The Real Las Vegas - The Complete Story

The Real Las Vegas - The Complete Story
by Jim Milio, Melissa Jo Peltier

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DVD Reviews of The Real Las Vegas - The Complete Story

DVD Review: "It's 'Vegas, Baby!"
Summary: 5 Stars

Las Vegas was not much more than a whistle-stop on the railway from Salt Lake/Denver to LA until the early 1930s when liberal divorce laws, and of course legalized gambling started bringing folks from elsewhere in the Southwest. Hoover Dam brought in an influx of people and money into the tow;, and the creation of what would become Nellis AFB in the NE corner of the valley also pumped Government dollars into the local economy -though one industry, prostitution, had to be made illegal before the Army Dept would allow "our boys" downtown. (BTW it STILL IS in Clark County-tourists beware.)

The real strength of the DVD is in fully explaining the "mob era" when Bugsy Siegel built the Flamingo on the Strip, until Howard Hughes bought them out in ca 1968. Interviews with entertainers, promoters and casino executives are well matched with the theme. The Rat Pack and Elvis, key components of Las Vegas in the 60s are explored as well. Finally, the series ends with the story of Steve Wynn and his mission to redefine Las Vegas, and outlines some of the problems looming ahead that all Las Vegans are aware of: lack of a rapid transit system, explosive unmanaged growth, and dwindling natural resources.

The only area I can see that the series did not adequately cover is the time from 1969-1984 or so when Las Vegas was considered un-hip by singles, and couples (those who by definition have the most disposable income). This may well be due to the very people partly responsible were those interviewed, and had a hand in the direction and production of the series. It was the tired borscht-belt shtick comics, Elvis' goofy productions, and the archetypal lounge acts that made the city un-cool for many years.

That said, this series is the best documentary to date on Las Vegas. If you are interested at all in that city that you glimpse from your hotel room on the Strip, or you happen to be one of the 5000 folks a month moving here, you will be impressed with these DVDs.