James Earl Jones addresses Tony Quinn's Race Controversy | The Dick Cavett Show
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- Опубліковано 14 жов 2024
- James Earl Jones discusses the controversy of Actor, Anthony Quinn's intention of depicting Haitian Emperor, Henry Christophe.
Date aired - 2nd August 1972 - James Earl Jones
#JamesEarlJones
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Dick Cavett has been nominated for eleven Emmy awards (the most recent in 2012 for the HBO special, Mel Brooks and Dick Cavett Together Again), and won three. Spanning five decades, Dick Cavett’s television career has defined excellence in the interview format. He started at ABC in 1968, and also enjoyed success on PBS, USA, and CNBC.
His most recent television successes were the September 2014 PBS special, Dick Cavett’s Watergate, followed April 2015 by Dick Cavett’s Vietnam. He has appeared in movies, tv specials, tv commercials, and several Broadway plays. He starred in an off-Broadway production ofHellman v. McCarthy in 2014 and reprised the role at Theatre 40 in LA February 2015.
Cavett has published four books beginning with Cavett (1974) and Eye on Cavett (1983), co-authored with Christopher Porterfield. His two recent books -- Talk Show: Confrontations, Pointed Commentary, and Off-Screen Secrets (2010) and Brief Encounters: Conversations, Magic moments, and Assorted Hijinks(October 2014) are both collections of his online opinion column, written for The New York Times since 2007. Additionally, he has written for The New Yorker, TV Guide, Vanity Fair, and elsewhere.
#thedickcavettshow
James Earl was never given the acclaim that he so very much deserved. He is a King among men. I could listen to him talk all day.
THREE KINGS Mufasa, Jaffe, Vader
Clear and Present Danger.
Agreed
Infidel defilers, they shall all drown in lakes of blood. Now they will know why they are afraid of the dark. Now they will learn why they fear the night.
He has won a Tony, Oscar, Golden Golden Globe, SAG and even an Emmy. James Earl Jones definitely got recognition. My generation mostly generation remember him for later in life in Star Wars and more so Lion King.
The same people who had called it racist to dismiss Anthony Quinn, laughed when James Earl Jones suggested playing Beethoven. Jones subtly made the point.
Thanks for pointing that out. I am sure many missed it.
@george evans no he wasnt. Thats ridiuclous
@george evans Moors ruled parts of the İberian Peninsula from 711 to 1492. However the Moors weren't black, they were a mixture of Arabs and Berbers from Northern Africa. They most certainly did not bring classical music to Europe. Arabic/Berber music has nothing to do with European Classical Music.
@george evans And I never denied Berbers are African. Not everyone from Africa is black. When people say mixed they usually mean black and white mixing. Plus there's that crazy theory that Beethoven was black. That's why I assumed you meant they were black.
I'm not trying to omit history but the parts of France that the Moors ruled and the duration that they ruled them is quite insignificant. Your original claim of "Moors ruled parts of Europe from 711 to 1492 " makes it sound like they achieved more than they actually did.
@george evans Yes he was. They did a DNA test on his hair and found out that he was an ancestor of James Brown.
Hard to believe hes still gracing us with his presence on this earth in 2019 at 88yrs old, such a treasure...
Deena Daggett 💯
5/7/19
Yalk act like he's 100 yrs old
@@9175rock Its not his age as much as the fact that we still have legends like this among us today in 2019. It's like having MLK Jr or Einstein still alive.
What's so hard to believe.
@@9175rock Hes here, but hes not heard of or anything anymore so you forget...
i appreciate how he was WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY more gracious about this, than he needed to be, and actually took the time to calmly explain Quinn's challenges, without calling him out for his obvious hubris...
He knew that a simple answer in the affirmative or negative wouldn’t do. He gave context and Cavett let him speak without interruption. Watching these clips is like a breath of fresh air.
Back when this interview was made, people were well accustomed to white people starring as any ethnicity under the sun. White Egyptians, white Chinese, white Native Americans... Certainly if the role was an important one, it was almost taken for granted that the actor would be white, if at all possible. The notion that Anthony Quinn should star as a Haitian was not a controversial one, and those objecting to it were pretty much a fringe element. This is why it was uncontroversial for Dick Cavett to dismiss the criticism as 'silly'. So while James Earl Jones, along with most black people, would prefer a black actor in the role, they would be accustomed to white people hogging all the big roles that they wouldn't be outraged at the idea of a white man playing a black character.
If you go far enough back, to Elizabethan times, it was likewise taken for granted that female characters be played by men, and objections to _that_ would be seen as preposterous.
Because he is a mature and intelligent man who understood that we, as humans, don't agree with each other as much as we do.
Quinn was a Mexican who famously played Italians (LaStrada), Greeks (Zorba The Greek) and Arabs (Laurence Of Arabia) among many other ethnic roles besides his native Mexican (Quinn was also 1/4 Irish), and nobody had a problem with it or thought it controversial. Why playing a Haitian would be any different than an Arab or a Greek is simply Frankfurt Institute Marxist nonsense, which unfortunately has become "popular" again in the leftist realms.
Facts! How he dived into the nuance of the issue at hand was masterful. For him to paint the challenges of him playing a white man brings it full circle.
If you remember that this was a time when a black man (actor) had to be very careful about what he said as it could (and would) affect his ability to work in Hollywood; James Earl Jones does an amazing job of getting his point across without getting stuck in the quicksand. An amazing man and actor.
Yeah, the rules sure were different then.
The flip side of that: it always annoyed the bejeezus out of me when smug, smarmy, self-important liberal celebs would take a giant crap all over Charlton Heston and his advocacy for 2nd Amendment rights, slamming him for only only being some cold-hearted old feeb who didn't care if little kids got shot, but then often going further and assailing his legacy as an actor.
That wasn't only because I'm a staunch 2nd Amendment supporter.
It had more to do with Heston being one of a number of "A"-list white celebs who participated in the historic 1964 March On Washington, along with James Garner, Robert Ryan, Bobby Darin, Burt Lancaster, Joanne Woodward, Marlon Brando, and Paul Newman. As if I needed any more reasons to think the late Paul Newman was one of the coolest and most awesome men who ever lived.
