This two-disc set presents flamboyant pianist Liberace in London-taped variety specials broadcast on CBS in 1969. Inexpertly edited into two segments of roughly 100 minutes each, these color programs showcase Liberace's dazzling outfits and flashy playing. But the repartee exchanged with assorted guest stars here—including Phyllis Diller, Minnie Pearl, Larry Storch, George Gobel, and Eva Gabor—is downright painful to witness. Only the indestructible Jack Benny truly registers, and when Liberace brings on his own mother for a session of mawkish recollections, viewers might feel a strong urge to hit the fast-forward button. The preliminary sketches with Richard Wattis as Liberace's snooty butler are no better, and the Vegas-style song-and-dance routines tossed into the mix—most featuring Liberace regular Georgina Moon—are often cringe-worthy. DVD extras include clips from Liberace's home movies (without sound and often shot backstage); a brief montage of his colorful wardrobe outfits; and a black-and-white featurette from the '50s called “The History of the Piano,” in which Liberace performs arrangements of Bach on the clavichord, Mozart on the harpsichord, and Chopin on the concert grand—demonstrating, unfortunately, considerable weaknesses in technique. With its dated visual and aural qualities, this set will appeal solely to Liberace completists (although even they would certainly have preferred that the original hour-long episodes be presented intact rather than in this chopped-up format). Released to coincide with the premiere of Steven Soderbergh's HBO film Behind the Candelabra, starring Michael Douglas as Liberace, a better bet here would be Liberace: Greatest Songs (VL-11/09). An optional purchase. (F. Swietek)
Liberace: The Ultimate Entertainer
(2013) 2 discs. 222 min. DVD: $14.98. Timeless Media Group (avail. from most distributors). Volume 28, Issue 4
Liberace: The Ultimate Entertainer
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