Dick Cavett’s 1972 Interview with Raquel Welch: The Secrets She Never Wanted You to Know

Raquel Welch is truly one of the most beautiful women to ever grace this planet. However, with all the attention on her looks and acting career, many people haven’t heard her speak from the heart.

That’s why, when I found her appearance on *The Dick Cavett Show*, I noticed something surprising…

First, let’s appreciate just how stunning and elegant Raquel Welch was in the early 1970s. She had no hair extensions, no Botox, and her natural hair color, without a tattoo in sight. She had a full figure, an intriguing personality, and a sharp mind. In my opinion, Welch is one of the most beautiful women to ever appear on screen.

### Underrated Genius

In a captivating 1972 interview on *The Dick Cavett Show*, Welch’s timeless beauty and elegance were clear. At about 32 years old, she radiated charm as she settled into the chair across from Dick Cavett.

The American television host, who ran *The Dick Cavett Show* from 1968 to 1988, was a skilled interviewer. He interviewed many famous film directors like Welles, Hitchcock, De Palma, and Scorsese, making each interview feel like a lesson in film.

Cavett had a talent for making his guests feel comfortable, drawing out engaging and thoughtful conversations. This interview showed Raquel in a way many had never seen — beyond her famous looks, revealing things I didn’t know about her.

### Broke Her Wrist

Welch’s appearance on *The Dick Cavett Show* was partly to promote her latest film, *Kansas City Bomber*.

In the movie, she played roller derby skater K.C. Carr — a woman trying to balance her desire for a happy personal life with her dreams of success.

The film featured many intense scenes from the matches, and according to Raquel, she performed most of her own stunts, which took a toll on her.

Raquel explained that she had to learn how to skate from the ground up for the role. The professional skaters in the film used a track with banked turns at a 45-degree angle, which made it even more difficult.

One day while practicing, she broke her wrist, causing the production to delay filming for about eight weeks.

“I had a lot of aches and pains for a long time,” Welch admitted.

### Recognize the Dress?

Those with sharp eyes might remember Welch’s stunning blue dress from her interview with Cavett. It was the same iconic gown she wore to the Oscars just a few months earlier. Talk about a fashion statement!

Raquel was ahead of her time in recycling outfits, and her Oscars gown wasn’t the only piece she repurposed. The beautiful dress she wore to the premiere of *The Godfather* was also the same one she wore at Elizabeth Taylor’s 40th birthday celebration in Budapest back in 1972.

Getty Images

Who knew Raquel was such a trendsetter long before it became a popular term?

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By the way, did you know that Welch’s wardrobe for public events was very different from her personal style? People always expected her to maintain her glamorous image, and she did so perfectly. However, when she wasn’t on the red carpet, Welch preferred simple pantsuits and comfortable clothing.

### Humorous Anecdote

For decades, Welch has been known as a sex symbol, with a lot of focus on her beautiful body. Yet, few people have had the chance to hear her talk openly, especially on serious topics that show her depth beyond her famous image.

During her time on *The Dick Cavett Show*, the *One Million Years B.C.* star discussed the difference between her glamorous on-screen persona and her real-life experiences. The conversation included her public image and the expectations placed on her as a female actress in a male-dominated sport.

Raquel shared a funny story from her experience promoting *Kansas City Bomber*, recalling an interesting press conference with sports writers.

Getty Images

“I had a really interesting press conference when I first came into town to promote the film with all the sports writers. They said, ‘You know, you’re a nice-sized lady and all that, but you’re not exactly what I expected.’ I replied, ‘I know I always seem to disappoint people if I walk in the door and the door hinges don’t splinter off, like I should come in with a machete or something.’”

Some people who saw her in person were surprised by her size—she is only 5 feet 5½ inches tall with a small-boned frame, elegantly complemented by broad shoulders and beautiful olive skin.

Dick Cavett then adds, “I know people walked in and looked at you, and their reaction was, ‘There’s an attractive woman.’ But many didn’t realize it was you, even though they had seen you on screen.”

### “Downright Intoxicating”

Many viewers who watched the interview later (available on YouTube) have commented on Raquel Welch’s lovely voice. It seems some have forgotten about it because of the strong focus on her stunning images and posters over the years.

One YouTube user commented, “She becomes even more attractive when she speaks, downright intoxicating!”

Another commenter added, “I love the way she speaks; there is something unique and also time-stamped about it.”

