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Las Vegas The Entertainment Capital Of The World!
"Elvis Presley was the show in town – the one everyone wanted to see"
Elvis Presley first performed in Las Vegas in 1956. He was booked in the Venus Room at the New Frontier hotel, which billed him as “The Atomic Powered Singer.”
1963 Elvis spent several weeks in town to film the hit movie “Viva Las Vegas,” which co-starred Ann-Margret.
The movie was a huge success, costing only $1 million to make and earning $5 million. It also spawned what many consider Sin City's theme song, "Viva Las Vegas."
"Viva Las Vegas" also featured a Vegas wedding between Elvis Presley and his co-star Ann-Margret. Four years later, reality mirrored the cinematic fairytale when Elvis’ real-life love story played out in Las Vegas. On May 1, 1967, at age 32, he married Priscilla Anne Beaulieu, 21, at Milton Prell's Aladdin Hotel.They were wed in a quiet eight-minute ceremony in Prell's suite at the hotel.
Despite his history in the city, it wasn’t until The International hotel opened in 1969, that Elvis truly became synonymous with Las Vegas. While Barbra Streisand opened the showroom at the International, Elvis Presley would make it world famous.
In 1969 Elvis Presley performed his first show at the International to a sold-out crowd and he went on to perform regular engagements at the property for seven years – a total of 837 consecutive sold-out performances in front of 2.5 million people.
In one 29-day period Elvis Presley entertained 101,509 guests, bringing in $1.5 million in ticket sales. In the course of his 800-plus performances in Vegas, Elvis sold $43.7 million in show tickets, about $250 million in 2007 dollars. In the months when Elvis Presley was performing, 1 in 2 visitors to Las Vegas saw his show.
The hotel became the Hilton Las Vegas in 1971 and over the years more people saw Elvis Presley perform there than anywhere else in the world.
Tickets to Elvis Presley dinner show were $17.50 and included lobster or steak. The midnight show, which included drinks, cost a little less, but those who wanted a close-up view of Elvis Presley had to pay a bit more.
Even though Elvis Presley was scheduled for more appearances at the Hilton, December 2-12, 1976, turned out to be his last engagement there.
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