History of the Copa Room at the Sands
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- Опубліковано 6 вер 2024
- Because of all of the performers that played at the Sands including the "Rat Pack", the Copa Room is the one location most responsible for giving Las Vegas the reputation as the “Entertainment Capital of the World.”
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Every effort was made to use original sources and documents but if there is anything incorrect or there is additional significant information missing please comment down below and ideally include a source.
Looking forward to it 😊😊
@@NeilMacedo 11 am Thursday?
@@VegasVisual it’s at 1 pm on Thursday for me
Is there a transcript available? Thank you. Well Done!
@@rogergallizzi8398 Thank you, there is no transcript, sorry.
A California kid, I had the good luck to turn 21 near the end of the ''60s and got in on the some of what's depicted in this documentary. The producers did a good job with the doc, but may have understated the excitement of the era just a little. I have a framed copy of the "Rat Pack" Sands poster on my office wall, and every time it catches my eye, I can still feel a little tingle of the Vegas electricity. Forever and eternally, Vegas in the '60s will define "cool." Thanks for the doc!
Most welcome!
👴🏻🥃 SOOO HOWS YO MOTHER DOIN?
The good old days. I wish I had lived in this era and could have experienced these shows. A few weeks ago at a yard sales I picked up a framed picture of The Rat Pack. I was so excited to find it. I love Vegas history and this is amazing!
That is very cool!
No,think of the dentistry 🦷 :)
This was really good and brought back old memories of the Sands. I worked at the Sands in the Garden Room as a bus boy in the summer of 1960 on the evening shift. A couple of observations that were not included in your history. After the second show, in the Garden Room we would set up tables for the entertainers to eat a late dinner. It was well known that the show girls had to mingle in the lounge or Garden Room with any special guest. The show stars would sometimes sit at the dining tables with special guest. I noticed that most of the performers had their small entourage or body guards when they walked either in the lounge or casino. The biggest entourage around a personality was Bob Hope. Frank, Dean Martin only had only two or three security personnel. Most of the entertainers that were not performing, but were attending the show would come into the Garden Room with friends or family. There was a inside joke among the employees that the Sands was the retirement home for the old New York and Chicago Organizations. I was told one of the hotel's building was sit aside for them. Not mention in this Sands History was that on opening night Danny Thomas was not the scheduled act, but was asked to perform at last minute.. He did it for a favor for an old friend who operated the Hotel's "Jewel Box" concession. I was only 18, but the memories are like it was yesterday.
Thank you for all the great information. I had to keep this history only to the Copa Room because I had so much Copa Room information to go over.
I saw a source that said when JFK visited the Sands and the Copa Room on February 7, 1960 that he spent some time in the Garden Room with Marilyn Monroe either before or after the "Summit" show.
I might quote you for the "History of the Sands" vlog that I will be doing down the road, hopefully I will do that history vlog in a year or two.
You are welcome to site my statements on my experience of working tin the Garden Room in the summer of 1960. The only future Copa Room performer I had actual contact with was Paul Anka. I was sent to his room to bus his dinner dishes. He was very nice and even started a conversation with me on a record he was playing. We were about the same age, so I think he was comfortable with me in his room. He was in his bathrobe and when I was leaving he began searching around for tip money. His last words to me was "I'll get you later". Because he was so outgoing I did not even think about it. @@VegasVisual
@@johngergen4871 Those are great stories. Paul Anka was just inducted into the UNLV College of Fine Arts Hall of Fame this year, he is already in the Gaming Hall of Fame.
@@VegasVisual I also worked the summers of 1958 and 1959 at the Tropicana in the Brazilian Room and the snack bar in the casino area. This was my summer vacation job from high school. Worked the day shift both those years and saw a few performers, but it was nothing like the Sands.
@@johngergen4871 That would be a year after the Tropicana opened. Has the two bungalow layouts changed at all since then?
Wish I was alive to witness this sort of stuff. Those days just seemed so much better.
For certain people yes
I grew up and live in Vegas, this is one of the best presentation and very factual.
Thank you, I tried only to use original sources and documents with no subjective comments as much as possible.
What a great time the early 60’s , would have loved to have been able to see these great shows
It was the classic era of Vegas, never again will you see the top acts playing in a venue so small on a regular basis.
This is so cool, I wish I was alive to be in Vegas during the 60s and 70s.
1960's was a great era.
I saw Dean Martin and Count Basie at the Sands when I was 12 (1962-63).My mother covered my ears for some of the blue material. Vegas was so fresh and exciting back then. It had open space. Wonderful atmosphere. I wouldn't go there now. it's turned into just another shopping mall/theme park.
You saw the glory days of Vegas. You are correct, Vegas is becoming just another tourist/resort town that happens to have gambling.
I imagine I am in the audience! Wonderful! Thanks aaaaalloooot!
