Product Details

• Actors: Ray Charles
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 2
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Shout Factory Theatr
• DVD Release Date: September 13, 2005
• Run Time: 220 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0009XRZIS
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #41,619 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

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  Movies & TV > Television > TV Series By Letter > D > The Dick Cavett Show

• This item is part of The Dick Cavett Show Series.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
A TV talk show studio may not be the optimal environment for live music, but Ray Charles effortlessly transcends that limitation throughout his three early '70s appearances preserved on the two-disc set The Dick Cavett Show - Ray Charles Collection. Then in his early forties, Charles performs more than a dozen songs altogether, seven of them on the second show (taped in September '72, but not aired until the following year), on which he's the only guest. His genius lay in making any style sound like his own, and typically, his material here runs the gamut, from blues, gospel (Charles' inimitable "America the Beautiful" is nothing if not church-based), jazz (pianist Oscar Peterson's "Blues for Big Scotia"), and soul (Sam Cooke's "Shake") to pop (a unique interpretation of the Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby"), country ("I Can't Stop Loving You," one of his biggest hits), and his signature "Georgia on My Mind." The conditions aren't ideal, what with the antiseptic studio sound ("Television is death to me," Charles says); and while the Raelettes are on hand, musical backing is provided primarily by the house band, good players but not as simpatico as Charles' own musicians. Still, Cavett and Charles have a genuine rapport, and Ray is witty, candid (especially when talking about his blindness, admitting that he wouldn't want his sight back on a permanent basis), and thoroughly engaging. Other Cavett guests include anthropologist Margaret Mead and New York mayor John Lindsay (who's quite circumspect when discussing the then-burning issue of Watergate), but make no mistake: this is Ray Charles's show, and this collection is a must-have for his fans. --Sam Graham

Product Description
3 Complete Episodes of the Legendary Late-Night Talk Show

Features Candid Interviews, Unforgettable Moments and 14 Live Performances

Genius is a word that is often used too casually. That’s certainly not the case with Ray Charles. The word was so appropriate in his case that it became his nickname. The Genius was a guest on The Dick Cavett Show three times, including one where he was Cavett’s only guest. As a performer and a conversationalist, his magnetism is in full force. On this 2-DVD set Ray speaks candidly about his life and career and performs 14 songs. The Ray Charles Collection includes:

Episode One - June 26, 1972

Ray performs:
- America The Beautiful
- Blues For Big Scotia
- Am I Blue (duet with Dick Cavett)
(Other guests: Tony Randall, Margaret Mead)

Episode Two - January 26, 1973

Ray performs:
- I Feel So Bad
- Georgia On My Mind
- Eleanor Rigby
- I Can’t Stop Loving You
- Lift Every Voice And Sing
- America The Beautiful
- Shake
- Am I Blue (duet with Dick Cavett)

Episode Three - July 9, 1973

Ray performs:
- I Feel So Bad
- Born To Lose
- Am I Blue (duet with Dick Cavett)
(Other guests: John Lindsay, Dr. Samuel Rosen)

Plus New Episode Introductions and the Bonus Featurette Cavett Remembers Ray.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I loved this series of shows, June 18, 2007

By	Toni (Fairfield, IA, USA) - See all my reviews

The three shows in this series each have their own charm.

In the first one, there is a hilarious opening with Dick trying out a special effects motion machine. The Ray Charles segment that follows meets all expectations, and Ray and Dick's conversation after the music shows their growing rapport. Tony Randall, another guest, is very funny as he describes a provocative new California trend, and Margaret Mead says more interesting and intelligent things in her first ten minutes than most of us say all year.

In the second one, Dick and Ray have the show to themselves. The music is great, and the conversation is heartwarming and very much up to the usual Dick Cavett show standard of intelligence.

In the last show in the series, there are three guests. For those of us who remember Mayor John Lindsay, it is great to see him again. Those who are too young to have seen him before will be charmed and encouraged that a government leader can actually be intelligent. Again, Ray's music is stirring, and Dr. Sam Rosen, an ear surgeon is very interesting to listen to.

5 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars MY FAVORITE ARTIST, August 30, 2005

By	Bettie W. Lamb (Portsmouth, VA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Great selection. Thanks for notifying me. Of course I will order this DVD right away.

2 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars total rip off , November 20, 2006

By	K. Tarin "EveryoneIsBlindnDeaf" (Calif) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Why do we need complete shows? Meaning now it has to be 2 DVD's? Meaning now look at the price.

I bought this because I wanted to see ray talk, and we have people in our family with bad hearing, the credits on Amazon here say its Closed Captioned, no its not, Amazon, please remove that from your credits.

Also, to release a DVD in 2006, a TALK show no less, without Closed Captioned, is an automatic F+, flunk, zero stars, we just cant pick zero stars.

Also, who CARES about boring Tony Randal?!! And some fat ugly environment leftist whacko!!

This could of been paired down to just all Ray, and thus, One DVD.

and one of the all time dumbest segments on a DVD with no CC! , a "HEARING" doctor, Dr Rosen, talks about all things hearing, and NO closed caption availability! DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUHHHHHH