Whoever put that group together was brilliant. Fascinating, unpredictable, awkward, bombastic, verbose, witty, grotesque, edgy, crude ... I'm out of words. The whole was far greater than the sum of the parts. And, compared to today's talk show pablum, must-see tv.
Mort Sahl is ALWAYS that... And this was probably his worst showing, because he's usually 1000x as sharp as everyone. I think he had a few drinks before the show.
""Our story begins just after midnight, not so long ago. The Dick Cavett Show is in full swing. Seated on Cavett's left is John Simon, the New York Critic. On Cavett's right, in order of distance from him, are Little Richard, Rock 'n' Roll singer and Weirdo; Rito Moreno, Actress; and Erich Segal, Yale Professor of Classics and Author of Love Story. Miss Moreno and Mr. Segal adored Love Story. Mr. Simon did not. Little Richard has not read it. Cavett is finishing a commercial. Mr. Simon is mentally rehearsing his opening thrust against Mr. Segal, who is very nervous. Miss Moreno seems to be falling asleep. Little Richard is looking for an opening. Mr. Simon has attacked Mr. Segal. Mr. Segal attempts a reply but he is too nervous to be coherent. Mr. Simons attacks a second time. Little Richard is about to jump out of his seat and jam his face in front of the camera but Mr. Simon beats him out. He attacks Mr. Segal again. "NEGATIVE! NEGATIVE NEGATIVE NEGATIVE!" screams Mr. Segal. He and Simon are debating a fine point in the history of Greek tragedy, to which Mr. Simon has compared Love Story unfavorably. " 'Neg-a-tive,' " muses Mr. Simon. "Does that mean 'no'?" Mr. Segal attempts, unsuccessfully, to ignore Mr. Simon's contempt for his odd patois, and claims that the critics were wrong about Aeschylus. He implies that Simon would have walked out on the Oresteia. Backed by the audience, which sounds like a Philadelphia baseball crowd that has somehow mistaken Mr. Simon for Richie Allen, Segal presses his advantage. Little Richard sits back in his chair, momentarily intimidated. "MILLIONS OF PEOPLE WERE DEEPLY MOVED by my book," cries Segal, forgetting to sit up straight and slumping in his chair until his body is near parallel with the floor. "AND IF ALL THOSE PEOPLE LIKED IT -" (Segal's voice has no achieved a curious tremolo) "I MUST BE DOING SOMETHING RIGHT!" The effort has exhausted Segal, and as he takes a deep breath Little Richard begins to rise from his seat. Again, Simon is too fast for him. Simon attempts to make Segal understand that he is amazed that anyone, especially Segal, takes his trash to be anything more than, well, trash. "I have read it and reread it many times," counters Segal with great honesty. "I am always moved." "Mr. Segal," says Simon, having confused the bull with his cape and now moving in for the kill, "you had the choice of acting the knave or the fool. You have chosen the latter." Segal is stunned. Cavett is stunned. He calls for a commercial. Little Richard considers the situation. The battle resumes. Segal has now slumped even lower in his chair, if that is possible, and seems to be arguing with the ceiling. "You're only a critic," he says as if to Simon. "What have you ever written? What do you know about art? Never in the history of art ..." "WHY, NEVER IN THE HISTORY!" The time has come. Little Richard makes his move. Leaping from his seat, he takes the floor, arms waving, hair coming undone, eyes wild, mouth working. He advances on Segal, Cavett, and Simon, who cringe as one man. The camera cuts to a close-up of Segal, who looks miserable, then to Simon, who is attempting to compose the sort of bemused expression he would have if, say, someone were to defecate on the floor. Little Richard is audible off-camera, and then his face quickly fills the screen. "WHY, YES, IN THE WHOLE HISTORY OF AAAART! THAT'S RIGHT! SHUT UP! SHUT UP! WHAT DO YOU KNOW, MR. CRITIC? WHY, WHEN THE CREEDENCE CLEARWATER PUT OUT WITH THEIR 'TRAVELIN' BAND' EVERYBODY SAY WHEEE-OOO BUT I KNOW IT CAUSE THEY ONLY DOING 'LONG TALL SALLY' JUST LIKE THE BEATLES ANDTHESTONESANDTOMJONESANDELVIS - I AM ALL OF IT, LITTLE RICHARD HIMSELF, VERY TRULY THE GREATEST, THE HANDSOMEST, AND NOW TO YOU (to Segal, who now appears to be on the floor) AND TO YOU (to Simon, who looks to Cavett as if to say, really old man, this has been fun, but this, ah, fellow is becoming a bit much, perhaps a commercial is in order?), I HAVE WRITTEN A BOOK, MYSELF, I AM A WRITER, I HAVE WRITTEN A BOOK AND IT'S CALLED - " 'HE GOT WHAT HE WANTED BUT HE LOST WHAT HE HAD'! THAT'S IT! SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP! HE GOT WHAT HE WANTED BUT HE LOST WHAT HE HAD! THE STORY OF MY LIFE. CAN YOU DIG IT? THAT'S MY BOY LITTLE RICHARD, SURE IS. OO MAH SOUL!" Little Richard sits with the arbiters of taste, oblivious to their bitter stares, savoring his moment. He is Little Richard. Who are they? Who will remember Erich Segal, John Simon, Dick Cavett? Who will care? Ah, but Little Richard, Little Richard himself! There is a man who matters. He knows how to rock." - "Mystery Train: Images of America in Rock 'N Roll Music" (1974)
@@pequodexpress What I realized after searching endlessly and repetitively watching this video is that the quote is a hyperbolic approximation of what happened and what was said. Back in the day before the Internet and RUclips, I'm sure there were very few actual ways to re-watch things that had happened so he reconstructed it (poorly, but hilariously) from memory.
@@jimbo8deuce I was wondering the same. Marcus' citation plays better; it interprets the spirit of the interaction, though the original is good, too, and I am happy to have finally seen it.
