''Sincerely Yours'' is a 1955

Warner Color Eastmancolor is a trade name used by Eastman Kodak for a number of related film and processing technologies associated with color motion picture production and referring to George Eastman, founder of Kodak. Eastmancolor, introduced in 1950, was on ...

film romantic music comedy starring

Liberace Władziu Valentino Liberace (May 16, 1919 – February 4, 1987) was an American pianist, singer, and actor. A child prodigy born in Wisconsin to parents of Italian and Polish origin, he enjoyed a career spanning four decades of concerts, recordi ...

. It was Liberace's first starring motion picture and was a recreation of his concert performances and a remake of the Warner Bros. 1932 film '' The Man Who Played God'', which was itself a remake of the 1922 film '' The Man Who Played God'', also based on the 1914

Jules Eckert Goodman Jules Eckert Goodman (November 2, 1876 – July 10, 1962) was an American playwright and author. He was best known for his plays ''The Man Who Came Back'' (1916), '' The Silent Voice'' (1914), ''Chains'' (1923), and a series of plays featuring ...

play '' The Silent Voice''.

Plot

Tony Warrin (

) is a very successful pianist who can play practically any kind of music, from classical to

Boogie-woogie Boogie-woogie is a genre of blues music that became popular during the late 1920s, developed in African-American communities since 1870s.Paul, Elliot, ''That Crazy American Music'' (1957), Chapter 10, p. 229. It was eventually extended from pian ...

. He has one ambition left, which is to play at

Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between West 56th and 57th Streets. Designed by architect William Burnet Tuthill and built b ...

. Although his manager, Sam Dunne (

William Demarest Carl William Demarest (February 27, 1892 – December 27, 1983) was an American character actor, known especially for his roles in screwball comedies by Preston Sturges and for playing Uncle Charley in the sitcom ''My Three Sons'' Demarest, wh ...

), and secretary, Marion Moore (

Joanne Dru Joanne Dru (born Joan Letitia LaCock;Known as Joan Lacock in th1930 United States census/ref> January 31, 1922 – September 10, 1996) was an American film and television actress, known for such films as '' Red River'', ''She Wore a Yellow Ribbo ...

)--who secretly loves him—feel Tony's playing has never been better, he decides to go see Zwolinski (Otto Waldis), the music teacher who made him the musician he is today. There he encounters Linda Curtis (

Dorothy Malone Dorothy Malone (born Mary Dorothy Maloney; January 29, 1924 – January 19, 2018) was an American actress. Her film career began in 1943, and in her early years, she played small roles, mainly in B-movies, with the exception of a supporting role ...

), who mistakes him for Zwolinski and explains why she wishes to learn the piano. In a whirlwind courtship, Tony takes out Linda socially and also performs on the piano for her. He proposes marriage, but since they just met, Linda asks for more time. Before a concert appearance in San Francisco she makes the acquaintance of Howard Ferguson (

Alex Nicol Alexander Livingston Nicol Jr. (January 20, 1916 – July 29, 2001) was an American actor and film director. Nicol appeared in many Westerns including '' The Man from Laramie'' (1955). He appeared in more than forty feature films as well as dir ...

), a soldier who has just returned home and intends to resume his career as a composer. A concert date at Carnegie Hall is finally arranged, only to have tragedy befall Tony—a sudden loss of hearing. It is explained to him that an operation could either cure him or leave him totally deaf. Shaken by this turn of events, Tony turns reclusive and even suicidal inside his New York City penthouse. He learns lip-reading and begins to observe strangers in Central Park, including a young boy, Alvie (

Richard Eyer Richard Ross Eyer (born May 6, 1945) is an American former child actor who worked during the 1950s and 1960s. He then became a teacher and taught at elementary schools in Bishop, California until he retired in 2006. He is the older brother of Ro ...

