Sincerely Yours (1955) User Reviews (27)

You can't say it isn't entertaining

[FANatic-10 · 6/10 · 16 August 2009]

While, by any legitimate standard of criticism, "Sincerely Yours" may be a terrible film, I have to say I had a good time watching it. That may have been for all the wrong reasons, but nevertheless...

Maybe no other performer in the history of show business fit the description of "love him or hate him" as well as Liberace. He had a huge and devoted following from the 1950's till his death, while all the rest of humanity either laughed or groaned at the mere mention of his name. This was the one and only film ever built around him, though he made appearances in others. It is, not surprisingly, a campy schmalzfest which makes plenty of room for Liberace's piano playing. The look and decor of the film is really the epitome of 50's kitsch. I won't go into the plot and all the lines and situations which bring a raised eyebrow because it would turn this review into the length of "War and Peace". I must say a word about the hilarious hospital scene at the end, though, where our hero learns whether or not he can hear again after a delicate operation. While William Demerest (Uncle Charlie from "My Three Sons") smokes a cigar in the hospital room, the doctor, played by Edward Platt, the Chief from "Get Smart" (fitting to have these situation comedy stars in this opus) cuts Liberace's bandages off to test his hearing. The sight of his chubby-cheeked, smooth face against the pillow offset by his famous wavy silver hair in disarray brought to mind nothing less than the Bride of Frankenstein!

In all fairness, this is a professionally made film, with that stylized, glossy, sanitized look that most Hollywood films of the 50's had. The supporting cast does the best they can under the circumstances. You'll either gush tears if you typically fall under Liberace's spell or be laughing and groaning your way all through the film, but one way or the other you'll be entertained!

Not a great movie but lots of music

[kos2 · 5/10 · 25 August 2013]

As a musician I'm nearly always disappointed by films which intend to show musical performances (one exception is the 1947 film CARNEGIE HALL, which is otherwise a poor film). Though I'm certainly not a Liberace fan, I was pleasantly surprised by not just the plentiful musical sequences but that they generally played full excerpts without unusual cuts. Even when there are cuts (as in, obviously, Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto no. 1), the excerpts begin and end at totally appropriate moments. I gather that Liberace or his brother George (credited as a music director) had something to do with this.

Liberace can't really act (his face rarely shows any kind of emotion), but at least the film is not boring. It's fascinating to watch the color - you almost need sunglasses for those 1950s styles.

You give pleasure and comfort to the millions why should they lose you to the thousands!

[sol1218 · 6/10 · 10 March 2012]

***SPOILERS*** After his TV show debut in the summer of 1952 Liberace or just plain Lee to his friends became such a show business phenomenon that it was a given that he'll soon hit the big screen and in no time at all replace John Wayne and Rock Hudson as the most popular male star in Hollywood. With Warner Brothers handing him a sliver platter two movie contract deal with no questions, in what Lee wants as a salary, asked his first shot at the big time turned out to be a remake of the George Arliss/Bette Davis 1931 tear jerker "The Man Who Played God" with Lee in the leading role as popular concert pianist Anthony Warrin. Warrin despite his phenomenal success as a popular pianist feels that something is missing in his life in not being accepted or appreciated, by the upper class blue nose crowd, as a world class artist, with the piano, of classic music. With him now being scheduled to do a gig at the world famous Carnegie Hall in New York City Warrin's dreams of becoming another Mozart Paderewski or Rubinstein are about to come true. Things also brake for Warrin in the romance department with pretty blond and well bread, or blue blooded, Linda Carter, Dorothy Malone, mistaking him for her as well as his former music teacher the world famous pianist Profossor Zwolinski, Otto Waldis! With love in the air as well as first sight Warrin fell in love with and proposed marriage to a shocked and happy Linda all within 24 hours after he met her!

