Louis Armstrong Schools Racist MC on the Dick Cavett Show

I grew up during what some might say was the golden age of TV talk shows. Merv Griffin, Mike Douglas, and Johnny Carson held sway over afternoons and late night, but Dick Cavett never seemed to fit into a particular time slot or mold. His style was both intellectual and fan-based. He truly enjoyed hearing what his guests had to say and did his homework to ask insightful, yet deeply personal questions.
Cavett gave his guests time to unwind their thoughts and let down their guard, which provided some of the most entertaining and engaging television ever produced. He did not provoke or short change people and his casual but direct way of interviewing was a skill and gift that can be seen on many clips of his shows from the 1970’s.
In this episode he chats with Jazz legend Louis Armstrong. Satchmo's wide-ranging conversation with Cavett is highlighted by a story about returning home to New Orleans as a celebrity and schooling a racist MC who refused to introduce him.
From Groucho Marx to Jimi Hendrix, Dick Cavett engaged generations of entertainers, literary and political figures in brilliant conversation and we are better off for it. Some used to say that TV rots your brain or is a vast wasteland, but the world was made wide and full of possibility to me through that cathode ray tube and plastic box.