You Bet Your Life #55-24 Liberace; Groucho sings "I Love a Piano" (Secret word 'House', Mar 8, 1956)

[@maple1255]

What a nice man Liberace is, and Groucho's compliment, that it is Lee's goodness and personality that wins people over. What dedication to study piano for 17 years and then his slow and patient rise to fame.

[@cathrinrehder6652]

What a nice interviewer Groucho is. He is speaking so warmly with Liberace. And he finally mentions WHAT it is that draws the audience to Lee: his innate goodness you can see on his face and in his eyes. That's exactly it. There is just no evil or mean streak in Lee Liberace. It is a pleasure to listen to Groucho and Lee talking with each other.

[@steveperry1344]

mr. showmanship.

[@mehboobkm2018]

Yes, you can see the respect that Groucho had for Li, speaks volumes about Li's character and obviously came across to me as a gentle and down to earth person despite of his social status at that time.

[@henrybrowne7248]

Hey, he can play piano too you know . . .

[@Sojourning_]

awesome, Amazing how at times Groucho becomes so kindly giving. I watched his stuff when back in the 50's. but you tube really gives one an opportunity see more of who he can be

[@terencedove5047]

I am a pianist. And I truly enjoyed Groucho's rendition of I LOVE A PIANO. His spontaneous performances in general are genuinely heartfelt, with an added touch of his old vaudevillian style...

[@RRW1982]

It does seem that the nature of vaudeville made allowances for very nearly any kind of obvious talent, as opposed to canned programs about a given country that's 'got talent.'. Groucho' sharpened his personal tool box of observational humor, broad knowledge, fast wit...these are here to enlighten those of us who know can see.

[@terencedove5047]

@@RRW1982 ...but see what you said about the 'Got Talent' franchises? If ever reality TV needed a kick to gut, that was a well-deserved kick, I think...

[@RRW1982]

@@terencedove5047 ...I apologize for whatever I just wrote. My effort to compare the talent and natural skills of Groucho to the canned junk on 'TV' was sloppy and unfocused. If there is any reality involved in 'reality programs' it is not spontaneous. I haven't watched any such programs (or any TV for that matter for almost 20 years, other than what might be 'on TV' while visiting friends who can't go without their New England Patriots 'game'), and now that we have the opportunity to witness the scope of truly unique persons on YBYL, who happened to live in another era, I find that much more useful, and often so hilarious. It is also humbling.

[@terencedove5047]

@@RRW1982 ...I sincerely wish you wouldn't apologize. I, in effect, was agreeing with you. I'm not a scripted reality show fan either. I was saying that talent from yesteryear was honed and learned in such a way as to be purely entertaining and beyond reproach; and did not depend on technology to help it along, as many seem to do today. One of the main troubles with today's 'bread-and-circus' audiences is that the quick fix of entertainment is sought after, without the also sought-after cognitive understanding of what really went into developing that talent. Granted, there are those today who will have their place in the sun; but I will always foundationally refer back to those who truly poured 24 years of blood, sweat and tears into developing their talents as opposed to those who were lucky enough to hone theirs in 24 months...or even 24 days. Sorry, but that's my stance. The 'Got Talent' Franchises have exhibited some rather talented people in various genres over the years; but I'm old enough (and perhaps cynical enough) to know and appreciate the difference between a legend and a 'flash-in-the-pan'...

[@RRW1982]

@@terencedove5047 Are you against the idea of apologizing? I doubt it. It may be that you think that I am apologizing for what I expressed, but I am not. My apology was for the sloppy writing, not at all for its sentiment. If an audience is watching a show and not holding a digital device in one hand, they are displaying a higher level of intelligence than someone who does...if you place value one someone putting their attention on one thing at a time. Take eating: what is the object of eating? The way most people live, the object is to finish the meal, because 'something else is waiting for them. Tell them that Godot is waiting for them. Hah!

[@MrCJ-qz9dl]

Groucho is amazingly quick-witted; never at a loss for words.

[@darlenel9226]

I love Liberace and Groucho. The people on this episode were lovely.

[@frankwallace5934]

I only wish my brother George were here.

[@RRW1982]

Indeed, this is one of the absolute best of all that we have to watch. Graciousness oozes everywhere, and it is actually still available for all of us now, like all of 'the basics.'