For those who are not aware, Mort Sahl was essentially America’s first contemporary stand-up comedian. He was the first American stand-up comedian since the death of Will Rogers. Sahl pioneered a style of social satire which pokes fun at political topics and current events using improvised monologues while wearing casual street clothes, something entirely unique in the 1950s. A lot of performers owe and/or credit their careers to his work and the paths he pioneered. He was the first comedian to make a record album, the first to do college performances, and he was the first comedian to win a Grammy. Robin Williams was a close friend and area neighbor. Steve Allen, who founded “The Tonight Show,” once introduced Sahl on the show as "the only real political philosopher we have in modern comedy." His career exploded in the 1950s. John Kennedy liked him so much that he had Sahl write jokes for him. Sahl was so upset by Kennedy’s assassination that it became one of his major causes. He even became deputized as one of New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison’s assassin investigators. Unfortunately this also affected his performances and cooled his reception by audiences. In 2007 a number of star comedians including George Carlin and Jonathan Winters, gave Sahl an 80th birthday tribute. John Simon was of Hungarian descent and immigrated to the U.S., where his father was already living, in 1941 at age 16. He attended Horace Mann for his secondary education and received his bachelors, masters and doctorate from Harvard University. While obviously well educated, intelligent, and a gifted writer he had a habit of criticizing and disparaging and an actor’s looks, often comparing them to animals, which often made him anathema to performers. It was actually Dick Cavett’s wife Carrie Nye who reported that she overheard Simon in the lobby of a theater exclaim the infamous "Homosexuals in the theater! I can't wait until AIDS gets all of them!" If you’ve ever seen Peter Bogdanovic’s classic comedy “What’s Up, Doc?,” which is perhaps one of the greatest comedy films ever produced, in my opinion, the arrogant, supercilious intellectual fop Hugh Simon which is played by Kenneth Marrs is an intentional parody of John Simon. Simon died at age 94 in November 2019.
@@inkyguy So was Sahl, only he was a hundred times worse. Being the so-called "first contemporary stand-up comedian" isn't saying much. He will never be in the class of the great Jack Benny (the first REAL stand-up comedian) or any of those greats who had the long apprenticeship of vaudeville and burlesque. In truth, modern comedy stinks because those training grounds no longer exist.
*Having only seen about a half-dozen stage-plays in my entire life, I had no idea who John Simon was, and I wondered why, with a name like that, he had a Continental European accent. I found out by looking him up on Wikipedia. Apparently, he was the target of a lot of negative criticism for various reasons. But he sounded eminently sensible in comparison with Mort Sahl, who behaved like a real horse's ass, at least on this show.*
I really think sahl is misunderstood, *He had some faults but who doesn’t, he just isn’t a narcissist and sociopath masquerading as an empath like modern idols and stars. He was a straightforward unapologetic narcissist and satirist of everything* . He singlehandedly pioneered a very niche social commentary comedic style that nobody dared do at the time because they would be either arrested or suppressed or sequestered by the media and entire population at the time. He was only guilty of getting carried away with his brash confrontational style that he had to do to ‘wake people up’ and get them talking and thinking if even against him. The only problem I see is getting stuck in believing in the generalizations he made as a living, but that’s bound to happen in anyone stuck in the world’s crosshairs with the entire world’s enmity and can only rely on themselves and their own advice.
@Phil Silverman Cavett was more bad than good. He had some great guests on his show.....many intetesting.....and more than a few controversial....and that's what I love about this show. It really takes you back to one of the most intetesting times in American history.....that being, 1968-1973.----So much happened during those six years....so much changed...so much groundbreaking stuff (TV, music, movies) and so much controversy in politics and in everyday life....and, like I said, Cavett's show did a good job of capturing the essence of that time period. I just wish Cavett himself had been a far better interviewer than he was. It would have made the show even better if he had been.
@@animallover6193 I agree. Cavett, he of the self importance ticket, was the downside of the program (which is sad, because a talk show NEEDS a host who will do more than be a warm body). I only watch for the guests. Mort, sometimes great, was off here.
@@jasonbeard4713 Yeah, I think alcohol might have had something to do with that. In fact, if you were watch many of the Cavett videos that are on here.....specifically from the late 1960s/early 1970s.......I think you would notice that more than a few of Dick's guests during that time period were....well....just a wee-bit under the influence of something or other.------And that is something that I do have to give Cavett credit for......having the patience that he had and being able to keep his wits about him while dealing with so many "under the influence" guests that he had on his show. I think almost nightly, at that point in time, he had at least one guest on who was tipsy.....to say the least. The scary part is......I believe back in the late 60s/early 70s his show was filmed around 5pm eastern time. So....that means that many of these "tipsy/under the influence" guests must have started drinking at like lunchtime....and got wasted....in some cases. Or, if it was drugs....well.....they had been smoking pot, or shooting heroin, or snorting coke since that morning........
@@jasonbeard4713 For me, it's Jimi Hendrix.---He's either on heroin or the single best weed a person could possibly buy way back in 1970. Or both. Again, I do credit Cavett for being able to successfully exercise the amount of tolerance and patience that he needed to have back during that time period. I mean, if he had put his foot down and told his producers that he wasn't going to interview any more drunken and/or stoned celebrities.....I'm sure his producers would have told him: "Well, Dick, if we were to all of a sudden live by that code....a code that says: "You must be completely sober in order to appear on Dick Cavett's show".......Jeepers, Dick!, we'll be reduced to just interviewing child actors and elderly folks. And our ratings will go completely into the tank, for sure!" So......yeah.....in the late 60s/early 70s.....you had to have a whole lotta patience and a really long fuse.....if you were someone in Dick Cavett's shoes.
John Simon was a deliberately cruel man. He was pompous and gas filled. For good reason, Simon was disliked and despised by many people in the arts and entertainment industry. For instance, rather than just critique an actor’s performance John Simon would use his published reviews to criticize their appearance, faces and their bodies. A quintessential homophobe before the word was invented, Simon openly despised gay men. If Simon hadn’t hurt Saul he had probably hurt people who Saul knew and he saw this as a chance to take Simon on.
John Simon was so underappreciated as a writer and thinker, and it scares me that he might already be "forgotten" -- even the obituaries gave short-shrift to his wonderful writing. I read all of his books, pretty much all the time -- his numerous essays on language and literary subjects are not only fun to read but incredibly informative, as are the film and theater criticism. For me, to read, for example, a review he might do of some Shakespeare revival is always to learn so much. I really love him. But I don't love Mort Sahl. What a creepy little weasel he was. And he never once made me laugh. As we can see from this clip, he was an insufferable bore, with delusions of grandeur. You wouldn't want to be stuck sitting next to him at a dinner party.
Don't be scared. Simon was very famous--written and talked about a great deal. I think his snarky side got the better of him and he deserved to be bashed over it. Mort Sahl is the best stand up comedian ever. All he needed were the headlines and he could make excellent commentary that were smart and satirical. Yes, he is cocky and arrogant, but so was Simon. Sahl was grief stricken over Kennedy and Vietnam, as were most decent people during that time. His anger was palpable and I don't blame him. I appreciate them both because I miss the 70s when people could go on a talk show and say what they thought without repercussions.
@@sylviavasquez9523 bless you, sylvia! you nailed it!---especially your last sentence! Oh!, how true that is! If people/guests today said on TV what was allowed back in 1970.....oh my gosh! Those folks would be raked over the coals by social media!
Mort Sahl was an absolute embarrassment on this show. John Simon basically mopped the floor with Mr. Sahl. I know Simon was often viewed, perhaps rightly so, as a curmudgeon at times, but here he was quite civilized in his dealings with Sahl. He was one of the most erudite , brilliant critics of the modern era.
