Marlene Dietrich in the Famously Daring Dress Designed by Jean Louis for Her Las Vegas Show at the Sahara Hotel in 1953

Always the queen of reinvention, in 1953 Marlene Dietrich accepted a very lucrative offer to appear in her own cabaret act at the Sahara Hotel in Las Vegas. She was a tremendous success and a new career was born; though she would occasionally make films after this, most of her performing energies were thereafter devoted to her concerts.  She continued to tour internationally until, plagued with ill-health and an addiction to alcohol and painkillers, she finally retired from the stage in 1975.

The great visual highlight of her concerts, from the Vegas days forward, was always her first act gown. Over the years there was a wonderful parade of these remarkable “nude” gowns designed by Jean Louis.  Built over a precisely engineered undergarment, and constructed of the thinnest, flesh-colored silk souffle and usually covered in strategically placed beading, they provided both the illusion of a flawless, ageless figure, and an ephemeral but glitteringly sensual glamour.

“More difficult and almost as famous was dress with special undergarment I design for Marlene Dietrich to wear in her 1953 Las Vegas act,” said designer Jean Louis. “Now Marlene was in her late 40s, but when she walk on the stage there is a riot. Marlene was living in New York, and she fly to Hollywood every weekend to fit. ‘Put this bead lower,’ she says. ‘Put this bead higher.’ So we mark it with a tiny pin. Next week she says, ‘Oh, it’s too high, drop it a bit.’ And so on, for six months. I say, ‘We’re not going to have any dress, we’re going to have a hole.’ It was her first appearance in Vegas and she wanted it to be perfect. But when we are finished, ah! Her body look like she is 16 years old. Dress was made of soufflé, a thin chiffon you can see through. The undergarment—the secret to the dress—was of the same material, and it was designed to reveal the bust and with darts, to push the bust up. There was a zip down her back and a band between her legs. Skintight. The neck band was so snug that her skin folded over, so she covered the fold with a diamond necklace.”

“After she opened in Las Vegas the press says in big headlines: MARLENE DIETRICH IN A SEE-THROUGH DRESS. They did not know there was anything underneath because you can see her breasts and her legs. Oh, she knew what she was doing!”

See more»

Las Vegas in the 1980s Through Amazing Vintage Photos

In the 1980s, Las Vegas was characterized by its iconic neon signs, smaller casinos, and motels along the Strip. The city began transitioning to larger, more extravagant themed resorts like the Mirage, marking the start of the mega-resort era.

The downtown area featured vintage casinos, while new developments reflected a shift towards more corporate and family-friendly attractions.

These vintage photos were taken by Meredith Jacobson Marciano that show street scenes of Las Vegas in 1983.

Golden Nugget, Las Vegas, January 1983

Golden Goose, Las Vegas, January 1983

4 Queens, Las Vegas, January 1983

Caesar's Palace, Las Vegas, January 1983

Caesar's pool, Las Vegas, January 1983

See more»

The World’s Longest Flight: In 1958 Two Men in a Cessna Flew For More Than Two Months Without Landing

During the months of December 1958 and January and February 1959, two young men flew a mission-modified Cessna 172 around and around over the desert Southwest for 64 days, 22 hours, and 19 minutes. The world endurance record in a propeller-driven airplane was set in that little Cessna that still stands.

In 1956, an entrepreneur wanted to promote his Las Vegas hotel and his slot machine mechanic, Robert Timm, a WW2 bomber pilot, had an idea. He convinced the owner to fund an attempt to break the manned flight endurance record, with Hacienda Hotel featured prominently on the aircraft. Timm found a Cessna 172, registered N9217B, and with a trusted mechanic, spent a year modifying it for the record attempt. Like Airbus, they installed a belly tank to supplement the 47 gallons carried in the wings. The 95-gallon belly tank had an electric pump to transfer fuel to the main tank, and they also replumbed the oil lines to change oil and filters without shutting down the engine.

