Las Vegas in the early 50’s was still in the middle of a massive shift, culturally and economically. The spot that would give Vegas its reputation for “cool” was still in its dream phase. Legendary producer Jack Entratter was still hard at work at the Copacabana Club in New York, and The Sands hadn’t even been a forethought. That is up until 1952, after a few of the elaborate business deals Las Vegas became famous for, The Sands had clever-handedly been realized. All myth’s and rumors aside, after its opening night The Sands ended up as one of the hottest spots in town, as Producer Jack Entratter worked to make the Copa room the core of nightlife in the infamous city. A few months after its opening, Frank Sinatra had agreed to come and help his good friend Jack, as Sinatra’s career was in the midst of a downward spiral. With Sinatra’s new movie premiering just months before his landing the gig, and his spot as headliner for the hottest club in Vegas, Frank was soon back on top and loving every minute of it.
The next year, Entratter played to his knack for picking out beautiful girls, setting a standard and code on how to choose Copa Girls. Always polite, Jack asked for little besides “Look Pretty!” Entratter felt all his guests wanted were beautiful girls in colorful outfits, interacting with guests in a calm atmosphere, and it ended up becoming a formula for major success. Letting his entertainers deal for casino crowds ended up a huge attraction as well, who wouldn’t want your poker game dealt by Sinatra or roulette via Dean martin? Surely Entratter didn’t know he was creating a style and standard the city would live and celebrate, but he also didn’t know he had helped put together the foundation of one of the greatest draws Las Vegas would ever know, The Rat Pack. Nabbing Sinatra and taking him to the top boosted Entratters’ ego, and now Jack sought more talent to reinforce the already entrancing Sands and Copa Room. Staying on top wasn’t easy, enlisting huge names such as Dean Martin and Sammie Davis Jr. were measures to ensure the Copa Rooms’ reputation for being showbiz royalty. In 1960 the sands became the headquarters for filming the movie “Oceans Eleven”, starring Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Junior, Joey Bishop, and Peter Lawford. During filming, the hotel organized an event for the stars called “Summit at the Sands” where the men for the first time all performed together on stage… the rest is history.
Audiences went wild for the Rat Pack, selling out every show, sometimes playing two times a night. Each member of the Pack would always pop in to the club or casino for a performance or a drink though nobody really knew when or with who else, making it even more of a draw to head to the sands on any random night as you’d never know who to expect! While the Rat Pack ran on into the history books, Vegas was stepping into its shoes for the first time, creating the timeless persona of Class the town became famous for. As time faded, the spectacle was replaced for others and so on, and the Golden Days of the lounge were soon over. But none of those men were ever forgotten, as they are remembered in tribute and dwell in the very soul of the city itself. Want to see the Copa Room Kings with your own eyes? Want to see the Rat Pack and the History of the Sands live on stage?
