Written By Don Logay
Las Vegas is a cultural phenomenon that has never been duplicated. It all started by chance – or maybe even a fluke – when John Charles Fremont, an early explorer who was charting Wild West for the U.S. Government during the mid-1800’s, camped one night at a spring that the natives called “Las Vegas span>
He marked it on his map. In the years that followed pioneering settlers headed West bought these maps from the government. They included “Las Vegas” as a stop-over and camp spot when traveling through this deserted region.
Today, more than 180 years later, millions of tourists continue to visit Fremont’s “watering hole” for relaxation, entertainment, and fun.
Las Vegas is an excellent example of the classic “bandwagon effect,” whereby “vast amounts of people continue to increase exponentially, acting in a certain manner just because others are doing that certain thing,” leading to soaring popularity, and yes, a cultural phenomenon.
“What Happens Here Stays Here”
The opening in 1946 of Bugsy Siegal’s Flamingo Hotel & Casino was a recognized “turning point”. It ushered in the 4.2 mile of magnificent properties that offer luxurious accommodations, 24-hour gaming, five-star dining and famous entertainment.
Vegas has been a place where people can have fun and they are also a place where families can enjoy “family entertainment”.
This lackluster imagery was put to an abrupt halt in 2003 when the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority joined forces with R&R Partners, a local brand innovation agency, to promote Las Vegas as the “place to stay and play”… without reservation or repercussion.
This tag line, “What Happens Here Stays Here”, was quite catchy and helped position Vegas as the place to be for adult entertainment. It also highlighted the secondary identity of “Sin City”
This slogan quickly became a cultural phenomenon and evolved into the timeless legacy phrase “What Happens In Vegas, Stays In Vegas!”
Oops! – Perhaps is not the right word?
This unique location attracted storytellers from all over the globe. Hollywood filmmakers discovered Vegas more than 80 years ago as a unique city with incredible potential to tell amazing stories in a neon wonderland.
Storylines introduced Vegas to the world through engaging voyeurism. It covered everything from dealing with the mob and the temptation of huge monetary windfalls to incredibly tense casino theft capers, to touching stories about finding love or dealing with hilarious quickie weddings and the wild adventures of crazy days and wild nights on town.
Some of the first major motion pictures to be filmed in Las Vegas include “Las Vegas Nights,” Frank Sinatra’s 1941 comedy (singing with The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra), and “Heldorado,” an 1946 musical Western that featured Sheriff Roy Rogers fighting organized criminality and money laundering during Heldorado Days celebrations.
Some of the most famous and iconic movies have been shot in Las Vegas.
Vegas Blockbusters
Las Vegas movies we all love and know include the original “Oceans 11”, (1960), with the legendary Rat Pack at the Rivera Sands Desert Inn, Sahara, Flamingo Casinos, and “Viva Las Vegas,” (1964) with Elvis and Ann Margaret in a musical love romp. “Diamonds are Forever”, (1971) with Sean Connery playing 007 James Bond, “Starman”, (1984) romance drama with alien Jeff Bridges winning big in Vegas.
Other all-time great hits include “Casino”, a gritty tale filmed at Landmark, Riviera and Atomic Liquors. “Vegas Vacation,” (1997) starring the Griswolds’ misadventures around the Strip. “Austin Powers : International Man of Mystery” (1997) filmed at Stardust and Riviera. “Ocean’s Eleven,” “Ocean’s Twelve”, “Ocean’s Thirteen”, (2007) and the Strip.
The bizarrely captivating “Army of the Dead,” (2021), with its legions of zombies, adds to the list of noteworthys.
Movies, Movies, Movies
The IMDb (Internet Movie Database – more than 10 million titles) is the most trusted and popular source of movie, TV, and celebrity content in the world. It lists thousands of movies, TV Shows and Events with Las Vegas locations. There are thousands… 5 327.
There are other places in Nevada where major TV shows, movies and productions were filmed, and Las Vegas was one of them.
Reno has over 400 titles, including “The Misfits”, (1961) featuring Marilyn Monroe and Clark Gable and “Sister Act”, (1992) with Whoopi G. at a Reno Nightclub and” “Austin Powers In Goldmember” (2002 to name a few).
Lake Tahoe boasts over 200 titles, including “The Godfather Part II” (1974), with Robert De Niro and Al Pacino at Thunderbird Lodge, and “The Body Guard” (1992), with Kevin Costner, Whitney Houston, and, most recently, the new “Top Gun, Maverick” (2022), with Tom Cruise.
In all, there are 7,000-pus titles in Nevada, including those located in Sparks, Carson City, and the surrounding photogenic deserts.
Eric Preiss, Director of Nevada Film Office, notes that Las Vegas film permits include the City of Las Vegas and Henderson. “Permits are issued for all types and sizes of filming .”
Phenomenon Ad Infinitum
“Our destination is very popular among all types of content creators,” says Preiss,
He also observed another trend that is advancing the Las Vegas phenomenon.
There are a growing number Studio Heads who are rethinking Hollywood’s role as a home-base and are looking at moving production facilities to more welcoming states and cities, such as Austin, Texas, Atlanta, Georgia, and Las Vegas, Nevada.
Roland Canamar, the founder and studio chief of Silver Dream Factory Studios in Los Angeles, is a typical example of this sentiment. He notes that running a motion-picture studio requires a lot in overhead. It’s much more difficult today in California. “Regulations have driven most feature films to more business-friendly States .”
It is definitely on our radar.” It’s definitely on our radar .”
The Nevada Film Commission has noted a number new Studio production facilities in Las Vegas. Caesars Entertainment Studios is the first, a 48,000-square-foot production facility for motion picture, TV, and e-Sports. It opened in 2017 on 5 acres just behind Bally’s.
Eric Preiss notes that the Caesars Studio has been booked with TV shows such as ‘Battle Bots’. It also hosts shows like ‘Who Wants to Be a Millionaire’ and Gordon Ramsey’s ‘Hell’s Kitchen’.
Other notable Las Vegas facilities include Worre Studios. It opened in 2021 and boasts a 25,000-square-foot sound stage with a 360-degree, 4k LED screen. This allows presenters and hosts to interact with 250,000 people on video.
The Vu Studio, a new production facility that spans 43,000 square feet and costs $7 million, is another cutting-edge facility. It uses state-of the-art green screen technologies to create virtual backgrounds in real time for greater flexibility when filming.
Jason Soto, Vice President at Vu Studios states that it’s easier to recreate a scene in a studio using a virtual background and props than to film the scene on location due to all of the variables that can interfere with filming.
“Look West, Young Man”
A catchphrase from the 19th century that encouraged pioneering people to “Go West, Young Man”, for a bright future was
For those who are interested in moving to Las Vegas or its growing film industry, this phrase may be more appropriate for them. It refers to Las Vegas, and encourages writers, directors, producers, and studio heads to head North on Valley View Blvd. To the Springs Preserve… then to stand at the spot John Charles Fremont discovered the original Springs that put Las Vegas on the map .”
Then, they should “Look West Young Man”, to Mount Charleston, which is a towering 11-916 feet high. With a little imagination, and as Las Vegas lights come to life, they may see another “American landmark” in their future.
In the distance one can see a row of white capital letters measuring 45 feet high, high up on the mountainside. They proclaim that is “today’s Entertainment Capital of the World”.
V-E-G-A-S-W-O-O-D.
Vegas Legal Magazine published the first VEGASWOOD article: The Entertainment Capital of the World.