Behind the Candelabra Page #8

ready for you to pick up.

Wow.

Stick it in

and break it off, huh?

From the

Dorothy Chandler Pavilion

in Los Angeles,

California...

Wow.

The 54th annual

Academy Awards!

Wow.

Actually, though, it's

kind of a cokey piano.

Is it true

that you and Liberace

made an oral agreement when you

first went to work for him

- and moved from Los Angeles to Las Vegas?

- Yes.

You contend that

at some later date

after making

that oral agreement,

the oral agreement was put

into a written agreement

- prepared by attorney Joel Strote?

- Yes.

- Where he made certain promises to you.

- Yes.

- Did you ever sign that written agreement?

- Yes, I did.

- Did Liberace ever sign that written agreement?

- Yes.

Did you ever receive

a copy of it?

Joel Strote

has my copy.

Was there ever any other written

agreement between you and Liberace

other than this one

prepared by Joel Strote?

Yes. The will.

My will.

- Did you ever execute this will?

- Yes.

Did anyone witness

your executed will?

When you mean

"executed", uh...

I didn't

sign it yet.

- I mean--

- He doesn't understand "executed" to mean signing.

What did you mean

when you said "executed"?

Well, you mean,

did I ever sign it?

No, I never did.

No.

Why didn't you

ever sign it?

Because Liberace and I

were having problems.

What kind of problems?

I felt that he was

seeing other people.

Did you ever receive

a copy of this will?

Joel Strote

kept my copy for me.

Was it your expectation

that you would become

- the legally adopted son of Liberace?

- Yes.

And continue in a sexual

relationship with him

- after the adoption?

- No.

Is that when you thought

the sex would stop?

Our relationship

towards later on

went from a sexual

relationship to...

Lee always thought of me

as more of a son.

We had our

sexual relationship

in the beginning

of our relationship

and it was, more or less,

he thought of me as a--

He wanted me to think of him

as a, as a father type image.

He thought--

It's just so hard to explain.

His duties were expanded

to be a road manager,

acting as a buffer for me...

you know, for various employees

in various hotels...

the fans, media,

answering the phone...

answering knocks

on the door...

driving me from places

of engagement

where limousines

were not provided for me.

Did you make a

gift of three bedroom sets

- to Scott Thorson?

- No.

Did you make a gift of lamps

to Scott Thorson?

No.

Did you make a gift

of a water buffalo head,

- mounted, to Scott Thorson?

- No.

Did you make a gift

of any furniture

- to Scott Thorson?

- No.

What reason do you have

for believing that

the furniture and furnishings

you think of as gifts

were, in fact,

not gifts?

Well, this is what I do

with all my homes.

I furnish all my homes

for people to use.

But that does not mean

they can take the furniture

with them

when they leave.

It's my property.

Did you make a gift of any

furs to Scott Thorson?

- Yes.

- What furs?

Uh, a raccoon,

a black mink trenchcoat,

a leather

and black mink coat...

and um, that's it.

And what other gifts have

you made to Scott Thorson?

Jewelry.

What form of jewelry?

A ring with

his initial on it...

and two Krugerrands

made up the ring.

Gold chains.

Australian opal ring.

Bracelets,

things like that.

Okay, first off, you

have to understand something.

You're not getting

any of your property back.

You're not getting a dime...

unless you sign

this agreement.

- Do you understand?

- Yes.

All right.

You're going to get

$75,000 in cash,

three of your cars,

three dogs

and all

your clothes.

$75,000?

That's it?

In return for the

money, the cars,

the dogs and the

personal property...

you're going to

sign over the title

of your Las Vegas home

on Laramore to Lee.

And that's estimated value

right now at $200,000.

You're going to give over

all the contents to Lee,

estimated at $50,000.

In addition,

you will be required

to sign over the titles

of your Chevrolet van,

the antique Cadillac

and your Auburn

to Mr. Liberace.

You will also give up

any other claims

against Mr. Liberace

of any kind in the future.

So assault, battery,

palimony-- out.

And you're going to sign

a clause prohibiting you

from revealing the true

nature of your relationship

to anybody,

public or private.

This is the best

we could do?

They're shortchanging

me $250,000.

Well, there's nothing in here

about the jewelry he gave you,

- so you get to keep that.

- I had to sell the jewelry!

- For what?

- For legal, uh, fees and other things.

I don't care...

what the judge says,

we were

f***ing married!

Well, the law says

you weren't.

And a contract for sex

can't be enforced.

Scott, listen to me.

You're a drug addict.

This is all

you're getting.

Sign it.

You know, I called

Billy Leatherwood.

He got more.

Thank you.

"At the tender

age of 16, I was seduced

by a blues singer

by the name of Bea Haven.

The thrill of making it

with an older woman diminished

as I grew older.

Younger girls started to

represent more of a challenge...

probably because

of their innocence.

And then I met the woman who was

to be the love of my life...

Sonja Henie."

It's beginning to look

a lot like Christmas...

Everywhere you go

Take a look

in the Five and Ten

Glistening once again

with candy canes...

- Hello?

- Scott, is that you?

Lee?

How have you been, Scott?

I'm... fine.

I'm fine.

And your health?

How are you feeling?

Good.

I'm doing good.

You sure everything

is all right?

Lee, what's wrong?

Well, you know, I guess

you heard the rumors.

I haven't been

feeling so well lately.

I'm not my usual

spring chicken anymore.

- Merry Christmas.

- Merry Christmas.

I know how

you love it.

You sure you're okay?

Yes, I'm...

It's all been checked.

I'm okay.

Would you

come and see me, Scott?

Come visit me.

Lee, I'm telling you,

I'm okay.

It's not that.

But would you just come

and visit me?

Thanks.

I don't want you

to touch me.

I don't think

it matters, Lee.

Still.

You okay?

I'm so glad.

Seymour got

a story out...

that I just need

to rest.

He works so hard

for me.

I just don't want

to be remembered

as some old queen...

who died of AIDS.

Promise me...

that you won't tell

anybody how I looked...

when you came

to visit.

I asked you here...

because I want you

to know...

you made me

the happiest.

You did, Scott.

Did I make you

happy?

Yes.

Yeah.

The most happy.

Just a little

something...

to remember me by.

At 2:
05 p.m. today...

Liberace died

of cardiac arrest...

caused by

cardiac failure.

His body will be

taken to Los Angeles,

where it will be

prepared for burial.

In an unusual

twist of events...

the Riverside County

Health Department

has rejected

the death certificate...

by Liberace's attending

doctor, Ronald Daniels,

and has ordered

an autopsy.

This request

is unseemly.

Mr. Liberace died

of heart failure...

Rate this script:3.0 / 1 vote