[@michaelsalisbury1477]

It dan in the family.

[@George_Tropicana]

I love them both too 😊

[@edwardmiller8249]

This is so much better then tv today, I don't even watch tv anymore

[@bettyschneider5268]

I can't afford TV no more! 😱 i have DVD 📀💿 and 1980s VHS video📼📼📼📼🎥 for VCR. That's why i watch youtube!

[@GeneRogers-xl9um]

@@bettyschneider5268 I completely quit watching TV when I arrived back in America! I haven’t missed it since.

[@bettyschneider5268]

@@GeneRogers-xl9um well i can't afford Cable Tv now. Cost to much money! 💰 I just watch on my Cellphone📱 Have a good day! 🇺🇸💒⛪⛪⛪🌈

[@kevinjudy7218]

Groucho is the master!!🎈

[@mgrella63]

Such an Awesome episode Groucho was so cool as was Liberace

[@95KIPPIE]

I watched the reruns of this show in the early-mid 70s every night at 11pm. I was a kid at the time, but still remember

[@timmagdaleno8762]

I did too and loved em

[@Jeffrey1344]

May I please add my undying praise for all of the Groucho postings. Although I'm 72 now and have seen many of these when they first broadcast and numerous times over the years on KZbin, I still feel wonderful when seeing and hearing these episodes over and over again. THANK YOU so much for the endless pleasure you have provided.

[@scottcomora9532]

72 that’s true stay healthy till your 73

[@TheMoonchild1969]

Liberace and Groucho had a great chemistry what a pair!. My love and respect for Liberace's music and humanity will never fade.

[@andyjay9346]

Groucho certainly had some fantastic musical talent. Dang good dancer too.

[@miyoshiumeki]

Liberace seemed genuinely pleased and taken with Groucho's song or he was kind enough and giving enough to respond that way out of politeness. Very nice.

[@adco]

Tom Powell I also saw that. I think everyone was pleasantly surprised.

[@jonser20cent68]

I think that Liberace loved it

[@dianasmith834]

Thank you SO MUCH for uploading these. I'm only 33 but they've given me so much joy and outright laughter.

[@grouchomarx-youbetyourlife7476]

Glad to hear you're enjoying the shows. I wish the series were back in reruns-- it's been 20 years!

[@amaelamin64]

i was born much later than when these shows came out. But i am enjoying them all ...very much..groucho is one hell of a funny, intelligent man !

[@ElaMongrella]

That's true immortality. When you can entertain people and bring them joy long after you're gone.

[@get2rog]

The same here and i'm only 53 but still wasn't born when these ran. : )

[@sandrauhlein4317]

It does have reruns on channel 366 on cable.

[@DerekWilliamsMusic]

What a lovely show, and I could scarcely believe my eyes and ears when I saw Groucho sing ‘I Love a Piano’ to Liberace, accompanying himself on guitar too.

[@oldefellah52]

Q: What's the current equivalent of Groucho singing "I Love a Piano" to Liberace? A: There isn't one. Pure class.

[@steveperry1344]

i loved it.

[@steveperry1344]

i was surprised that liberace did not know this song, even i know it.

[@gordonward537]

That was such a grand wordings from 'Oldefellah!!I'm still smiling

[@RRW1982]

It was, as you say, 'pure class', and that is because in its essence Groucho's singing was pure, with nothing pre-planned or processed. That was as fine a demonstration of what real 'talent' is. This episode, along with the others, should definitely be historically preserved. Thank you for posting these treasures/

[@RRW1982]

And from another perspective regarding 'then, and now", Question: What was the precursor to the internet and smart technology? Answer: People who were comfortable in their own skin, and who knew how to think, and talk, and play beautifully, on an out-of-tune guitar and make it sound 'simply irresistible.'...said the crotchety mayor of BackThenville.

[@Euphoftoday]

So charming, such a lovely video and such sweet kind people.

[@loganmarino9688]

Thank you for the uploading of these videos. I can't get enough of them.

[@henningandersen9027]

As Liberace starts talking about the Heart Association, Groucho lits his cigar.

[@moonlanding-69]

Dr Demandante b.1912 d.1971lived to only 60. She seemed so sweet. She FIRST licensed doctor in California from The Philippines.