Most welcome Paola! More to come.
HUGE THANKS!
Great documentary!
It is 2024 now, and Las Vegas is the 7th most ethnically diverse city in the US
Crazy to think how much has changed in 60 years.
Thank you! Vegas has changed a lot in 60 years!
🎭Lv lvd Dean Martin then and now👏👏👏... I wouldnt go to Vegas today not if you paid me. I love the old Vegas and everything about the fifties and sixties...
Dean is a cool cat. Vegas is not same for sure.
@@VegasVisual ❤
Saw the "CARPENTERS" when they opened for DON ADAMS in 1970 at the COPA ROOM. She was still singing behind the 🥁 drums.
Very cool! The Copa would have been a great intimate room today.
Sad news today the wonderful Tony Bennett passed away today, I was lucky enough to have sat front row centre stage at a dinner concert with Tony Bennett in the Copa room at the Sands Hotel October 1980 when I was just 23, the night before I attended the Holmes Ali fight at Caesars Palace,I loved Muhammad but sadly this was not to be his night and he retired after just one more fight, That same night I saw Glen Campbell in a midnight show at the Stardust with Harry Nilsson in the audience ,all of these great artists have passed and indeed the Sands and Stardust are no longer there, I feel so privileged and lucky to have been there in this part of history.
That is an iconic Vegas trip with classic Vegas entertainment including the end of Ali's career. Wayne Newton is still going but the golden era of Las Vegas is nearly over.
Whoa this is incredible. It's the most comprehensive video documentary ever made on an old Vegas club/property. Wow the Copa room menu, the prices were super rich for that time period. Wow the Copa girls. Jack is certainly a legend that not a whole lot of people know of in modern times. Wow the MOrelli house still stands. Wow look at those old genuine documents at 13:55. Ha ha the camera man at 27:02. The Sands in the 1960s was the place to be i see. I like how you included racial tensions, and related news of the times in this documentary. Well done, I can't even imagine how long this video took to produce. 👊👊👍👍
Thank you Kenzo! I just went where the Copa Room rabbit hole took me, if I found original documents or sources about a topic I included the information.
I started researching the history of the Sands Hotel in August and dipped my head into the rabbit hole that is the Copa Room and two months later I ended up with the history of the Copa Room at the Sands. Later on I will do an overall history of the Sands Hotel.
Even this week I found some more content (Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis performing together) but I simply had to stop because I want to move onto different subjects. This is probably a "first draft" and in a few years I will come back and add some additional information and content.
@@VegasVisual Awesome dude! I can see how you got fully immersed into your subject and that really shows in your documentary video.
There will never be anything close to this ever again anywhere in the world
Very true.
I am biased towards Sammy because I am related to him via the Mastin family. Because of that I am a proud Golden Key holder to his gravesite that is on the highest ground of Forest Lawn. I consider SAMMY to be the original one name act long before Elvis, Liberace, Cher, Madonna, etc. I came to this page because you pasted a link to it from my comment on another one of your post. Thank you very much for helping keeping Sammy's legacy alive.
Sammy was the great entertainer of his generation, maybe the best of all-time.
What an amazing video, although it rightfully should be called a documentary. An absolute treasure trove of detail knowledge. For anyone who is fascinated with Vegas of the '50s, this is a must-watch. Thanks for all the effort to produce this!
Thank you for your support!
Absolutely fantastic presentation, I love the original documents and the clips from the shows. My family was visiting and then living in Las Vegas since the 1950s, my grandmother's diary for instance tells us that they saw Dean Martin do the midnight show in the Copa Room on Saturday, December 19, 1959 and that it was "pretty good." My grandmother was a master of understatement. Anyway thanks for the documentary, I hope you make more. This was when Las Vegas was LAS VEGAS.
Thank you, you must have some great stories. I have done some others and the next history vlog about "Bugsy Siegel and the Flamingo" should come out next week.
History of the Desert Inn Las Vegas
:
ua-cam.com/video/G0bSSWAHwQo/v-deo.html
U.S.A. v. Meyer Lansky: Flamingo Las Vegas $36M Skimming Case
ua-cam.com/video/3J-8uQpShnU/v-deo.html
I went to the Copa Room at the Sands with my parents in 1955 and we saw Billy Eckstine. If memory serves, (I was seven. My dad was a musician working at either the Desert Inn or the Last Frontier.) he was a replacement for Sammy Davis, Jr. I don't know why Davis wasn't able to perform that night, but the atmosphere was glamorous and exciting. I wonder why Mr. Eckstine is not on this list. Also, Mel Torme's last name is misspelled.
You must of had some great experiences back then, thanks for the spelling correction.
I attended the Follies at the Tropicana summer '77.. I believe I remember the three tickets for $40 and two drink minimum.. A fascinating show.
