Sunday, March 13, 2011

Mae West: Sahara Shake Up

In 1952 the Sahara Hotel opened in Las Vegas and two years later MAE WEST launched her new concept — — The Mae West Revue — — on the Strip. In its heyday, the Rat Pack rumbled and the Saharem Dancers did high kicks. When Dean Martin performed at the hotel in scenes from the original "Ocean's Eleven" movie, his piano advertised Sahara on the back.
• • On 27 June 1954, Mae West delighted the audience, and women patrons stormed the stage, when the bodybuilders filed into the Sahara's Congo Room. The Mae West Revue would remain there for almost three weeks.
• • In 1957, the long-running sold-out stage show would close in Las Vegas — — again at the Sahara.
• • Sayonara Time at the Sahara • •
• • Gary A. Warner writes: The Sahara Hotel & Casino, which dates to the days of Frank Sinatra's "Rat Pack" and has featured the likes of Mae West and Marlene Dietrich in its showrooms, will close 16 May 2011.
• • Gary A. Warner adds: Hotel officials said ownership was considering its options on whether to re-brand the hotel or redevelop the aging property. ... [Source: "Sahara hotel in Las Vegas to close in May" written by Gary A. Warner, Register Travel Editor, for The Orange County Register; posted 11 March 2011].
• • Dave Williams Died on March 13th • •
• • For the 1972 audio album "Great Balls of Fire" Mae West performed the rock and roll classic "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On," which has been recorded by many vocalists including Jerry Lee Lewis.
• • Though the origins of the song are in dispute, it is a fact that Roy Hall made a recording of the song in September 1955 for Decca Records, and a Decca sample copy of Hall's recording lists Dave Williams as the sole writer.
• • The African American singer and songwriter Dave "Curlee" Williams [26 April 1920 — 13 March 1982] seems to have collaborated with the white pianist, bandleader, and songwriter James Faye "Roy" Hall [7 May 1922 — 2 March 1984].
• • Roy Hall died in the month of March and so did Dave Williams — — on 13 March 1982 — — a talented musician about whom very little is known. So we came to sing their praises today.
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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• • Photo: • • Mae West • • debut in Vegas June 1954 • •
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Mae West.

1 comment:

  1. Anonymous7:04 PM

    The musclemen bow to their mistress, the great Mae West.
    Hard to believe her famous Las Vegas revue debuted 70 years ago at the Sahara Hotel. :)
    Now Mae and her musclemen have left us and the Sahara Hotel is no more. :(
    We will never see the likes of this again, it was a special time and place.

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