Those guys stood up to be counted, let the world know where they stood at a time when speaking out against entrenched, institutional racism didn't earn on accolades and butt-kissings, but anonymous threats and blackballing by the entertainment industry. And their current-day counterparts get all pleased with themselves when they do some sort of minimalist, artsy-fartsy televised PSA in front of a blank wall with so many jump-cuts that it appears to have been edited by someone having an epileptic seizure.
@,Sooner Keith. Your statement is not accurate
James Earl Jones is a highly intelligent man. It's the way he speaks.
Actors and actresses black and white spoke out about the injustices in that era and as loud as you can speak as well. James earl Jones always, always picked what he wanted to be in.. he didnt do it for money or fame. He had enough power in Hollywood to do so. I believe the first movie I saw him in I was 6 or 7.
He had no fear of anyone or anything. Know the history.
Kinda like Muhammad Ali. I remember. Do you?
He is an amazing wordsmith.
So, it was what he said and not just the color of his skin? He had already been working for 30 years at that point. He could have said anything.
I love how thoughtful James Earl Jones is in his response. He doesn’t dismiss anyone else’s opinion as ignorant or silly. He thinks about where they are coming from and replies accordingly. Almost like a professor or educator. I would love to have a conversation with him.
I think being a black man at the time he had to be careful what he says during these interviews otherwise he could be blacklisted, rules were different then.
@@edmundsishange3608 Yes they were, but that doesn't mean Mr. Jones did not give his full, honest response to the question. I believe he did and was being sincere. He said the ultimate truth - it's up to each actor to decide what creative role they wish to challenge themselves with. And I would say he would add they do so at their own success or peril. What an outstanding gentleman he has always been. So much different from today's actors.
James Earl Jones. Forever a class act.
GJSJapan Was he nice?
His voice got much deeper as he got older!
💯
A real gentleman
@Blue Clouds You will, I suspect not find huge numbers of people supporting that theory.
James earl jones just has that voice that makes you want to shut up and listen.
And people do.
When he sat up straight so did i lol
And I did 🤷🏾♂️
If Mr. Jones was my class teacher, I would of definitely paid more attention.
Erich Von Wachter What Do u mean? Let’s not get carried away?
James Earl Jones intellectually profound, articulate, one of a kind! A truly Great Actor who has not been given his due! Still a Great one ☝️
I love how intelligently he broke it down and elevated the conversation beyond the obvious view
Highly intelligent, very articulate, confident, classy, and a real man.
Ross Malagarie Ouch, "articulate". When we talk about compliments that are actually insulting.
Mr. W at least he didn't say well spoken!
@@wellesradio saying someone has excellent use of the English, (or any) language is considered a backhanded compliment? That's NOT what I meant by it. I did NOT mean he is so well spoken for a black man. I MEANT he can convey his intentions and chooses his words wisely. I apologize if you took my comments to be insulting as they were not intended to be.
@@FierceCompetitor-f7x he is well spoken. As in he is very "articulate" as in he is very good at using the exact words that convey what he feels or means. I can see if it where worded differently how it could come off as condescending or racist, it was NOT. I was giving Mr. Jones a compliment as, "Highly intelligent, very articulate, confident, classy, and a real man". I apologize if you took my comments to be insulting as they were not intended to be.
@@RossMalagarie I suspected you didn't MEAN it as a backhanded compliment. Most people don't mean it to be a backhanded compliment. But people of color are wary of such compliments because, let's face it, white people receive that particular compliment a lot less. I can't imagine, say, Christopher Hitchens or Carl Sagan being lauded for being "so articulate", whereas Neil deGrasse Tyson frequently is.
James Earl Jones... such an intelligent & interesting man to listen to...
Watch him in The Man, where he becomes the US president. It's here on UA-cam. I'd vote for him.
Your mother is an interesting man to listen to.
@@CooterCoy Your whole family are a bunch of drone flying fat slobs LMAO...
James Earl Jones is not only handsome... But elegantly classy and his integrity exceeds the whole panel interviewed with envy. They couldn't light a candle in his foot steps.
He's a great Actor in our times.
I don't know if it's me or part of aging but he seems lighter in his older years. He's now same shade my maternal grandmother is and always was.
I'm a Cavett fan and I'm shocked at how tone-deaf he was on this issue.
Look up Cavett's interview of Richard Pryor, and watch them discuss the subject of White writers writing dialogue for Black characters. Cavett was embarrassingly tone deaf on this subject. Pryor was amazingly patient with Cavett during that interview.
I’m not. All or most of the fellas😳 of that time were so painfully ignorant and arrogant….Wow, kinda like…today. One of the tricky methods of racism is being ignorant about how it functions and how one benefits from it. A weird entitlement grows because of the ignorance. It used to enrage me, but now I’m amused and curious about how the world appears to the average white American. Everyone…EVERYONE is PROGRAMMED. The story gets real interesting once one can acknowledge this truth cuz what U then do next…🤓
Feel like JEJ was dancing miles above Cavett’s head in this interview. Man he’s a deep and profound dude.
The laughter when he mentions playing Beethoven is ironic.
Yup. I hope some of it was self-aware. I bet there were others whose 1st instinct was to laugh, but their brains stopped the impulse.
Hypocritical is more like it.
Ironic, ya. Hypocritical, no. Most just thought he was being humorous. But he wasn't, and he made his point. His point was that an actor acts. So does a politician, but for the actor, it's not political.
@@Gruuvin1 His point was kinda, so long as you can be convincing in the role, it should be open to you. I.e Straight guys playing gay guys, gay guys playing straight guys, black guys playing white guys.
I totally agree with it. If you are a black guy and can convincingly be made to look white and play the part well, I'd love to see that. I would love to see someone like Jamie Foxx play a white character, I think he'd be great.
The only way to ever achieve true equality is to cast roles based purely upon merit. After all, it's called acting. If only gay guys can play gay guys and trans men play trans men, then logically, trans women can't play "real" women, meaning they can't play biologically born female parts and gay men shouldn't be allowed to play bi-sexual or straight men. Its a dumb way to do things.
