This vintage color photo shows the Rat Pack (Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford, and Joey Bishop) standing in front of the marquee for the Sands Hotel on the Vegas strip,.
On a recent trip to Vegas, I was doing my typical early morning photo stroll (capturing the scenery without the clutter of tourists!) and came to the Venetian Hotel, which opened in 1999.
Even though I have been here many times and even stayed inside, this was the first time I noticed this marker at the entrance. Was it new? Had I just not seen it before?
The plaque states:
The legendary photo of the “Rat Pack”…was taken at this spot in 1960 adjacent to the Las Vegas Strip. In the early 1960’s, the five stars were headliners at the fame Copa Room inside the Sands hotel. The footprints below mark the approximate location of where these legendary stars once stood for this photo.
Wow…who knew? The Sands hotel was torn down in 1996 to make way for the “new” strip.
Which performer’s footprints would you want to stand in?
See more Las Vegas photos at my main website.
Great post Dave. Puts the passage of time in perspective. In the early 60s I was with my folks in the Sands restaurant for dinner. While none of the Rat Pack were present, Carol Burnett and her new husband Joe Hamilton were sitting at a nearby table unbothered. It sure has changed. My vote is for Dino. KS
ReplyDeleteKen - Like the rest of the world, Vegas has certainly changed over the years! Dino would be a good choice. Poor Peter Lawford; in only a few years, he would be kicked out of the Pack!
ReplyDeleteWe almost always stayed at The Sands in the 50s and early 60s. My dad was friends of Jack Entratta. We always had front table seats at The Copa. We saw it all - Sinatra performing solo. Dean's shows. The whole gang with Sinatra. The Rat Pack antics in the casino including Dean dealing hands of blackjack. It was loads of fun. But for me, the big shows were over at The Rivera when Marlene Dietrich was there. Satchmo was another hit with me at The Rivera. But Bobby Darin was, for my dollar, the best shows ever in the Copa Room.
ReplyDeleteDave, this is fun stuff.
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting this.
JG
Awesome post Beachgal. I love stories like that. How cool that you got to see it in person.
ReplyDelete