Dick cavatt biography

Cavett, the only child of Alva B. His mother died when he was ten; later, his father remarried another schoolteacher and moved the family to Lincoln.

Dick cavatt biography: Dick Cavett is an American

He also greatly appreciated the style and grace of Fred Astaire. While attending Lincoln High School he excelled in gymnastics and acted, along with his classmate Sandy Dennis, in school plays as well as in local stock productions. Like his later rival, talk show host Johnny CarsonCavett performed magic shows interspersed with comic gags.

If Carson could not perform in his hometown of Omaha, Cavett was booked as a replacement. Cavett attended Yale University on a scholarship. At first majoring in English literaturehe switched to drama his senior year, and frequented New Haven 's Schubert Theatre, ingratiating himself with show business people, including Moss Hart and Basil Rathbone.

After graduating from Yale in with a B. Because he could not support himself with occasional bit parts on television, he worked as a copyboy at Time magazine. Ironically, Cavett was born in Nebraska and was an aspiring amateur magician, as was fellow Cornhusker Carson, for whom Cavett worked on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson as a writer after having broken in to the business in a similar capacity for Jack PaarCarson's predecessor on "The Tonight Show.

Dick cavatt biography: Richard Alva Cavett is an American

After spending his childhood in Lincoln, Nebraska, he matriculated at Yale, where he first experienced the debilitating depression caused by bipolar disorder that would plague him though his adult life. He switched his major at Yale to drama and, upon graduating, made the rounds of casting agents, as did his first wife, the actress Carrie Nye whom he married in and remained married to for 42 years, until her death.

Dick Cavett became a writer for The Tonight Show and also worked as a stand-up comedian before landing his own morning talk show in Moving to late night inThe Dick Cavett Show was the smarter, more controversial counterpart to The Tonight Show with its wide range of guests and subject matter. He has also worked as an actor on stage and screen and is the author of numerous books and articles.

His parents were schoolteachers and passed on their academic bent to their son, who also was a state gymnastics champion in high school. In addition, Cavett developed an interest in magic and began honing his skills through performances.

Dick cavatt biography: Dick Cavett is an

The tune is also played as he walks on stage during guest appearances on other talk shows. Cavett re-enacted his show of January 25,when literary critic Mary McCarthy appeared as a guest, and declared every word playwright Lillian Hellman wrote was "a lie, including 'and' and 'the'. The suit spanned more than four years. Cavett's off-Broadway play opened March 14,and closed April 13,in its limited run.

There he talked about his career as a comedian and talk show host, as well as his relationship with Muhammad Ali.