I'm all for representation, but real representation is when a transwoman plays a non-trans woman just because she happened to be best for the role. Real representation is a lesbien playing a straight woman, a straight man playing a gay guy etc not because they happened to belong to a certain social identity but because each was best suited to those roles as actors. So if a black girl is the best person to play a white character, why shouldn't she get to do it? And why shouldn't a white guy be able to play a black guy, so long as its actually convincing and not racist blackface stereotypes.
If it's done right, art can change the entire culture, if done wrong, you get this bollocks we're dealing with now. Arguing over whether a person should get a role or not because they aren't from the correct social demographic. The discussion nevers gets as far as "were they the right actor performance wise or box office wise for the part?" we never get to the meritocracy part.
@@kaigreen5641 I really enjoyed white girls. 😝
Back when intelligent conversations could still be had on network talk shows.
A lot of people read good books back then. These days everyone just reads each other.
@@theshakter I am so impressed with Dick C. Might not agree with his rationale on everything, but such a wonderfully laid back yet insightful interviewer. Not a patch on Michael Parkinson (Parky, as he's known) at the height of his powers, though. Watch Parky's interviews of Muhammad Ali and of Jimmy Stewart. Just brilliant.
I Lived Through It. And I Can Tell You For Sure.. Television Has Been Dumb Down Incredibly.. Everything Is Now A PBS Special.. IE? Muppets And Mr. Rogers.. Today's Television Programming Runs Away From All The Important Sociological Issues. Or? Approach Them As If The People Watching Are 10 Year Old Children.. That's Why I Don't Watch Much TV Anymore At Age 58.. It No Longer Offers Anything Intellectually Stimulating Or Thought Provoking.. It's Now Just One Continuous Made For TV Cartoon.. Too Include "The News"...
JMO.. Yep...
@@commonman80 The problem is we have become greedy and we have dumb down what is important to make things common/people pleasing for everyone. Only few these day know how to changllenge everything. It's like everything has become reverse in day and age. Look at how the 50s/60s/70s were at the time. Especially how some groups were oppressed.
It seems people that are making everything oppressed are now those under the two rights don't make a wrong umbrella. Nobody can now* say; like myself, I am a Straight* White* Christian* Without some other groups getting triggered over something so petty. Were not teaching our kids the way they should go.
And instead we let our children learn from the streets or even yet, - collage.
Denzel Washington said in a interview, "It always starts in the home".
@@theshakter preach
What patience and regality. Sir James
Amen! 💖
Love. James. Earl. Jones. !
@Rusty Hustler Jones showed patience with a clueless bourgeois white man who was being dismissive of the controversy. Tremendous patience.
@Gladdic Saddic what? Please go away
Frank Bowman I still can’t figure out if Cavett sensed how offended Jones was
Jones is intelligent and calm, and I love his personality. What a bad ass!
O'l Darth Vader was a U.S. Army Airborne Ranger that served and fought in the Korean war. Tough as hell and very intelligent.
Did not know that
Ickilomo43
That would make a nice movie. Mr. Jones could play himself. Oh , I forgot this interview is around
40 years old. Mr. Jones is an old man by now.
@Jon Treasure I suspect they just got mixed up, rather than making things up. Jones was an officer in the US Army during the Korean War, and he did attend Ranger School. But he wasn't a Ranger, and his unit was never deployed for combat.
Yes he was in the Army during the Korean War Era but never deployed to Korea. Also he was an officer who was airborne qualified and went to Ranger School in Ft. Benning, Georgia but washed out or didn't get the tab. Get the facts straight buddy. He served his country which is admirable enough and many men have failed the Ranger Course there is no shame in that.
I can see why he played Alex Haley.
“It’s an actor’s right to tackle anything.” Spoken like a true Vader.
Only a Vader talks in absolutes.
You people are sooo fos! Lol
If my African/Indian az played Elizabeth Taylor in a film you would all raise hell
TrangPak2 “You people?” Who, exactly, are you talking about? This quote was taken from this very clip at 3:45. In other words, James Earl Jones himself said it. Right here.
@@TrangPakbaby
If you read even a few of the comments, you'd find that saying "all" here is nonsense. Even saying "most" is inaccurate. Yes, there is a double standard at work, even today. But it's now the opposite of what you're implying.
TrangPak2 they are saying Vader molting Darth Vader, his character in Star Wars. This comment was a joke, because being the man Darth Vader was, it sounds like something Darth Vader would say.
Notice how the crowd laughed when Jones said he wanted to play Beethoven. That right there told the whole story. If they don’t want us playing so-called white characters from history then how do they think we are supposed to feel when they want to put on black face and portray our black characters from history??
I thought they laughed because Jones was being a bit coy at that part of his statement, and they where laughing with him. But I could be wrong. That being said, as a white person, I have no problem with an actor of color playing white historical figures as long as they portray that person to the best of their ability and accurately.
@@MrAdamloring1985 It makes no sense for a black person to play a white historical figure and vice versa. Fictitious characters is one thing, but actual historical figures should be reserved for actors who somewhat resemble them, in terms of skin color, build, and even these days, gender. Otherwise, it's difficult to be properly immersed in the movie.
That has not happened for decades! You are just like a dog with a bone! When are you going to put that in the past and leave it there so you can enjoy your present????
James Earl Jones could play any role snd make it believable. The world may never know if he could be the best Beethoven. His voice is the embodiment of a saxophone. You hear him speak and are compelled to listen.
The double standard where the white race removes ourselves from the question why do we have the right be victims and the aggressor. In order to erase the hate we have to admit wrongdoing and humility, and then teach a generation of compassionate and educated society. So far in our history we’ve not be able to admit our mistakes with acquittal of awareness. And yet if the white people have the audacity to say what about me, that’s the exact reason we’ve hardly come close to recognize what it means to be human.
Ah, how I miss the days when talk-shows actually had meaningful discussions. It's all fluff these days.
Yeah mr Jones isnt even promoting a book !
Yeah, I've never watched a talk show host that talked about topical issues, I'm pretty sure I haven't watched Colbert talk about or Trevor Noah talk about any topical issues. All intelligent discourse ended in 1972.
