I was in the chorus at The Last Frontier Hotel during the Fall of 1953. Xavier Cugat and Abbe Lane. What a great place it was too. We stayed at The Desert Spa, which was a shoot off of The Desert Inn, right across the street from The Frontier. Seven hotels only on The Strip, two lane highway, Chuck Wagon a dollar, see the shows for the price of a drink. Big name stars. It was a blast. Mary Kaye Trio in the lounge. Horse back riding during the day out on ranches. Bramble blowing down the nearly empty highway late at night, sounds of rattlers very close by. I loved it.
It's funny. In the 1960s, they said, "It used to be run by the Mob back in the 50s, but that's all over now." Then in the 1970s, they'd say, "It used to be run by the Mob back in the 60s, but that's all over now." Last time I was there in the mid-1970s, it was still being run by the Mob. But, as you say, it was an interesting place back then. (And thanks for the cool comment.)
Funny thing, I never noticed any rough characters when I was there. Just a lot of Hollywood stars, like Jimmy Durante, Shelley Winters, Janet Leigh, Sinatra, the Ritz Brothers, Hank Henry from The Silver Slipper next door... like that... everyone was family back then, we all hung out together and did silly stupid fun things... to be so young and experience that... nothing like it.
I forgot to mention that I went back to Las Vegas in 1978 which was my 25th Anniversary of having first worked there, and I got a job as a Keno Runner at The Tropicana just for fun. I can tell you there were definitely mob people running things then, they seemed to be everywhere. I loved the outfits, those black silk shirts with the white satin ties. And those low, graveley voices that sounded like they had eaten cement.
I was in the chorus at The Last Frontier Hotel during the Fall of 1953. Xavier Cugat and Abbe Lane. What a great place it was too. We stayed at The Desert Spa, which was a shoot off of The Desert Inn, right across the street from The Frontier. Seven hotels only on The Strip, two lane highway, Chuck Wagon a dollar, see the shows for the price of a drink. Big name stars. It was a blast. Mary Kaye Trio in the lounge. Horse back riding during the day out on ranches. Bramble blowing down the nearly empty highway late at night, sounds of rattlers very close by. I loved it.
ReplyDeleteIt's funny. In the 1960s, they said, "It used to be run by the Mob back in the 50s, but that's all over now." Then in the 1970s, they'd say, "It used to be run by the Mob back in the 60s, but that's all over now." Last time I was there in the mid-1970s, it was still being run by the Mob. But, as you say, it was an interesting place back then. (And thanks for the cool comment.)
ReplyDeleteFunny thing, I never noticed any rough characters when I was there. Just a lot of Hollywood stars, like Jimmy Durante, Shelley Winters, Janet Leigh, Sinatra, the Ritz Brothers, Hank Henry from The Silver Slipper next door... like that... everyone was family back then, we all hung out together and did silly stupid fun things... to be so young and experience that... nothing like it.
ReplyDeleteJiva,
ReplyDeletePlease post more of your memories. Or better yet, please start your own blog!!
I forgot to mention that I went back to Las Vegas in 1978 which was my 25th Anniversary of having first worked there, and I got a job as a Keno Runner at The Tropicana just for fun. I can tell you there were definitely mob people running things then, they seemed to be everywhere. I loved the outfits, those black silk shirts with the white satin ties.
ReplyDeleteAnd those low, graveley voices that sounded like they had eaten cement.