I have seen this three times and Sahl comes off worse every time I see it.50 years ago and he's doing an early version of today's virtue-signalling. At first he seems to be casting about for ways to bait Simon, but with that bit about non-homosexual composers being held down by the hegemony of homosexual composers, he revealed who he really is and what his biases actually were. Surprised no one asked him to clarify. He is a bore and was never really funny. The women, especially Rosalyn Drexler brought a little calm and good feeling to this particular show,
You aren't intelligent enough. You just say trendy shit from 2 years ago. From one performance. Just like most of the ignorant population who come to conclusions after watching 1-2 extreme videos on 24/7 because you don't have the brain to know the media is financially biased and how easily you fall prey to distortion.. If you have the guts to respond, I'll have to gut laugh. @@williamcervetti1455
1:18:00 "The novel proved problematic for Segal. He acknowledged that its success unleashed "egotism bordering on megalomania" and he was denied tenure at Yale. Moreover, "Love Story" "was ignominiously bounced from the nomination slate of the National Book Awards after the fiction jury threatened to resign." Segal later said that the book "totally ruined me."[3] Segal wrote more novels and screenplays, including the 1977 sequel to Love Story, titled Oliver's Story."
Erich Segal asked John Simon if he'd ever produced great art. Anyone who's ever read John Simon's criticism knows the answer to that question is "yes".
Erich Segal embarrasses himself about Euripides. And theatre, too. And yes, "Love Story," both book and film, was solid trash. John Simon was correct. The arts demand criticism. Any thought requires criticism.
I was a high school freshman when this aired, so I really had no interest in the guests even though I was somewhat familiar with Sahl. But now I realize that John Simon really is the one worth hearing.
*I really think sahl is misunderstood, He had some faults but who doesn’t, he just isn’t a narcissist and sociopath masquerading as an empath like modern idols and stars. He was a straightforward unapologetic narcissist and satirist of everything . He singlehandedly pioneered a very niche social commentary comedic style that nobody dared do at the time* because they would be either arrested or suppressed or sequestered by the media and entire population at the time. He was only guilty of getting carried away with his brash confrontational style that he had to do to ‘wake people up’ and get them talking and thinking if even against him. The only problem I see is getting stuck in believing in the generalizations he made as a living, but that’s bound to happen in anyone stuck in the world’s crosshairs with the entire world’s enmity and can only rely on themselves and their own advice. You really have to understand or remember the era he lived in. Where if you simply disagreed, or called attention to hey maybe what the government is doing is illegal or immoral we need to talk about it. People would quite literally label you a nazi or racist or fascist or commie or Anti patriotic or etc. I cannot think any of really understand just how bad it was for those decades. Where quite literally if you pointed out and questioned Anything in politics or government then the gov and media flamed up aggression and hatred so much that people that were open minded and reasonable turned into bloodthirsty irrational violent monsters. And literally craved death and pain to anyone who disagreed or asked to discuss or think instead no of blindly follow the literal proven lies and deceit on all sides. And sahl was the only one aside from gore Vidal who dared say anything and Had to act a certain way to get people listening and away from their apathy and complete lack of care in being guilty by association to all the atrocities in the world at the time due to their malaise and keeping quiet ‘Or Else’ .
Actually ... it’s just like today. Where the extreme left and right are both as insane and violent as the other. And both feel completely justified and know they’re just and pure and right. *So commit even the most vile acts of racism and bigotry and violence and suppression of opinion they are pretending to preach Against* all while under the narrative of being nice and understanding and open minded and fair. Left or right. Or middle. An extreme is extremism, and the world doesn’t work that way and is complicated.
The mind of a good standup comedian can be something to behold and Sahl in his prime was a top class connector of the absurd dots that make up American culture. But Simon was in an entirely different weight class intellectually, a man who could draw upon his vast knowledge of the arts to illuminate and inspire others to do some original thinking of their own. It doesn’t help that at this point that Mort was a thoroughly defeated man wallowing in a post-Kennedy haze of grief. His groveling to the audience is embarrassing and even Trump would marvel at his shameless self aggrandizing. John’s burn at 33:01 almost made me feel bad for Mort. Not quite, but almost.
Simon had attacked JS on another show saying she "smiles through her false teeth" while Jackie replied " My teeth are capped not false but we know your hair is real as it is too thin not to be" She also called Simon a Nazi- considering the bigoted statements he made, that calling isn't far off base. Dick Cavett's wife later reported Simon wished all homosexuals dead. Well, Simon now rots and this old queen writing this comment is alive, active and healthy lol
PS- and I am not a fan of Jacqueline Susann novels. But she knew how to have bestsellers and make money. "Critics" like Simon love creating scenes and making terrible statements just to gain publicity. Whatever the faults of JS, Simon was in no position to attack her appearance as he was nothing in the looks department. I'm glad he is largely forgotten. Good riddance. At least Truman Capote had provocation to make fun of Susann and was a talented writer himself. ( He said on the Tonight Show " She looks like a truck driver in drag". After he apologized to truck drivers.)
@@jamesanthony5681 Over 65 years worth of material.. His 2019 shows are still better than anyone else around. I love Bill Hicks and George Carlin, but they aren't in any way better, funnier, or more profound.
What both of them fail to grasp is that it doesn't matter what they want. Women aren't what they want; women are what they are. I hope Mort Sahl was as unhappy in life as he sounds here.
@@markwoldin162 I bet I can't. But if you think the highest thing a woman can aspire to is to be what Mort Sahl wanted in a woman, by all means, be as miserable as he was.
@@adamredfield Steak tartare may have been something good to have dumb done ones head. Instead of picking it off you work it in your hair and your scalp it might do wonders for shine and body
Mort Sahl comes across as an arrogant blockhead. Movies are beneath him to talk about, except "Z", and "Tell Them Willie Boy is Here"?. Sahl didn't have 1/10 the intelligence or knowledge that Jon Simon had.
I think he had a few drinks or something before the show. I have 300 videos of him, and he seemed a bit off, but his usual sharpness probably hid this. He pretty much a teetotaler, but late night would leave nothing but booze, hoping to get the guests talking freely.
The comment section is fairly depressing. They continue to put the hostile conversation into the category of competition by stating "Simon mopped the floor with ...." or Mort Sahl never stood a chance. These are the comments of the unintelligent. Nobody won because there was no race.
So you think Sahl, who made a complete fool out of himself for supporting the crackpot Jim Garrison, among other things, was "intelligent"? He wasn't at all, and this show showed to the world the Second Coming of Will Rogers was just a flash in the pan.
Jesus Mort Sahl is despicable. I'm no fan of John Simon but at least he has a mind. His remarks about homosexuality (and this was way back in 1970) are actually intelligent and surprisingly enlightened. Sahl's remarks are stupid and grossly offensive.