With everything going gang-buster for that lucky stiff Warrin's luck suddenly runs out with him mysteriously losing his hearing while doing a concert at the Chicago Music hall! Faking it at first Warrin's disability soon becomes apparent to everyone and he's forced to retire from show business using the excuse that he broke his piano playing hand, or hands,in a skiing accident! Alone in his luxurious penthouse apartment with nothing to do Warrin learns to lip read with the help lip reading specialist Mr.Rojeck, Ian Wolf, so he can communicate with the outside world. Using a powerful pair of German Leica binoculars, used in WWII by Nazi U-Boat Commanders, Warrin spies on people from his penthouse terrace down in Central Park just to pass the time of day. It's then that he gets this bright idea to help those who need help without them knowing about it by lip reading what their problems are! This soon drives Warrin off the deep end in realizing that there are people, without the fame success and money that he has, in this world with problems far greater then his own! Something that the so full of himself Warrin was totally unaware of!

It's an absolute scream to watch Liberace trying to show any kind of genuine emotions as he becomes suicidal and tries, by jumping off his 15th floor Central Park penthouse terrace, to kill himself over both his deftness and the sufferings in the world at large. Instead of looking like he's suffering from a deep depression and anxiety of the ills of the world around him Liberace in fact looks more like he's going through "Cold Tukey" in trying to kick a serious and near fatal drug or alcoholic addiction. Sweathing profusely with his eyes almost popping out of his head looking like he's being crushed to death by a 30 foot python or anaconda you just can't help cracking up watching him instead of feeling bad or sorry for the guy in what terrible suffering, all the way to the bank, Liberace or Anthony Warrin is going through in the film!

***SPOILERS*** There's also the scene where Warrin's hearing suddenly recovers when one evening he hears his cuckoo clock chiming at the stroke of midnight waking him up. As you would expect an excited Warrin rushes to the piano banging on the keys waking up his live in manager Sam Dunn, William Demarest, and keeping him as well as the entire building awake all night long with his non-stop piano playing. Soon like before in the movie Warrin's hearing goes blank again and he now concedes to get the operation that ear specialist Dr. Eubank, Edward Platt, recommended for him earlier in the film. In the end Warrin does get his hearing as well as piano playing career back on track but lose Linda, who by then just about had enough of him, to fellow music lover and rookie composer ex-GI Howard Ferguson, Alex Nicol. But fear not the film does have an happy ending with Warrin's true love his long suffering personal secretary who was secretly in love with him Marion Moore, Joanne Dru, showing up just in time to give the movie a happy ending! That's at the conclusion of his gang bang standing room only concert performance at Carnegie Hall, where besides playing the piano Warrin also does a tap dance routine, where Marion was in attendance to start up a long sought romance as well as play beautiful music together with him!

Misfire of a musical showcase...

[AlsExGal · 5/10 · 22 December 2022]

... that is a retelling of 1932's The Man Who Played God, because of course Liberace is the perfect stand-in for the spry George Arliss(???), who was the star of the original film.

Anthony Warrin (Liberace) is a world-renowned concert pianist who is about to see his life's ambition fulfilled: playing at Carnegie Hall. Tragedy strikes when Anthony suddenly goes deaf due to a rare medical condition that can only be fixed with very risky surgery. Anthony decides to try life as a deaf person, learning to read lips, which allows him to eavesdrop on the lives of people in the park by his apartment. Anthony becomes a sort of guardian angel to some needy people, while also finding himself in an awkward love triangle between his loyal secretary Marion (Joanne Dru) and wealthy socialite Linda (Dorothy Malone).

A notorious flop intended to make master pianist Liberace into a matinee idol, this came recommended as a "so bad it's good" romp. It is silly, corny, schmaltzy, and filled with various unintended laughs. But the music is very good if one enjoys piano music, be it classical, contemporary or folk. The first part of the film is a very unbelievable romance, but when Liberace's character goes deaf, it suddenly morphs into a bizarre feel-good piece with Liberace playing the mysterious good Samaritan.

