Mug Shot Friday: Scott Thorson

Liberace, with the help of a great plastic surgeon, stole Scott Thorson's identity 30 years ago. So it's kind of ironic that Thorson, now 54, would be arrested for stealing someone else's. A judge in Nevada has sentenced the former boy toy to eight to 20 years for identity theft -- oh, and burglary -- but suspended the prison sentence. I'm guessing Thorson's advanced colon cancer was a factor in this decision, another sad twist in an overall pathetic life. Read HERE. 

Some High and Low Notes for 'Behind the Candelabra'

What did you think of "Behind the Candelabra," HBO's blockbuster Liberace biopic based on ex-lover Scott Thorson's tell-all book? Michael and I watched it with bated breath and, all in all, both enjoyed it. Michael was slightly disappointed, said he felt like it would have been better -- or perhaps made more sense -- if there had been one (or two) tender moments between Lee and Scott during the "happy" period that showed there was a connection between them that was deeper than what Lee felt for the other guys who revolved in and out of his life. (We're led to believe that in the end, but he saw nothing but coldness and animosity -- so much for the "love story" we were promised!) I thought given the nature of their relationship, perhaps there weren't any beyond what was depicted. (How genuine and tender are you ever with someone you're basically having sex with for money?) For this reason, Michael began to not care much about either of them as it wore on. I, on the other hand, was pretty entranced by it all. My only quibble was that I didn't really believe that Scott was as wholesome and naive as Matt Damon portrayed him to be. I didn't read his book, and I guess it's possible that you turn really trashy after going through something like this, but for someone who wound up being a lifelong user, criminal and grifter of sorts -- with alleged ties to the mob and the Wonderland murders -- it didn't seem to jibe with the sweet and innocent Scott we met on screen. Great job by Michael Douglas and Rob Lowe -- and Damon for seeming far younger than he really is. And to the brilliant makeup and prosthetics crew, who could have saved "J. Edgar" from being a laughingstock had they worked on that one, too.

Would love to hear what you thought -- tell me in the comments!

"Behind the Candelabra: My Life With Liberace" has long been out of print. But it's now available as an e-book HERE.I've just added it to my summer reading list!

HBO-M-G!

If I'm excited for HBO's Phil Spector biopic, I am bursting at the seams for this rhinestone-encrusted masterpiece! Read HERE.

Candelabra in the Wind?

Via Boy Matt: Was sorry to read that Liberace's ex-chauffeur Scott Thorson is dying of anal cancer."Beyond the Candelabra," the upcoming Liberace biopic starring Michael Douglas as Lee and Matt Damon as Scott, is based on his memoir -- a too-absurd-not-to-be-true tale of fame, wealth and plastic surgery. So given the fact that he only got a paltry $95,000 settlement after suing for millions, it would be nice for him to live to see it through to fruition. (The Liberace-inspired reconstructed face he got to keep for free.) 

All this Thorson talk reminded me of something. I'm not sure how I possibly did this, but it appears I never blogged about a performance by Daniel Barrow I saw at MoMA's PS1 in Queens a couple of years ago, in which the Winnipeg-based artist sets in motion a story based "very loosely" on the life experiences of Liberace's most notorious boyfriends -- all through the use of transparency sheets! (The show is called "The Face of Everything," and Thorson's new mug does not go unrecognized!) It's hard to explain, but you know how animation is really just a bunch of drawings that are viewed in rapid succession? Barrow, a genius of sorts who also has a thing for Liz Renay, Rip Taylor, Charles Nelson Reilly and both Wayne and Madam, somehow manages to accomplish a similar effect on an overheard projector, all the while telling the story -- and controlling the lights, music and atmosphere. It was so incredible, in fact, that I was (apparently) left blogless.

It you ever get the chance to see him perform, I highly recommend it. The Liberace biopic? Based on the early photos, I'm not so sure.  

Visit Daniel Barrow's official site HERE.

First Look: Matt Damon as Liberace's Lover Scott Thorson

Here's a peek at Matt Damon as Liberace's lover Scott Thorson in Steven Soderbergh's highly anticipated "Behind the Candelabra." Michael Douglas, bottom, plays Liberace.

Damon gives off more of a Shaun Cassidy vibe to me, but OK ...

The real Thorson underwent numerous surgeries to look more like Lee

Douglas is a dead ringer for Johnny Cash