Today I stumbled upon two wonderful Dick Cavett interviews, the first with Robert Shaw from 1972 and the second with Dick Van Dyke, looking dapper as ever, in 1974. I adore men of a certain age who are sentimental and honest about themselves and frankly discuss their flaws and their pain. I loved hearing Shaw talk about a dream he had about his father, who had killed himself when Shaw was only about eleven years old. In it, he was walking and holding hands with his father and telling him that everything would be all right. Shaw seemed so serene as he re-imagined the dream and shared it with Cavett and the audience.
Then Van Dyke spoke about his alcoholism in such an effortless, free-from-shame way that it was truly breathtaking. I so admire people who talk openly about taboo subjects, such as disease or mental illness, and help to make them less so. Just his honesty must have helped so many people who saw him and thought that if a big star like Dick Van Dyke can open up about being an alcoholic, that maybe they would admit that they were in need of help and actually seek it. Love both of these fellas.
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