In 2003, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority debuted one of the most memorable and successful taglines of the 21st century: “What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas.” Even if you’ve never been to Vegas, you’ve probably heard that line or uttered some variation of it.
It’s a great slogan, but of course it’s utterly untrue. What Happens in Vegas shows up on your credit card statement the following month. What Happens in Vegas can result in feelings of remorse and guilt — or can produce some of the best memories of your life. What Happens and What has Happened in Vegas has also led to a veritable library of books and documentaries, not to mention TV shows such as “Vega$” (1978-1981), “Las Vegas” (2003-2008) and the Max series “Hacks,” as well as classic films such as “Casino” and “Leaving Las Vegas” and “Ocean’s 11.”
Now you can add to that list the engaging and informative and well-paced CNN four-part documentary “Vegas: The Story of Sin City,” premiering Sunday. Even if you’ve been to Vegas a few times and you’re familiar with the city’s unique history, every episode offers a bounty of fascinating anecdotal information, to wit:
- Everyone knows about those quickie and often gimmicky weddings you can get in Vegas, but as far as back as the 1930s, you could file for divorce after just six weeks of residency in Nevada. Along with the legalization of gambling, Las Vegas became the go-to place for quickie divorces — and blowing off a little steam at the slots and tables.
- Elvis Presley’s residency at the International/Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas from 1969-1976 is the stuff of legend — but it wasn’t the first time Presley played Vegas. In 1956, the 21-year-old Elvis had a two-week run at the New Frontier, but the traditional, old-school Vegas audience (not to mention critics) weren’t quite ready for the raucous sounds of “Heartbreak Hotel.” We catch a glimpse of a brief newspaper article with the headline, “Hillbilly on a Pedestal.”
- The reclusive billionaire Howard Hughes arrived at the Desert Inn for the holidays in 1966, renting the top two floors. When management asked Hughes to leave in late December so they could make room for the New Year’s Eve high rollers, Hughes simply bought up the place and stayed put for four years.
Relying on the usual collections of archival footage, creative graphics showing the various additions to and subtractions from the Strip over the years, and interviews with journalists, historians, former showgirls and lounge acts, as well as Vegas fixtures Rich Little, Paul Anka and Wayne Newton, “Vegas: The Story of Sin City” follows a straightforward timeline.
The debut episode, titled “From Sand to Strip,” provides a brief but informative history lesson and takes us through the early involvement of the mob in building the city, with Meyer Lansky and Bugsy Siegel leading the way. We see the emergence of the Rat Pack — and the racism and segregation that permeated the casinos, despite the popularity of Black entertainers such as Nat King Cole and Sammy Davis Jr. and Lena Horne.
Episode 2, “The Golden Age,” chronicles how Vegas initially struggled to keep up with the times in the 1960s, but eventually shifted its focus to attracting younger crowds with headliners such as Tom Jones and Ann-Margret and more erotic showgirl acts while integrating the casinos, including the addition of front-of-house minority employees as blackjack dealers, bartenders and cocktail waitresses.
The third episode, “Shuffling the Deck,” examines how real-estate moguls such as Kirk Kerkorian and Hughes built enormous properties and basically priced the mob out of business, while Episode 4, “The Greatest Show on Earth,” shows next-level Vegas, as many of the old casino/hotels are imploded to make way for enormous palaces such as the Mirage and the Bellagio. In typically outrageously grand Vegas fashion, venues are built specifically for performers ranging from Celine Dion to Cirque du Soleil.
It almost feels like we’re an episode short, as the series ends without noting the latest chapters in the history of Vegas, which include the Raiders moving to the newly built Allegiant Stadium and the eye-popping music and entertainment orb known as Sphere. What Happens in Vegas continues to evolve and grow in ways those Old West pioneers of the early 20th century most likely could never have imagined.
