Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-08-15
The Master Of 'Momism'
There Is q Book Out Now Telling All
land Maybe More) About Liberoce
BY boy, Thorpe

is accused of lmomism,) q
term invented by q notorious
woman i1ater. Philip Wylie.
The term Is used as an ex-
pletive like communism or
11aziisrn. It Is given q sinister
. connotation. Liherace does
love. his mother =.
Philip Wyhe may be sur
prised to learn that he is q
woman hater. and that "moln-
Ism" is an expletive-a '.Word
inserted to I'LL q vacancy
but he certainly will deny that
"momism" means mother love.
It is rather the systematic
Standardization of those
emotions about which the
average man maintains some
degree of reticence. Wylie
coined the, word. il I remem-
Der correctly, in disgust at the
expensive four-color ads dur
ing the war which showed a
forlorn but determined boy in
the trenches saying, what
we're fighting for Is MON and
the old SOW in the sly and the
f1ivver in the barn and the
church on Main street and just
common decency." Liberace
certainly is a master of MON
ISM" in a day when there are
many skilled practitioners of
the art. I'VE had such a good,
heartwarming time down in
Kentucky this week." I remem-
Der him saying on television
about a month ago. 1.-The
Mayor Of Louisville was there
to meet us at the train, and
you know what? He made me
a colonel! Now you must say
Colonel Liberace!' Course,
it's just in fun, it wasnx q real
colonel, just a Kentucky col
onel. Still, it was nice and
made us very happy. and just
for that I'm going to play MY
Old Kentucky Home" He
did, too.
Not Sole Secret
Liberace's four-color NOM
ism is not the sole secret Of
his success. Is there not also a
strong appeal in the curious
split personality Of this simple,
friendly, good-natured, ever
smiling mothers boy who new
ertheless is as remote and UNI
touchable as any of the four
hundred? He boasts of his IS
suits of tails in white, black
and blue" of 40 pair of shoes,
OF a 22-carat gold smoking
jacket. His concert grand pi-
amos are bigger than the or
binary ones, although unfor-
tunately he is unable to play
them in Las Vegas, because .
they can't afford to pay him
enough. He says that he wants
to marry some day, "even that
he has faith that he will
marry some day." When he
does deign to take a consort,
"she should love people, be
enthusiastic about music, we'll
versed on many subjects, like
to stay home for quiet eve
nings and not mind when I
talk to friends when we do go
out"
UnfriendIy Pionos
Liberace's most amazing bit
of anti-n1omism is one so bold
and dangerous that doubt
that even the Baldwin piano
press agents dared suggest it.
The great pianist will not play
informally for friends because
OF the poor piano he may be
asked to use. ut is my policy
to rarely play at parties be-
cause I find strange pianos
very unfriendly. and usually
in need Of repairs" This is
certainly not in the great ar
fist tradition, as the world
knows that he wants to share
his gift with all who seek it,
and a poor piano is usually
the sign of humble but de-
serving owner. When Peter
Mayer. a movie executive, and
Mike Kestler, president of CO.
lumbia Records. give a party,
things are different. When
they 'knew I was going to be
present, they went through
considerable preparation to
see that the pianos (sic,
pluraD were in proper condi-
ton in the event that I might
play. This courtesy was much
appreciated and encouraged
me to display my musical
wares to a completely "nuevo"
audience.
When faultlessly CARRIED
and flashing his famous smile,
Liberace seats himself rever-
emily before his candalabra-
topped Baldwin" says the
preface to the ''Liberace" mag
azine, "you know you are in
the presence of great CLAM
our" It's true. perhaps, that
certain that you are faced
with glamour, you wonder
mildly why you are not con-
scious of its presence, and
agree with the others in the
room that after all thousands
the nebulous they" or the
public see something to
which you are blind. It is
this Ingredient, rare, but EVIL
IDENTIFY mot quite priceless,
which is, for me at least,
Liberace's fascination.