I saw the first film because I couldn’t imagine how the fuck they could make a film about Liberace and put it on TV. I saw the second because, having seen the first, how could I not see the second?*
The first was a howler. They made a film about Lee that you could see on TV because they made a film that was the film that Lee would have made about himself, about how this sweet, sweet kid got to be a huge star just by being himself, and about how lots of people were mean to him, like this girl who he thought was really sweet and really really liked him, and it turned out she was just using him! The second Lee movie had a bit of an edge, showing us an aging Lee getting ready for showtime with false teeth, makeup, and wig before donning the feather boa and meeting the adoring crowd.†
Still, the first film did have one sharp moment, with Lee’s beloved mom complaining about the “cowboys” romping in Lee’s Beverly Hills pool—“Spending all your money”. “I don’t like this place,” she pouts. “Christmas is coming, and this doesn’t feel like Christmas.” You want to travel, mother?” says Lee, ever the obedient son. “Sure! Where would you like to go?” “Las Vegas,” says mom. Because nothing spells “Jesus” like the clink of slot machines!
Unsurprisingly, neither of the 1988 Liberace flicks is available on DVD.
Afterwords
Simon Doonan writes touchingly of his long emotional involvement with Lee’s aura here.
If you’ve ever wondered what Lee saw in Scott, the picture below should explain things. He saw himself.
*“Another week, another Liberace movie,” remarked Washington Post TV critic Tom Shales.
†Late Lee had so much plastic surgery that he frightened John Waters, something one would have thought impossible. “Shaking hands with him, your first impulse is to scream. This is a man who cannot not smile.”