John Simon said, publicly, in the '80s that he hoped AIDS would rid the New York theater of gays. Nothing enlightened about that man, ever. But yeah, Sahl was awful too
@@greg7656 Yes, I heard that Simon had said that and he also called some play he didn't like "faggot nonsense." And yet his remarks here are intelligent and perceptive. He was also a huge fan of Harvey Fierstein's groundbreaking gay play "Torch Song Trilogy." He also loved Tennessee Williams and upon Williams' death wrote a piece talking about why he was superior to the (straight) Arthur Miller. Who knows? People are complicated. And Simon could really be nasty when he didn't like something. I have read a lot of his work and rarely agree with his judgements. He was especially way off in his criticisms of American films. What's curious about Simon is that despite his education he was often very "safe" and unadventurous in his tastes. And his obsession with what he saw as perforners'physical shortcomings really marred his work. I think his stuff is worth reading but I much prefer Pauline Kael. Was he genuinely homophobic? I really don't know.
@@marcevan1141 I think the Ingmar Bergman worshipping John Simon was critical of almost everything as a way of elevating himself. I also think he has a sadistic streak with his gleefully cruel personal judgement passings. Basically, he's a snob. And a big yes to Pauline Kael, whom I love. She was incredibly perceptive and insightful and a marvelous, witty writer.
Sahl actually comes across as, well, homophobic, with the suggestion he leaves hanging in the air, that homosexual composers effectively rule the roost, making it harder for non-homosexual composers to make a living. He may have been trying to bait Simon with that though, but Simon is way too smart to take the bait, and his measured response only highlighted Sahl's self-importance and misogyny. Boy, does that come across clearly, especially Sahl's shameless conspiratorial pandering to the audience in order to get them to "his side". What a joke.
Susan Nunez is still mad that Mort wouldn't talk to you. 50 year mission from a nobody while I see the ultimate biographer just wrote (another) book on the great Mort Sahl - Last Man Standing - The Birth of Stand-Up Comedy. Silly Susan won't even reply to all the comments making fun of this single incel spinster.
John Simon is very passive-aggressive here. Throws out a barb or two like a fish hook and sees if his target will take the bait. Then he plays the victim. I think he really enjoyed the "man you love to hate" aspect of his job. He knows creative people respond much more strongly to criticism than to praise. It was fun to see him in a back and forth with Mort Saul, but Saul proved to more obnoxious than he was worth.
I came here because I like John Simon and Dick Cavett. Who IS this dude Mort Sahl? He's dreadful. Rude, not funny, and quite frankly sounds like he's about three sheets to the wind. But what a great show, thanks for uploading!!
Boy, is Mort Sahl just wrong about everything - obsessed with homosexuals in the arts as a "problem," thinking Jim Garrison was anything but a self-promoting loony...
John Simon admitted a straight musician couldn't get into classical music. That's not something to just gloss over. But, I'm guessing you benefit from the inequalities of society.
Sahl says 'why talk about the world and important things when we can talk about the movies' as though he was touching on something of great importance rather than misogynistic drivel.
I’m sorry, all y’all. The Greatest is on this show. Forget the rest of them and listen....listen very carefully to Little Richard. The rest is, uh, claptrap.
This fascinated me. First I wondered who this guy was (Mort Saul). I thought it was a put on, an act. And then I looked up more about Mort Saul and listened to some of his stuff which I liked. But watching it again I got to see that it really is Saul and that he is here not at his best at all and that Simon puts him in his place as he knows exactly how to do.
Mort is great, but this was his worst "showing" because I believe I read he had a few drinks in the waiting room (which late night wanted -- controversy) except that Mort hardly ever drank.
![BLACK BAG - Official Trailer [HD] - Only in Theaters March 14](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Du0Xp8WX_7I/mqdefault.jpg)
Whoever put that group together was brilliant. Fascinating, unpredictable, awkward, bombastic, verbose, witty, grotesque, edgy, crude ... I'm out of words. The whole was far greater than the sum of the parts. And, compared to today's talk show pablum, must-see tv.
Mort Sahl is ALWAYS that... And this was probably his worst showing, because he's usually 1000x as sharp as everyone. I think he had a few drinks before the show.
""Our story begins just after midnight, not so long ago. The Dick Cavett Show is in full swing.
Seated on Cavett's left is John Simon, the New York Critic. On Cavett's right, in order of distance from him, are Little Richard, Rock 'n' Roll singer and Weirdo; Rito Moreno, Actress; and Erich Segal, Yale Professor of Classics and Author of Love Story. Miss Moreno and Mr. Segal adored Love Story. Mr. Simon did not. Little Richard has not read it.
Cavett is finishing a commercial. Mr. Simon is mentally rehearsing his opening thrust against Mr. Segal, who is very nervous. Miss Moreno seems to be falling asleep. Little Richard is looking for an opening.
Mr. Simon has attacked Mr. Segal. Mr. Segal attempts a reply but he is too nervous to be coherent. Mr. Simons attacks a second time. Little Richard is about to jump out of his seat and jam his face in front of the camera but Mr. Simon beats him out. He attacks Mr. Segal again.
"NEGATIVE! NEGATIVE NEGATIVE NEGATIVE!" screams Mr. Segal. He and Simon are debating a fine point in the history of Greek tragedy, to which Mr. Simon has compared Love Story unfavorably.
" 'Neg-a-tive,' " muses Mr. Simon. "Does that mean 'no'?"
Mr. Segal attempts, unsuccessfully, to ignore Mr. Simon's contempt for his odd patois, and claims that the critics were wrong about Aeschylus. He implies that Simon would have walked out on the Oresteia. Backed by the audience, which sounds like a Philadelphia baseball crowd that has somehow mistaken Mr. Simon for Richie Allen, Segal presses his advantage. Little Richard sits back in his chair, momentarily intimidated.
"MILLIONS OF PEOPLE WERE DEEPLY MOVED by my book," cries Segal, forgetting to sit up straight and slumping in his chair until his body is near parallel with the floor. "AND IF ALL THOSE PEOPLE LIKED IT -" (Segal's voice has no achieved a curious tremolo) "I MUST BE DOING SOMETHING RIGHT!"
The effort has exhausted Segal, and as he takes a deep breath Little Richard begins to rise from his seat. Again, Simon is too fast for him. Simon attempts to make Segal understand that he is amazed that anyone, especially Segal, takes his trash to be anything more than, well, trash.
"I have read it and reread it many times," counters Segal with great honesty. "I am always moved."
"Mr. Segal," says Simon, having confused the bull with his cape and now moving in for the kill, "you had the choice of acting the knave or the fool. You have chosen the latter."
Segal is stunned. Cavett is stunned. He calls for a commercial. Little Richard considers the situation.
The battle resumes. Segal has now slumped even lower in his chair, if that is possible, and seems to be arguing with the ceiling. "You're only a critic," he says as if to Simon. "What have you ever written? What do you know about art? Never in the history of art ..."