Look at pod casts that’s what this is today
Not, things are still the same, just that you have become old whining gray man.
Today is 7-2-19 , we need more interviews such as this were people speak there true mind instead off what we get on TV now days.
I'd see a Beethoven biopic starring Jones.
@Weapons Of Mass Distraction That would have been easily doable as a theatrical play, as you say. However, depending on how the film would have been done, it MIGHT have worked. I think that Jones' physical demeanor matched Beethoven's very well. I would have wanted to see that...IF it was a good film in all other respects.
ANYTHING WITH JAMES EARL JONES!!!!!!!❤❤❤❤❤❤
I was lucky enough to meet Mr. Jones many years ago. He was so kind and intelligent. I have always considered him to be a class act.
I am so jealous of you!!!!!! That is so awesome!!!!!!!
I just miss professional, mature and respectful disagreements and arguments between two intellectuals. I don’t think our society is intelligent enough for these kinds of conversations to take place anymore
I wouldn't say not intelligent enough, it's rather that we're distracted and hindered. It's there, we're just in a stupor. Psychological sleep.
mellow magic, I can appreciate that way of looking at it
Skeet Rock Agreed.
imo
Both major political parties have failed this country in supporting an education system that gives people critical-thinking skills.
Simultaneously, advertising and media have done so much to dumb us down, distract us from what counts, and moves people towards emotional, as opposed to intellectual, responses.
imo
Charlie Newman, agreed
The elected politicians have their agenda put us in groups United were stronger but they want to separate us
The LEGENDARY Mr. James Earl Jones
Still the two best performances I've ever seen on a stage - Mr. Jones in "Fences" and in "Othello" - he commanded the stage, every second accounted for, with both a fierceness and power and a raw vulnerability I will never forget. His true greatness was on the stage, but he should have had more substantial film parts. And, of course, one of the great speaking voices of all time.
Mr. Jones was and is a class act, a man of deep thought and eloquent expression. I find his remarks and his position on these issues to be spot on perfect. If only more people held that level of wisdom.
Hollywood slept-on James Earl Jones, should have game him more roles in his prime.
Facts
He's black. That's why.
Gee, I wonder why. The crowd laughs when he mentions playing Beethoven because Racism is a subconscious conditioning far more baked into American culture than the average person would want to acknowledge.
Do you know his first role?
It's tiny part in an epic of a legendary director. Movie has 2 titles and one of them (first) starts with : "Dr. ..."
@@noegojimmy Dr. Strangelove
So no one wants to comment on the topic just on the polite conversation?
No one pointed out how Cavett thought it was funny Mr. Jones wanted to play beehtovin, but thought white Mr. Quinn should have had no problems playing a Haitian emperor, that's what a bias looks like he might be doing what he was taught but it's time we teach a different lesson
Quinn was latino btw,mejicano, in my standards (I'm spanish) he is white,or like we more use it ,european,but in the us he wasn't considered white.
Anyway you are right people didn't see the hipocresy in finding funny that a black man could be Beethoven while they have no problem that a non black played a more than obvious black character
perfectly stated
So true.
Mr. Cavett didn't laugh,the few average people in the audience did and learned something that day.
JEJ wasn’t being so polite. In fact he was angry
back I. the day you could actually hear an actor TALK AT LENGTH about something more thought provoking than their latest film book drug or DWI bust or sexual controversy
Blame the culture...this was the day when talk shows actually let you talk
He was a theater actor primarily, and I think if you look to theater actors you will find something similar, as opposed to movie or tv actors.
If this conversation took place today, the left would denounce Jones as a race traitor.
@@ariochiv Dick would be called a white supremacist also
Agreed, better than DeNiro and Aflecks diatribes.
Anthony Quinn (Manuel Oaxaca) was a Mexican actor that came up in a time where Hollywood used white actors for everything. He played a Native American, an Asian, a Polynesian, Spanish, Italian, white man he was dark enough and light enough to for Hollywood to accept him and use him in ethnic roles. This was a time when they had Rock Hudson and Charlton Heston playing "Indians' by the 70s he was a 60 year old man that had always played different ethnic parts in a long Hollywood history of "black face" He wouldn't have thought twice about it or seen it as doing something wrong.
But it's ridiculous that this conversation is still happening today. Like that super bad movie with Gerard Butler about Egyption gods and literally all the gods were white! *smh* they even "black faced an Aussies to play the servant leads. They literally took 30 odd main roles from people of colour. I suspect wouldn't be difficult to find 30 actors of colour. But even 4 years ago that doesn't even cross Hollywood's mind.
wow James Earl would have been a great Beethoven if given the chance. I love how they are talking about controversial things in a respectful way without attacking
Very nuanced replies, now you can't even have the discussions without one side shutting it down using some cliched word or some other conversation ender. People used to agree to disagree and then shake hands and have dinner...Not saying things were perfect then, they weren't, but ideas could be discussed and examined in detail with respect and friendship despite differing opinions. Now it's a game, i'm right , you're wrong, game over...
God, must have been incredibly frustrating for James to navigating that verbal hedgemaze
Why don't you ask him?
@Tony Knibb He was a white Mexican. Mexican is a nationality. Most Mexicans are mestizo.
kout31 his mother was indigenous from Oaxaca, with possible afrikan ancestry
@Justus Bowman Beethoven wasn't black
@Tony Knibb No one ever says exactly what they mean.
I saw him read Shakespeare at the Kalamazoo public library. Amazing memory.
Wow, that must have been awesome.
My library has a video of Jones playing the lead in King Lear. He is AMAZING.
Cavett was a great host, but this is another example of him inserting his opinion when trying to learn the opinion of the guest. He would have done better by just leaving himself out of it and letting the guests speak.
Jason White Agreed. I was taken aback with his objection to art and politics being compatible ideologues, as if ideas existed in separate vacuum chambers. Not. Very. Insightful.
Is it possible that the public would be better served by commtators admitting their particular view instead of trying to lead the guest to saying it for them?
I think his show was supposed to be a conversation not just an interview.