), who also needs an operation. The boy helps persuade Tony to take a risk, so he undergoes surgery and his hearing returns. He also spies Linda through binoculars with Howard and realizes they are in love, but Linda has been staying with Tony out of sympathy for his situation. Tony plays a Carnegie Hall concert and gives the couple his blessing. When he sees the loyal Marion, he realizes that they can have a future together.

Cast

as Anthony Warrin *

as Marion Moore *

as Linda Curtis *

Lori Nelson Dixie Kay Nelson (August 15, 1933August 23, 2020), known professionally as Lori Nelson, was an American actress and model mostly active in the 1950s and early 1960s. She had roles in the TV series ''How to Marry a Millionaire'' and the films ''Re ...

as Sarah Cosgrove *

as Sam Dunne *

as Alvie *

Lurene Tuttle Lurene Tuttle (August 29, 1907 – May 28, 1986) was an American actress and acting coach, who made the transition from vaudeville to radio, and later films and television. Her most enduring impact was as one of network radio's more versatile a ...

as Mrs. McGinley *

as Howard

Production

At the time, Liberace was at the height of his career when tapped by Warner Bros. for his first starring motion picture. In April 1955, ''

Modern Screen ''Modern Screen'' was an American fan magazine that for over 50 years featured articles, pictorials and interviews with film stars (and later television and music personalities). Founding ''Modern Screen'' magazine debuted on November 3, 193 ...

'' magazine claimed

Doris Day Doris Day (born Doris Mary Kappelhoff; April 3, 1922 – May 13, 2019) was an American actress, singer, and activist. She began her career as a big band singer in 1939, achieving commercial success in 1945 with two No. 1 recordings, " Sen ...

had been most often mentioned as Liberace’s leading lady, "but it is doubtful that Doris will play the role. Liberace’s name alone will pack theatres and generous Liberace would like to give a newcomer a break."

, an established movie actress, became the leading lady.

Release and reception

When the film was released, the studio mounted an ad and poster campaign with Liberace’s name in huge, eccentric, building-block letters above and much larger than the title. "Fabulously yours in his first starring motion picture!" was a tag line. The other players and staff were smallish at the bottom. The film opened at the Paramount Theatre in New York City on November 2, 1955 with appearances by Liberace but performed disappointingly for the rest of the week only grossing $38,000. It closed the following week after just 13 days. The film was a commercial failure since Liberace proved unable to translate his eccentric on-stage persona to that of a movie leading man. Warner quickly issued a

pressbook In the world of theatrical film exhibition, a pressbook was a promotional tool created and distributed by film distributors in order to market their films. Sometimes called "campaign manuals," most pressbooks took the form of large, multi-page broc ...

ad supplement with new "Starring" billing below the title, in equal plain letters: "Liberace, Joanne Dru,

". TCM's

Robert Osborne Robert Jolin Osborne (; May 3, 1932 – March 6, 2017) was an American film historian, television presenter, author, actor and the primary host for more than 20 years of the cable channel Turner Classic Movies (TCM). Prior to hosting at TCM, Os ...

recalls a more dramatic demotion: When ''Sincerely Yours'' played first run at the Orpheum in Seattle, the billing was altered even more: Joanne Dru, Dorothy Malone, and

above the title (with big head shots of all three) and below the title in much smaller letters: "with Liberace at the piano". Originally, ''Sincerely Yours'' was meant to be the first of a two-picture movie contract but the studio then bought back the contract, effectively paying Liberace not to make a second movie. The experience left Liberace so shaken that he largely abandoned his movie aspirations. The ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...

s review of the film stated that it was "unintentionally hilarious". ''

Films and Filming ''Films and Filming'' was the longest-running British gay magazine prior to the partial decriminalisation of homosexuality in England and Wales.Bengry, Justin"The Queer History of Films and Filming."''Little Joe: A magazine about queers and cinem ...

'' criticized the film as being "drenched in coy bathos to the point of embarrassment".

References

Works cited

External links

* * * * {{Gordon Douglas Films directed by Gordon Douglas Films produced by Henry Blanke 1955 films Musical film remakes Films based on books American films based on plays 1950s English-language films