Elvis Presley’s 1956 Las Vegas premiere was considered an absolute flop by critics. After a performance to an audience of middle-aged conservatives at the New Frontier Hotel, the controversial heartthrob’s act was likened to “a jug of corn liquor at a champagne party.” He nervously returned to Sin City in 1969 to a sold-out crowd and a performance that garnered him the title of “The King.”
Upon seeing husband Humphrey Bogart and friends return from a night in Vegas, actress Lauren Bacall is said to have originated the name “Rat Pack” in 1955. Shocked by their unruly appearance, she said, “You look like a goddamn rat pack.”
Notorious gangster Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel named The Flamingo in honor of the long and skinny legs of his showgirl girlfriend, Virginia Hill.
Vegas Vic, the 40-foot neon cowboy that towers over Fremont Street, continues to be the world’s largest neon sign. The sign was inspired by Vic’s image in a popular 1940s ad campaign, which resulted in the giant’s unveiling in 1951.
With a 49-year run, the Tropicana’s Folies Bergere was the longest stage production in the history of Las Vegas. Though the show closed in 2009, it was instrumental in creating the flamboyantly feathered icon of the Vegas showgirl.
Desperate to appease the infamously indulgent producer and aviator, it is rumored that aides of Howard Hughes purchased 200 gallons of the discontinued Banana Ripple ice cream from Baskin Robbins in the 1950s. A few days after the massive shipment arrived, Hughes proclaimed he would eat only chocolate marshmallow ice cream.