Extreme versions of hosts inserting themselves and not letting the "guests" the viewer tuned in to see finish a thought or story goes on every night. Conan being the best example last time I saw his show. I guess Cavet is not a comedian and the public today might find this kind of show very slow. I was going to use the word "standards" but that doesn't really apply today either a lot of the time.
What a dumb complaint. This show is about a conversation between two people, you can't have a conversation when only one person is giving their opinion not to mention James earl Jones did like 90% of the talking.
ah but how would The Agenda be served by that?
It's the difference between an interview and a conversation. I think we are too accustomed to the quick sound bites of an interview to appreciate the value of conversation, especially between those with opposing points of view. Jones did not dismiss Quinn, an actor known for his portrayal of "ethnics," out of hand and how could he; the Irish Mexican is best known for playing a Greek, but he made it very clear that this particular role would not be easy to pull off.
Can't imagine anybody nowadays having this conversation it's like we're regressing in today's society
Because back then things were soooo good racially?
Why can’t you imagine? These conversations take place daily amongst me and whomever is willing to entertain the conversation. Stop being scared to have the uncomfortable conversation it may provoke something positive and or great. Society is not regressing as it never was that great, what it has become is extremely stagnant and complacent.
@@juanreyesjr580 allow me to explain myself I have no problem with having unpopular opinions and talking about them, besides you who else is willing nowadays to have a civil conversation without demeaning one another and or getting all in there feels about what other people have to say?
ruben armstrong point made and taken. 😂 I personally warn the person or people I speak to if you want to stop at anytime we can all cause I know how awkward people may feel. I then thank them for there time and encourage them to continue to push through the discomfort of having conversation with substance. Be well Ruben
Of course conversations can be had, but ideology is not vacuumed sealed, it constantly changes and any dialogue on cultural issues will reflect that. I suspect that Cavett's views would have changed too. We are now more sensitive to a whole range of gender, sexuality and race issues and thank God for that.
I have to disagree with Dick Cavett here. And James Earl Jones eloquently proves his point. I just wish he hadn’t been interrupted so many times.
Like the other comments said when James Earl Jones suggested about playing Ludwig von Beethoven, Dick cavett and the audience laughed? But he went on to give example of what he had to do to transform to play that character and an eloquently description of it and for the actor Anthony Quinn🤔 hypocrisy knows no bounds!
@Tony Knibb Well, there's no hypocrisy here James Earl Jones pose that question as slight laughter ensued by the audience seeing the look on Dicks face. Which lead him to say I'm serious! The caveat that is missing here that you took what I wrote and dismissed how eloquent James Earl Jones describe to him about the method in which Hollywood would put someone non-black in rolls that portray people of color. That black Actors could have played to whom hollywood deemed inexperience or unqualified but as Mr Jones expression put it eloquently, if had been given to him? the role itself had no historical substance of the individuals life to be played by Anthony Quinn? Hypocrisy
Dick laugh because he knew exactly what James earl Jones point was. Dick was for equal rights how do I know? I'm old enough to have watched the show live.
I know his character. He sided not one time on his show with any racist that were on his show.. which he invited.. which he knew they were racist..
Or the friggin part that Beethoven was actually a fair skinned black man.
@@tamikamcclish216 you definitely have a point there
👍Ahhh yes Mr. Jones....Such a classy response and conversation by a classy intelligent respectable man. 💞
There's ALWAYS that navigation of trying to use 1 black person against another...😒
Thanks Mr. J. E. Jones for rising above it by tactfully speaking in opposition to the narrators talking points.
Um. Are not whites asked if they disagree with other whites a hundred times a day on TV?
Mr. Cavett would have been better served by simply inviting both Ms. Holly and Mr. Quinn to the show. He did seem rather dismissive of her point of view, though, without having spoken to her directly.
@@primejudicator7817 I think he was wrong, but his reason as he stated is that he didn't believe that politics and art should be mixed. He didn't know enough about it but was assuming he did.
James Earl Jones would eventually play a king in the movie "Coming To America".
And an emperor in Conan The Barbarian.
And a lion king in The Lion King.
And a dark lord of the sith Darth Vader
not quite the same though?
He would write a king is satanic garbage the evil people worship
I'm so used to seeing Jones as a heavyset man w/ grey hair.
Man once again i am amazed at these clips. People were way smarter back then. In comparrison to todays garbage this really stands out.
That is actually far from the truth, the reason you think that is because social media has become a part of everyday life, and you no longer need to have anything worth saying to be noticed now. If the world had become dumber then we wouldn't have had the countless advances in technology, medicine, etc since this interview. The fact that you can write a comment under a video from almost half a century ago proves the world isn't getting any less smart.
@@JonnyUnforeseen totally agree with you sir...I think because of social media, some of us make these blanket statements, without full analysis of the facts or sometimes logical reasoning
@@JonnyUnforeseen I suggest you read the book titled "the dumbing down of America"
There was no social media or 24 hour news to keep everyone uptight and pissed off at everything
Its because they were not on there phone 24 7 the era of no cell phones. And Facebook.
James Earl Jones, yesterday's equivalent of today's Jeffery Wright in talent, intelligence, and class...
I can agree with that! Also I could throw Idris Elba and that mix.
Just to clarify, Jeffrey Wright is equal parts both Black AND Hispanic. That said he's a classy guy and a hell of an actor but I wouldn't compare him to J.E.J. myself cause no one comes close to him in my book except perhaps Morgan Freeman.
@@respitia Jeffrey Wright is 1/2 Hispanic? I'm not so sure about that. By the way Hispanic just means that a person originates from a Spanish speaking New World country and has nothing to do with "race"
@@IRON5 lol not really. Elba's no idiot, but Wright and Jones are actually deep thinkers and have a range of interests that go beyond film.
Do not put Jeffery Wright in the same sentence as James Earl Jones.
I could listen to him talk all day long, regardless of what he is saying.
IKR? I want his voice for my ringtone: "Frank! Perhaps you should answer this call, Frank! At once!"
This guy should voice the voice of a lion. But not just ANY lion, a lion king.
