"Ali & Cavett: The Tale of the Tapes" (2018 release; 95 min.) is a documentary centered around Muhammed Ali's frequent guest appearances on The Dick Cavett Show. As the movie opens, we see a multitude of short clips where Cavett introduces Ali, while a voice-over reminds us how big the show was in that era (late 60s-early/mid 70s), taking it "to the edge of the racial debate in this country". We then go back in time, understanding how these two met in the early 60s when Cavett was working on the Jerry Lewis show, and we work our way up in time from there. At this point we are 10 min. into the documentary.
Couple of comments: the documentary is the directing debut of Richard S. Bader, the long-standing Dick Cavett expert who has produced a number of Cavett-associated releases. He co-wrote the script with Cavett himself for this film. While the movie's title indicates equal billing for Ali and Cavett, in reality this movie is a whole lot more about Ali than it is about Cavett, to the point where it seems Cavett is mere background dressing, and providing a convenient entrance angle to look at Ali's fascinating, if complicated, life as an athlete, political activist, and all-around global mega-star. "Ali is much smarter than he lets on", observes Cavett, but I don't know if that is the case, as the many clips ooze with Ali's savvy and smarts. "Was Ali a racist? a mouthpiece for the Nation of Islam?", someone ponders, and that is a darn good question, and one that is impossible to fully answer. Certainly Ali said things that, if there were spoken by a white person, would immediately be condemned as racist. But one thing that nobody can negate or deny: Ali (as demonstrated in his many appearances on the Dick Cavett Show) was a magnetic personality and an amazing boxer. We can only wonder how much more he would have accomplished in the boxing ring had he not been banned for 3+ years in the prime of his boxing career. Back to Cavett: it is clear from the clips and from Cavett's own comments taped for this film that his affection for Ali is genuine and runs deep.
"Ali & Cavett: The Tale of the Tapes" originally premiered 2 years ago at SXSW and then... nothing. But it started showing earlier this week on HBO and is now available at HBO On Demand and other streaming services. I quite enjoyed this documentary, and if you have any interest in Muhammed Ali, I might suggest you check it out and draw your own conclusion.
