Ol’ Blue Eyes lives on via Anderson’s Sinatra tribute
The spirit of Frank Sinatra has returned to the Strip.
Bob Anderson’s “Sinatra: The Man, The Music” opened Saturday at The Palazzo.
You can hear the echoes of Sinatra’s Las Vegas at the following:
El Portal Theatre, 310 Fremont St. (now an Indian arts and crafts shop across from The D): In September 1957, Sinatra appeared at the theater for the Las Vegas premiere of “The Joker Is Wild,” the story of singer Joe E. Lewis, who fell out of favor with a mob boss. Lewis survived the attempt on his life but his vocal chords were cut. Lewis made a comeback as a comedian. There’s a YouTube.com video of Sinatra leading a horse carrying Lewis to the premiere.
Wynn Las Vegas (formerly the Desert Inn): Sinatra’s Las Vegas debut came Sept. 4, 1951, at the Desert Inn.
Herbs &Rye (formerly The Venetian Italian Restaurant), 3713 W. Sahara Ave.: One of Sinatra’s favorite restaurants. It was owned and operated by Angie and Lou Ruvo from 1955 until 1996. Herbs &Rye, which opened in 2009, was so crowded Friday night you’d swear Sinatra was performing there.
The Venetian: Former site of the Sands, home of the iconic Copa Room, from 1952 to 1996. Copacabana general manager Jack Entratter moved from New York to Las Vegas to run the Copa Room and brought his stable of talent, including Sinatra, with him.
Golden Steer steak house, 308 W. Sahara Ave.: Opened in 1958, the Golden Steer was a regular Sinatra hangout. The late owner Joe Kludjian told me Sinatra got snockered one night and went table to table, serenading the patrons. Ask for Booth No. 22. It no longer has a plaque bearing Sinatra’s name because diners kept taking ’em home as one of the ultimate Las Vegas souvenirs.
SLS (formerly the Sahara): Sinatra and his Rat Pack sidekicks, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Joey Bishop and Peter Lawford, filmed scenes of the original “Ocean’s Eleven” at the Sahara (along with the Desert Inn, Flamingo, Riviera and the Sands) for three weeks in early 1960. During the 1976 Labor Day weekend, Sinatra reunited former comedy partners Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis during Lewis’ Muscular Dystrophy telethon.
Caesars Palace: Old Blue Eyes was the star attraction during the 1970s and 1980s at the 1,200-seat Circus Maximus showroom, which closed in January 2000. During a 1974 show at Caesars, Sinatra, no fan of the press, took a shot at gossip queen Rona Barrett after she zinged him in her autobiography. He told the audience Barrett was “so ugly that her mother had to tie a pork chop around her neck to get the dog to play with her.” The Circus Maximus space became Restaurant 808 and then Beijing Noodle No. 9, the former entrance to the famed showroom.
The Golden Nugget: Starting in 1984, after being recruited by an up-and-coming Steve Wynn, Sinatra was a headliner for three years at the Nugget. A December 1986 performance there was released as “Live From Las Vegas” after his death in 1998. It was his first major live album since “Sinatra at the Sands” in 1966.
Bally’s (formerly the original MGM Grand): His final concert appearance in Las Vegas was May 29, 1994, in the 600-seat Hollywood Theater at the MGM Grand. He died May 17, 1998.
Wynn Las Vegas: Sinatra’s 1953 Oscar for best supporting actor in “From Here to Eternity” is inside a showcase at the entrance of Sinatra, the restaurant inside Encore at Wynn.
Add to this list of Sinatra’s Las Vegas by emailing or mailing your memories of where you saw him, on or off the Strip: norm@reviewjournal.com or the Review-Journal, 1111 W. Bonanza, Las Vegas, NV 89125-0700.
THE SCENE AND HEARD
The pilot for “Endgame,” a Las Vegas-set conspiracy thriller, has been picked up by NBC along with Sony Pictures and Davis Entertainment. The story is based on a former intelligence officer whose wife is murdered while he’s working as a security expert for wealthy clientele. He is offered freedom by a syndicate in exchange for taking on the rich and powerful in Las Vegas.
MEDIA UPDATE
Fans of Fox News’ Sean Hannity will have to switch to KDWN AM (720), starting Feb. 2. KDWN picked up Hannity after CBS affiliate KXNT AM (850) and FM (100.5) dropped him. KXNT is tied for 13th with KOMP (FM 92.3) in the latest Nielsen ratings with an audience of 2.5. KDWN is 23rd at .5. ...
R-J music critic Jason Bracelin, in a Facebook posting Friday, announced that he’s “turning to a new passion” — boxing. He’ll continue to write about the local music scene and beyond on a freelance basis. He’s been a music writer full time for 15 years, nine at the R-J. He’s joining TV’s Premier Boxing Champions. “Been a blast,” he wrote. ...
The voice doing the intro of “Sinatra: The Man, The Music,” belongs to KDWN talk show host Alan Stock.
SIGHTINGS
Porn star Farrah Abraham, riding the faux Champagne Horse through the SLS casino Friday on her way to hosting an AVN Awards pre-party at Life nightclub. ... Motown founder Berry Gordy, in the audience supporting his daughter, Sherry Gordy, at the Rancho Fiesta on Tuesday, which was proclaimed “Sherry Gordy Day” by the city of Las Vegas.
THE PUNCH LINE
“This fall, Pope Francis will host Mass at Madison Square Garden. And unlike the New York Knicks, he will have a prayer.” — Seth Meyers
Norm Clarke’s column appears Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Reach him at 702-383-0244 or norm@reviewjournal.com. Find more at normclarke.com. Follow @Norm_Clarke on Twitter.
