The Rat Pack was here

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.

Temple Tuesday: Shirley and The Rat Pack

Here's a shot of Shirley and Peter Lawford circa May 1945 in a publicity shot for a Command Performance Radio Broadcast. Was Peter trying to get Shirley into the Rat Pack? Or was he attempting to get something else from Shirley with his charm? I tried to zero in on the script, but couldn't read a durn thing.



Don't even think about it, Peter. She's a married lady, so wipe that smile off your face. And that better be water in the pitcher!



See more 1940s Shirley Temple photos at my main website.

Screen Gem Saturdays: Debbie Reynolds Collection at the Paley Center

After having missed seeing the first installment of Debbie Reynolds' Hollywood Memorabilia Collection in person, I decided I better not let that happen again. After checking out the Tim Burton exhibit at LACMA, I headed over to Beverly Hills to the Paley Media Center to see what Debbie had left to sell.

I will admit I was a little disappointed...and even more bummed that I missed the first batch. This was the first time I'd been inside the Paley Center, where a painting of Eva Gabor greets visitors to the lobby.



Back to Debbie. The first auction had a mind boggling array of classic memorabilia from some of Hollywood's most famous films. This time around...zzzzzzzzzz. The highlights included seeing Scarlett O'Hara's hat that was worn with her drapery dress in "Gone with the Wind":





This lacy hat that has yellowed over the years was also worn by Vivien Leigh in "Gone With the Wind," in the scene where she is caught in an embrace with Ashley (Leslie Howard) at the sawmill.





An outfit worn by Marilyn Monroe in the movie "Bus Stop":





I can't imagine that Norma Shearer ate very much cake when she squeezed into this gown from "Marie Antoinette" (1936):



The hippest display had to be this collection of suits worn by The Rat Pack:



A number of Judy Garland costumes were also visible, such as this wedding dress from "The Pirate" (1948):



There were a ton-o-costumes from MGM's splashy 1951 musical "Show Boat":







The exhibit itself is very well done; photos or constantly looping film clips accompany each outfit so that you can see it in its cinematic context. In all fairness, new costumes and props are still being added over the next few months, but part 2 still does not begin to compare to its predecessor.

To see more Paley Center for Media Debbie Reynolds collection photos, visit my regular website.

Traveling Thursdays: Viva Las Vegas, Pt. 2

Over at the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas, Phantom of the Opera and Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum are two of the major attractions for visitors to Las Vegas.





Like Disneyland, Vegas has a total different look at night when the sun goes down and the magical lights turn on.



The interior of The Venetian is richly detailed and slightly over the top; just what you would expect when Italy and Las Vegas collide.





I’ve seen “Phantom of the Opera” on Broadway, but even that amazing production is outdone by the Las Vegas version. The music, the sets, and the moving story still brought chills the second time that I watched the show. If you’ve seen the movie, please don’t let that deter you from seeing the theater production!

Even the theater itself will cause your jaw to drop; decked out like a vintage playhouse, “dummies” populate the sideseat, dressed in historic era-appropriate clothing.







Falling overhead at a speed of 35 mph, this combined set of 4 chandeliers would be enough to cause even the bravest theatergoer to invest in a set of Depends!



For the Las Vegas production, even the Phantom’s makeup was revisited. With a new set of facial molds, the final result is stunning, as shown here by The Phantom himself, Anthony Crivello. Discussing the new molds, Crivello is having the final remnants of his Phantom “face” removed before he goes home after his performance.







Quite a setup of computers and monitors is required for precision accuracy with the lighting and props for “Phantom of the Opera” in Las Vegas:



Over at Madame Tussaud’s, you can see two versions of Elvis; young and handsome, or older and slightly paunchy. Take your pick!





Apparently Criss Angel is one of the most reviled people in Las Vegas; Cirque du Soleil is just waiting for his contract to expire so that they can remove their name from his show. Still, he is one of the figures at Tussaud’s.



Who needs the egotistical Criss Angel when you can have the Rat Pack?







You haven’t heard the last from Sin City. More to come in the future!

See more Las Vegas photos at my main website.