Fabulous Las Vegas in the 50s

by Basten, Fred E.; Phoenix, Charles; Smith, Keely

• ISBN13: 9781883318376
• ISBN10: 1883318378
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2003-04-01
• Publisher: Angel City Pr

Summary

Fabulous Las Vegas in the 50s -- a treasury of retro Las Vegas, of pre-Rat Pack days, when Liberace's candles flamed, Elvis was a flop and the town was just beginning to earn its reputation as the capital of real-life make-believe. Filled with glamorous visuals that give authentic meaning to the word "kitsch," this must-have collectors' book shows Las Vegas as it was -- the town where celebrities, everyday folk, and glamour mixed with glitz, games and sex appeal. See and read about the early days of Sinatra on the Strip, Judy Garland introducing her eleven-year-old daughter Liza to the stage and Ronald Reagan making his Sin City debut performing with a troupe of chimps. In these pages readers visit the original Tropicana hotel, the Sahara, the Sands, the Dunes and the Flamingo, as well as many spots that existed only in the earliest days of the town. Topless showgirls, midnight-til-dawn lounge acts and the greatest recording stars of the day were all standard fare -- and the memorabilia collected by authors Fred Basten and Charles Phoenix brings them all back, bigger than life. Dozens of rare photographs show Crosby and Hope teeing off at the Tournament of Champions, America's most famous couple Debbie Reynolds and Eddic Fisher cooing (before Liz Taylor came between them) and Milton Berle hamming it up at his birthday party. Plus, read the personal account of "The First Lady of Las Vegas" Keely Smith, whose foreword recalls her earliest days in town. Anyone who loves Vegas will love Fabulous Las Vegas in the 50s. Book jacket.

Author Biography

Fred E. Basten, of Santa Monica, is the author of twenty books on Hollywood and entertainment Charles Phoenix, of Los Angeles, provides humorous commentary a la Garrison Keillor for his theater slide show, God Bless Americana, a retro vacation tour of the USA. Phoenix is the author of Southern California in the 50s: Sun, Fun and Fantasy, nominated as the best book of the year by the Southern California Booksellers Association Recording star Keely Smith, "The First Lady of Las Vegas," arrived in the glittering city in the early 50s, destined for a two-week stint. Together with her partner Louis Prima, she was the top lounge act in Vegas for more than six years and she continues to play there today

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. 6
Introduction	p. 8
Welcome to Las Vegas	p. 15
Downtown	p. 23
The Strip	p. 33
Desert Dining	p. 49
Fun in the Sun	p. 57
Jackpot!	p. 67
After Dark	p. 79
Showtime!	p. 101
Afterword	p. 124
Acknowledgments and Photo Credits	p. 126
Index	p. 127
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.