nice man deep inside, sadly his addiction to drink was something he struggled with, and a battle he never won.
@@Cortinaman63 It's coming to light now, that Burton suffered from epilepsy and used alcohol as a misguided self-medication and existential strategy to combat or deal with his condition, which at the time wasn't that well understood or treated and in the acting world, an epileptic actor didn't get work for insurance reasons.
@@GordonCaledonia That's interesting. Bud Abbot from Abbott and Costello drank for the same reason. He was afraid of the seizures and thought drinking was helpful.
Thank you so much for posting this interview! Burton is fascinating. Finding this interview is like stumbling unexpected upon a treasure. Imagine having two unscripted hours with a genius like Burton - it simply doesn't happen anymore. Thanks also to Dick Cavett!
Having grown up with a mother obsessed with the man and years of Welsh education, i say in all honesty, there has never been a cooler Welshman. An absolute treasure.
Classic interview . He was only 54 when he did this interview ..Alcohol is such a killer when you drink daily quantities like Burton did.
Yes, it really ages a person. Women even worse. Makes them look very haggard and wore out. I would think he was 70-74 here. I love RB but alcohol really took its toll on this legend.
Ugh so true, unfortunately I do as well.
What a wonderful interview with my favorite actor. Thanks for uploading!
What a joy to see this. Richard Burton is a Class Act and a wonderful storyteller. Thank you, Mr. Cavett.
A true interview rather than a plug for a movie or book. Dick Cavett was so intelligent and did such a marvelous interview here. He puts his guests at ease. It was also about the only time that you got to see Burton laid back enough to share such details about his life and humble beginnings. Love the story of his father questioning his son's earnings. Burton to his father, "...they pay me $150,000...". His father's response, "What for?"
so typical of the working class, right?
Sara, couldn't agree with you more. And the story about his father was so telling and memorable.
Sara Vazzana and think that Anthony Hopkins has come the cinema thanks for Richard Burton and also he was Welsh how Anthony
Sara Vazzana freakin boring boring to interview a drunk
Civilized discussion between intelligent interviewer and articulate, erudite actor. Can do 10 minutes alone on Burton’s beautiful voice. Take a good look because those days are forever gone and we’re left with late night junk hosts and sappy guests with no concept of true talent. Burton overcame drink which was a big deal in itself. Handsome as the years went on. God rest him.
24:10 minutes, the story Burton tells about his dad back in Wales, long after he made it in Hollywood -- lord, the punchline took me clean out.
Repeatedly.
Too bad Richard Burton is not alive to give eulogies for people - his voice in telling a life could make anyone's ordinary existence sound majestic! :-)
Well said!
In 2019 he would have been 93, and he was clearly in a bad way back in 1980: God knows how bad he would look today.
2 hours of casual wisdom.
These days you get 5 minutes of ego wanking.
Showbiz is horror.
It's an all time low, Gordon.
Gone are the days when Richard Burton, Kenneth Williams or Peter Ustinov would regale us with stories for hours on end.
Now it's just 'What are you selling?' Pathetic. Gone are Bette Davis lighting a cigarette and talking about when she lost her virginity,
Or Groucho Marx firing puns a dime a dozen. I'm not old. I'm 36. And even I'm disgusted at showbiz today.
Bang on.
just look at questions politicians get these days. it is only about non-important issues or language or feelings or perceptions. nothing about substance. when you spend your time trying to give smart answers to dumb questions you give up
Richard Burton’s voice and his command of the English language was amazing! Unparalleled before or since.
His first language was Welsh he could also spoke Shakespeare in German a very talented man who should have won an Oscar
thank you for this wonderful interview. Richard had the most beautiful voice and blue eyes and his acting spell bounding. I saw him in San Francisco, Ca.
What amazes me is how Richard did so little work in his natural Welsh accent. And I say that as a person who considers Burton to have by some margin the best voice of any celebrity of the last century.
