Tiger Rag

Liberace plays a nice, high-speed version of the "Tiger Rag" in this soundie.

Soundies were meant to be played on a device known as the Mills Panoram, a music jukebox that was popular in the early 1940s. They, and their competitors were installed in bars, diners, and similar venues. You put in a dime, and you got a three-minute performance, not just of the music, but of the performer syncing to recording. There were more than 2500 soundies released, and they were often the starting point for a career in the movies or, as here, television.

Liberace began his Hollywood career in 1943, when besides making this, he played the piano in MGM's BEST FOOT FORWARD. Here, he is seated at a white grand piano, dressed in a white dinner jacket. While two lovely but inert young ladies stand on either side of him, he plays the song with many a flourish of his hands. It's a staging technique he would later use in his television appearances.

"Tiger Rag" is a short film that is a 'Soundie'...an early sort of music video that was played on specially built jukeboxes from 1940-1947. These jukeboxers were unusual because they not only played music but video...like music videos of the modern era. And, if you are curious about this an other soundies, you might want to buy yourself a copy of "Soundies the Ultimate Collection"...a 4 disc set of about 200 of these films.

This Soundie features Walter Liberace...Liberace's Americanized name before he simply dropped the 'Walter'. Young and handsome Liberace plays a VERY fast and impressive song that very few could replicate. It's also interesting to see him dressed so normally and without his later afectations. Very enjoyable and watching and listening, it's easy to see big things were in his future, though here he's near the beginning of his career.

In this short, "Walter" plays the title piece without the rhinestones, candelabra, or extraneous showmanship that audiences would love him for later. This performance, stripped of those distractions, displays the talent of Liberace unencumbered. And it is a joy to watch.

The arrangement is perfect for demonstrating Liberace's raw musicianship and his alacrity over the keyboard. Thankfully this film exists so that we may witness the origins of his career and assess his technique without extraneous flourish or staging. In the same way, I have enjoyed the rare recordings of Jack Benny playing the violin without comedic effect, and Victor Borge or Oscar Levant playing the piano without punchlines.