The awesome casino robbery scene in 3000 Miles From Graceland was filmed there.
They had less crime then..................
End of an era.
I own the original Oceans Eleven on DVD. The “famous” casinos as they were in that day make Reno of today look palatial. It’s one of the things I enjoy about the movie - just seeing what the facilities were like back then.
It’s amazing how far Vegas has come.
I haven’t been to Vegas for a couple decades, but remember the Riviera!
no way of getting to the bodies in the *ahem* sub-basement now.
“The town will never be the same. After the Tangiers, the big corporations took it all over. Today it looks like Disneyland. And while the kids play cardboard pirates, Mommy and Daddy drop the house payments and Junior’s college money on the poker slots. In the old days, dealers knew your name, what you drank, what you played. Today, it’s like checkin’ into an airport. And if you order room service, you’re lucky if you get it by Thursday. Today, it’s all gone. You get a whale show up with four million in a suitcase, and some twenty-five-year-old hotel school kid is gonna want his Social Security Number. After the Teamsters got knocked out of the box, the corporations tore down practically every one of the old casinos. And where did the money come from to rebuild the pyramids? Junk bonds.”
-Casino
I used to go 15 years ago and that place was a dump then,a place for low rollers that didn’t want to go downtown.
I love Vegas and I don’t gamble. I just love to walk to all the shows and restaurants in nice warm weather. It’s nice to get out of the NJ in winter
The TV show Vegas starring Dennis Quaid is a neat look at early Vegas. It was set on the old strip. Most characters are fictional, but the buildings, decor and costumes are reasonable.
Just spent a little less than a week at the Tropicana.
Went by the Riviera, they had it stripped pretty good.
My wife said “I bet they are going to bring that down.” I agreed.
Didn’t expect it this soon. Thought it would happen next month. They move pretty fast.
Spent a week there a couple of years ago. It was the host hotel for a bridge tournament I went to. Seemed like a bad part of town, not safe after dark.
My wife and I have been to Vegas AT LEAST once a year, every year since 1986. In that first year, we stayed at the Stardust Motel!
Several years after that, we stayed at the Riveria.. they always sent us good package deals. The “Splash” show was always good... and, I liked the Casino. We also stayed often then at the Stardust.. Stayed at Flamingo once, the Oriental place that is now the Quad, at Luxor, at Bally’s. Heck we even stayed once in an apartment at Westward Ho.
We always laughed... we were “high rollers” at “the Ho!”. It was true too... I once won $600 playing blackjack there. The Cashier called the pit boss to make sure I really won it!
In later years, we migrated to the Venetian. When they first opened, they sent outstanding deals. We dallied a few times downtown, staying at the Nugget. We’ve stayed at Cosmopolitan and at Bellagio.
Basically, we stay where we get “free” rooms. In September, it’ll be at Ceasar’s.
But, I will always have a special place in my heart for the Stardust and the Riviera. We had SO MUCH FUN at those places back in the day. Breaks my heart to see them gone. The Riviera had a great snack bar! :-)
Time marches on I guess..
My bride and I went to Vegas on our honeymoon in ‘63. I was 23 and she was 19. I had a ‘due bill’ gift of $500 from an uncle on the books that could be spent for anything at the Riviera including the room.
We tried, but couldn’t spend it all, going to the shows, and eating and drinking at the restaurants. At a show one night I ordered a bottle of champagne I’d read about in a James Bond book, Tatinger Blanc d Blanc. It was the most expensive one on the wine list. The French Sommelier took the order and then returned and very discretely asked me if I had seen the cost. We drank two bottles and he very accomdodatingly brought me one to take back to the room. Then he dropped the French accent and in a broad Brooklyn accent quipped, “you know, that’s the first bottle of that s-— I’ve ever sold.”
Halcyon days and memories.
The awesome casino robbery scene in 3000 Miles From Graceland was filmed there.
They found several bodies in the foundation......
Hmm....I think that’s the one Bourne and his latest nemesis crashed into this year. Makes sense, if they weren’t going to build an elaborate set for one colossal wreck, they’d use a building scheduled for demo.
Had a good time. She was pretty, I had been drafted, and we were both young and carefree.
-PJ