Liberace speaks his mind (1970)

An interview with pianist and performer Liberace (1919-1987), produced by KQED, which aired on Ch.9 in the Bay Area on July 26, 1970 at 6:00pm. Note the full title of this program is: 'Liberace speaks his mind ... or ... Whatever happened to Walter Busterkeys???' Liberace - smoking throughout this interview - answers questions posed by producer/interviewer Winifred Murphy, which address numerous topics, including: being "turned on"; the origins of the stage name "Walter Busterkeys"; young people; cultural heroes; social unrest; people over 30; emotional inhibitions; patriotism; personal philosphy; early aspirations to be a priest; fame; his ability to inspire people; a near death experience following kidney failure in 1963; watching other performers; coping with pressure; living a life of luxury; parenting; love; happiness; peace; motherhood; god; freedom; loneliness; privacy; sadness; Judy Garland; schmaltz; success; showmanship; escapism; topless shows; nudity; using "gimmicks"; Tiny Tim; comparisons to Jack Benny; tax deductions on his outfits; Bing Crosby; what other era would he like to have lived in and how would he like to be remembered "100 years from now?" Liberace answers this last question by saying: "Oh, nicely" and then laughing.

This program was shot and edited by Blair Strapp with audio by Peter Hobe. The production assistant was Gay Tschudy. Opening graphic designed by Carrie Hawks.

This 16mm color reversal film print was scanned in 4K (4096 x 2970) using a Lasergraphics ScanStation film scanner, in August 2024.