Intensely private, Kerkorian’s legacy may not be as well known as Steve Wynn’s but is unarguably one of the most important in Vegas history. Some will criticize MGM as the shinning example of the faceless corporate machine that has taken over the city but without the corporate evolution of the market, the expansion of gaming around the United States, and the world for that matter, would have never been possible. Corporations removed the negative stigmatism the gambling industry had for eons and made it a viable, bordering on respectable business model, now regarded as just another form of entertainment.
Showing posts with label Howard Hughes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Howard Hughes. Show all posts
Saturday, July 18, 2020
Saturday, October 5, 2019
360 Vintage Vegas - The Landmark
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The Landmark existed for 34 years, 1961-1995, and during that time, sat empty and unused for a 3rd of its life. Make no mistake, the Landmark was a great idea. It just never had the support it needed to reach its potential. It resembles everything that is great about Las Vegas. Any grand idea can live here, if only here. Want to build Paris in the desert, sure; Recreate ancient Roman decadence, why not; put a casino in the sky, give it a shot. The sobering reality is it takes much more than a visionary idea to succeed in Vegas and there are many examples to prove that. Rather than lament it’s passing we should celebrate the fact that it had a chance. There are literally dozens of visionary projects planned for Las Vegas that never make it beyond the concept phase. Currently north strip is home to 3 of them in various stages of incompletion. Regardless of it’s inability to become a financial success, the Landmark was able to literally live up to it’s name, establish itself as one of the most memorable properties in the landscape of Las Vegas history.Hughes FingerprintThe PoolGalaxy HotelFall of a Landmark
For those of you interested in more information on the Landmark, I can’t recommend the Marc Wagner book “Above the All- The story of the Landmark Hotel and Casino” as well as their companion site www.landmarkhotelmemorial.com. Possibly the best documentation of a single property I’ve ever seen. Others sources include
Saturday, December 15, 2018
E-287: Litter of Pigs
Random Vegas
After Harrah's Entertainment purchased the Binion's Horseshoe brand so they could get the rights to the World Series of Poker brand, part of the assists included in that acquisition was the Horseshoe Hotel and Casino that existed in Shreveport Louisiana. However, Harrah's already owned 2 casinos in the market. So to avoid a monopoly, the Louisiana Gaming Commission required them to sell one of the properties. So Boyd Gaming bought in and that's how Shreveport got a Sam's Town
Twitpic of the week
I love history so much, especially documented history of Las Vegas, shared this week by @SummaCorp. To illustrate how singularly focused I can be when it comes to the subject, the first thing I noticed when I looked at this picture was the Fremont hotel & casino under construction. Once I was done marveling at that, I turned to the rest of the photograph and thought, “Okay, can we dial it back with the holiday decorations Vegas? It’s a bit too busy for my taste. And it’s getting the way of my ability to see all the neon signage on display.” Then I’m reminded about another thing I love about Las Vegas “This isn’t all about you MARK”. Then a sense of all-is-right-with-the-world washes over me. “You’re right Las Vegas, this is much bigger than me. I recant my statements. Please, carry on spreading happiness to all in whatever fashion they find appealing. And also, I love you.”
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Saturday, November 10, 2018
360 Vintage Vegas: Howard Hughes (PCP)
It’s a shame that the last 10 years of his life largely overshadows all he accomplished prior to his decent into madness. Truth be told, Howard Hughes was a genius; an innovator in business, aviation, film and in his lifetime, was one of the most financially successful people in the world. His work ethic was legendary as was his disregard for his own safety, especially when it came to his first true love, flying. That disregard would eventually cause him to be involved in the plane crash of an experimental aircraft that almost killed him. While he did eventually recover, he would never be the same. In chronic pain for the rest of his life, his over medication to address the issue pushed his struggles with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder into stratospheric levels, causing him to become the eccentric recluse most remember him for. Despite all that, what Hughes did during his time in Las Vegas helped the market evolve from the seedy place run by mobsters to a respectable industry; even if that wasn’t his intention and resulted purely because it was his name attached to the legendary great acquisition of Las Vegas
Whatever you think you know about Howard Hughes, he was undeniably a genius by any definition of the word. The Hughes family made their millions by creating a drill bit that dramatically improved the way oil was drilled for. At the age of 19, after his father's death, Howard took over ToolCo and used his family’s wealth to revolutionize multiple industries. With RKO Studios, he changed the way movies were made, introducing violence and sex to the cinema. He was one of the leading innovators in aviation, setting multiple world records. That knowledge was so valued, Hughes Aircraft become one of the US government’s largest private contractors for military planes, and his commercial airline TWA was a leader in the evolution of commercial flight. Sadly it was his refusal to be confined by the metaphorical walls he was told he had to operate within, in whatever he decided we wanted to do, that ended up causing him to be confined by the actual walls he would spent last 20 years of his life in, seclude from the world. And even in those constraints, he was able to change, not only another industry but the reputation of an entire state, all while in constant pain, terrified of just about everything imaginable outside of that room on the 9thfloor of the Desert Inn. Even if what he accomplished was nothing more than a symbolic shift in the gaming industry, Howard Hughes will forever be known as one of the most important people involved in the evolution of Las Vegas.
Saturday, April 22, 2017
E-229: Shat Show
Random Vegas
During the filming of the James Bond Film Diamonds are Forever, producer Cubby Broccoli and his wife, longtime friends of Howard Hughes from this film making days, had their hotel room broken into and were robbed while they slept. In a very Bond like manor, hotel security suspected that chloroform gas was used to ensure the Broccolis did not wake up while the crime was being committed! The following night, the Broccoli's found two men standing outside their door waiting for them. One of them explained, "Compliments of Mr. Howard Hughes, Mr. Broccoli. Our orders are to stay here round the clock until you leave." (Vintage Research)
Twitpic of the week
I swear I’ve written this monolog before or at the very least felt this way several times in the past. One of the reasons I love doing “Twitpic of the week” is because every once in a while, someone shares a view of Vegas I’m sure I’ve seen many times before but never fully appreciated. The primary reason I’ve never done the $20 trick is I like the luck of the draw. I’m sure many of you can relate to the excitement of heading right to the window after checking into your room to see what view you’ll being enjoy for the next week. While it means occasionally I get to enjoy the side of a building or fields of air conditioning I think it makes me appreciate it more when I get views like the one shared by @brewjersey. Whether it was planned or just luck, thank you @brewjersey for sharing it.
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