POLY,
That sounds like Diamonds Are Forever released in 1971 but I can recall the Las Vegas Strip ten years earlier when you could not find the road on windy days due to the desert sand covering it.
And the small two story hotel/motels were a half mile apart with 4x8 plywood boards on vacant desert lots in between those hotel/motels advertising Strip-front acreage at $300 each.
Much later on I was told that all that desert road-front property was owned by Mae West and W.C. Fields.
One hot day I got out of the car to take a closer look at some roadside dirt and the melting tarmac sucked off my shoe and fought my struggle to get it back.
Back then that road was just desert dirt and a melting two lane roadway. I don’t recall if it was called The Strip back then. I sort of recall that it was known as the “Road to LA”, but I could be wrong.
Three or four of those early day casinos would have nice looking but non-electric , wooden sigms letting drive-bys know that it was cool inside and that you could eat all you wanted for 99 cents. I can’t recall if the word “buffet” was even used in those early days.
At Doc’s place (the Hacienda) you could drink cold Champaigne free of charge from a silver fountain which flowed all day long.
And each hotel/casino on that roadway to LA had greeters who would meet and greet you with open arms and hardy handshakes as soon as you entered the front door. Some of those greeters were major stars or sport personalities. I think George Raft bought us a few rounds one night upon our arrival at the Sands.
And if you wore your military uniform or had a Marine Corps haircut, you were treated as though you were royalty with a persomal escort to the bar where drinks were always on the house.
And soon enough the booz encouraged us to give Lady Luck a try while the Pit Bosses would always look over us and offer good advice and inform us when it was time to return to the bar to recharge our batteries befoe our next assault on Lady Luck.
There was a war on someplace and we were active combat participants and this was the casino’s way of expressing there appreciation and gratitude ...... and a $60 to a $100 win due to the help of these casino civilians was big bucks back then and truly appreciated.,
And we never hit the rack without some major casino ‘boss’ giving us his card and informing us that arrangement had been made for us Marines at the next casino down the road.
Back in those days Las Vegas had the reputation of being a service town … and that was exceptionally evident to us US service guys.
It can never be the same again but if I ever get the opportunity to show these hotel and casino owners how it was done back then, it would all change for the better for each of us.
Back then you could go downtown to Fremontr Street and tie your ass to hitching post if you could finf a vacant one or one that an old desert prospector was saddleing up to head back to God knows where to search for something that would be utterly worthless today.
One major thing that today’s casinos have forgotten to do …. Back then the casino owners or the major casino figurehead would walk the casino floor greeting his ganbling customers and slip a roll of nickels or a roll of dimes into their hands with a hardy, “Good luck!” and a. “Welcome to the Horseshoe! Thanks for coming in!”
That’s done no longer, but it sure as hell should be.
The last casino owner I’ve seen on the floor greeting his customers was Bob Stupak at the old Vegas World over ten years ago., but instead of a roll of nickles, he only offered a Polish hot-dog and a few words of encouragement.
Now-a-days it’s entirely different and Las Vegas visitors don’t expect too much when it cones to service. That’s most likely brcause they have no idea what kind of town Las Vegas use to be. They even play Blackjack where the casinos pay even money instead of 3-2. (A very dumb thing indeed!)
I recall driving from Camp Pendleton one summer afternoon in a little convertible sports car without the ‘roof' .... and reaching Baker when it was 115 degrees and purchasing a 100 pounds of ice which we dunped on the seats in an attempt to keep cool.
And driving the last 50 miles into town in first gear because the deserrt wind blew some desert dirt into our vacunn shift mechanism.
And many hours later we pulled into the fountain filled driveway of a brand bew hotel called Caesars Palace … hot and tire and dripping wet … and…
The valet guy sees us creeping up his beautiful fountain filled driveway first gear and says, “Having car problems, sir??
And before I can say, “Yes, you dumb shit” ….. he says, “It’ll be fixed and ready for you by 10 AM. Will you be needing transportation this evening, sir?”
That’s the kind of town Las Vegas used to be!
It’s got a lot to learn …. Once again.
Its gotta start over or it'll wither away like an old desert bone.