Very cool! Tropicana is a classic casino. Sammy Davis Jr. played at Tropicana shortly after playing at the Copa Room in the 1960's and he had his own theater.
Great job! Thank you very much! I revere this place. I have one of the gold plated lighters that they gave out at the grand opening along with some chips, cards, ashtrays and even the felt from one of the craps tables. There will never be anything like it!!
Thank you, this was a special project. Very cool that you have things from the opening day!
I just got to the end of the video. What a fantastic story. I felt I was in a time machine. Worth every 2nd of my time. Thanks!!!
This was a fun project to do, thanks for watching Steve!
Fantastic video. Loved it. And Dice and I will watch this again.
Thank you Granny!
@Gamblin Granny.....👍
Fantastic show.
*stands up and applauds* This was incredible, so well done, so much history, and always engaging throughout. Wonderful job Vegas Visual!
Thank you! I could have used a better narrator!
Amazing, my friend. 😍🔥 Awesome upload. 👍 Have a nice day. 🤗💓
Thank you very much!
Interesting/informative/entertaining. Excellent photography job enabling viewers to better understand what/whom the orator was describing.
Thank you for watching.
In the book "Nevada Girls", the author documented the 'extra-curricular activities" of the Las Vegas showgirls up to the late 1970s. When a selection came down to which girl would get the job, the question was asked: "Would you be willing to 'entertain' high-rollers and other special guests?" The job went to the one who answered 'yes', knowing full well what the producers were asking them to do.
Thanks for the information, is the book call "The Girls of Nevada"?
Great doco. Fantastic backing musicians. What a dream job that would have been.
Couldn't agree more!
Great information brother! So much knowledge here. Thank u for your time & investment. 👍
Thanks intel, I learned a lot too!
So interesting Kevin. Thanks for all the research! I never knew about the foot imprints all the times I’ve went…definitely will check it out next visit. So much history in Vegas
@Pat1216......🤜🤛
Some people call the footprints and plaque the "Rat Plaque". There is a fountain next to the footprints and plaque where you can just sit and imagine what "classic Vegas" was like while every one is walking by history. If you are looking up at all of the mega resorts you will miss it, miss history.
Great contribution, Kevin. I thought I was pretty much alone in my reverence for the Copa Room, (I own one of those Wayne Newton menus) and feel stupidity happened on an industrial scale when no way was sought to recreate The Room in its exact location in the Venetian. That you thought to show us where that spot is today is to me, the high point of this video. Well done!
Thank you Nat, that is cool that you have the Wayne Newton menu.
What is sad and what many don't realize is that the Sands sign was demolished because there was no where to put it. The Neon Museum was formed in 1996 after the Sands sign was destroyed and in 2012 the Neon Museum opened to the public.
I believe mecca for Vegas is the Copa Room. Golden Gate and El Cortez (the only Vegas casino registered as a National Landmark) are on Mt. Rushmore but the Copa Room is where Vegas became Vegas.
@@VegasVisual One last, if you would. Did ground level change when the Venetian was put in? I ask that because I searched other sources for the location of the Copa Room and all do what you did...put us in an enormous, 3-story Venetian entranceway...look up...and say here's where it was. On what level? Where it is that one stands there? Or higher?
@@p1n3mont I have aerial and ground level photos of the Sands in the 1950's and an architectural drawing from May 18, 1952 and it appears that the Copa Room was on the ground level of Highway 91. The Sands was actually built around the LaRue casino and restaurant buildings, Jake Freedman decided to save money and use the LaRue buildings. I also have video of people walking from the casino to the Copa Room and there is no step up or down, let alone stairs, going to the Copa Room.
I didn't have the video of the people walking to the Copa Room from the casino at the time of this video but I plan to update this video down the road with more photos, video and information, maybe in a year or two. I have many other history vlogs to complete.
@@VegasVisual Thanks.
The Age of Elegance
Very much so.
2:53 in - that is N O T B B KIng !
That is what it was labeled, thanks for the correction!
If those prices on the menu were from 1975, the price of the meals was over $100 today!
At one time in the early 1960's the Copa Room was the top stage in Vegas so it makes sense.
Cheaper than all of the top restaurants on the strip
More GOLD from this amazing channel.
Thank you!
Outstanding documentary! I really loved it.
Thank you very much!
That was so funny the way they used to bust Sammy’s chops, great shit!
Some people don't know that the Summit shows at the Copa Room was a comedy show with a concert.
It wouldn't have been funny even if Sammy was allowed to stay in a room on the strip. Racism from a friend is still...
At the COPA!!! I'm watching this again cause it's worth a second watch! Good Stuff VV
Thank you Cali for all of your great support! This was very interesting to put together.
Levin was right; todays Vegas isn’t the same anymore. I haven’t been there since 85’.
Sir, your videos are outstanding.
Thank you!
Great Job! Thank you.
