Hellman v. McCarthy with Dick Cavett at Abingdon

Brian Richard Mori, Dick Cavett, Jan Buttram

The greatest literary feud in modern American history began on January 25, 1980 when literary critic Mary McCarthy appeared as a guest on “The Dick Cavett Show” and declared that “every word [playwright Lillian Hellman] writes is a lie, including ‘and’ and ‘the.'” Hellman went ballistic and sued McCarthy for libel, sparking a lawsuit that spanned more than four years. Hellman v. McCarthy is a roller coaster ride filled with comedy and pathos.  By Brian Richard Mori and Directed by Jan Buttram.