Another viewer noted, “Raquel was not only stunning to look at; she had a wonderful voice and a captivating way of speaking.”

This detail shows that Raquel’s appeal went beyond just her looks; her voice added a special charm that still resonates with audiences today.

She was very articulate and well-spoken!

### Why Was Raquel Welch So Down-to-Earth?

Raquel Welch, who got her first name from a grandmother in Bolivia and her last name from a teenage marriage, described herself as a product of middle-class America.

She never forgot her roots and always stayed connected to the part of society that wasn’t filled with the glitz and glamour of Hollywood.

“I’m practical, but I also have dreams of how things ideally should be,” she once said.

Getty Images

In her private life, Welch was often seen in comfortable, loose-fitting sweaters and classic blue jeans, with just a touch of eye makeup. Even with her great fame, she had a sweetness and gentleness that made her feel easy to approach.

During her interview with Dick Cavett, Welch seemed very sweet, gentle, and down-to-earth.

### Suffered from Alzheimer’s Disease

Welch was truly one of the most beautiful women to ever appear on screen. Not even Kim Kardashian, with all her surgeries, could compare to her beauty.

Raquel was something special, and we should be thankful to have experienced her brilliance. Sadly, she passed away from cardiac arrest on February 15, 2023, at her home in Los Angeles, at the age of 82. At the time of her death, she was also battling Alzheimer’s disease.

Let’s remember this amazing woman through her wonderful interview with Dick Cavett — a moment when Raquel Welch was at the peak of her career. Share this story if you also admired Raquel Welch!

Wealthy Woman Dresses up in Beggarly Clothes to Check Out Her Daughter’s Fiancé – Story of the Day

Monica told her mother, Vivienne, that she was engaged to a new man named Zach. The older woman couldn’t believe it, mainly because he was not wealthy, so she decided to dress up as a poor woman and investigate. She couldn’t have been more shocked at the scene she found in Zach’s house.

Vivienne’s daughter, Monica, had just stormed out of her house. They had a massive argument over Monica’s announcement. She was going to marry a man named Zach. Vivienne couldn’t believe it because she had no idea her daughter had broken up with her boyfriend, Anthony.

Anthony’s family wasn’t as wealthy as Monica’s family, but they were respected in the high society of Hartford. Vivienne dreamed of his daughter marrying well and never worrying about money. However, it seemed that Monica’s new man did not come from money at all. He lived in the small town of Mystic. Moreover, he was a fisherman, and his parents worked blue-collar jobs their entire lives.

For Illustration Purposes only. | Source: Pexels

For Illustration Purposes only. | Source: Pexels

That won’t do. She can’t marry him! Vivienne thought, trying to calm her rapidly-beating heart after the fight with Monica.

“I can’t marry Anthony, Mother! He cheated on me with at least three women in just two months! Do you want me to be miserable?!” Monica had asked in tears.

“That can’t be true!” Vivienne yelled back, and that’s when Monica decided to storm out of the house.

Vivienne sat in her living room and thought about what to do. She had to fix this somehow. If Anthony was really a cheater, it made sense that Monica became attracted to someone outside their society. But what if this Zach was with her for her family’s money? Men could be gold-diggers too.

She had to check out Zach without her daughter. It had to be a scenario where he was forced to act as himself and not the version he wanted Monica to see, so she came up with a plan.

The following day, Vivienne took a taxi and arrived in Mystic, Connecticut, wearing the most horrible clothes she could find in her old boxes. She wore a stained skirt which she purposely ripped on one side and a sweater that smelled like mothballs. It was perfect. She would see Zach and observe how he acted around regular people.

Luckily, Mystic was such a small town that everyone apparently knew where Zach lived. Vivienne just asked a lady at the local grocery store, and she pointed her in the general direction.

For Illustration Purposes only. | Source: Unsplash

For Illustration Purposes only. | Source: Unsplash

She reached his house, which was worse than Vivienne could’ve imagined. It looked run down and had an unkempt garden. She saw beer bottles and cigarette buds lying around as she approached the front door. Monica has never seen this house before, Vivienne thought, convinced of it. There’s no way her daughter would’ve fallen for a man who lived like this.

She wanted to run but had to get this done, so she raised her finger and rang the doorbell. A man with a gray, sweat-stained shirt answered the door. He was clearly in his 20s. This had to be Zach. He had a bottle of beer in his hand and an unshaven face.

“Yeah?” the man said.

“Oh, hello,” Vivienne began tentatively. Now that she was there, she had no idea how to talk to him or what to say to discover what kind of personality he had.