"WHY, NEVER IN THE HISTORY!"
The time has come. Little Richard makes his move. Leaping from his seat, he takes the floor, arms waving, hair coming undone, eyes wild, mouth working. He advances on Segal, Cavett, and Simon, who cringe as one man. The camera cuts to a close-up of Segal, who looks miserable, then to Simon, who is attempting to compose the sort of bemused expression he would have if, say, someone were to defecate on the floor. Little Richard is audible off-camera, and then his face quickly fills the screen.
"WHY, YES, IN THE WHOLE HISTORY OF AAAART! THAT'S RIGHT! SHUT UP! SHUT UP! WHAT DO YOU KNOW, MR. CRITIC? WHY, WHEN THE CREEDENCE CLEARWATER PUT OUT WITH THEIR 'TRAVELIN' BAND' EVERYBODY SAY WHEEE-OOO BUT I KNOW IT CAUSE THEY ONLY DOING 'LONG TALL SALLY' JUST LIKE THE BEATLES ANDTHESTONESANDTOMJONESANDELVIS - I AM ALL OF IT, LITTLE RICHARD HIMSELF, VERY TRULY THE GREATEST, THE HANDSOMEST, AND NOW TO YOU (to Segal, who now appears to be on the floor) AND TO YOU (to Simon, who looks to Cavett as if to say, really old man, this has been fun, but this, ah, fellow is becoming a bit much, perhaps a commercial is in order?), I HAVE WRITTEN A BOOK, MYSELF, I AM A WRITER, I HAVE WRITTEN A BOOK AND IT'S CALLED -
" 'HE GOT WHAT HE WANTED BUT HE LOST WHAT HE HAD'! THAT'S IT! SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP! HE GOT WHAT HE WANTED BUT HE LOST WHAT HE HAD! THE STORY OF MY LIFE. CAN YOU DIG IT? THAT'S MY BOY LITTLE RICHARD, SURE IS. OO MAH SOUL!"
Little Richard sits with the arbiters of taste, oblivious to their bitter stares, savoring his moment. He is Little Richard. Who are they? Who will remember Erich Segal, John Simon, Dick Cavett? Who will care? Ah, but Little Richard, Little Richard himself! There is a man who matters. He knows how to rock."
- "Mystery Train: Images of America in Rock 'N Roll Music" (1974)
In the voice of Howard Cosell.
The Greil Marcus quote is what had made me search in vain for this interview, that is, until today.
@@pequodexpress What I realized after searching endlessly and repetitively watching this video is that the quote is a hyperbolic approximation of what happened and what was said. Back in the day before the Internet and RUclips, I'm sure there were very few actual ways to re-watch things that had happened so he reconstructed it (poorly, but hilariously) from memory.
@@jimbo8deuce I was wondering the same. Marcus' citation plays better; it interprets the spirit of the interaction, though the original is good, too, and I am happy to have finally seen it.
For those who are not aware, Mort Sahl was essentially America’s first contemporary stand-up comedian. He was the first American stand-up comedian since the death of Will Rogers. Sahl pioneered a style of social satire which pokes fun at political topics and current events using improvised monologues while wearing casual street clothes, something entirely unique in the 1950s. A lot of performers owe and/or credit their careers to his work and the paths he pioneered. He was the first comedian to make a record album, the first to do college performances, and he was the first comedian to win a Grammy. Robin Williams was a close friend and area neighbor. Steve Allen, who founded “The Tonight Show,” once introduced Sahl on the show as "the only real political philosopher we have in modern comedy." His career exploded in the 1950s. John Kennedy liked him so much that he had Sahl write jokes for him. Sahl was so upset by Kennedy’s assassination that it became one of his major causes. He even became deputized as one of New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison’s assassin investigators. Unfortunately this also affected his performances and cooled his reception by audiences. In 2007 a number of star comedians including George Carlin and Jonathan Winters, gave Sahl an 80th birthday tribute.
John Simon was of Hungarian descent and immigrated to the U.S., where his father was already living, in 1941 at age 16. He attended Horace Mann for his secondary education and received his bachelors, masters and doctorate from Harvard University. While obviously well educated, intelligent, and a gifted writer he had a habit of criticizing and disparaging and an actor’s looks, often comparing them to animals, which often made him anathema to performers. It was actually Dick Cavett’s wife Carrie Nye who reported that she overheard Simon in the lobby of a theater exclaim the infamous "Homosexuals in the theater! I can't wait until AIDS gets all of them!" If you’ve ever seen Peter Bogdanovic’s classic comedy “What’s Up, Doc?,” which is perhaps one of the greatest comedy films ever produced, in my opinion, the arrogant, supercilious intellectual fop Hugh Simon which is played by Kenneth Marrs is an intentional parody of John Simon. Simon died at age 94 in November 2019.
@Go To Channel [𝐋!𝐯𝐞 S.A.X] , in my opinion, Simon was a bigot and a tiny putz.
Sahl comes across as a complete, delusional asshole here.
@@inkyguy So was Sahl, only he was a hundred times worse. Being the so-called "first contemporary stand-up comedian" isn't saying much. He will never be in the class of the great Jack Benny (the first REAL stand-up comedian) or any of those greats who had the long apprenticeship of vaudeville and burlesque. In truth, modern comedy stinks because those training grounds no longer exist.
Mort is the best, but this was probably his worst showing - which is still better than most.
Excellent biographies! The only thing they had in common is that both Simon and Sahl made it to 94 years old.
*Having only seen about a half-dozen stage-plays in my entire life, I had no idea who John Simon was, and I wondered why, with a name like that, he had a Continental European accent. I found out by looking him up on Wikipedia. Apparently, he was the target of a lot of negative criticism for various reasons. But he sounded eminently sensible in comparison with Mort Sahl, who behaved like a real horse's ass, at least on this show.*
I really think sahl is misunderstood, *He had some faults but who doesn’t, he just isn’t a narcissist and sociopath masquerading as an empath like modern idols and stars. He was a straightforward unapologetic narcissist and satirist of everything* . He singlehandedly pioneered a very niche social commentary comedic style that nobody dared do at the time because they would be either arrested or suppressed or sequestered by the media and entire population at the time. He was only guilty of getting carried away with his brash confrontational style that he had to do to ‘wake people up’ and get them talking and thinking if even against him. The only problem I see is getting stuck in believing in the generalizations he made as a living, but that’s bound to happen in anyone stuck in the world’s crosshairs with the entire world’s enmity and can only rely on themselves and their own advice.
Poor Mort, in way over his head.