After three failed attempts, Timm found a new co-pilot and mechanic, John Wayne Cook and ultimately, they took off on December 4, 1958, at 15:52. They made a low pass on the airfield to allow a chase car to paint white stripes on the aircraft's tires to ensure they didn't make any secret landings. They spent most of their time flying over the deserts around Las Vegas, sometimes diverting to Los Angeles for TV promotional opportunities. Now for the really ingenious method of refueling. Twice daily, a truck fitted with a fuel tank and pump would rendezvous with the aircraft over a straight stretch of closed highway.

The Cessna would fly roughly 20 feet off the ground and use an electric winch to lower a hook and snag the refueling hose. Timm or Cook would stand on a platform outside the door and insert the hose into the belly tank, taking around three minutes to fill. Over the course of the flight they refueled 128 times. The Hacienda prepared gourmet meals, but the food had to be chopped up and stuffed into thermos jugs to get them to the pilots.

Thirty-nine days in, the generator failed, so they had no lights, heat or fuel pump. The pair relied on a hand pump to transfer fuel and soon after had to refuel in the dark, with no lights or moon. They passed the existing record but decided to keep flying for as long as possible. By the beginning of February, the spark plugs and combustion chambers were loaded with carbon, making it difficult to climb with a full load after refueling. They decided to land on February 7, 1959, but before they could touch down, the paint on the tires was checked, and no scuff marks were found.

Timm and Cook had to be lifted out of the Cessna, and their record still stands today. Robert Timm died in 1976 and John Cook in 1995, both in Las Vegas, and the Hacienda Hotel was demolished in December 1996.

See more»

Las Vegas in the 1960s Through Amazing Found Photos

Las Vegas in the 1960s - a desert boom town, a destination not just for roulette and card games, it was an era of class where everyone dressed to impress on the casino floor, by the pool, or in the glittering showrooms.

These amazing vintage photos were found by Mark Susina that show what Las Vegas looked like in the 1960s.

Lucky Strike Club, Las Vegas, 1960.

California Club, Las Vegas, 1960

Casino Golden Gate, Las Vegas, 1960

Fremont Street, Las Vegas, 1960

Golden Nugget, Las Vegas, 1960

See more»

The Story of Two Italian Fans Who Met Elvis Presley in Las Vegas, in August 1972

These two Italian fans in the photos had the great honor of meeting Elvis Presley in Las Vegas, in August 1972. The woman is Nikla Crippa, the man was and still is the president of the Italian Elvis fan club, Livio Monari. Livio founded the Italian FC in 1962. Together with Nikla, a friend and member of his fan club, they met Elvis just after the midnight show on August 26, 1972.

Nicla said the following about the meeting:

“1972 was a special year for me, I picked up all my saving of a year and together with Livio Monari at that time president of the E.P.F.C. of Italy, I flew to Las Vegas in August to see Elvis performing.

“When we arrived we were so excited that we started immediately to ask anybody of Elvis entourage if we could meet Elvis, crook Col. Parker was at a gambling table with his cigar and he said very rude ‘NO, you cannot met Elvis,’ then Joe Esposito who said No too, and when I told him ‘Hey Joe you are Italian like us’ he answered ‘I’m not Italian, I was born in Chicago’ very rude too... until I saw the name of Emilio Muscelli on an office door, I knocked and entered and I said with all my 18 years old enthusiasm (in fact I was not yet 18, I would have turned 18 on December 30). ‘Hi Emilio, we are Italians and we are here to see Elvis concerts and meet him.’ Well he took it good to his heart and from that point on he treated me like his daughter, he was 50 years old.

“We saw 14 concerts in 7 days and we met Elvis twice, the first time on August 26 but the pictures Joe Esposito took with Livio’s camera did not come out as Livio due the emotion charged an already used film in the camera. The second time on August 28, this time we called a professional photographer to take the 2 pictures to be sure.

“When I saw Elvis the first time coming out of his dressing room I ran towards him and I almost jumped on him, I hugged and kissed him and he returned the hugs and kisses to me and he asked me ‘Hey baby how old are you’ I answered ‘18’ and he said ‘And you came all the way from Italy just to see me?’ ‘Yes Elvis’ and he ‘Oh baby’ and he hugged me again very tight.