“Lady, what do you want?” the man continued irately now.

“I’m sorry. I was wondering if you could help me. I’m a bit lost,” she finally blurted. “Are you Zach?”

“Yeah, that’s me. What do you want?” Zach asked and belched. Vivienne couldn’t help looking disgusted, and he laughed.

Suddenly, a woman started yelling from inside the house. “Zach! Where did you put my lighter? You’re always losing stuff! YOU IDIOT!”

Zach turned from Vivienne and started shouting at the woman. “I’m the idiot? I’M THE IDIOT! You’re the one that loses everything as soon as it gets here. I don’t know where you put it! Don’t blame it on me!”

For Illustration Purposes only. | Source: Pexels

For Illustration Purposes only. | Source: Pexels

“I can’t believe I’m still with someone like you! I’m going to leave you tonight!” the woman screamed some more, and Vivienne heard the distinct sound of breaking glass. She raised a hand to her chest.

“THE DAY YOU LEAVE WILL BE THE BEST OF MY LIFE, CRAZY WOMAN!” Zach snapped loudly and turned back to look at Vivienne. “Look, lady. Get to the point. I’m busy.”

“That’s your girlfriend?” Vivienne breathed. It was the only thing that came to her mind after that horrible display. These people were awful.

“None of your business, old woman. Now, go away,” he bellowed and slammed the door in her face. Vivienne jumped as the door closed and couldn’t believe her daughter was actually dating that man.

This is awful. Monica was not only going to get her heart broken again, but this man was clearly abusive and dangerous to women in general. Vivienne had to stop it. But first, she had to go back to Hartford, which meant finding a taxi in this small town.

She started walking the streets and noticed the other houses around the block. They were old and tiny, just like Zach’s, but others maintained them. At least, not everyone was bad in this area. They were covered in snow this time of the year. Suddenly, a woman came out of one of the houses, saw Vivienne, and waved.

Vivienne smiled and waved back, not knowing what else to do. The woman started walking towards her. She was around her age and had the kindest smile in the world.

“Hey, there! Do you need help? Are you lost?” the woman asked.

For Illustration Purposes only. | Source: Pexels

For Illustration Purposes only. | Source: Pexels

“Oh, no. Don’t worry about it. I just need to find a taxi and go home,” Vivienne answered and tried to walk away. But the woman wouldn’t let her.

“Wait. I’m Georgia. It’s getting really cold out here, and sometimes, it’s hard to find a taxi on the main road. Come inside, and I’ll call one for you,” she suggested.

“I’m Vivienne. Nice to meet you. That’s such a kind offer, but I don’t know….”

“I insist,” the woman continued and urged Vivienne inside.

They chatted a while, and Georgia called the cab company in town. Apparently, all the drivers were busy, and none of them wanted to drive all the way to Hartford.

“Oh, dear. What should I do? I have to get to Hartford tonight,” Vivienne muttered, biting her bottom lip.

“A taxi from here to Hartford is so expensive. Are you sure? Maybe, you can stay here, and tomorrow, you can take the bus,” Georgia noted.

“Oh, it’s alright. Someone else is paying the taxi,” Vivienne lied. “It’s important for me to get home tonight.”

Just then, someone opened the front door and came in. “Hey, Ma!”

It was a handsome man in his 20s who looked remarkably like Georgia with a kind face and smile. Georgia hugged him and introduced him to Vivienne. He was visiting his mother and brought over fresh fish he had caught that day.

“Oh, boy. I meant to ask. Do you know anyone going to Hartford tonight?” Georgia asked her son after stashing the fish in the freezer.

For Illustration Purposes only. | Source: Pexels

For Illustration Purposes only. | Source: Pexels

The man stood in the middle of the living room and pursed his lips. “Oh, I don’t. Why?”

“Vivienne has to get there tonight, but none of the taxis in town want to take her,” Georgia replied.

“Well, why don’t I take her? I was thinking of going to Hartford this weekend and buying some stuff. But I guess tonight works too,” Georgia’s son offered.

“Oh, I wouldn’t want to put you out. You look tired,” Vivienne muttered, embarrassed.

“Don’t worry about it. Let’s go,” the man insisted and guided Vivienne to his car. It was an old pickup, but he assured her it worked perfectly and would get them to their destination.

They talked during the more-than-one-hour drive to Hartford, and Vivienne was pleasantly surprised by his kind demeanor. Not many people would have offered an older woman a ride just like that, and she hadn’t talked about paying him. He was a kind, hard-working man.