@Phil Silverman Cavett was more bad than good. He had some great guests on his show.....many intetesting.....and more than a few controversial....and that's what I love about this show. It really takes you back to one of the most intetesting times in American history.....that being, 1968-1973.----So much happened during those six years....so much changed...so much groundbreaking stuff (TV, music, movies) and so much controversy in politics and in everyday life....and, like I said, Cavett's show did a good job of capturing the essence of that time period. I just wish Cavett himself had been a far better interviewer than he was. It would have made the show even better if he had been.
@@animallover6193 I agree. Cavett, he of the self importance ticket, was the downside of the program (which is sad, because a talk show NEEDS a host who will do more than be a warm body). I only watch for the guests. Mort, sometimes great, was off here.
@@jasonbeard4713 Yeah, I think alcohol might have had something to do with that.
In fact, if you were watch many of the Cavett videos that are on here.....specifically from the late 1960s/early 1970s.......I think you would notice that more than a few of Dick's guests during that time period were....well....just a wee-bit under the influence of something or other.------And that is something that I do have to give Cavett credit for......having the patience that he had and being able to keep his wits about him while dealing with so many "under the influence" guests that he had on his show.
I think almost nightly, at that point in time, he had at least one guest on who was tipsy.....to say the least.
The scary part is......I believe back in the late 60s/early 70s his show was filmed around 5pm eastern time.
So....that means that many of these "tipsy/under the influence" guests must have started drinking at like lunchtime....and got wasted....in some cases. Or, if it was drugs....well.....they had been smoking pot, or shooting heroin, or snorting coke since that morning........
@@animallover6193 One that comes to mind is Veronica Lake.
@@jasonbeard4713 For me, it's Jimi Hendrix.---He's either on heroin or the single best weed a person could possibly buy way back in 1970.
Or both.
Again, I do credit Cavett for being able to successfully exercise the amount of tolerance and patience that he needed to have back during that time period. I mean, if he had put his foot down and told his producers that he wasn't going to interview any more drunken and/or stoned celebrities.....I'm sure his producers would have told him: "Well, Dick, if we were to all of a sudden live by that code....a code that says: "You must be completely sober in order to appear on Dick Cavett's show".......Jeepers, Dick!, we'll be reduced to just interviewing child actors and elderly folks. And our ratings will go completely into the tank, for sure!"
So......yeah.....in the late 60s/early 70s.....you had to have a whole lotta patience and a really long fuse.....if you were someone in Dick Cavett's shoes.
God, Mort Saul is just behaving awfully. Why is he going after Simon like a mugger, and why does he think that this is his show and not Cavett's?
John Simon was a deliberately cruel man. He was pompous and gas filled.
For good reason, Simon was disliked and despised by many people in the arts and entertainment industry. For instance, rather than just critique an actor’s performance John Simon would use his published reviews to criticize their appearance, faces and their bodies. A quintessential homophobe before the word was invented, Simon openly despised gay men. If Simon hadn’t hurt Saul he had probably hurt people who Saul knew and he saw this as a chance to take Simon on.
John Simon was so underappreciated as a writer and thinker, and it scares me that he might already be "forgotten" -- even the obituaries gave short-shrift to his wonderful writing. I read all of his books, pretty much all the time -- his numerous essays on language and literary subjects are not only fun to read but incredibly informative, as are the film and theater criticism. For me, to read, for example, a review he might do of some Shakespeare revival is always to learn so much. I really love him. But I don't love Mort Sahl. What a creepy little weasel he was. And he never once made me laugh. As we can see from this clip, he was an insufferable bore, with delusions of grandeur. You wouldn't want to be stuck sitting next to him at a dinner party.
I agree Simon was a lovely prose stylist, and a penetrating critic overall. I'm working my way through his books, and I'll re-read what I've read.
Don't be scared. Simon was very famous--written and talked about a great deal. I think his snarky side got the better of him and he deserved to be bashed over it. Mort Sahl is the best stand up comedian ever. All he needed were the headlines and he could make excellent commentary that were smart and satirical. Yes, he is cocky and arrogant, but so was Simon. Sahl was grief stricken over Kennedy and Vietnam, as were most decent people during that time. His anger was palpable and I don't blame him. I appreciate them both because I miss the 70s when people could go on a talk show and say what they thought without repercussions.
Sahl was totally overrated. I never could see his appeal, but then I have long despised his attitude about women.
@@sylviavasquez9523 bless you, sylvia! you nailed it!---especially your last sentence! Oh!, how true that is! If people/guests today said on TV what was allowed back in 1970.....oh my gosh! Those folks would be raked over the coals by social media!
Mort Sahl was an absolute embarrassment on this show. John Simon basically mopped the floor with Mr. Sahl. I know Simon was often viewed, perhaps rightly so, as a curmudgeon at times, but here he was quite civilized in his dealings with Sahl. He was one of the most erudite , brilliant critics of the modern era.
Excellent. At least someone gets it. Well done.
I have seen this three times and Sahl comes off worse every time I see it.50 years ago and he's doing an early version of today's virtue-signalling.
At first he seems to be casting about for ways to bait Simon, but with that bit about non-homosexual composers being held down by the hegemony of homosexual composers, he revealed who he really is and what his biases actually were. Surprised no one asked him to clarify. He is a bore and was never really funny. The women, especially Rosalyn Drexler brought a little calm and good feeling to this particular show,
Yes, it was a Morte de Sahl.
Sahl was a blowhard clown.
You aren't intelligent enough. You just say trendy shit from 2 years ago. From one performance. Just like most of the ignorant population who come to conclusions after watching 1-2 extreme videos on 24/7 because you don't have the brain to know the media is financially biased and how easily you fall prey to distortion.. If you have the guts to respond, I'll have to gut laugh. @@williamcervetti1455
...an opportunity to pit Little Richard against Mort Sahl was sorely missed.
Turns out Drexler was one year older than Mort. Both are still alive!
1:18:00 "The novel proved problematic for Segal. He acknowledged that its success unleashed "egotism bordering on megalomania" and he was denied tenure at Yale. Moreover, "Love Story" "was ignominiously bounced from the nomination slate of the National Book Awards after the fiction jury threatened to resign." Segal later said that the book "totally ruined me."[3]
Segal wrote more novels and screenplays, including the 1977 sequel to Love Story, titled Oliver's Story."
Little Richard could be poster child of the contemporary "proud" (= shameless) black. Why does being authentic always have to mean primitive?
Simon swoops in from the enlightened future and squashes Saul like a bug.
Erich Segal asked John Simon if he'd ever produced great art. Anyone who's ever read John Simon's criticism knows the answer to that question is "yes".
John Simon who?
@@moraster, you’re not missing much. He was a nasty piece of work.
Erich Segal embarrasses himself about Euripides. And theatre, too. And yes, "Love Story," both book and film, was solid trash. John Simon was correct. The arts demand criticism. Any thought requires criticism.
I was a high school freshman when this aired, so I really had no interest in the guests even though I was somewhat familiar with Sahl.
But now I realize that John Simon really is the one worth hearing.
