by: Stephen Schochet
"Beverly Hills is a place where you spend a lot of money you don't have to impress a lot of people you don't like!"- - Anonymous Hollywood Producer
If the rumors are true that Michael Jackson's lavish life style has left him broke, he would not be the first famous celebrity in financial straights. John Wayne found himself in hock after 150 movies. Three wives, seven children, investing his own money in the box office troubled The Alamo (1960) combined with an exceedingly generous nature left the Duke completely wiped out. He would often walk into bars and shout,"Drinks for everybody on me!" He would get fan letters full of wild pleas for money, from people who had tax problems to mothers who asked for help to pay for their daughter's braces. Wayne would agonize over them but send financial aid if he thought the requester was really needy. One time his second wife Chata, with whom he was about to divorce hired a private detective to get the goods on him. Down in Mexico near where Wayne was filming the western Hondo (1953) the investigator forgot his identification one day and got locked up in a Chihuahua jail. Not knowing anyone in a foreign land the desperate P.I. called Wayne himself. The Cowboy Star arrived with his buddy and frequent co-star, a disbelieving Ward Bond. "Duke, this guy is trying to ruin you! Let him rot!" Wayne reached into his pocket and pulled out the necessary coin to pay the bail. "Ah come on Ward, the poor man was only doing his job."
Stars can find themselves in money trouble before they know it. While performing in Las Vegas with Dean Martin at the Flamingo hotel in 1953, twenty-seven-year old Jerry Lewis ran up $137,000 dollars in gambling debts. The mobsters who ran the casino confronted him to ask how he planned to pay it off. The nervy Lewis told them it was their fault for letting a kid run up such a large tab. How irresponsible! The gangsters, a bit bewildered, agreed, then repeated their question. Realizing that these nice gentlemen could whack him, Jerry asked them what they suggested. After a hasty conference they told him he would work it off. The gambling addicted Lewis asked if he could win it back at the card table instead, he was told a firm no. The debt took a year and half for the comedian eliminate. He would have retired it quicker but the card games continued during train rides with former Blackjack Dealer Martin, who kept putting the volatile clown further in the red.
Another star who suffered through money trouble in the fifties was Marilyn Monroe. Tired of playing dumb blondes, she bolted from her studio Twentieth Century Fox to start Marilyn Monroe Productions. Actors are often advised not to use their own name in their personal ventures, it makes other ego-driven stars less willing to work with them. Marilyn's film output slowed down and by 1959 her husband, playwright Arthur Miller, was telling her she should accept the dumb blonde role in Some Like It Hot, they needed the money. "I can't see through Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis in drag? Oh my God, I've been dumb before but never that dumb." She went to her well renowned acting teacher, the revered Lee Strasberg to ask how she could make the audience believe her character. Strasberg suggested that Marilyn, always a man's woman, play the part as someone so desperate for female friendship, she simply didn't pay attention to her co-star's masculine features. She took his advice and the result was a comedy classic.
A celebrity's money trouble can spill over to others that they work with. Judy Garland was a popular guest on television talk shows in the 1960s. The problem with booking her was in cities where she appeared hotels were reluctant to put her up. She was famous for abusing the help and skipping out on her bills. One time New York based Host Merv Griffin called up the Waldorf to see if she could stay there. Absolutely not, he was told. She owes far too much money. What if Merv paid her outstanding bills? He was told he could pay double what she owed and she still wouldn't get a room there.
Comedian Stan Laurel found money so tight he ended up in a sixty dollar a month apartment in Santa Monica in the early 1960s. He was listed in the phone book and people would call him up. Are you the Stan Laurel? Can we come over and meet you? Charlie Chaplin's former vaudeville understudy would warmly welcome the fans who visited his residence. But what happened to all his money? Laurel would joke about his three wives getting it all, then explain that Producer Hal Roach owned all the Laurel and Hardy films. He and Oliver Hardy, (or Babe, as his friends called him) had been scared to death when the silent films had ended in 1928. When Director Leo McCarey came up with the idea of teaming the skinny English comic with the rotund Georgia born actor, the two were happy just to keep getting a weekly check. Who knew that the two reelers that they were only paid once for would be shown to new generations on television? Stan often told the story about how he and Babe had gone touring in Europe. While browsing in an airport gift shop in London they saw some miniature Laurel and Hardy figurines. To take them back as gifts they had been forced to pay full price.
Comebacks abound in the movie business. Frank Sinatra, who had not served in World War II due to a punctured eardrum, was very unpopular with American fighting men who were jealous of him being back home crooning to their girlfriends. As our military forces began returning his popularity began to wane. By 1949 both his film and singing career had bottomed out to the point he was telling his manager to pay people to attend his concerts. His voice was in bad shape, his marriage was ending, his weight had gone down to 118 pounds and there were reports of suicide attempts. Four years later he was back on top, winning an Academy Award for his performance in the film From Here To Eternity (1953). He decided to enjoy his accomplishment by taking a solitary moonlight walk through the quiet streets of Beverly Hills, just him and his Oscar. After ten minutes the Chairman Of The Board was stopped by two police officers who rained on his parade by not recognizing him, and asking hard questions about where he had gotten that statue.
