Liberace - Behind The Music (1988)

Bespangled pianist Liberace remains one of the most unique performers in the history of popular music. Born of Polish-Italian extraction in 1919 Wisconsin Wladziu Liberace was a child prodigy winning a musical scholarship at age seven and making his solo concert debut four years later. When he returned from performing in an armed forces band during WWII the pianist decided to leave a promising classical career in pursuit of mainstream stardom and by the early 1950s was a successful pop recording artist. As Liberace began utilizing everything from cocktail jazz and Tin Pan Alley standards to easy-listening versions of classical themes his showmanship expanded encompassing outrageous costumes and elaborate stage designs. Even after his records stopped selling Liberace continued to remain a huge concert attraction (particularly in sin-city Las Vegas) until his AIDS-related death in February 1987. This appropriately glitzy made-for-TV biopic dramatizes the long and varied career of the larger-than-life pianist with actor Victor Garber (ALIAS TITANIC) turning in a fine lead performance as Mr. Showmanship himself.System Requirements:Running Time: 97 MinutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA Rating: NR UPC: 844628090780 Manufacturer No: DH9078 Product Description

OK Movie

I remember watching this movie in the mid nineties. I decided to purchase it to give it another go. The movie was ok. I think it could have foretold much more about the life of Liberace, i.e, his struggles as a gay man and the last days of life after being diagnosed with AIDS. Overall its worth the watch. June 21, 2008

Add 1 star for magnificent Garber performance; subtract 1 star for choppy continuity

This 1988 TV-movie dramatizes the life of Liberace, who rose from a "shabby" background to become a world-class pianist and a human monument to glamour. In other hands this could have been a shrill, sensationalized biography, dwelling on smirking innuendos and tawdry episodes, with Liberace presented as a flamboyant, shallow caricature. Thankfully both the script and the performances are sympathetic, and viewers can sense just how sensitive and troubled Liberace was.

Victor Garber turns in a stellar performance as Liberace. The actor obviously studied Liberace's speech patterns. body language, and pianistics, and the results are dazzling: he not only looks and sounds like Liberace, he even sings like him. The film commendably traces Liberace's rise to fame and re-creates milestones in his career (including a careful facsimile of his 1950s TV show).

Unfortunately the action is sometimes choppy, with sudden stops and abrupt transitions. Several of the plot elements and characters are established without introduction or identification, and just as suddenly abandoned. What should be a finished portrait comes across as a hasty sketch. It's hard to tell if this is the screenwriter failing to develop certain situations, or the film editor being forced to cram a 50-year span into an hour and a half. Either way, the momentum of the story is frequently blunted, but Garber's riveting turn helps cover the rough spots.

Maureen Stapleton is excellent as Liberace's possessive mother, as is Saul Rubinek as his longtime manager Seymour Heller (who is credited as a technical advisor). Macha Grenon's presence is welcome as one of the young Liberace's few friends, but she is hastily written out (or edited out) as the film forges ahead.

Picture and sound quality are very good overall (there are two tiny digital glitches in the video transfer, causing momentary silences). The DVD also includes a trailer (actually an extended TV promo, using many representative clips).

Watch this one for Victor Garber. He's most of the show. April 14, 2008

Best movie about Liberace's life

Actor Victor Garber portrays the legendary child prodigy Liberace, who became one of the world's greatest entertainers, while embracing a lifestyle of flamboyant excess. Liberace was a gifted classical pianist, fueled by poverty, at the age of 17 Liberace was already playing with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, but he wanted more. Through a combination of showmanship, determination and amazing talent he acheived his dream as the world's highest paid performer. Liberace had an amazing ability of combining together the popular tunes of the day with classical music always improvising on the spot live in front of a huge audience giving requests of songs for him to play. Liberace was always trying to get people to love and respect classical music as much as he did. But behind the diamonds and wealth Liberace became a prisoner of his elaborate double life. His desperate attempts to keep his gay private life and that he was dying of AIDS secret backfired in a series of scandals and front page news lawsuits. This was a very moving, sensitive movie and I've enjoyed watching it many times. Liberace was truly the greatest entertainer of all time. He had it all, humor, charisma and out of this world talent. There will never be anyone else like that. He was one of a kind. If you've watched any of Liberace's shows you know he always ended every show with playing and singing the song, "I'll be Seeing You". I found it very fitting that's how the movie ends with Liberace playing the piano and singing the lyrics:

I'll be seeing you
In all the old, familiar places
That this heart of mine embraces
All day through.
I'll be seeing you
And when the night is new
I'll be looking at the moon
But I'll be seeing you.
August 13, 2007

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