[@deanguando9950]

I really like the audiences back in the early 60's.

[@chrislawson7983]

Thanks for the post. I never knew how great he was, but after watching many of your posts, now I do. Thanks again.

[@keithnaylor1981]

Wow 2 legends in one show Groucho and Liberace! Irreplaceable!

[@rockvilleraven]

I read in the Secret Word is Grocho, that he gets some credit for inventing the rerun, they heard the average listener only listens, 3 our 4 times a month and they made that survey up. Thus they had the best of Groucho Series which I’m glad they preserved this show.

[@David-kv9yh]

What can you say that hasn't been said. Groucho was the best.

[@hcc792]

This is a lovely episode thank you for posting!

[@bradforddrake8633]

That GENIUS great lady likely met my father, Ellery T. Drake, who got his masters degree in surgery! University of Michigan Ann Arbor 1956.

[@nadcordois]

All the brothers were accomplished musicians.

[@medievalterrence9691]

I read the book "Why a Duck?" Groucho talked about how the family was too poor for all the brothers to take music lessons so the only one to take piano lessons was Chico. The rest were self taught. Groucho sang in a boys choir. Harpo drug their aunts old harp out of the closet and taught himself to play, but he didn't know how to tune the harp so he tuned it like a piano. That was the wrong way, but he never learned how to play it tuned classically and played it tuned to an alternate tuning all his life.

[@Michigan25132]

The doctor went to my alma mater! Kind of exciting for me

[@5thdimension625]

So did I. My husband did his residency at Michigan. That’s where we met.

[@crystalheart9]

Thanks for this, I remember enjoying it as a kid:D I was 5 years old at the time:)))

[@mortalclown3812]

Seeing Liberace get love feels pretty swell, kids. ♡ Good guy.

[@cynthiagonzales9131]

The Fly paid a visit.. Loved these shows when I was old enough!!

[@cathrinrehder6652]

Actually, Liberace also performed "I love a piano" in his show in England, and did use the word "Steinway" in the text. You can find it on KZbin.

[@dancelli714]

Thanks I'll look for it.

[@chrisallen7911]

Liberace was so sweet and kind looking here.

[@MsSavagechef]

I like the first guest. Kept her maiden name because: Who would care to endure the constant jokes about "Dr. Aspirin?

[@Oscar-z2j]

I love this episode libirachi was fantastic 💙✌️😎

[@crazycappy01]

I'll be 45 this August (2017) and I'm surprised this show survived the game show scandals of the 1950s. But I agree with everybody, this show is fantastic to watch. And I was born WAY after it went off the air. And I was 5 or 6 when Groucho past away.

[@ghettofreeze]

The scandalized game shows paid WAY more money than YBYL. Charles Van Doren, for example, won $129,000. That doesn't prove the honesty of this game, of course, but Groucho was the main attraction for viewers, as this video demonstrates.

[@sandrauhlein4317]

I used to watch YBYL when I was 8 yo. with my parents. We had such fun . I miss them and Groucho very much

[@ccatalano4236]

I believe this show was filmed in 1950, before the game show scandals.

[@TheIgnatzz]

Groucho was very scrupulous about the honesty of the show. He once had a wounded vet on, and everybody wanted him to give the guy a hint on the questions. He wouldn't do it, even for a vet, because he insisted that everything had to be on the up-and-up.

[@lekmirn.hintern8132]

@@ccatalano4236 1955.

[@jojolucas6973]

I don't care if he was gay, or that grouchos guitar was out of tune. This is better then anything on today's TV 📺

[@albertrodriguez4190]

For Groucho to not have an education he sure fooled me

[@anneroy4560]

He was a great reader ...

[@genacunningham1731]

The Desmond guy with his long hair and cut of his suit and his 'stache looks like a time traveler from 1991!

[@Lellobeetle]

Fascinating to see Groucho and Liberace interact. Sadly ironic that Liberace was playing to benefit The Heart Association since he had more than a couple serious heart problems that helped hasten his death - of course in addition to the full-blown AIDS he was battling.

[@robertewing3114]

It was said in those days most people would get aids. Walking aids, hearing aids, etc.

[@soylentteal]

…lemon aids…

[@JJTownley_Classical-Composer]

I've watched every episode here on KZbin. There are still many more that are not here if this show ran for 10 years. Where are the other episodes?