“We stayed with him for 15 minutes, we gave him a trophy we brought from Italy – unfortunately we have no picture of Elvis with our trophy but I saw it at Graceland Trophy Room in 1987–- he wrote a dedication to me, and one to Livio, on 2 LPs we brought with us, he gave us a yellow scarf each, but especially I held his right hand in my hands for a long time, and he did not withdraw it, on the contrary he caressed my hands. He was such a gentle, sweet and tender person, he made us feel at ease and he slowed down speaking English as at that time I could not speak English well.

“We asked ‘when will you come to Europe’ he said looking at Joe ‘I definitely wanna go, after a project I have for January 1973 (Aloha from Hawaii) I’ll ask Parker to organize a tour to Europe.’ The night after Emilio gave us seats in the first row, Elvis saw me from stage and he stooped down and he put a red scarf around my neck, and on August 28 we met him again same place backstage and he said ‘Hey you are still here, good.’ He had such a sense of humor.”

Miss-Cue Wearing an A-Bomb Crown to Illustrate Another Misfiring of the Operation Cue Bomb, 1955

One test in the Operation Teapot series, in early 1955, was used to evaluate the potential impact of a nuclear attack on civilian communities. This joint U.S. Atomic Energy Commission - Federal Civil Defense Administration program, known as Operation Cue, measured how well houses, household items, food, shelters, metal buildings, equipment, and mannequins wearing everyday clothing would survive at various distances from a nuclear blast.

After several delays due to high winds, personnel began calling the test “Operation Mis-Cue.” During one such delay, Cue personnel descended on Las Vegas where six U.S. Army personnel from Camp Desert Rock crowned an unidentified Copa Girl at the Sands Hotel, “Miss Cue.”

On May 1, 1955, the Sands Hotel released photos of the showgirl being crowned “to illustrate another mis-firing of the Operation Cue Bomb.” Her crown was, of course, a mushroom cloud.

The detonation finally occurred on May 5, 1955.

30 Found Photos Capture Street Scenes of Las Vegas in the 1960s

Las Vegas is the 26th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area and is the largest city within the greater Mojave Desert.

Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city, known primarily for its gambling, shopping, fine dining, entertainment, and nightlife. The Las Vegas Valley as a whole serves as the leading financial, commercial, and cultural center for Nevada.

The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous for its mega casino-hotels and associated activities. It is a top three destination in the United States for business conventions and a global leader in the hospitality industry, claiming more AAA Five Diamond hotels than any other city in the world.

During the 1960s, corporations and business tycoons such as Howard Hughes were building and buying hotel-casino properties. Gambling was referred to as “gaming”, which transitioned it into a legitimate business.

Today, Las Vegas annually ranks as one of the world's most visited tourist destinations. The city’s tolerance for numerous forms of adult entertainment earned it the title of “Sin City”, and has made Las Vegas a popular setting for literature, films, television programs, and music videos.

These fascinating photos were found by Mark Susina that show street scenes of Las Vegas in the 1960s.

California Club, Las Vegas, 1960

Fremont Street, Las Vegas, 1960

Golden Nugget, Las Vegas, 1960

Golden Nugget, Las Vegas, 1960

Las Vegas at night, 1960

See more»

“Free Aspirin & Tender Sympathy” Signs in Las Vegas

A lot of folks may not remember that the best thing about old Vegas was the free aspirin. There are signs from roadside motels and a mini-mart that beckoned hungover travelers headed back to California with “free aspirin and tender sympathy.”

See more»

In the 1950s, Las Vegas Sold Atomic Bomb Tests as Tourism

Las Vegas is notoriously known for its bright lights and exciting nightlife, however, in the 1950s it became known for a different kind of light. In 1951, the Nevada Testing Site became the location for atomic bomb testing, located just 65 miles northwest of Las Vegas. The Yucca Flats of Nevada were located in the center of the American wasteland, making it the perfect place for nuclear testing.