*I really think sahl is misunderstood, He had some faults but who doesn’t, he just isn’t a narcissist and sociopath masquerading as an empath like modern idols and stars. He was a straightforward unapologetic narcissist and satirist of everything . He singlehandedly pioneered a very niche social commentary comedic style that nobody dared do at the time* because they would be either arrested or suppressed or sequestered by the media and entire population at the time. He was only guilty of getting carried away with his brash confrontational style that he had to do to ‘wake people up’ and get them talking and thinking if even against him. The only problem I see is getting stuck in believing in the generalizations he made as a living, but that’s bound to happen in anyone stuck in the world’s crosshairs with the entire world’s enmity and can only rely on themselves and their own advice. You really have to understand or remember the era he lived in. Where if you simply disagreed, or called attention to hey maybe what the government is doing is illegal or immoral we need to talk about it. People would quite literally label you a nazi or racist or fascist or commie or Anti patriotic or etc. I cannot think any of really understand just how bad it was for those decades. Where quite literally if you pointed out and questioned Anything in politics or government then the gov and media flamed up aggression and hatred so much that people that were open minded and reasonable turned into bloodthirsty irrational violent monsters. And literally craved death and pain to anyone who disagreed or asked to discuss or think instead no of blindly follow the literal proven lies and deceit on all sides. And sahl was the only one aside from gore Vidal who dared say anything and Had to act a certain way to get people listening and away from their apathy and complete lack of care in being guilty by association to all the atrocities in the world at the time due to their malaise and keeping quiet ‘Or Else’ .
Actually ... it’s just like today. Where the extreme left and right are both as insane and violent as the other. And both feel completely justified and know they’re just and pure and right. *So commit even the most vile acts of racism and bigotry and violence and suppression of opinion they are pretending to preach Against* all while under the narrative of being nice and understanding and open minded and fair. Left or right. Or middle. An extreme is extremism, and the world doesn’t work that way and is complicated.
The mind of a good standup comedian can be something to behold and Sahl in his prime was a top class connector of the absurd dots that make up American culture. But Simon was in an entirely different weight class intellectually, a man who could draw upon his vast knowledge of the arts to illuminate and inspire others to do some original thinking of their own.
It doesn’t help that at this point that Mort was a thoroughly defeated man wallowing in a post-Kennedy haze of grief. His groveling to the audience is embarrassing and even Trump would marvel at his shameless self aggrandizing. John’s burn at 33:01 almost made me feel bad for Mort. Not quite, but almost.
I wonder what they bleeped out about Jackie Suzanne.
Simon had attacked JS on another show saying she "smiles through her false teeth" while Jackie replied " My teeth are capped not false but we know your hair is real as it is too thin not to be" She also called Simon a Nazi- considering the bigoted statements he made, that calling isn't far off base. Dick Cavett's wife later reported Simon wished all homosexuals dead. Well, Simon now rots and this old queen writing this comment is alive, active and healthy lol
PS- and I am not a fan of Jacqueline Susann novels. But she knew how to have bestsellers and make money. "Critics" like Simon love creating scenes and making terrible statements just to gain publicity. Whatever the faults of JS, Simon was in no position to attack her appearance as he was nothing in the looks department. I'm glad he is largely forgotten. Good riddance. At least Truman Capote had provocation to make fun of Susann and was a talented writer himself. ( He said on the Tonight Show " She looks like a truck driver in drag". After he apologized to truck drivers.)
@@RobertDAvanzo-rk3ew Nice, thanks for the context!
@@RobertDAvanzo-rk3ew Utter libel.
@@waterspout8 Wow, still disappearing over 50 years later
Rosalyn Dexter was in fact OLDER than Mort Sahl! You wouldn't guess however.
Any two minutes of Mort Sahl's interview would end his career today (and I'm not sure that shouldn't be the case).
Mort Sahl is still by far the best comedian. Great man.
@@LoyalOpposition I haven't seen much of his stuff, but in this interview, he's straight-up irritating brainlet.
@@pawestachyra9618 Then you should go see some of his stuff. The best you'll find.
@@LoyalOpposition By far? What, on this show? Mort was funny, but I'd put a number of comedians ahead of him.
@@jamesanthony5681 Over 65 years worth of material.. His 2019 shows are still better than anyone else around. I love Bill Hicks and George Carlin, but they aren't in any way better, funnier, or more profound.
What both of them fail to grasp is that it doesn't matter what they want. Women aren't what they want; women are what they are.
I hope Mort Sahl was as unhappy in life as he sounds here.
I have absolutely no idea what that comment means. Can you help me?
@@markwoldin162 I bet I can't. But if you think the highest thing a woman can aspire to is to be what Mort Sahl wanted in a woman, by all means, be as miserable as he was.
As miserable as he IS. Mort Sahl is still alive!
@@fogelogel8642 Not now.
Having watched this, you now know why Sylvia Miles dumped a plate of spaghetti on his head at a restaurant years ago.
Ah! So this is the guy! I read that story some time ago and wondered then who he was.
@@myimorata7678 Yep! That's him!
Mort Sahl makes him look like Ghandi by comparison
It was steak tartare.
@@adamredfield
Steak tartare may have been something good to have dumb done ones head. Instead of picking it off you work it in your hair and your scalp it might do wonders for shine and body
Fuck yeah Little Richard.
Mort Sahl comes across as an arrogant blockhead. Movies are beneath him to talk about, except "Z", and "Tell Them Willie Boy is Here"?. Sahl didn't have 1/10 the intelligence or knowledge that Jon Simon had.
Bobby Bittman's really let himself go.
Nice!!!
sahl was a complicated man
I think he had a few drinks or something before the show. I have 300 videos of him, and he seemed a bit off, but his usual sharpness probably hid this. He pretty much a teetotaler, but late night would leave nothing but booze, hoping to get the guests talking freely.
Came here for Simon but I have to say i'm enjoying the vindictive faroucheness of Mort Sahl.
35:19 -the look on Dick's face! LOL he was so frustrated with the situation
little richard is the best
Phil Silverman disagree, thought he was best ever, or a least he had the best guest exchanges
Wow .. What an articulate fellow..
The comment section is fairly depressing. They continue to put the hostile conversation into the category of competition by stating "Simon mopped the floor with ...." or Mort Sahl never stood a chance. These are the comments of the unintelligent. Nobody won because there was no race.
So you think Sahl, who made a complete fool out of himself for supporting the crackpot Jim Garrison, among other things, was "intelligent"? He wasn't at all, and this show showed to the world the Second Coming of Will Rogers was just a flash in the pan.
Sounds like Mort turned you down.. You respond to every comment praising Mort. @@ValleyoftheRogue
Everyone forgets that john Simon is an Eastern European with that sense of dark narssistic humour
Jesus Mort Sahl is despicable. I'm no fan of John Simon but at least he has a mind. His remarks about homosexuality (and this was way back in 1970) are actually intelligent and surprisingly enlightened. Sahl's remarks are stupid and grossly offensive.
