Mike Breiding's Epic Road Trips ~2018~

Wednesday - 21 February 2018
PART 2
"Las Vegas! The Show" and The Strip

Ever since I heard about Las Vegas back in the late 50s and early 60s I have wanted to go there. When I heard snippets of conversations from my Aunt Martha, Uncle Russ, Grandma Breiding and my dad I was intrigued about this place called Las Vegas.
There was talk of show girls, fancy restaurants and country clubs, bright lights and movie stars. What more could a 6 year old ask for when it comes to arousing an active and curious mind?

At the beginning of this Trog there was a quote from my Cousin Mark who, along with the rest of his family moved to Las Vegas in 1959. Here is what Mark had to say about why they moved to Las Vegas.

My dad’s sister, Ginny, and Husband , Howard Werner moved to Las Vegas in 1946. He was an IRS Agent. By the time we (the Reasbeck Family) moved there in 1959 he owned a restaurant on the strip called Louigi’s. (Rat Pack hangout)
There were opportunities in construction for my dad ( my uncle Russ -mb ) so the decision was made to move there and dad would work construction. ...

Source: Mark Reasbeck, pers.comm., 17 February 2018

As often happens, these reminiscences got Mark to thinking about the old days and before you know it he was using good old Google to find what might be out there. He turned up this.

When Mark sent me the link for the above photo, that got me started on some googling and here is what I turned up.

I love the side caption "You're in..." next to "Louigi's". I guess if you had enough to drink you might forget where you ended up.

Those prices! My how times have changes since the 1960s.

Mark notes above "...he (Howard Werner) owned a restaurant on the strip called Louigi’s. (Rat Pack hangout)"

The Rat Pack is a term used by the media to refer to an informal group of entertainers centered on the Las Vegas casino scene. Having its origins in a group of friends that met at the Los Angeles home of Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall, by the 1960s it was the name used by the press and the general public to refer to a later variation of the group that called itself "the Summit" or "the Clan", featuring Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford and Joey Bishop among others; they appeared together on stage and in films in the early 1960s, including the movies Ocean's 11, Sergeants 3, and Robin and the 7 Hoods (in the last film, Bing Crosby replaced Lawford). Sinatra, Martin and Davis were regarded as the group's lead members.

Source: WikiPedia

The "Rat Pack": Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford and Joey Bishop

In 1962, for my 10th birthday I was allowed to choose a movie I wanted to see and the rest of the family would go as well (I don't remember my dad being there). Knowing this, my sister Joan pestered and pestered me to choose the movie "Sergeants 3" which starred none other than the "Rat Pack". How my sister even knew of them is a mystery to me. Although we didn't live in isolation "up the holler" we led pretty sheltered lives while living outside of Wheeling WV..
Of course I had no interest in seeing my sisters movie and instead I chose "The Three Stooges Meet Hercules". Joan was not happy.

Just a few years later, now a horny 12 year old boy and living in the Big City of Morgantown where we had recently moved I spotted this movie poster at the Warner Theater.

I know for certain my mom and my two sisters were head over heels for Elvis but when I saw that image of Ann-Margret in those tights - WOW!! I about popped my cork!

Being a good Catholic boy I was not allowed to see such movies but over the years I managed to sneak into a few. I even saw some movies which were on the list of films condemned by the Legion of Decency. This list was always posted on a board just inside the entrance to Saint Francis de Sales church which we all attended. I, along with some of my other school mates would take great delight in going down the list and fantasizing about going to see this or that movie.
And in fact, my mom actually took me to a few of them. But, that is another story.

I remember Ann-Margret in one of my favorite movies - "The Cincinnati Kid" which was released in 1965. It starred Steve McQueen who I was mightily impressed with.

In "The Cincinnati Kid" Ann-Margret plays Melba, seductress and McQueen plays Eric Stoner, card shark.
Stoner's girl friend Christian (Tuesday Weld) and Melba are close friends. But as soon as Christian leaves to visit her family Melba moves in for the kill and tries to seduce Stone. He would have none of it.

Melba the Seductress

I clearly remember a scene in which Melba (Ann-Margret) moves close to Stoner and soon they are in a passionate embrace and kissing deeply. Stoner (McQueen) reaches around and gives Melba a sharp smack on the butt. She pulls away angrily and with hate on her face says bitterly "I hope you lose!", alluding to Stoner's upcoming poker match.
Why that particular image is still burned into my brain 50 yeas later I do not know.

But, I digress...

There have been many, many famous performers in Vegas over the decades -
from Liberace and the Rockettes

to Siegfried & Roy

But what I wanted to see was a good old fashioned burlesque show such as Le Lido would put on.

Li Lido at the Star Dust in the 1950s.

But, these types of shows have obviously fallen out of favor with today's crowds.
The shows today are dominated by Cirque du Soleil, and cheesy "adult" shows like "Zombie Burlesque" and "Sexxy". No thanks.

Call me old fashioned but I wanted to see a bevy of be-feathered beauties dancing across the stage.
I had no luck finding any such show we could go to for our one night on The Strip. Ashok had better luck - sorta. It looks like the best we were going to do was a "tribute" show to the Las Vegas of days gone by. That tribute is called:

Still back at the condo after a day of hiking we cleaned up and then ordered up an Uber driver to take us to The Strip. This was Ashok's idea and a good one it was! No traffic jams or getting lost in the dark for us!
Our driver got us there without problem and navigated a maze of back streets in ordered to stay off the jammed up freeways.

We arrived at the entrance to Planet Hollywood and then made our way to the Saxe Theater where Ashok checked us in. Then it was in search of some food. In order to make it simple we ended up eating at a Sbarro's where we paid about $25 for two beers and two slices of pizza. The fabled cheap eats of Las Vegas are now a thing of the past.

We got ourselves seated and sat back to enjoy the show. There was no taking snaps or video and this was strictly enforced. So we must make do with some photos harvested off the web.

That's what I'm talkin' about!!

Someday, this will be me...

"The Candyman Can!"
The guy who played Sammy Davis at the show we attended did not even look black which seemed very odd and a bit distracting.
Speaking of distraction, during the "Candy Man" a troupe of scantily clad Candy Girls swept into the audience tossing candy to the hopeful. I got lucky.

Since this was a tribute show they bounced all over the place. Here are the tribute versions of "Ann-Margret" and "Elvis".

And here they are in the flesh in the famous scooter scene from Viva Las Vegas

Speaking of Scooters! Here is a bonus photo of Raquel Welch featured in a Vespa Pinup, 1967.

Over all we enjoyed the show. It was a bit corny/hokey but still fun. And the band was great! After the show we decided to venture out onto the strip. We did not get far - down to Bellagio and back. But that was enough after what was for us a long day.

Donna snapped this pick of Betsy and Ashok and I

This was shot through the glass partition on the pedestrian walkway connected to Planet Hollywood.

Glitter and Glitz.

The famous Bellagio Hotel. The ultimate in garish opulence.

We stayed long enough to see the fountains fire up but decided to save the lobby gawking for another time.

I have to say I am slowly but surely losing my taste for the trappings of man such as displayed here. At one time I would have revelled in all this. But no more. Give me the quiet of the canyons and the solitude of the woods and I am much happier.
Still, it was interesting to see what all the hullabaloo has been about all these years.

Donna caught me in the act, takin' a peek at this gal's undies. Imagine that...

And then it was back to the Uber pick-up point and back to the condo. I regret we missed Fremont Street but I am sure we will be back to check it out at some point.

Tomorrow will be our last day here. The weather looked promising and we would wrap up the trip with one more hike in the Red Rocks.

See you then...
Mike

 

 

 

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