Rita Hayworth and Dick Haymes’s love story was a whirlwind. The two met when he was still married with a fading singing career. When Hayworth entered the scene and attended his performances, his audience suddenly grew. Money trouble hits Haymes hard – his many ex-wives demanded child support, even leading to arrest warrants. Hayworth stepped up and paid most of his debts.
The kicker? Haymes didn’t have U.S. citizenship and officials had been eyeing him for deportation back to Argentina. Haymes hoped Hayworth would step in and she did. In this picture, Hayworth signs their marriage license hours after Haymes divorced Nora Eddington Haymes. The pair married on September 24, 1953, at the Sands Hotel. The celebrations included a procession through the casino.
The Mint Casino
Gamblers at The Mint casino in 1958. Think you’ve heard the name of the casino before? You probably have. This is the same casino featured in the 1972 Hunter S. Thompson novel, "Fear, and Loathing in Las Vegas." The Mint was launched by Milton Prell in 1957. He had already worked on places like Club Bingo by then, revamped into the Sahara later on.
Prell didn't stick around long; he sold everything to Del Webb and the next year, they started working on a 22-story hotel that was meant to cost $5 million. When it was finished in 1965, it had grown to 25 floors and was the second tallest building in Nevada, right after The Landmark. Pictured above is practically a full house of gamblers playing slot machines in 1958.
Mae West Makes Her Debut
Mae West and Las Vegas were a natural match. She famously said, "Too much of a good thing can be wonderful," which could easily be the slogan for both her life and the bold desert playground that is and has always been Las Vegas. The actress, playwright, and comic known for her bawdy style of humor made her Vegas debut in Hotel Sahara in 1954. West took the stage surrounded by early versions of extravagantly muscular Chippendales.
But West’s reasons for ending up in Vegas were far less dreamy. Hollywood couldn't handle her. She had made a name in movies during the Great Depression, but Hollywood censors stepped in and basically ended her film career. While her screen career is a distant memory, she managed to forge a mightily successful career in the Vegas club scene.
Aerial View of the Newly Completed Flamingo Hotel
Most of what we think we know about the Flamingo Hotel and Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel comes from the 1991 movie “Bugsy “in 1991. The real deal was quite different – especially the opening night at the Flamingo in 1946. Forget what happened in the film because opening night was a big deal. They had a special three-night grand opening. First, two nights for the locals, then the third night for celebrities.
Opening night was wild – a traffic jam at the parking lot, and when the doors opened, it was like a rush to claim the Wild West. The opening party was unlike anything Vegas had seen. People described the Flamingo as “posh, ritzy, and elegant.” Carpets, draperies, and fancy dishes filled the place, as well as truckloads of flower decorations – wreaths, horseshoes, and baskets.
John F. Kennedy Visits
Prior to his presidency, John F. Kennedy often visited the Sands Hotel throughout the 1950s. As a friend of Frank Sinatra, the eventual 35th president would often show up at performances in Vegas. The two first met when Sinatra sang "The House I Live In," at a Democratic rally. The song won a special Oscar in 1946. Sinatra and Kennedy began hanging out more often – sometimes at the young senator’s hotel suite or at Sinatra’s Palm Springs home.
By then, the singer already owned a piece of the fancy Sands casino on the Vegas Strip. Here is Kennedy pictured with Peter Lawford, his brother-in-law, who was also a member of the famous Rat Pack. Sinatra and Kennedy both had something the other wanted. When Kennedy aimed for the presidency, the Rat Pack became his cheerleaders.