Stardust to Close, So Off I Go
June 23, 2006 | 12:36
pm
Yesterday, the Stardust announced it will no longer be taking reservations after Nov. 1. Everyone knew this moment was coming, of course, since the ground under the Stardust is slated to be a part of Boyd Gaming's massive new Echelon Place development.
In the local lore, the Stardust will always be associated with the mob's days in Vegas, thanks to the movie "Casino" (which was based on characters and events linked to the Stardust). Of course, "Casino" the movie was based on a novel that was also based on events. Therefore Sam "Ace" Rothstein is a Robert DeNiro character and not a portrayal of Frank "Lefty" Rosenthal. Lefty is credited with things like being the first to let women deal blackjack and modernizing the Las Vegas race and sports book.
Lefty, by the way, is also still alive, and even has his own website. I would love to interview Lefty one day, but we could not meet in a casino since I think he is still in Nevada's Black Book. It would probably be a very dull interview anyway — Lefty got his nickname for taking the Fifth Amendment dozens of times in testimony including on the question of if he was left-handed. Still, even if I never interview Lefty Rosenthal, most old timers seem to feel that the movie "Casino" got the spirit of the times, if not every detail, just right.
But the Stardust has more than the boys in its history. This is the casino that first made Siegfried & Roy a Vegas institution, as part of the show "Lido de Paris." And, when Wayne Newton became a headliner in 1999, the Stardust became the casino for the last stand of Vegas' old-guard entertainment. The Wayner no longer performs there but Don Rickles still does. It looks like the final performers at the Stardust, before the resort shutters, will fittingly be Steve Lawrence & Eydie Gorme, who are scheduled to appear at the end of October.
Trivia that tells a truth: Dating back to the '50s, the Stardust, when it opened, had the largest swimming pool and casino floor in Nevada. That amazes me. Could this speck of a casino really have once loomed so large? Not that the Stardust shrunk. How can it not cause a mix of sadness and awe to ponder all of the changes that have swirled around the Stardust (and the Strip) since then? The Stardust has been around so long that at one time it boasted about having Las Vegas' only first-run drive-in movie theater. It is hard for me to even imagine that so much Strip real estate could at one time have been devoted to nothing more than letting people sit in cars and watch movies. How cute.
Anyway, reading about the Stardust it occurred to me that I should go spend a night there before this piece of Las Vegas history closes. I've rented a room for Sunday night and am looking forward to exploring the old casino during my brief stay. Anyway, please, please feel free to e-mail me or post your Stardust memories.
The first time I stayed at the Stardust was in 1977! Even back then, the garden rooms were deteriorating. We were going to stay in one of those rooms but when we saw the room, we decided to get an upgrade.
Vegas was much more fun back then. I was never a gambler and I used to take my coupon books and go to all the casinos that had coupon offers to get the free stuff. It kept me busy while my husband played.
The visits between my first and last were spent at the Hilton. I saw Liberace perform twice and that is unforgettable.
My husband and I stayed at the Stardust this past August (2006) while attending a convention. Having since become a non-smoker, the ineffective air cleaners caused me problems. We knew that Stardust would be closing soon and with that knowledge I looked every day at the interior furnishings and architecture and wondered what would become of it. There are many beautiful, period items which will be treasured by others after the auctions. In comparison the newer, themed, mega-hotels were tiring after one day of touring. We might as well have gone to Disneyworld. Although I did enjoy the Star Trek adventure! I am not anxious to return.
Posted by: TGold | November 02, 2006 at 01:27 PM
I can't image Vegas without the Stardust with its beautiful exterior lights and that sign. The wife and I were fortunate to be there for the final days. The air of sadness was so thick you could cut it with a knife. On the last night, the group Wonderboggie played great 70s disco/R&B in the Stardust lounge. On Wednesday (closing day), the remaining staff were hugging each other saying "Good bye" and lots of memorabilia were handed out while a band played some old favorites by the crap tables. Four gorgeous ladies dressed in what looked like Lido de Paris costumes posed for pictures with customers (me included). At checkout time, a tear came to my eyes as we wheeled our luggage out the back glass doors to the parking lot. We shall miss you, Stardust! Vegas will never be the same.
Posted by: Robert A G | November 02, 2006 at 02:09 PM
In a place that constantly changes, the roots that secured Vegas are rapidly vanishing - to the detrement of the City. The Stardust, Westward Ho, Tropicana, Boardwalk, Showboat and Sahara (all of which are slated for or have already been closed and demolished) are anchors which have made Vegas what it is today. These older resort hotels such as The Sands, The Dunes, Oasis, Algiers, Stardust, Sahara, Tropicana, Flamingo, etc. started the trend of the unique, theme hotel - a trademark which is not seen anywhere else in the world (in those days). I'm not adverse to upgrading or demolishing a run down, decrepid, eye sore, however, the Stardust was just recently renovated and an enjoyable place to stay. It has been a constant for me (and other patrons I've spoken with) every year during my trips to Vegas. No matter how far I go I always knew that when in Vegas I could put up my feet, look out my wall of windows overlooking the strip, watch the planes take off and land and plan my Vegas excursions from the comfort of my room. The closing of the Stardust breaks my heart and to me is the equivalent of the destruction of Fremont Street or any other Vegas classic hotspots - it's just not going to be the same.
To each his own, but those are my thoughts for better or worse
Posted by: Traveller | November 08, 2006 at 09:46 AM