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Richard, Humphrey, and Dick
Jul. 18th, 2009 02:10 amDick Cavett posted some memories of Richard Burton on his New York Times blog. I just submitted the following comment:
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I'm a bit disappointed, Mr. Cavett, that you don't mention the following story. Then again, my memory is fallible, so perhaps it didn't happen quite this way.
I remember you interviewing Mr. Burton, and the topic turned to his friendship with Humphrey Bogart when Burton first came to Hollywood in the 1950s. The two became quite close friends, he said.
He mentioned how the two of them were in a nightclub, and someone known for cheating on his wife began dancing with some lovely. Bogart turned to Burton and said, "Richard?"
"Yes, Humphrey?"
...at which point you interrupted Burton, quite surprised, and asked, "You called him 'Humphrey'? Not, 'Bogey'?"
Burton looked at you, did a bit of a slow burn, and said, "I call all my friends by their full first names. Which is why I call you, 'Dick.'"
A bit of stunned silence by the audience, followed by uproarious laughter.
Burton then continued how Bogart growled, "Let's just stare at him."
Burton and Bogart did so, and the lothario (A studio exec? Hollywood's dirty secret is that studio execs are far more fragile and childish than any actor) slowly curdled and wilted.
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EDITED TO ADD: That NYT post has a 29 min full interview embedded in it. It's apparently one of four Cavett did with Burton. But it doesn't seem to be loading for me, so I suspect it's getting hammered/slashdotted, which means I can't watch and see if the above exchange (or something like it) is in it.
But, tellingly, Cavett writes this:
"I knew Burton still might opt for (dismissing the studio audience), although in somewhat classier terms; probably whispering something more like, “Richard Cavett, I’m experiencing a modicum of discomfort. Let us enforce our gentlemen’s agreement and politely dispense with the assembled onlookers.”
Note how Cavett imagines Burton calling him, "Richard." Whether Burton did call him that on a regular friendly basis, I just don't have enough information about.
*^*^*
I'm a bit disappointed, Mr. Cavett, that you don't mention the following story. Then again, my memory is fallible, so perhaps it didn't happen quite this way.
I remember you interviewing Mr. Burton, and the topic turned to his friendship with Humphrey Bogart when Burton first came to Hollywood in the 1950s. The two became quite close friends, he said.
He mentioned how the two of them were in a nightclub, and someone known for cheating on his wife began dancing with some lovely. Bogart turned to Burton and said, "Richard?"
"Yes, Humphrey?"
...at which point you interrupted Burton, quite surprised, and asked, "You called him 'Humphrey'? Not, 'Bogey'?"
Burton looked at you, did a bit of a slow burn, and said, "I call all my friends by their full first names. Which is why I call you, 'Dick.'"
A bit of stunned silence by the audience, followed by uproarious laughter.
Burton then continued how Bogart growled, "Let's just stare at him."
Burton and Bogart did so, and the lothario (A studio exec? Hollywood's dirty secret is that studio execs are far more fragile and childish than any actor) slowly curdled and wilted.
*^*^*
EDITED TO ADD: That NYT post has a 29 min full interview embedded in it. It's apparently one of four Cavett did with Burton. But it doesn't seem to be loading for me, so I suspect it's getting hammered/slashdotted, which means I can't watch and see if the above exchange (or something like it) is in it.
But, tellingly, Cavett writes this:
"I knew Burton still might opt for (dismissing the studio audience), although in somewhat classier terms; probably whispering something more like, “Richard Cavett, I’m experiencing a modicum of discomfort. Let us enforce our gentlemen’s agreement and politely dispense with the assembled onlookers.”
Note how Cavett imagines Burton calling him, "Richard." Whether Burton did call him that on a regular friendly basis, I just don't have enough information about.