I enjoyed the awkwardness of it, including Liberace's performance, which ranges from creepily and jovially intense, to nervous amateurism (his hands are visibly shaking in some acting scenes). The supporting cast does what it can, and Dorothy Malone deserves some recognition for being on the receiving end of one of the screen's most uncomfortable looking kisses.

He's actually not terrible, but...

[marcslope · 5/10 · 13 March 2012]

...You never for a moment forget that he's Liberace, self-invented camp icon, and accepting him in another role becomes impossible. (It's like an old New York magazine word competition, where you were supposed to follow a line of actual dialog with a typical viewer's reaction. A winning entry was, "Hello, I'm Dr. Lowenstein..." "Hello, I'm Barbra Streisand.") That odd-looking face tries to emote and a couple of times nearly succeeds, and he also sings a bit (a song of his own composing, based on Chopin, with a soupy Paul Francis Webster lyric) and tap dances. The mid-'50s melodramatics, as penned by no less than Irving Wallace, are fun, as is the plush production design, and it's one of the whitest movies ever made--what, were there no people of color in San Francisco or New York at the time? The sheer otherness of it by today's standards is arresting. But it's slow and self-congratulatory, and you know where all the plot strings are headed long before they get there. Still, it's worth seeing, if only in a seeing-is-believing way.

Sincerely Tepid and Trite

[atlasmb · 4/10 · 7 April 2014]

"Sincerely Yours" is a sappy, sentimental story about a successful pianist who has everything one could want, but loses his hearing. He becomes so despondent that it takes some tough advice from a friend to snap him out of it. It took the total failure of this one-dimensional film to snap Warner Brothers out of its illusion that Liberace might be suitable for playing the leading man in a Hollywood film. It's not like he was Rock Hudson. Even in his own time, Liberace was a gentle-seeming soul who had as much machismo as a teddy bear. He says his lines with as much conviction as someone wondering to himself if he should wear blue socks or black socks for the day.

The story doesn't do him any favors either. In the midst of his depression, he questions the existence of God. Using binoculars, he watches the people in the park far below his ivory tower and plays God in their lives. One of them is a little crippled boy who questions the effectiveness of prayer.

The ending is predictable. And as moving as the discovery that the waiter placed your order correctly.

The one thing the film does have going for it is the music (classical and otherwise) that is Liberace's forte. He was a talented musician. I guess Warner Brothers next coup would be to cast Yehudi Menuhin as a violinist who broke his fingers in a door closing accident.

"Sincerely Yours" is suitable only for true fans of Liberace who don't mind seeing him misused in glorious Warnercolor.

Sure it's schmaltzy, but what else would you expect from a Liberace movie?

[thinman2001 · 7/10 · 30 March 2006]

The music alone is worth the price of admission in this somewhat corny film, but with Liberace in the romantic lead who in their right mind would have expected anything more. The plot: famous pop/concert pianist, at the peak of his career, suffers a sudden loss of hearing threatening his career and his personal life. The personal life is portrayed in the lovely form of a doting and smitten fan played by Dorothy Malone who captures the heart of our leading man, all this transpiring under the watchful eyes of the musician's administrative assistant/girl Friday, played by Joanne Dru, who has been reluctant to tell him of her hidden love for him. While Liberace is no Barrymore, his performance is a credible one. He is complemented by a fine supporting cast, including trouper William Demerast as his manager, Lurene Tuttle as a sad mother of a snooty daughter, and Richard Eyer as a crippled boy longing to join the other kids on the football field. The latter two flesh out a subplot wherein the star learns to cope with new challenges in his own life by helping others to deal with problems in theirs. Once you get over the fact that Ms. Malone and Ms. Dru would be quite unlikely to give Liberace the amorous attentions in real life that they afford him in the movie, the film is actually quite entertaining. If you enjoy Liberace's musical style, this movie is worth watching--and listening to--for that reason alone. Watch it with an open mind and I am sure you will be entertained by this movie.

so - so story of a pianist overcoming challenges

[ksf-2 · 5/10 · 25 July 2007]