Well, not everyone in that town is as awful as Monica’s new boyfriend. Why couldn’t she meet a boy like this? Vivienne was lost in thought as they entered the city.

“Ma’am. Where exactly are you going? I can take you anywhere,” the man wondered.

“Oh, there’s this gated community…,” Vivienne began, giving him the directions to her area. But she told him to stop at the gates instead of leading him to her house.

For Illustration Purposes only. | Source: Pexels

For Illustration Purposes only. | Source: Pexels

“Here! Have some money for the ride. It’s what I would’ve paid the taxi,” she said, holding out some cash in her hand and opening the door with her other hand.

“No, no. I couldn’t. I was already coming here anyway,” the man rejected her offer.

Vivienne tried to insist. “Please, take it.”

“No, ma’am. I really couldn’t. I used this ride as an excuse to see my girlfriend, who lives around the area. I should thank you!” the man laughed, and Vivienne joined him.

“Well, then. I appreciate your kindness,” she finally said before getting out of the truck and waving goodbye at the young man.

Oh, I never even asked his name. Jesus, I forgot all my manners, she thought after reaching her house.

Her meeting with Monica’s horrible boyfriend had truly shaken her, but at least, she met some great people that got her home safely. Obviously, she knew that money wasn’t everything, and many average folks were great people. But her daughter had made a colossal mistake.

Why couldn’t she have picked someone like Georgia’s son? He was pretty nice, Vivienne thought as she changed out of the old clothes and into her pajamas.

For Illustration Purposes only. | Source: Pexels

For Illustration Purposes only. | Source: Pexels

Suddenly, her phone pinged with a message. It was Monica. She said that she was bringing her boyfriend for dinner tomorrow night and hoped Vivienne would be nice.

“Oh, dear. I’m going to have to break your heart tomorrow. But you definitely can’t marry that man,” she muttered out loud, looking intently at her phone.

The following night, Vivienne was worried. Her daughter’s car had just pulled into her driveway, and Zach was coming with her. She had no idea how to explain what she did yesterday and how she ended up at that man’s house. But Monica would have to see reason. That horrible man was sweaty, rude, and had a girlfriend.

There was a knock on the front door, and Vivienne breathed deeply to gather her courage. She was about to start a huge fight with that man, and Monica had to listen to her. But when the older woman opened the door, her mouth dropped. No arguments or screams came out — just a tiny squeak.

“Mom?” Monica asked, frowning at her mother.

The man standing beside her was not that sweaty Zach she had met the previous day. It was Georgia’s son!

For Illustration Purposes only. | Source: Pexels

For Illustration Purposes only. | Source: Pexels

“Ma’am?” the man asked and looked at Monica with a confused expression. “This is your mother? I gave her a ride from Mystic last night.”

“What? Mom, what were you doing at Mystic?” Monica wondered, placing her hand on her waist.

“Oh, dear. Come in! Come in! This is your boyfriend, Zach?” Vivienne inquired as she guided them inside quickly, breathing heavily. She was ecstatic.

“Yes, Mom. This is Zach. But did you meet him yesterday?” her daughter asked again, refusing to let her change the subject. They both removed their coats, and Vivienne was smiling at them with the most relieved smile in the world.

“Yes, dear. It’s a long story. Sit down…,” she told them and explained everything that happened the day before, including how Zach ended up driving her back to Hartford.

There were two people named Zach in the town of Mystic, and the lady at the store only knew one of them. The rude one. Monica found the whole story hilarious and their original fight had already been forgotten by the time Vivienne finished.

For Illustration Purposes only. | Source: Pexels

For Illustration Purposes only. | Source: Pexels

The whole night, Vivienne was so friendly to Monica’s Zach. They had dinner and enjoyed a wonderful time. Before the couple left, Vivienne told Monica that she approved and would pay for their wedding if they desired. The older woman never judged Zach for being a fisherman because he treated her daughter like a princess.

Besides, after meeting that sweaty Zach, anyone else was infinitely better.

What can we learn from this story?

  • Don’t judge others based on their financial status. Money doesn’t mean anything in the end. Some horrible people have tons of money, and some of the greatest might be working paycheck to paycheck.
  • Don’t assume you know what’s best for your children. Some parents think they know what would make their kids happy, but that’s not always the case.

Share this story with your friends. It might brighten their day and inspire them.

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