Funny, I get what you did there 😄
Wow maybe we could cast him as a lion king 😁
Hmmm wonder how he would do...
❤❤❤🥰
I don’t know about that; black guys are typically cast as either the bad guy or as one of the good guys who dies early in the movie.
I don’t know how much longer we’re gonna have James Earl Jones....but I’m thankful he’s here today still.
@@totallybored5526 😢😭
I'd love to see James Earl Jones play Ludwig Van!
Yes, I could easily see him capturing Beethoven's famous scowl.
A national treasure not only because of his famous voice, but for his performances on screen AND stage. I have been lucky enough to see him perform live and I felt really bad for his co-stars because he stole the show without even trying to.
"It's an actor's right to tackle anything!" -James Earl Jones.
Tomas Enrico Narvaez I think you missed the whole lot argument he made around that soundbite you chose.
@@wellesradio seems most on here have.
@@wellesradio I understand your reply. I have to disagree with you. I do believe it's within an actor's right to tackle anything. It is up to the actor to condemn or condone the possibility of playing a role that is not within the type of which society has accepted one as. One must do the research, and train and acquire the talent to pull off an acceptable performance. I do not believe Anthony Quinn would be good as this historical figure. I also do not agree with Quinn's accessment that the black actors at the time were not confident enough to tackle such a great role. All great roles must start with a great script. (Or at least a good script.) James Earl Jones himself at the time couldn't find a script that at least met his requirements on how the man's story should be told. But the reasoning behind whether he should play the role should lie on his talent and not the color of his skin. The conversation started with the mention of a letter written by a woman offended with the possibility of a black role not given to a black man during a time where opportunities for black actors to succeed were fewer and far in between than today. But that does not change my opinion that if the actor is good enough, and there are few who possess this talent of altering one's voice or movement or mannerisms while acquiring the emotional tone for a character, then the actor has the right to tackle any role he or she sets his or her mind on, the rest is just make up, a good script and the supporting staff behind the performance.
you know, robert downey jr. had the opportunity to prove that he could play a black man in tropic thunder
@@blackahjumma692 well he wasn't really playing a black man. We all know the quote.
Rest in peace, Mr. Jones. I think many people in my generation and younger aren't aware of what a great actor he was outside of Star Wars and The Lion King. Fantastic talent and extremely intelligent gentleman. Not to mention his accomplished military career.
James Earl is inspirational as a man and as an actor. You can see his patience and kindness and just how fair and tolerant he is in every day things and then, on top of that, his acting abilities. Love this guy
James Earl Jones; A Giant!!
If James Earl Jones were that age now, he would make a great Perry Mason.
???
He would be in A LOT of films, if he were that age in 2019.
@@skineyemin4276 !!!
If he was that age then, he would have been a great Perry Mason...
I agree. Would have loved to have seen it.
If you have seen the 1995 movie Higher Learning. He seems to be the inspiration for Laurence Fishburnes character as the professor.
Never thought about that.
He looks a lot like him
There are many intelligent black men. There just may not be enough of us in Hollywood.
Manning Marable and Shelby Steele were the inspirations.
Bruh I wish this was how talk shows were now. I’d watch hours of intelligent conversation about wildly divided topics without someone screaming about being offended
Imagine being a kid in the sixties and seventies and living for shows like this, but not understanding how 5v works and upset when he went off the air.
Beautifully articulate, thoughtfully and objectively revealing a different perspective - such an effective way to communicate
His response was absolutely genius ... I just realised he flipped it by mentioning Beethoven and then highlighting all of Beethoven physical attributes that makes it not possible to portray the role but indirectly ridiculing Tony Quinns comment... he knew to use that argument against Tony Quinn directly, it will be a losing battle, so he highlighted the artistic, historical and political characteristic to undertake the role of Christophe without referring to the obvious.
Jones makes a point, but Quinn was a unique character actor, so I could see him being offered the role considering all the ethnicities he played, but Quinn playing a black man would have been a tall order.
Patrick McKenna They could have gotten a black actor like Percy Rodriguez to play him, considering that he could speak fluent French and the character was Haitian.
Funny that no one is talking about anyone playing Haitian but a Haitian. As if being black allows someone an understanding of Haitian culture because Haitians are black.
By this logic we should dismiss the notion of blacks ever playing white historical figures. Hamilton is the best argument against this.
Steve Jovan Hamilton is an exception not the rule and on top of that a play. There are no portrayals of white historical characters played by black actors or white actors playing historical black characters on the big screen. One of the main reasons is as Mr. Jones stated is that it would have to be believable. Could Denzel Washington play George Washington and it be believable?
@@Naesman1167 no.
Michael Watkins
Wrong again! There are numerous examples of people from other other racial and ethnic groups playing historic figures.
Who does not know this?
Anthony Quinn also wanted to star in the biopic “The Wilt Chamberlain Story”😝
I guess he came up short 🏀
lol
That's a clutch 3 pointer.
Robert Downy Jr.
Played a White Man Playing another white man who played a Black man In Tropic Thunder!
And damn he killed it!
Lou Berg - I’m Black, 48 yo from South Carolina. Politically moderate to liberal. I AGREE with you on Robert Downey, Jr. in Tropic Thunder and to be a comedy at that! If it had come across as just weird new Blackface, I would have been the first to protest. It was brilliant.
He had to do a great job in that role to not be bad, and he did.
He damn sure did. 💪🏾
If you ever meet him and offer a 100 dollar donation for his charity, he'll do your voicemail recording. He's a true class act
Where are the people in little boxes yelling and smirking at each other ???
James Earl Jones is Americana. I think that he would make an incredible Beethoven.
He would indeed; while gently cerebral, yet he has Thor-like fire and thunder. These he dramatized two years after this interview, at the Shakespeare Festival in Central Park in NYC, where he starred as a singularly great King Lear, albeit set in ancient pre-Roman Celtic Britain, the mythic character Lyr originated as a white king. But as the play's human situation and dilemmae are universal, it could be set in any time or place and be played by a cast of any race, and to do so emphasizes the universality of the story's themes.