Very slight emotions, facial & body expressions as Liberace says his lines; too bad... Sincerely Yours has a great supporting cast too... William Demarest (Uncle Charlie from My Three Sons, appeared in just about every movie ever made), Edward Platt (The Chief on Get Smart), two lovely lady co-stars (Dorothy Malone and Joanne Dru) who each made a million other movies. This is an OK story about a musician who tries to work around physical challenges; it seems to really be a vehicle for Liberace to play his pi-anny. Interesting tidbit.. the back of the VHS cover from 1987 says "Starring Alex Nicol" but in the cast list on IMDb, he is waaaaaay down on the list, far after the first six stars, and doesn't have a large part in the story. Nicol (from Tarzan, various films and TV work) plays Ferguson, a composer. He also makes another interesting comment about how Liberace "respects the classics from a sitting position, not from his knees." Richard Eyer (Alvie) was one of the kids on Ma & Pa Kettle, and did a lot of TV work. Melvin the elevator operator certainly steals his scene, but I don't see him listed in the cast on IMDb. Knowing what we know about Liberace, I had to crack up when Dru, his secretary, says "You're very popular in San Francisco!" Others have pointed out that this is a remake of "The Man Who Played God" (1932) but I also see shades of "Magnificent Obsession" from 1954.

Fascinating View of Mr. Showmanship

[LeonardKniffel · 7/10 · 28 April 2020]

Poor Liberace. Imagine being that talented and that flamboyant at a time when being gay was illegal as well as classified as a mental illness. Liberace fought allegations of homosexuality until his death from pneumonia caused by AIDS in 1987. In 1955, however, he was at the top of his game, arguably the most popular pianist who ever lived. This film offers plenty of insight into his talent and appeal, especially to older women, who saw in him the kind and attentive lover they longed for, made even more sympathetic by the fact that his character copes with losing his hearing by improving the lives of others. The film includes 31 piano pieces-everything from Chopin to "The Beer Barrel Polka," boogie-woogie to "Rhapsody in Blue." It's almost a time capsule, minus the on-stage excesses he ultimately became known (and ridiculed) for. Look for background shots of San Francisco and check out costar Joanne Dru's gorgeous wardrobe. This is the only film in which "Mr. Showmanship" played the lead. At the 1982 Academy Awards ceremony, presenting the award for Best Original Score, Liberace prefaced his performance of selections from each nominee by joking, "I'm very proud of my contribution to motion pictures. I've stopped making them."

Not as horrible as I had hoped.

[planktonrules · 4/10 · 18 January 2015]

"Sincerely Yours" was completely savaged in the entertaining book "The Official Razzie Movie Guide" and as a man who actually likes to occasionally see schlocky films, I really looked forward to seeing it. Unfortunately, I think the book oversold how awful the film is. While it sure has problems and ended up ruining Liberaces's planned film career, it isn't like the film is terrible, either. It's just a dull and overlong film with some nice music and occasionally decent plot elements.

In this film, Liberace plays a guy who is pretty much Liberace. He's extremely popular and his concerts are very well attended. However, the guy has two struggles--he would like to see seen as a SERIOUS musician and he is alone and needs the love of a good woman. Believe it or not, back in the 50s a lot of folks bought into this notion--that WHEN Liberace meets the right girl he'll finally settle down and get married. I think the naiveté of this is perhaps why the Razzie folks thought the movie was so silly--along with how unconvincing the film was in making him out to be a great ladies man (in the film TWO women want the pianist). However, before he can achieve his dreams, he's struck down by Hollywood deafness--the sort of thing that MIGHT be curable but you'll never know until the finale! In the interim, instead of just feeling sorry for himself, Liberace spends his time learning to read lips* and eventually uses his money and energy to make the lives of others better. I actually liked this part of the film. What I didn't like were not only the unconvincing romances but the way overabundance of songs. I honestly think Liberace played at least a dozen tunes-- and soon this really caused boredom to set in and I couldn't wait for the film to end. Overall, this is a silly, schmaltzy and inconsequential film that isn't horrible and actually occasionally manages to entertain...a bit.