First off by being located in the middle of the desert, it created very little threats to surrounding homes. Additionally, it provided a source of spectacles and entertainment for people who did live in this area. As a result, Vegas began to experience a new influx of people from across the country who would travel thousands of miles in order to catch a glimpse of this new show.

A Horseshoe Club advertisement touting its excellent views of nuclear tests.

Witness the power of the Atomic Bomb. A mere $3 for a safe viewing distance.

Bombs over Fremont.

Soon after Vegas was transformed from the original city of 25,000 people to the world-renown spectacle of three million people. Journalists everywhere began jumping on this new exciting event, and the topic of atomic tourism became the biggest headliner everywhere. Even writers in the New York Times began referring to it as, “the non- ancient but none the less honorable pastime of atom-bomb watching.”

Despite nuke testing occurring in multiple other places during this time, Vegas was the only one to turn it into an attraction. Inherently speaking, Vegas was designed for showmanship. Visitors are encouraged to live in the moment and focus on what is in front of them, by masking the individual from all reminders of time and location. Their motto: pay attention to what is in front of you. Therefore by taking advantage of this concept and its psychological effect, landowners and industry owners began turning these tests into spectacles of themselves. Organizations began hosting parties and picnics around the publicized atomic bomb testing schedule, and photos of these events began circulating across news sources everywhere.

However, in addition to these parties, Vegas also capitalized on the nuclear tests by providing itself as a source of relief and nostalgia from the surrounding terror. Gambling, games, and television were all sources of distraction that provided Vegas guests with an escape from the fear that was surrounding them.

Early morning bathers at a hotel pool in Las Vegas stop to watch the mushroom cloud of an atomic detonation at a test site about 75 miles from the city. May 8, 1953.

Guests at the Last Frontier hotel in Las Vegas watch the mushroom from a detonation about 75 miles away. May 8, 1953.

Watching poolside. Nuclear tests were a rather ordinary part of life in Las Vegas.

Bombs over Fremont.

Hotels offered panoramic views of the distant desert skyline for the optimum experience.

See more»

25 Fascinating Photos of Las Vegas in the Early 1970s

The image of Las Vegas that emerged in the 1970s was one that would take decades to shed: A tacky tourist trap with aging casinos, cheap restaurants, and showrooms filled with performers whose careers were on their last legs.

With a few exceptions, investment had slowed to a crawl and Vegas didn’t seem as exciting anymore, especially when it was forced to compete with the sparkling newness of Atlantic City, where gambling was legalized in 1976.

These fascinating photos were taken by Peter Stratmoen that show what Las Vegas looked like in the early 1970s.

See more»

Vintage Photos of Robby the Robot in Las Vegas in 1956

Robby the Robot is a fictional character and science fiction icon who first appeared in the 1956 film Forbidden Planet. He made a number of subsequent appearances in science fiction movies and television programs, usually without specific reference to the original film character.

Robby the Robot in Las Vegas in 1956

The name “Robbie” (spelled with an “ie”) had appeared in science fiction before Forbidden Planet. In a pulp magazine adventure The Fantastic Island (1935), the name is used for a mechanical likeness of Doc Savage used to confuse foes. The name is also used in Isaac Asimov’s short story “Robbie” (1940) about a first-generation robot designed to care for children.

In Tom Swift on The Phantom Satellite (1956), it is also the name given to a small four-foot robot designed by Tom Swift Jr., the boy inventor in the Tom Swift Jr. science fiction novel series by Victor Appleton II.

These vintage photos from Tom Simpson captured Robby the Robot in Las Vegas in 1956.

Robby the Robot on the Sands Hotel's Forbidden Planet float for the Helldorado Parade

Robby the Robot on the Sands Hotel's Forbidden Planet float for the Helldorado Parade

Robby the Robot on the Sands Hotel's Forbidden Planet float for the Helldorado Parade

Robby the Robot on the Sands Hotel's Forbidden Planet float for the Helldorado Parade

Robby the Robot on the Sands Hotel's Forbidden Planet float for the Helldorado Parade

See more»