While Las Vegas offers tons of attractions, its main pull is, of course, gambling. In 1957, the city decided to go all in with the concept, truly living up to its reputation for excesses and hedonism. Hotels and casinos got increasingly creative and offered gambling spaces in pools.
Vacationers could take a dip, cool down, smoke a cigar, and start raking in that cash right from the water. Why have designated gambling spaces when people can up their chances anywhere? Making money needs the right environment. Let’s make it all-encompassing so merrymakers can rake in the money as they breathe, walk, and simply exist.
Dean Martin
If there was one place to be in Las Vegas during the 1950s, it was the Copa Room at the Sands Hotel. Being seen here was the ultimate validation, a sign that you had arrived. With good reason, too! Only the best of the best performed at the venue. Legendary crooner and official "King of Cool", Dean Martin was one of the city's biggest music acts.
People flocked to see his performances in the Copa Room which were usually sold out. The showroom hosted some of the most iconic entertainers of the era. Stars like Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, Tony Bennett, and Nat King Cole were also regulars at the Copa Room.
Mamie Van Doren at The Riviera Hotel
Starlet Marylin Monroe spawned a new kind of sex symbol in Hollywood – the sultry, blond bombshell. The blond bombshell was sexy and sophisticated, with an effortless charm that could disarm even the most reticent man. Monroe’s influence on Hollywood was evident when Mamie Van Doren appeared in her first-ever nightclub appearance at the Riviera Hotel in 1957.
She sang the song "Teddy Bear" in a memorable performance that was an unmistakable homage to Monroe – from the singing and clothes right down to the hairstyle. Van Doren is one among numerous actors who people have reductively (and rather unimaginatively) dubbed Marilyn Monroe clones.
Frank Sinatra at The Sands
Frank Sinatra’s shows at The Sands Hotel were so legendary that sometimes the singer himself couldn’t quite believe it. His first-ever live album, "Sinatra At The Sands," opens with the artist walking into the Copa Room, quipping about how so many people managed to squeeze into the room - around 600, to be precise!
Sinatra was a Las Vegas regular and would typically perform at the Sands about three times a year, often staying for two or three weeks at a time. Needless to say, his shows filled up the city bringing millions of dollars to the hotels and to the tables.
A Buzzing Freemont Street
Las Vegas and the Freemont Street experience are practically synonymous with each other. Freemont Street is one of the most famous landmarks in the city. You never know what you’ll discover on a walk down the street - it's always been a world in itself!
Named after famous explorer John Charles Frémont, the street is fittingly a mini-exploration of sorts! In 1955, cars whizzing down the street were a common occurrence. Of course, as the years went by and throughout the decade, the street got busier and busier. Visitors could soon find antiques, watch light shows, or indulge in free slot spins among other dizzying sights!