*One of my daughters is deaf. Learning to read lips (called 'speech reading') is NOT easy and no one can do it nearly as accurately as the folks on TV and in movies--no one. Plus, seeing Liberace watching people in the park to eavesdrop on their conversations just seemed creepy--especially since most of the time, he was staring at little boys. Icky, icky--and a lot more troubling that any of the other rumors folks were murmuring at the time about his sexuality!

Good movie!

[jim_salehi · 8/10 · 21 January 2019]

Surprisingly enjoyable to watch given the average rating. Good engaging story. Honestly I'm surprised the movie was such a bomb commercially and critically when it was released, and my guess is that Liberace simply did not display the expected characteristics of a typical leading man of the time; and probably it was way over-hyped and failed to live up to expectations. Admittedly his acting was a bit flat.. From the perspective of his life and performance career, I found the movie fascinating and enjoyable and would watch it again.

Smarmy, But Likable

[gamay9 · 7/10 · 12 July 2013]

It's hard to believe that I never previously viewed this film since I was raised in Liberace's hometown of West Allis, WI, an abutting suburb of Milwaukee. My sister attended West Milwaukee High School long after Liberace graduated and learned more about him than I will ever know.

The cast is very good and Liberace is a better actor than most pianists', right up there with Hogy Carmichael? ('Best Years of Our Lives' and other films - NOT! Well, let's say Liberace holds his own.

The screenplay is okay but it is certainly inspired by the life of Beethoven, so it wasn't very original.

Liberace may have been under-rated due to his flamboyance and his theme song 'I'll Be Seeing You' (recorded by many artists) was not composed by him. So what! He was an icon who will always be remembered by many, in one way or another.

Liberace is torn between two women...Liberace?!

[moonspinner55 · 2/10 · 4 July 2001]

Failed movie vehicle for piano-playing Liberace, then a popular fixture on American television. Based on Jules Eckert Goodman's play "The Man Who Played God", story concerns a grinning pianist (guess who?) finding himself caught in a love-triangle between two ladies (Joanne Dru and Dorothy Malone), but real tragedy is about to strike. Beautifully-photographed but hopelessly hokey showcase for Li just doesn't cut it in the melodrama department. For the fans who still mourn his act, there IS an onslaught of piano-playing here, and that may be enough to satisfy those in the requisite moony-eyed spirit. As for Liberace's acting...well, let's just say as an actor he's a terrific piano-player. *1/2 from ****

Infamous dud

[jjnxn-1 · 3/10 · 7 March 2012]

An infamous dud and it's easy to see why, this gooey mess tried to turn Liberace into a screen star. The fact that he has zero screen presence and the charisma of a lemming should have been obvious from the first days rushes but they plowed ahead anyway. The film does have a few saving graces, high production values, a slick look, the wonderful Lurene Tuttle in a small role which she makes the most of and besides Liberace a talented cast doing what they can with a dumb script. Of course the music is wonderful but Liberace stripped of all his flash is a black sink hole at the center of the film from which it can't recover. A stinkeroo!

Great Piano - the film overall is pretty darn bad!

[kogrone · 3/10 · 12 July 2013]

Liberace is not an actor - he simply couldn't keep up with the likes of Joanna Dru and William Demarest and Dorothy Malone. The best part of the movie was the end with the sing-a-long... You felt like you might be at one of Liberace concerts.

There is no chemistry- NONE whatsoever - at all between Liberace and the women in the cast.

In fact there is just something kind of creepy about him. His piano playing is his only saving grace and is where he is comfortable.

I can't imagine whose idea it was to star Liberace as a leading man, but what a HUGE mistake.

I'd love to see this movie if someone else would have been given the leading role. The ending kiss was just, well, ugh! You could tell she didn't want to be kissed, at all, and who could blame her.