[@MissouriPenny]

How great when entertaining us was classic

[@steveflor9942]

Groucho and Lee both loved Paderewski. The bond was immediate. Charming, funny and entertaining. ❤

[@LaurenceMily-ik9lk]

EXCELLENT ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@ADAMSIXTIES]

5:05 Japan 1989 indeed! 16:16 "I'm here in the interest of the Heart Fund"...while Groucho smokes a cigar.

[@Shortcutguitlssns]

The crap on commercial TVs nowadays will never reach these heights.Ditto for today's TVs presenters.

[@michaelsalisbury1477]

Noe we have Cobert and Jimmy K.goid noe nougggh for now?

[@sammyvh11]

Total talent

[@kevinjudy5739]

'Standing on the Lee side ' was THE BEST!!

[@allenallen5040]

I grew up in the 50s I remember when everything was black and white. Then one morning I woke up sometime in the early to mid 60s and everything was color.

[@owlfethurz8377]

Yes, we only had a black and white tv for a long time. When color came along my family still could not afford one, but on Sunday nights we got to go to Grandma's and watch the Flintstones and Bonanza in color and drink Welch's grape juice. Good memories! I loved Groucho's song on this one, it reminds me of the movies he did with his brothers. We need some good laughs these days.

[@walterweddle7644]

Strangely enough, I continue to like black and white shows better than in living color.

[@dennisurbina7570]

I was in the 80 kid I had tv in black and white colors was luxurious for me

[@michaelsalisbury1477]

Only Javkie Gleason and Bonanza were in cilor at First.

[@George_Tropicana]

I wish people had personalities like that now 😊

[@zeusthecatrh]

These are great shows

[@kevinkettell1092]

im watching on March 8th 2017.

[@Patrick3183]

I’m watching June 18 2024

[@masonldn8647]

Shiver my timer ...that saying is coming back now

[@VinDcator]

Would have loved to have seen Lee with Jo Ann Castle as a "duet," back in the day.

[@riobabic8960]

Imagine a mega talent like Liberace having a hard time in the entertainment industry. That’s how tough , fickle and corrupt it is !

[@susanfeldman138]

Liberace says "House" at 13:36 but there's no Secret Word Duck....what happened?????

[@barbecuecity138]

Thank you for sharing thi, I enjoyed it! Groucho was truly one of the greatest, wittiest comic that ever lived. I notice a great deal of these were recorded from WFMY. I don't remember these being on there. What years were they broadcast? I live in 27292.

[@lekmirn.hintern8132]

Is that the zip code you live in, or the year? Anyhow, the shows are originally from the '50's, and they were re-released to television starting in the early '70's -- the era of the Marx Bros. revival -- and they were very popular.

[@bobthetvfan]

@@lekmirn.hintern8132 WFMY is the CBS affiliate in Greensboro, NC, which includes zip code 27292. They ran the Groucho reruns during the revival of interest in them in the '70s and '80s and put up their logo from time to time on these shows. (Groucho always seemed to find a home on WFMY: they carried him in the early 1950s, when they were the only station in the market and carried some NBC programs before WSJS (WXII) signed on in 1953. In the 1960s they had him at 1 PM between "Guiding Light" and "As the World Turns" and did quite well.)

[@lekmirn.hintern8132]

@@bobthetvfan Funny, you wouldn't have thought a soap opera audience would have gone for Groucho.

[@bobthetvfan]

@@lekmirn.hintern8132 Back in the day people in the Triad seemed to have their dials (remember those?) welded on Channel 2. And who knows who might have tuned in--maybe on their lunch hour--and had no intention of watching soaps? BTW, the then-CBS affiliate in Atlanta, WAGA, also ran Groucho at 1 PM between "GL" and "ATWT" and also pulled respectable numbers.

[@MsSavagechef]

Hey you tube, could you please please find a better way to properly convey the closed captions so hard of hearing folk can benefit?

[@MsSavagechef]

Also was the man with the doctor the real real first horse whisperer--before that guy that robert redford made a movie about? plz xcus poor grammar...

[@oakroyal]

As Groucho says The good Doctor truly is a credit to my alma mater, The University of Michigan.

