Its been expected for some time, but the New Frontier Hotel in Las Vegas is to be imploded at 2.30am on November 13, to make way for The Plaza, a multi-billion dollar resort which will open in 2011. Elvis made his Las Vegas debut at the New Frontier in 1956 in the futuristic new showroom - the Venus Room.
From the Western-themed hotel that had opened as the Frontier in 1942, the resort was re-modelled in 1955 and renamed the New Frontier with a décor that encompassed the nations growing curiosity with space travel, featuring planets and flying saucers in the Cloud Nine dining room and celestial chandeliers hovering over the casino, where six alien figures headed towards its entrance.
The Venus Room, where Elvis appeared, was a circular showroom and could seat up to 972 people, who surrounded the revolving stage, but Elvis' appearance did little to excite the stuffy Vegas clientele, when he was used to performing to screaming teenagers. Elvis was reportedly paid $12,500 a week, during an era when headline acts could command double that amount in other resorts.
It was at the New Frontier where agent Bill Miller, who was booking acts for the Dunes at the time, spotted Elvis and is quoted as saying 'Boy, some day I'm going to fire up this guy's career.'
So, at the close of the next decade as the booking agent for Kirk Kerkorian’s International Hotel, Bill Miller booked Elvis for his famed Las Vegas comeback in 1969 and the rest, they say, is history.
Implosion Date Set For The New Frontier
November 05, 2007 | Other Source:Elvis UK On-lineJumpin Jehosaphat wrote on
November 07, 2007
Interesting? I recently saw a Movie on TV with Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis and they are riding down the strip in a convertable in Vegas and there in the backround is the new frontier Hotel and elvis name is on the Billboard. Now thats a real piece of history. I remember the movie being in color but cant recall the name. Not many of their movies were in color.