John Simon said, publicly, in the '80s that he hoped AIDS would rid the New York theater of gays. Nothing enlightened about that man, ever. But yeah, Sahl was awful too
@@greg7656 Yes, I heard that Simon had said that and he also called some play he didn't like "faggot nonsense." And yet his remarks here are intelligent and perceptive. He was also a huge fan of Harvey Fierstein's groundbreaking gay play "Torch Song Trilogy." He also loved Tennessee Williams and upon Williams' death wrote a piece talking about why he was superior to the (straight) Arthur Miller. Who knows? People are complicated. And Simon could really be nasty when he didn't like something. I have read a lot of his work and rarely agree with his judgements. He was especially way off in his criticisms of American films. What's curious about Simon is that despite his education he was often very "safe" and unadventurous in his tastes. And his obsession with what he saw as perforners'physical shortcomings really marred his work. I think his stuff is worth reading but I much prefer Pauline Kael. Was he genuinely homophobic? I really don't know.
@@marcevan1141 I think the Ingmar Bergman worshipping John Simon was critical of almost everything as a way of elevating himself. I also think he has a sadistic streak with his gleefully cruel personal judgement passings. Basically, he's a snob. And a big yes to Pauline Kael, whom I love. She was incredibly perceptive and insightful and a marvelous, witty writer.
Sahl actually comes across as, well, homophobic, with the suggestion he leaves hanging in the air, that homosexual composers effectively rule the roost, making it harder for non-homosexual composers to make a living. He may have been trying to bait Simon with that though, but Simon is way too smart to take the bait, and his measured response only highlighted Sahl's self-importance and misogyny. Boy, does that come across clearly, especially Sahl's shameless conspiratorial pandering to the audience in order to get them to "his side". What a joke.
How trendy! I wonder how Twitter will teach you what to think next week.
Hahaha, Love Story is margarine...drug-mart/grocery store product. It is an atrocious novel.
Cavett after 9:16 LMFAO!!!!
John Simon also mopped the floor with Erich Segal. Segal's appearance sucked the air out of the room and brought in a bunch of pretention.
Little Richard is so rude and Cavett is very annoyed with him and wants him to shut up.
this is amazingly … something
Robert Blake. LOL!!!!!
Susan Nunez is still mad that Mort wouldn't talk to you. 50 year mission from a nobody while I see the ultimate biographer just wrote (another) book on the great Mort Sahl - Last Man Standing - The Birth of Stand-Up Comedy. Silly Susan won't even reply to all the comments making fun of this single incel spinster.
She looks like mamma Cass
John Simon is very passive-aggressive here. Throws out a barb or two like a fish hook and sees if his target will take the bait. Then he plays the victim. I think he really enjoyed the "man you love to hate" aspect of his job. He knows creative people respond much more strongly to criticism than to praise. It was fun to see him in a back and forth with Mort Saul, but Saul proved to more obnoxious than he was worth.
John Simon, the inspiration for the character of Hugh Simon, played by Kenneth Mars, in "What's Up, Doc?"
oH, THAT'S right!! Oh, now hearing him, I can't get Kenneth Mars out of my head.
i've neve seen Mort Sahl be funny. How did he have a career?
Unless he's a comedian?
13:45 ZING!
I came here because I like John Simon and Dick Cavett. Who IS this dude Mort Sahl? He's dreadful. Rude, not funny, and quite frankly sounds like he's about three sheets to the wind.
But what a great show, thanks for uploading!!
Mort Sahl is Lenny Bruce minus the talent, personality and courage.
@@mrwritestuff1 That sounds dreadful.
@@mrwritestuff1 That sums him up perfectly.
You must be one ignorant idiot.. Keep on that wikipedia and twitter trending, you moron. @@mrwritestuff1
🕯RIP Mort Sahl 🕯
the greatest
when did this aire in 1970? _______ 1970?
He hadn’t become the “acerbic” John Simon yet I suppose.
John Simon, whom I adored, in wryly noting "Vox populi, vox Dei est" puts me in mind of Gen. Sherman's take on it: Vox populi, vox humbug!
Or Olive Oyl’s rejoinder, Vox, Popeye, box!
Mort goes from making jokes and generalizing women to being all butthurt when simon gets him good
Boy, is Mort Sahl just wrong about everything - obsessed with homosexuals in the arts as a "problem," thinking Jim Garrison was anything but a self-promoting loony...
he took a lot of heat for being a jfk conspiracy nut
his homophobia may be connected to it
John Simon admitted a straight musician couldn't get into classical music. That's not something to just gloss over. But, I'm guessing you benefit from the inequalities of society.
nothing's much changed. the lemmings are lemmings. always have been always will be.
You're good at unintentional irony.
@@terri6854 nothing ironic about i said - at all. the truth is right in front of your face
1:30:20
Mort reminds me of Jimmy Dore
Jimmy Dore doesn't have 10% of Mort's humor/wit... And this was Mort's worst showing. I guess he had a few drinks (something he never did)
Sahl says 'why talk about the world and important things when we can talk about the movies' as though he was touching on something of great importance rather than misogynistic drivel.
you sound like a trendy 12-yr old... I'm sure 2 yrs you are on the latest nonsense - whatever that may be..
I’m sorry, all y’all. The Greatest is on this show. Forget the rest of them and listen....listen very carefully to Little Richard. The rest is, uh, claptrap.
Dear God, the sexism is **frightening** ... I had to stop watching it ..
Mort Sahl is boring.
Sure... The man who invented stand-up comedy had audiences in his 90s!
Critics all copy GB shaw
this guy Mort is keeps getting that smoke from Simon. what a total nobody desperate for attention.
he wasnt a nobody
Mort Sahl invented stand-up comedy.. What have you done? (I'll never get a reply because there's no answer)
@@LoyalOpposition invented? really? he pre-dated Lenny Bruce? moron
yes, Simon made Sahl look like a buffoon
This fascinated me. First I wondered who this guy was (Mort Saul). I thought it was a put on, an act. And then I looked up more about Mort Saul and listened to some of his stuff which I liked. But watching it again I got to see that it really is Saul and that he is here not at his best at all and that Simon puts him in his place as he knows exactly how to do.
Mort is great, but this was his worst "showing" because I believe I read he had a few drinks in the waiting room (which late night wanted -- controversy) except that Mort hardly ever drank.
How offensive can one sexist man be.
Hahaha, Sahl sounds like he's going to cry
He cares.
Somehow, I always thought that Mort was funny. I guess I wasn’t paying attention.
He was pretty much a teetotaler, but they would leave nothing but booze in the waiting room on the late night shows to get moments like this.
I never liked Mort Sahl.
millions like him....