May 8, 1957
Los Angeles
Promising nothing less than the destruction of Confidential magazine, Liberace filed a $20-million libel suit over an article in the July issue titled “Why Liberace’s Theme Song Should be ‘Mad About the Boy.’ ”
The article under the byline of Horton Streete, reprinted below, deals with an anonymous public relations man who claimed that Liberace mauled him on several occasions. It is a shocking story today, mostly because it’s apparently based on a single, anonymous source (although nothing in the story is attributed to anyone) and there’s no attempt to check with Liberace for comment.
In other words, this article was a ticket to the courtroom.
Liberace told KTTV’s George Putnam: “George, this story is a damn lie and I’m damned mad. If it takes every nickel I’ve got I’ll guarantee it will never happen to anyone else as long as I live.
“All of us take a certain amount of kidding about ourselves and our work, but when they come out in print and tell such lies, I’m going to move. It’s real heartbreak to see your life’s work destroyed so viciously by a magazine in an article of this kind. It’s a lie. It’s trash.”
To be continued…
Page 1: “Kandelarbra Kid.”
Page 2: “Mad about the boy.”
Page 3: “Who do you love?”
Page 4: “A coo of delight.”
Page 5: “Handsome young guy.”
Page 6: “Gee, you’re cute when you’re mad.”
Page 7: “I’m your man.”
Page 8: “We’ve been playing.”
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