[@Michigan25132]

oakroyal Agreed from a fellow alumna!

[@sandrauhlein4317]

Fight On

[@5thdimension625]

Mine too! Go Blue!

[@MileyonDisney]

In one of your other YBYL videos, there was a commercial and I commented that it looked like it might have been recorded around 1990. This one has a commercial that even mentions it was from 1989, so I was pretty close. The graphics they used, though amazing at the time, are pretty lame now.

[@jeangroth1102]

Desmond Slattery was later arrested in a drug bust in a setup by police informants which netted a single roach.

[@sandrauhlein4317]

jean groth well its legal now

[@dancelli714]

He looked like Gilbert Roland.

[@papagen00]

This is why I don't watch TV today, only youtube.

[@SuperWinterborn]

Is it my ear phones, or does Fenneman around 8:30 say the secret word was "hut"? (or was it "hat"? It didn't sound like "house"?

[@ElaMongrella]

I heard "hat" too.

[@SuperWinterborn]

Ela Mongrella Thanks! I'm glad I'm not the only one! ;)

[@Mikado8848]

Hat.

[@williammullen6470]

Did I miss something? The caption says the secret word was "house", and Liberace used the word, but the duck didn't come down with $100. This should be investigated by the FCC, at least! That Groucho! I bet he kept it for himself.

[@jamesdunn9714]

Groucho says, "Give me five." Groucho then shakes Liberace's hand. A little different back then.

[@RRW1982]

I don't follow you. 'Give me five' means 'shake hands on that', or simply stated 'shake [hands]'. Then and now. What do you refer to as being different?

[@florencerobinson7714]

Give me five means slapping your palm with the other person. It's not a traditional handshake.

[@519djw6]

*This Desmond Slattery has only one other credit on IMdB, and he apparently never played Robin Hood.*

[@Patrick3183]

There is a press photo of him advertising his role. Perhaps the production was shelved

[@MartinSage]

After his death Liberace's house in Vegas was left abandoned and fell into disrepair. Finally, a man bought + restored the home. The Big Question was far too difficult and unfair to anyone except an ancient methology major. The show's producers obviously didn't want to shell out the big cash!

[@wtglb]

I knew the answer and I'm not an Ancient Mythology major.

[@wtglb]

Stings sings "caught between Scylla and Charybdis" in The Police song, "Wrapped Around Your Finger"

[@lekmirn.hintern8132]

What's a "methology major", a stoner? BTW, I knew the answer too. It was a fairly common metaphor ("caught between Scylla and Charybdis") back when most people were literate.

[@EdWeibe]

Liberace. One of a kind. Average 8 hours a day playing for 17 years? wow.

[@nancyterrywhittemore2015]

LIberace said the secret word,, "house", but it went unnoticed.

[@billjackson1317]

Grocho has some great sweater girls on his show 👏 😍

[@synthonaplinth5980]

Wow, Groucho looked shocked when Liberace came out!

[@grouchomarx-youbetyourlife7476]

Oh, Liberace never came out. Wait. . . that's not what you meant, was it?

[@synthonaplinth5980]

Oh no, that was a really bad unintentional pun...lol

[@grouchomarx-youbetyourlife7476]

I prefer to look at it as the best straight line anyone's thrown me for years. Oops-- "straight line"? I think we just did it again.

[@synthonaplinth5980]

Groucho Marx - You Bet Your Life I must be channeling Dan Rowan, or something.

[@miyoshiumeki]

I am not sure but you are right. I doubt they would not tell him beforehand who the guests were because as you can see a lot of what he says is on cue cards. Almost every time he speaks, he looks off to stage right and is reading when he asks the guests questions.

[@soniajhao2310]

Dr. Demandente was a hoot and so was the 77 yr old horse psychiatrist. Sadly, according to my online research the doc did not live into her sixties.

[@david-pb4bi]

That is sad she was a seriously intelligent cookie.

[@amaelamin64]

hes a horse whisperer

[@HansDelbruck53]

More of a hoarse whisperer.

[@timjohnson1199]

Ha! Just what I was thinking.

[@multitieredinvestor183]

Liberace said the secret word house, but they did not credit him.