@@JudgeJulieLit What race were the MEN who wrote thouse works of art. mmmm for that you would need paper that would be a good start.
@elbones1982 Yes, Beethoven was white. But I bet JEJ could have done a great job playing him! The accent would be very tough to get right, though.
@Craig Lachman For what it's worth,the controversy surrounding Beethoven's ethnicity remains unresolved to this very day.
theconcordian.org/2015/02/19/beethoven-may-have-been-african-american
The matter wasn't settled during the Dick Cavett era of television,so I think it's safe to say that it won't be resolved in a youtube comment thread either.
That being said,I sincerely hope Beethoven was caucasian.I tire of hearing stories of people of color like George Herriman & Carol Channing pretending to be caucasian in order to make their way in the world,when other entertainers of color were able to succeed in spite of not being able to ''blend in''.
I have no admiration or pride for someone who'd pretend to be something that they're not,so caucasians are more than welcome to claim Beethoven as one of their own as far as I'm concerned.
@@tabbypappy Hey I'll claim Beethoven as one of my own. I'm human, see, so he's definitely one of mine. Feel free to join me, because he's one of yours too.
James Earl Jones is one of the greatest black actors to ever grace the big screen.
I think he's one of the greatest actor to grace the screen. Then when you add the fact that he's a devoted family man and a legit hero (US Army Ranger) he's probably one of the greatest men to grace the big screen.
One of best Black Actor???! Yall be reaching . Why not just a best actor...🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄
@@AngelicTroubleMaker-LaVooDoo24 Ok, I don't see why saying he's one of the best black actors is a problem but I will agree that he is also one of the best actors to ever grace the big screen as well.
@@golfnutt8 I know you meant well. Nevertheless, I cringe when one's race , sex, age ,developmental stage, socioeconomic status, etc. is used as an adjective to compliment their profession, physicality etc. hence my uncle always says , "Eminem is one of the best WHITE RAPPERS in history. " When in fact Eminem is in his top 3 rappers of all time so why mention the fact that he is white?! LOL!! Damn near 20 years later He says it all the time to tease me ....lol.
Correction, one of the greatest actors...
My mother met James Earl Jones in the 1960s at the Ed Sullivan show he bought her coffee and they had a wonderful conversation. His is a wonderful human being!
Cavett isn't really listening to the words coming out of Mr. Jones mouth.
He wasnt a great interviewer, he always came across as awkwardly trying to be hip which he clearly wasnt and alot of the time just plain sycophantic.
Yea definitely heard an agenda in his voice. But it was a different time and most people just go with the flow. Even today.
@@ChitChat Time hasnt changed that much, interviewers still think as soon as they get a black actor on they haveto start asking race related questions, Parkinson was doing that right up til the 00s, nothing's changed, race still remains a question topic as soon as black people are interviewed regardless of whether its relevant or not.
Oh he is, he's just not grovelling and worshipping him for being black like you would
@@theyellowlightsaber3193 I think he lets most people talk, unlike most interviewers today.
One the Greatest actors of my lifetime
Of any lifetime.
Anthony was Mexican and Irish...two similar yet different ...All I know Anthony Quinn was a really good actor and a beautiful looking man.
James Earl Jones drops the knowledge. Anthony Quinn and Cavett do not understand the implications of someone other than a Black Haitian man playing the role of Henri Christophe who has deep significance to Haiti's history.
And yet anyone who complains that only black men were even allowed to audition for Alexander Hamilton is called a bigot.
James Earl Jones didn't make that point clear. He actually said Tony Quinn COULD play the role if he did so convincingly. He downplayed the significance of race and made the issue about acting skills.
@@xman9190 Mr. Jones was stating that Quinn is a skilled actor but as a non-Black, non-Haitian he'd have greater hurdles to bring forward a convincing role. He was making it known that talent and 'white' privilege won't win you every role or audience easily.
@@reimourrpower9357 Why do you capitalize Black but not capitalize white? And if white privilege exists then why don't we have to use the "W-word" for wigger?
@Nic Rellek Dishonestly.
Jones has such grace and class. Its clearly deeply demeaning to black actors but he stays so cool and clear. People that wouldn't blink at Quinn as a black man laugh at the suggestion of Jones as a white man. Fascinating
Listen and look at the wuality of the interviewer, actually letting the interviewee finish his sentences. So unlike so many of today's "it's all about me" interviewers. A by-gone era when there was real conversation. That's how it should be done
I love James Earl Jones..
Get a room.
James was in a movie filmed in Tacoma in 1988... "Three Fugitives".... funny stuff... and met him. I was an extra, and walked right up to him and asked, "Can you say my full name in Darth Vader's voice ?" (You know he WAS Vader's voice, right !?)
He said my name ! One of the coolest moments ever.
Bad ass
💓🕊💖R.I.P. i Pray With💖💪👑JESUS FOREVER BELOVED Sir James EarL Jones. AMEN.🕊💖👋😌🙏z
JEJ explores this topic with great insight and elucidates the question beautifully. Not just a fine actor but a fine mind.
What skill! What poise! The athleticism in James Earl Jones’ responses! His perspective ran circles around Dick’s head while simultaneously flying over it as well. Intellectual aerobics. I have so much more to learn from my elders who have paved the way for me. Ooooooh! The way he wielded the audience’s obvious cluelessness and biases to his advantage to further his point...all in 5 mins...remarkable.
James earl jones played a Mongolian in Conan the barbarian... and he was amazing.
@James the Truther your an idiot
@James the Truther Its not hypocrisy because he wasn't Mongolian. Conan is a fictional universe, no such thing as Mongolians in that world. Jones could depict his character in anyway and it wouldn't matter. The Haitian Emperor is a real historical figure, huge difference.
Tulsa Doom is sopposed to be atlantid, actually conan's Iboria earth is an alternative universe
Anthony Hopkins played a Greek, an Italian, an Arab, a Frenchman etc etc
James Earl Jones playing Beethoven would be amazing
Mr. J. E. Jones was one of the most finest, GOD gifted, talented actors of all time!!!! Mr. Jones had a resemblance to my father, both men had a manner that reminded me of one another!! Similar to my father, Mr. Jones presented himself as a gentleman of principles, morals and good character!!! Mr. Jones you were in many great movies, nonetheless, I will always remember your characters best in Claudine/A Piece of the Action!!!! Rest in GOD'S presence, Mr. Jones, you were Blest with a long, full life, condolences to your family!!!!!