Enjoyable flick

[jarrodmcdonald-1 · 25 August 2022]

Liberace had already done some motion picture work before he signed a deal at Warner Brothers to make this film. Of course this would be his first starring role and hopes were high that he could translate his success as a musician into movie stardom. However, that was not to be the case, since SINCERELY YOURS did not do well with audiences, and it lost money for the studio. Jack Warner reportedly paid off Liberace not to make a second film that was guaranteed in his contract.

It's really a shame too, since this is a gorgeously produced film with capable direction by Gordon Douglas and a most excellent supporting cast. The set design for Liberace's penthouse apartment is worth a look; the clothes and hairstyles are fabulous; and the music...well, the music speaks for itself. The musical numbers are boffo. We see him play everything from classical music (Mozart, Brahms, Lizst, Chopin and Gershwin) to popular tunes that include boogie-woogie jazz; uptempo Spanish sounds and even a traditional Irish ballad. Undoubtedly these were some of his fans' most favorite selections in concert, so it made sense for them to be featured in the film.

The first half of the story is rather light, with many lively musical interludes. There is also a budding romance between his character and Miss Malone. On the sidelines is his faithful secretary (Dru) and a stern paternal manager (William Demarest). I would suspect that Demarest's character is modeled on Liberace's older brother George who guided much of his career.

Things take a dramatic turn when during a performance, Liberace start to lose his hearing. Soon he goes deaf. Afraid of a risky surgery to restore his hearing, he withdraws from his busy touring schedule and he also withdraws from life. The plot is a reworking of Warners' earlier hit THE MAN WHO PLAYED GOD (1932) starring George Arliss.

While hiding away from the world, Liberace learns to read lips and uses a set of binoculars to observe people in the park across the street. This includes a crippled boy (Richard Eyer) who wants to play football; as well as a young woman ashamed of her low-class mother (Lurene Tuttle). It's interesting to see how he becomes involved in the lives of these other folks. He grows as a human being through knowing them, and that is the heart of the story.

Meanwhile Malone has gotten over her infatuation with Liberace and has fallen in love with another man, an ex-military soldier (Alex Nicol). Naturally, Liberace does the honorable thing and breaks up with Malone so she can have her freedom to pursue a lasting relationship with Nicol. This decision ultimately paves the way for Liberace to reunite with Miss Dru, who has quit her job as his faithful girl Friday. It's mid-1950s schmaltz. But it's good schmaltz.

Who could take Liberace seriously as actor?

[bkoganbing · 3/10 · 26 November 2017]

I imagine that those who went to see Sincerely Yours back in 1955 went to see Liberace play the piano. When he's doing his Liberace thing at the piano he's just fine. But the man's image just prevents him from being taken seriously as any kind of actor.

Warner Brothers used an old film of George Arliss's The Man Who Played God and rewrote it with a romantic angle for Liberace. On stage Otis Skinner played the same role. It was really kind of unfair to give Liberace a role that two of the finest actors going had done before. What could the brothers Warner expect?

Liberace is an acclaimed concert pianist who is having the worst of all things happen to a musician, he's going deaf. It happened to Beethoven, can Liberace carry on the way Ludwig did?

Libby is also in love with promising music student Dorothy Malone, but she likes promising composer Alex Nicol and in the meantime Libby can't see his faithful secretary Joanne Dru is carrying a big old Statue of Liberty size torch for her boss. Liberace's scenes with both actresses are just ludicrous.

Just listen to the music and marvel at the talent there that was once Liberace and forget the rest.

good acting, good music, compelling story line and lots of fun.

[recordo · 7/10 · 30 July 2001]

This is a fine film, with lots of entertaining piano playing from Liberace (1919-1987). I think Liberace's acting is more than adequate, and the musical items alone are enough to warrant the purchase or hire of this film. I found the story compelling and extremely moving.

