The ballyhooed 1969 film Where It’s At is most likely best viewed while high on something or ‘nother. Starring Robert Drivas, David Janssen, Rosemary Forsyth, Brenda Vaccaro, Don Rickles, and Caesars Palace (yup, Caesars gets billing for playing itself, since all scenes were filmed on location), the film’s editing is horrendous, the sound quality is iffy, and the dialogue, plot, and pacing can therefore be hard to follow. But, oh, the star turn that Caesars takes! Having been open only three years in ’69, the movie serves more or less as a showcase for all its assets, many of which are long gone or remodelled beyond recognition. By some miracle, Where It’s At showed up on Amazon Prime instant streaming, so I took advantage of the limited availability on there to screen cap any- and everything that caught my eye. Without further ado, enjoy Caesars in ’69…
Model of the hotel at the airport…very cool!
These Roman facade walls still stand around the main pit at Caesars.
Caesars as Caesars
(The original) Bacchanal at Caesars…one of the few shots I’ve ever seen of the restaurant
I’ve no clue where these stairs led; they were torn down many years ago as the casino was expanded.
Suite 1268–I know for a fact that it still exists, though most likely under another room #.
Circus Maximus as seen from the stage
Circus Maximus, the original showroom that was torn down to make room for the Augustus Tower when the Colosseum was built for Celine Dion
The fountains=still there!
The original hotel front desk
The marquee on the Strip; La Flaminga’s marquee can also be seen across the road
The casino at night…all those original columns are still in place around the pit
A closer view of the pit columns
Original Garden of the Gods, with the motel wing framing it out back
Look at all the desert behind the hotel!
It was gorgeous even back then.
Shady porte cochere…you can see the Caesars horse and chariot to the right
Hotel dress shoppe
Slot floor=yet another view I’d never seen, as photography was prohibited on the casino floor back in the day
Statuary fountains flanking the porte cochere
Those mysterious stairs by the baccarat tables…I wonder where they led?
Booth at Circus Maximus
One of many Caesars service uniforms that Robert Drivas wore in the film–he played the owner’s son.
This appears to be a bell captain’s uniform
Looking down into the two-level suite which served as the owner’s penthouse in the movie
Elevator Foyer…that painting on the wall is a bit much.
End credits of the film
The owner of Caesars (played by David Janssen) in his executive office
Not a noteworthy shot, but I liked the potted fern.
View of Caesars from the Flamingo’s panoramic dining room…notice the La Flaminga cup.
A swimsuit model from the Flamingo’s dress shoppe hawks her suit to diners; how quaint.
The Flamingo marquee in the background; it appears that Connie Stevens was headlining.
Look at that view! I wonder how long this dining room was open at La Flaminga.
Picnic in the executive office; Brenda Vaccaro played the boss’s secretary, who develops a crush on his son (Drivas).
Robert Drivas walks by the fountains at dusk/dawn, right before a crucial part of the scattered plot unfolds.
Drivas takes a walk downtown; the Four Queens is seen here (that facade is still on the building 43 years later!).
A bit of the main foyer adjacent to the hotel front desk can be seen here; this is the only shot I’ve ever seen of the foyer leading out to the porte cochere.
Father and son argue at the bar in the executive office of the hotel
Another shot of the picnic on the floor of the office–notice the stone lattice on the outside of the building.
Look at all the matchbooks on the secretary’s desk! I have a few of these, but one can never have too many matchbooks.
There was a dummy slot machine in the executive office–neat! I love the backdrop of the stone lattice all lit up.
Caesars pool at night
Rickles the dirty dealer!
Rickles is confronted for stealing $$$ from the casino.
Rolls at the Caesars fountains
View of the Strip in ’69
Grand staircase and chandelier of Suite 1268
Vaccaro at the hotel front desk, as seen from the view of the desk clerk
Vaccaro on the second floor landing of the suite
One of my favourite shots of the film: the owner’s penthouse is connected to his executive office via a glass skywalk concealed by the stone latticework. Only in the 60s!
I doubt anyone enjoyed these as much as Caesarsphile (now a word) me did, but I’m glad I captured them for posterity’s sake. I watch an ep of Vega$ last night on the advice of a Facebook friend, and I’m considering buying a season of it to screen cap some 70s Vegas fabulousness. But we’ll see…that’s all I’ve got this week, folks. Enjoy the post-holidays serenity and take the time to regroup, renew, and nourish your soul.
brt
Phil
/ April 24, 2013Just stumbled onto this blog and ended up watching the movie myself for the first time just afterwards. The mysterious stairs you are referencing was the entrance way to the Circus Maximus showroom. You had to climb a bit to match the height of the top row of the showroom and then once you entered the showroom work your way down towards the stage.
brt374
/ April 24, 2013Thanks for the kind comment, Phil. Someone else told me the same thing, and when I think back to the Circus Maximus scenes in the movie, that makes perfect sense. Oh, what I’d give for a time machine to travel back there!