Thank you!
Great piece of work. Good detail on the history of the Sands and the Rat Pack. Loved it.
Thank you, I love the details in the original documents/sources.
THIS WAS AN AMAZING GLIMPSE OF THE AMAZING LAS VEGAS HISTORY WITH THE BEST PERFORMERS WHO EVER LIVED…NOBODY WILL EVER MATCH THAT TALENT AND THAT AMAZING LAS VEGAS ERA. THESE SUPER LARGE CORPORATIONS HAVE LONG RUINED THE ICONIC VIBE OF LAS VEGAS. SAD TO SEE BUT I STILL LOVE LAS VEGAS.
Thanks! Yes, Vegas will never return to the "classic years" of strip resorts with no towers, just two or three story bungalows. Small theaters with maybe two or three executives running the resort.
excellent research and documentary! loved this
Thanks, this project started out by trying to do a history of the Sands and then I ended up just doing the Copa Room history because so there so much Copa Room information.
This is awesome. I love history and Las Vegas history is the best. Just subbed!!
Thank you, looks like you are Vegas vloggers.
I do a weekly show on Mondays ("This Week in Vegas Vlogs") that is a review show on Vegas vlogs and vloggers so I subscribed to you. I cover Vegas daily vlogs in the weekly show.
@@VegasVisual Cool, ill be sure to check it out.
That was very interesting! I enjoyed every minute.
Thank you for watching, this was a fun one to put together.
Antonio Morelli's house on the second fairway of the old Desert Inn golf course, was preserved, and transferred to downtown, upon the eventual removal by Steve Wynn, of all the houses located on the storied golf course. Class mid-century design.
Its great that they preserved it, the only thing left from the Desert Inn Country Club. Thank you for the information!
Love this
Thanks!
Thank you Martin, this was a fun one to do.
44 years of an old EYESORE ! So happy to see it finally gone, in my city ! Old Vegas sucked ! The future is NOW !
Actually the future is in the future.
Great documentary ❤
Thank you very much!
I looked up the address at the bottom of the poster at 18:18 and the building still exsists! Apparently...its the HQ for Tinder...among other businesses built in 1959.
Very cool!
Adding this to my favs. Fantastic job VV 😉
Thank you Coco!
Vegas Visual, great, great work on this.. spectacular! 10:10 would’ve love to be sitting in the Morellis home listening to them rehearse!.. 🍻👍🏽🔥☘️CHEERS to you! See you around..! ( I tend to follow NLLV, I’ve seen your user name) you got me as a new subscriber today!
Thank you, NLLV has some great vlogs and livestreams. I am working on many more Vegas history vlogs and hopefully they will be coming out every month or two. I also do a weekly review show on Vegas daily vlogs.
Love the history! Great video!
Thank you, this was a fun one to do, hopefully the next history vlog will be out in December.
Thank you very much enjoyed this so much watched twice
You are most welcome!
Very cool , love History of Vegas 😍💕🔮
Thank you SGT!
Yeah, people wear swimsuits and shorts and flip-flops to the casinos and shows now-they can’t be bothered.
this was super cool. thank you!
Thanks! This was fun to put together.
Great stuff.
Thank you.
Pretty awesome brother! 😀
Thanks brother!
See, people do/did have the ability to joke around about racism without being so sensitive and offended. But these days that kind of humor will get you "canceled". Unfortunately.
You are correct. I didn't explain it good enough in the vlog but Frank and Dean were making fun of racism by saying all those racial remarks. Although I read sources that say Sammy would have preferred a few less racial jokes because they were all throughout the show and in every show.
Liked.
Thank you.
Olá amigo boa tarde estou passando aki para fortalecer seu trabalho deixar minha escrição adicionada no canal like merecido 👍 👍 👍 👍 👍 👍 👍 tudo bao sucesso tamos juntos amigo 👍 👦 👍
No hablo español pero utilizo el traductor de google. Gracias por mirar y su suscripción. La traducción fue completamente clara.
Those Copa Girls are Great Great Grandmothers now !! 😘
A 20-year old CopaGirl from 1960 could easily be still alive, 81. We are slowly losing the living history of classic Vegas.
Which venue was the live album, 'Nat King Cole Live at the Sands' recorded? Not at the Copa Room?
It probably was at the Copa Room, I didn't know about that album.
Great album, recorded Jan. 14, 1960 @ 2:00 am. Several celebrities attended - liner notes pictures include Tony Bennett and Don Rickles.
@@rdg1266 Thanks for the info!
Jewish comedian Joey Bishop famously wrote most of those racist bantering jokes that seemed like the rat pack were riffing. Sinatra didn’t write jokes. Bishop was well know as the paid writer who crafted the comedy routines and jokes
It is true that Bishop was the joke writer (the comedian) but what I believe is that Sinatra approved all jokes.