The Legendary Sands Hotel

The peak came during the filming of Ocean's Eleven, starring Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Jr., Dean Martin, Peter Lawford, and a host of others. They shot the film by day and partied late into the night; crowds awaited their appearance at the Sands and elsewhere, and every night one or more turned up, taking the stage and bringing the epitome of cool to life in front of transfixed audiences. Las Vegas was never better; when the Rat Pack graced its nightclubs, it delivered on its promise: to make the visitor the center of a story their friends at home would never believe.

Throughout this era, Las Vegas excelled at translating the nation's tastes onto its stages. In the age of the television variety show, Las Vegas offered on-stage variety that routinely went further than anything broadcast over the airwaves. It had an edge, but not a threatening one. It allowed performers to capitalize on their popularity and to extend an act to its limits.