Admittedly, I am a fan of Liberace, but not an apologist, and I do believe this film deserves to be

Just hopeless

[preppy-3 · 1/10 · 6 May 2018]

The first (and last) movie that Liberace ever did. He plays a brilliant concert pianist named Anthony Warren. He also has a gruff but lovable manager (William Demarest), a secretary who secretly loves him (Joanne Dru) and a beautiful woman (Dorothy Malone) who inexplicably also loves him and wants to marry him. The first 45 minutes or so are OK. It sets up the characters and has Liberace playing the piano a lot--and he was good. Then he starts to go deaf...and the film falls to pieces. The music stops and ridiculous dramatics take over. Liberace was known for his piano playing---why give him drama to do? He simply can't act and his attempts at emoting are painful to watch. Malone and Dru are also shamefully wasted. Only Demarest is any good. It's shot in rich beautiful color and has a totally improbable happy ending. This was a disaster at the box office and quickly forgotten. Bad and boring. Skip it.

So kittenish on the keys...

[ptb-8 · 6/10 · 25 February 2005]

Would the radio ads of the day announced: '"LIBERACE: inSINCERELY YOURS" thus starting the thin edge of the wedge about his reputation? I wonder.....This film has a howling reputation in Australia. For some reason it is really well known with the over 45s who still today make jokes about it. There must have been one major TV moment in this Nation's history in about 1967 when the entire population - all ages - must have watched it on the same night . I did, all my school friends did, Granny, Mum and Dad all the Aunties and Uncles and even people from other TV stations did. Because the next week or so they made a big deal about showing 'the original' which is 1931 film THE MAN WHO PLAYED GOD with George Arliss and Bette Davis. and if we stayed up late on a Friday night and saw THAT we could compare the two. Somehow SINCERELY YOURS stained the nations psyche...and future film makers...just look at the demented campy musicals Australia has made in the last decade. One friend said once to me: "when I saw the apartment with those big rooms and that patio with the view, I thought this is what life was going to be like when we grew up." And it is true! we all did! It screened about the same time THE JERRY LEWIS SHOW made a debut on Oz TV. and of course weren't we all in for a disappointment when we grew up. I think SINCERELY YOURS should be reissued and made into an audience participation film like ROCKY HORROR or MOMMY DEAREST. Lush, camp and ridiculous. Great viewing. Almost all through as good as the fantastic scene in MIDNIGHT LACE when Doris Day goes mad on the stairs. She lets out some sort of wobbly primeval shudder and howl. Incredible! Well all of SINCERELY YOURS is like that except with Liberace leering and tinkling as well, and on a shag carpet, under a chandelier. Wow!

Better Than I Expected

[qtkt18 · 10/10 · 16 December 2019]

I watched this film for two reasons. First, I was totally in love with Liberace when I was very small, and I recently "rediscovered" him for the wonderful artist (and person) he was. Second, I am a sucker for any and all 1950's musicals. This film satisfied me on both counts. It's chock full of Lee's wonderful talent. The film finds any excuse possible to sit him in front of a piano and show off his skills and unique style. (My personal favourite was the rendition of Tchaikovsky Concerto No 1) He also sings the title song (which he wrote) beautifully. I didn't even know he could sing. His acting isn't the best in the world, but it's a lot better than I expected. He carries the dramatic parts well, and even manages to cry a couple of times. That's a lot better than most of these "music star trying to be movie star" types can manage. And through all that, he still slips in his well known character traits, like that smile and winking at the camera. The plot has a lot more to it than I expected as well. It's actually a rather moving story, based on couple of films released in the 20's and 30's. It contains a few references to God, which was a pleasant surprise, since one grows used to today's films giving religion a wide berth. Not a whole lot of character development besides Lee, but they're good supporting characters nonetheless and you find yourself excited to see what happens in the end. All in all, it was rather schmaltzy, and it's not about to win any Oscars. But it was one of those films where you just come to have fun, and you walk away feeling warm and fuzzy inside.

Showcase of Liberace's Talent!