[@Kikilang60]

When I was a kid, I watched old movies late at night. Most of these movies didn't have ther copywrite renewed, so the they make the rotation on small TV stations late at night, or during the day on the weekends. I didn't recognize any of the movies except "Snake Pit", which I mostly likely watched due to it's name. Now the older movies have had all their copy writes renewed, and people can't watch them, not that anyone would.

[@Mikado8848]

I would. I've seen them all.

[@marc639]

i rode Tennessee walker. very comfortable.

[@gir5o1]

The ESL contestants always pick spelling and always kill it!

[@gilgamess]

Liberace said he couldn't play "I Love a Piano", because he played a Baldwin. Groucho sang, "I know a fine way/To treat a Steinway..." He could have sung, "I hear a Baldwin/And then I'm all in..." Problem solved!

[@marcparella]

"I hap'n to fallen/Love with a Baldwin." Send your check c/o Old Home for Lyricists, Miami FL 33003

[@sophieseeker6620]

Where in this film is. LIBERACE ? Was his part removed?

[@cathrinrehder6652]

What do you mean ? Liberace is coming in at 10.00 min. 🤗.

[@VinDcator]

Progressive hair for the 50s, almost looks like a time traveler.

[@blacknight7643]

Liberace in his head might be like "Groucho Marx is singing for me".

[@marions.120]

Wow, Jeff was 77 at the time!

[@adrianlee3497]

Who else is playing along with the contents on these videos? 😆

[@ThreePhaseHigh]

One luck at the doctor and you do right away she was not going to miss a spelling word.

[@mjsanchez2173]

Liberace was diagnosed HIV (AIDS) positive in August 1985 by his private physician in Las Vegas, 18 months before his death. Cary James Wyman, his lover of seven years, was also infected and later died in 1997. Another lover, named Chris Adler, came forward after Liberace's death and claimed that Liberace infected him with HIV; Adler died in 1990 at age 30.

[@madeira63Edgar]

Corretto, Edgar

[@semperfiarcher]

Desmond Slattery never made it in acting and the Robin Hood Series didn't make it. Instead, he became a publicist and, allegedly, a narcotics seller.

[@bettyschneider5268]

The 1989 commercial for Japan i was going to say they didn't have mask 😷😷 on back then? I was getting mix up with China🇨🇳🎭

[@pgronemeier]

Did Liberace REALLY not know that song? Hmmmm

[@ghettofreeze]

You never know. I recently met an Episcopalian priest who didn't know that the Old Testament was originally written in Hebrew. I suspect that he was preoccupied with other matters that he never got around to finding that out. Perhaps Liberace just didn't need to know about forty-year-old songs to perfect his act.

[@mizzury54]

He was mainly a classical pianist so he may not have heard it.

[@billyshepard5514]

If you don't know the Marx Brothers started as a children singing act by their mother. As they grew older and switch to comedy their uncle comedian Al Sheen wrote their first comedy act.

[@jjb653]

The Mullet was born!!!

[@theresaholguin699]

Liberace was a child prodigy.

[@henrybrowne7248]

Groucho used the expression "give me five."

[@robertstrugnell7842]

the dude with the robin hood hair was the father of Lionel Richie!!!

[@MsSavagechef]

And, when the unannounced guest walked on (Liberace) the show didn't need to pause for several minutes while the audience hooted and screamed like a bunch of hopped-up gibbons. Americans had some class, back then (before I was born) and by the way no one called him libby. as he said his friends call him Lee.

[@bettyschneider5268]

What's the name of the two Sea Monsters? 🐲🐉🐬🐳 see i knew they exist! Lol 😂 on really old maps they depict them too. Even mermaids! But i believe it over by China waters! I don't remember where i saw the map? Maybe online?

[@RRW1982]

To see, or not to see monsters.

[@michaelsalisbury1477]

Sigmund the sea monster.

[@michaelsalisbury1477]

Cecill the sea monster.

[@bettyschneider5268]

@@michaelsalisbury1477 Thanks!💒

[@bettyschneider5268]

@@michaelsalisbury1477 Thanks!⛪

[@soylentteal]

How about: 🎶 I play a Baldwin, but a guitar’s not called one 🎶

[@maercyme61]

Groucho makes a head-fake toward heterosexuality w/Liberace ("I was going to see if I could make some business here tonight"). Neither the first in town nor the last.