Dick Cavett was such a wonderful interviewer. Always brought the best out of his guests. Intelligent conversation with a healthy (but not tacky) dose of humour. And today we have Jimmy Fallon... Christ!
Fallon sucks. Boring and a terrible interviewer who only laughs
The Actors actor. Only a few places on the top table where his unquestioned talent and abilities commands a place there.
I understand why Elizabeth Taylor fell in love with Richard Burton. Fascinating man, great actor ,intelligent , in that voice that could melt you away. Great interview, but Dick Cavett looked very nervous.
Maxula Pretto I think that was how Dick Cavat usually looked. He always seemed a bit nervous, but I’m sure it was more pronounced when he had one of the great ones on. But then, I did see the shows about 45-50 years ago, so who knows if my memory can be trusted.
Taylor ! Couldn't !! Find !! Any !! Other !! Mann !! To ! Make !! Her !! Happy !!!
@@davidwillard7334 Burton was terribly hungover on the Cleopatra set. Taylor went over to help him lift his drink to his mouth and that was that.
@@harrysmith4780 i'm sure there was more honey
I am just blessed, to see and hear his gift, what a tremendous man he was. Wow and thank you for sharing this.
Wonderful. Not really a Burton fan, but this elevates him. He holds the attention with his great voice and storytelling capacity.
I could literally sit and listen to him for hours ! Magnificent Richard Burton so talented intelligent gripping magnifying !
great actor, and sadly alcohol destroyed him--Read the book Hellraisers--great book about Burton, and 3 other actors--amazing men--we don't get folks like O'Toole, Richard Harris, Burton , etc. today
Its a common misconception that alchoho; did for him...in fact it was cigarettes. He was doing 100 a ay
whatta voice
1000 times better than the interview with Parky. Very good interviewer, and Richard is a hilarious raconteur.
yup, most the time Cavett lets his guests talk
He was just so amazingly talenredcabd the love he had for Elizabeth my favourite poem by Dylan Thomas is fern hill. I wish Richard had stayed on this earth a little longer.
What a wonderful man! I truly enjoyed this interview. Thank you so much for sharing! God Bless!
I definitely saw this in 1980. I was only 26 (!) and I had an apartment where everything was on the floor, including my bed and tv. I watched this and thought, "No wonder he can get such women, he's enormously likeable--" He still is.
Richard Burton is my all-time favorite actor.
Richard Burton is the Greatest Orator and Actor In Film History.
So tragic we lost him at age 58, as the booze and five pack a day cigarettes contributed to his cerebral hemorrhage. Flawed, ambitious, a world class lover, friend of Paul Scofield, Olivier, Dylan Thomas and all the great actors of his age...he was unique and brilliant in the extreme. Too bad he and E. Taylor parted ways. He always loved her. And she, him. NO ONE has ever had that kind of fame before or since outside of Jackie Kennedy Onassis and the Beatles!
he proposed to elizabeth in 1982, but she turned him down and days before his death he sent her a letter.
he was VERY self destructive
Richard Burton had one of the great voices of all time in addition to fantastic charisma.
Burton was a great interpreter of Swansea’s own Dylan Thomas. I wish he had talked about him.
Profoundly moving video of one of the all time greats, Sir Richard Burton.
No "Sir ". Just plain Richard. He wasn't establishment enough to be recognised.
The long form interview is a lost art. Can you imagine in 2019 someone being interviewed one evening and then brought back the next to finish it off.
No. That's why I'm watching this on YT rather than turning on the TV.
Pod casts like joe Rogen are long interviews
Now this is a real man , (even tho he cheated) he is pure manliness and intelligence *faints
His wife cheated, too.
A real man doesn't cheat obviously u don't known what a real man is try again!! 😡 angry
@@pix046 their we're both cheaters
@@mariadasilva863 These days only a real man refrains from marriage and commitment altogether. You people are too much trouble.
One of the last works of this man in that movie "1984" was truly remarkable