[laurynrn · 7/10 · 10 July 2023]

Predictable plot yet several instances where the lead helped out others in their misfortunes during his own misfortune. Liberace was a talented pianist and even that is a mild statement. He showcases his musical gift beautifully which impressed me since this was filmed in 1955. He plays flawlessly with incredible technique that continued throughout his career for the next 30 years. His acting is really well done especially when he can hear after his operation. Uncle Charley, William Demerest, plays his manager without the gruffness he portrays in My Three Sons 10 years later. Happy ending for all characters!

The man had talent

[jpark4 · 7/10 · 7 March 2012]

This movie was my first significant introduction to Liberace, beyond jokes and wisecracks. I went into it ready to laugh, but I ended up smiling. Sure, the plot is hokey, but when you throw in the great music, the beautiful Warnercolor photography, and Liberace's showmanship, you have a fun, winning combination. I was quite surprised that Liberace could actually act. He's no Oscar candidate, but he gives a warm, sincere performance that fits the story perfectly. Plus, the man had fantastic talent for playing the piano-I have read a lot of critiques of his musical ability that dismiss his talent as being second rate, however, from what I saw in this movie, he could play and play very well. All I know is that I found this movie entertaining.

You can't silent scream all the way to the bank

[laddie5 · 10/10 · 26 April 2008]

Interesting that ptb-8 suggests this movie for late-night audience participation, for that's exactly how I first saw it at the late-lamented Vista Theater in L.A. about 20 years ago. It was featured in a "worst films of all time" festival, and while other contenders such as The Lonely Lady and Hello Everybody! had their piquant charms, nothing beat Sincerely Yours for continuous laughter and riotous audience response.

What makes the film so beautiful and so special is that it takes all the Classical Hollywood conventions (regular-guy hero desired by both nice girl and vamp; illness and disability used for shameless heart-tugging; totally artificial sets and lighting) and unthinkingly dumps Liberace -- grinning, unctuous, goggle-eyed and palpably uneasy -- right into them.

Lee gamely goes through the motions, but scene after scene goes weirdly wrong, with every third line of dialogue becoming a hilarious double entendre comment on the star's deeply closeted yet totally obvious sexuality. He's introduced interrupting his cigar-chewing manager's bubble bath, just thrilled to hear that he's secured tickets to the big prizefight ("I love a good fight" he murmers). He ends the film tap dancing in a pink tuxedo. In between he goes all dramatic as deafness strikes him (I seem to recall a silent scream) and takes to spying on a young boy's daily walks in Central Park via the biggest pair of binoculars you ever saw.

Don't worry that the music might be too highbrow for you: amid the butchered Chopin and Schumann, there's a full concert version of "Chopsticks" and some boogie woogie. Liberace plays a bit of the latter and smirks "that's the boogie..." and I have to say that waiting for him to complete the thought by saying "that's the woogie" was one of the most gloriously happy moments of my life. The Vista programmer informed us that Liberace's brother George assembled this eclectic musical programme; when the film became a huge flop, he ungenerously blamed George and the two brothers were estranged for some time afterwards.

That's the woogie, baby.

The VHS tape of Sincerely Yours is faded and panned-and-scanned; this inadvertent masterpiece deserves a full restoration to its widescreen glory on DVD.

Excellent Vehicle and a Moving Film

[margot · 8/10 · 26 February 2010]

This is a tasteful and moving piece of cinema, no more schmaltzy or campy than most Hollywood fare of the era. Unfortunately Liberace did not make any other films, so this one is a curiosity with a freak-show aspect. Everyone knows the tabloid scandals of Liberace's latter years, and I can imagine how difficult it is to get past those when eyeing this film today. But I watched it twice as a child, long before Lee's Vegas period, and I was enthralled. "I think I'm going to have to go back to reading lips," he says when the deafness comes back and he realizes the initial treatment didn't work. This is as good a scene as anything in 'Citizen Kane.' It's appropriate that the film is considered a camp item in Australia, land of second-hand culture and received opinions: they never knew Liberace except as a joke. But it's a good film nevertheless.