Such a riveting and well thought out response that it makes all the sense in the world. Both make sound arguments in their viewpoints and are showing how an intelligent conversation can be made between two individuals
The laughter as he spoke on playing Beethoven, speaks volumes of what our country was, and where we are now.
back when issues were still open for discussion. Glad some of us remember what that was like.
I would pay to see James Earl Jones play beethoven
Somethings should become settled over time. Interracial kissing or lgbt on screen was up to debate at one point as well.
@@sunnysandystar9384 so, it's ok if a white person plays a black character?
Mladen - Yes. You’ll recall a minor play with a short run on Broadway where almost the entire cast was black... but almost all the characters were white. If memory serves, the play was called “Hamilton.”
@@StrategicWealthLLC aaawwwww Hamilton!
Mladen - Great play!
Cavette always has a superior attitude. Great guests fair interviewer
Back then... black men could be honorable ... strong .. elegant... wise and dignified.. not so much anymore
They, you can be 😊. Whatever is portrayed, choosing to be a different role model within you sphere of influence is indeed powerful 💯
that is the stupidest thing ever uttred...whats stopping you?
@@asher6657 nothing is stopping me . I'm still these things. Its just Not cool today to be that way
@@MrJreed1000 utter nonsense. there are those who are that way, unapologetically.
Those who go a different path chose that path. There is nothing stopping them. Who told you that being a strong, honorable black men is not 'cool'?
If I am reading you correctly, I believe you are suggesting that black men can be and are those things you mention, but that among some people the perception is that if you express those attributes in public you might be viewed as uncool. I'd also add, in terms of acting and movies (the context for this vid) Hollywood not portraying black men in that fashion to a mass audience, is in large part a cause if this perception.
Quinn's unique ethnic mix hampered him in his early days in Hollywood, but he came to view it as a blessing--the escape hatch by which he avoided the perils of typecasting. He's played Arabs, Japanese, Chinese, Russians, Indians and Greeks (including a thinly veiled Aristotle Onassis in "The Greek Tycoon," even though Jacqueline Onassis personally requested him not to). If he's never played a black, it was not for want of trying. His "great dream" had been to play the Haitian king Henri Christophe, but when he announced the project in the late 1960s, a furor from the black community scuttled the project. James Earl Jones is an American actor. He has been described as "one of America's most distinguished and versatile" actors for his performances in film, television, and theater, and "one of the greatest actors in American history". He is now 91 years old.
JEJ gave such an intelligent response to this question. Notice how Cavett and the audience scoffed at him portraying Beethoven. He bated them and exposed their hypocrisy. THIS people is the real offense of black face, not the recent "offenses" like Jimmy Fallon, LuAnn De Lesseps, Robert Downey Jr. or Juliette Hoffman. The true offense is the taking of roles from black talent with the implication that they can't pull it off or sell movie tickets. The nuance in the conversation is very relevant.
Me in 2020 still waiting for that Henri Christophe movie.
If they ever do make a movie about this guy, I say a black man should play him. Would you ask a black man to play George Washington?
Christopher Jackson from "Hamilton" says hi.
But I actually agree, for many of the same reasons that JEJ explains.
@Gary and @Capcoor: I was going to reference "Hamilton", too. And not just for Washington. In the production I saw, EVERY SINGLE ONE of the founding fathers was a different ethnicity than white.
At first, it struck me as just part of the humor of the show. But it didn't take long for me simply say "this isn't a PAINTING of any of these men. What they do or don't look like isn't the point."
The man who played Jefferson was, like, 6'8" and black! And he was an AMAZING actor! Did he look like Jefferson? No. Did he command the intelligence, dignity, and respect that Jefferson demanded? ABSOLUTELY!
Fantastically measured and dignified responses.
Earl jones proved his point so smoothly, and the audience bit very very hard!!
I saw James Earl Jones play Othello at the Wintergarden Theater on Broadway, and his portrayal was masterful. The only other actor that I can think of that would give it such grandeur would be Paul Robeson.
Darth Vader used the force on him!
The bass in this room is deep like a strong cup of Black coffee
I had a black friend who once told me that he saw a film of Lawrence Olivier playing Othello. My friend gave the greatest compliment I've ever heard given to an actor. He said that Olivier was not playing a black man, "He was a black man"...
This is the most offensive thing I've read online in a while and that's saying a lot.
A so called black person said a man in black face played a black man well....the layers of ignorance is out of this world
How can someone play a black man? What does that mean? Othello is a character from a play who displays a range of emotions that anybody can express, not just resigned to being Black.
If someone was to recite lines from Shakespeare or any other dramatist, don't you convey the emotion of the character in your delivery ?
I met James Earl Jones about twenty years ago. I worked at the Enoch Pratt Library in Baltimore. He was visiting while doing a promotional tour (I forget the Company). The director, DR. Carla Hayden, had an intimate meet and greet in the Board of Governor's room. I was one of a handful of people who met him and had my photo op with him. What struck me was how 'down to earth' he was. He sincerely took an interest in the public work I performed at Pratt (or was he acting? lol) He's brilliant! p.s. Dr. Hayden is now the Librarian of Congress.
I don't think the question should have been "Can a white actor play a black character", because the answer to that question is yes, a white actor could play a black character just as much as a black actor could play a white character. As long as they can act the part well then no problem. I think the more appropriate question is "SHOULD a white actor play a black part". My answer back then would have been no. Why? Because in the 60s and 70s, good roles for black actors were few and far between in white dominated Hollywood, so I don't understand why they would give the part of a black Haitian man to a white actor when so many black actors looking for work could have done a brilliant job. I think James Earl Jones handled Dick's quite arrogant questioning with style and grace. And yes I am aware that Anthony Quinn was half Mexican, but he was also half white Irish so he could assimilate easier into white Hollywood by how he looked more so than a black man.