The Fatal Dick Cavett Show

Dick Cavett was my favorite talk show host ever. His was the wittiest and most literate of the talk shows. He'd get in his sly, dry witticisms, but he appeared not to have a large ego. He'd let his guests have the floor in all their brilliance, silliness, egotism, and wildness. Recently, Cavett wrote a piece in The New York Times titled "When That Guy Died on My Show". I'm sorry, but only those with access to "Times Select" can read the whole thing.

I did not remember the incident he writes about before reading the piece, possibly because, quite understandably, the show never aired. Here's what Cavett says:

When I’m doing an appearance somewhere and taking questions from the audience, I can always count on: “Tell about the guy who died on your show!” I generally say, “I will, and I promise you that in a few moments you will be laughing.” (That gets a laugh.) I go on: “First, who would be the logical person to drop dead on a television show? A health expert.” (Laugh.) I go on to explain that he was Jerome I. Rodale, the publisher of (among other things) Today’s Health Magazine. (Laugh.) The irony gets thicker.

My late father-in-law was a great fan of Rodale's and of Adele Davis, whom I view as health food pioneers. I remember his breakfasts of what we jokingly called his "compost heap". The mix included wheat germ, dessicated liver (vile-tasting), brewer's yeast, (not tasty, either), prunes, and other assorted health-promoting ingredients.

However, I do remember my father-in-law speaking of trans-fatty acids as not good, 40 or so years ago, back when no one else was talking about them. He would not eat foods with trans-fat in them. He read labels closely. He lived to the age of 91 with very little attention from doctors, getting their ministrations only in crisis situations. But I digress.

Back to Cavett's show:

He [Rodale] was extremely funny for half an hour, talking about health foods, and as a friendly gesture he offered me some of his special asparagus, boiled in urine. I think I said, “Anybody’s we know?” while making a mental note to have him back.

I brought out the next guest, Pete Hamill, whose column ran in The New York Post. Rodale moved “down one” to the couch. As Pete and I began to chat, Mr. Rodale suddenly made a snoring sound, which got a laugh.

....


To this day, I don’t know how I knew [he was dead]. I thought, “Good God, I’m in charge here. What do I do?” Next thing I knew I was holding his wrist, thinking, I don’t know anything about what a wrist is supposed to feel like.

Next, in what felt like a quick film cut, I was standing at the edge of the stage, saying, “Is there a doctor in the … (pause) … audience?”

....

I went home and looked up Robert Frost’s poem “Out, Out —,” which contains the words, “… And they, since they/ Were not the one dead, turned to their affairs.”

....

Months later, Katharine Hepburn asked me to stop by her house in Manhattan to talk about her possibly coming on my show....Her first words were not “Hello” but “Tell me everything about the man who died.” Her dad was a doctor and she loved, and pretty much practiced on her fellow actors, medicine.

When I got to the part about asking for a doctor, I said, “Why did I take that awkward pause after saying “Is there a doctor … ?”

“Because you knew,” she said, “ ‘Is there a doctor in the house?’ would get a laugh.”

It's funny, but it's not funny, if you know what I mean, but I was reminded of how much I enjoyed Cavett's show, and that there's no one like him on TV now. Too bad.