Being broke in Hollywood is often a matter of perspective. One time at a party Martin Scorsese was lamenting to his fellow director Frances Ford Coppola," Frances I'm broke. They've torn up my credit cards. I have nothing, do you understand me, nothing!" "Marty, will you shut up? I owe fifty million dollars."
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Monday, December 14, 2009
The Vegas Review
If you have never been to Las Vegas or haven't been there in 2 years than this review will be helpful to you. The city is constantly changing and growing. I love playing Texas Holdem poker online but after playing everday for quite some time it is nice to get away. And it is nice to be able to afford to take a nice vacation like this. Before I became an online poker player as a profession I would never have dreamed of going to Vegas for ten days and satying at one of the most beautiful hotels in the world- The Venetian....
Transportation
On my first trip to Vegas we didn't rent a car. We took a shuttle for 8 bucks from the airport to out hotel and walked or took the bus/ taxis for the rest of the trip. Ever since then we have rented a car. If you go midweek or offseason It is very cheap to rent a car in Vegas. We never payed more than 25 bucks a day. If you add up the cost of taxis and shuttles, it seems much smarter to rent a car.
Beware if you are a timid driver, people drive like maniacs there! If you prefer to get the exercise than the shuttle may be the best bet for you. There are buses every 10 min going up and down the strip, and there are many free mono rail trams going beetween many of the casinos on the strip.
My reccomendation is to rent a car and bring a wad of singles with and valet it. If you are like me you will want to go and see all of the beautiful casinos. There is nothing better than driving to the front door and having it parked. I usually tip a buck or two. Otherwise you can park in the parking structures for free.
Hotels
On my most recent vacation I went with my friend Kurt. Below are some pics of our hotel room at the Venetian. If you can afford to I would highly suggest staying here. It was by far the nicest hotel I have ever been to. The bathroom was HUGE, with a jacuzzi tub, double sink, seperate shower, the toilet was in a seperate room with a phone, marble floors.
Our Room
The Venetian and the Bellagio are the 2 nicest hotels in Las Vegas. They are expensive. I have been to many hotels in Vegas and it all depends on what you want out of your vacation. Most people will gamble and drink into the wee hours of the morning so the hotel won't matter much. If you want to stay at the cheapest hotel possible and stay close to gambling I reccomend staying downtown. I stayed at the Las Vegas Club downtown last year. Midweek you can get a room for 35-45 bucks a night. On that trip we only slept about 10 hours total the 3 nights we were there, so the hotel didnt matter much.
However the Las Vegas Club was pretty nice the rooms were very large thay had a couch. I have stayed at other hotels downtown and most are in that price range and more expensive weekends and peak season. So If you want to be pampered and stay somewhere nice find a hotel on the strip- The Venetian and the Belagio are very nice, and very expensive. The MGM or Luxor or New York are mid priced.. If you want to go cheap stay downtown.
Drinks
If you love to gamble and love to drink PERFECT- If you are gambling drinks are free. So dont spend 8 bucks at the bar, hit the tables or slots and drink on the house.
Gambling
I have gambled at many-a-casino in Vegas. I think on this last 10 day vacation we hit most of them. My suggestion for gambling comes down to preference and cash. On weekends and peak times it is hard to find a blackjack table with a 5 dollar minimum on the strip. Most are ten bucks and up. So If you are on a budget I suggest gambling downtown. They have plenty of five dollar tables and even three dollar tables. They also have single and double deck blackjack games downtown for lower limits. We found most casinos on the strip use auto shufflers and are 6+ decks- This makes for very bad odds. On this trip I mostly played blackjack. I consider online poker my profession and being on vacation I needed a little break. So I played mostly blackjack and the horses.
Some must see casinos are the Venetian, there are shops and the Venice canals, and beautiful paintings and artwork. Also the Belagio is a stunning casino, they have a water show in front set to music. If you are going to bet on horses or sports I suggest the sportsbook at the Belagio. They have personal flat screen TV's leather chairs and they have plenty of cocktail waitreses supplying the drinks. We spent a lot of time here.
Food
Where to eat? We ate so much food on this trip, I must have gained 20 pounds...Lets start out with the buffets:
The best buffet I have ever had is The Spice Market Buffet in the Aladdin Casino. It was around $25 and the food was amazing. They had food in diferent categories, American, Mexican, etc. Everything I tasted was delicious. The fruit they had was fresh, the desserts were amazing. I highly recommend this buffet.
Another great buffet is The Buffet at the Belagio. This buffet was very close in price and taste to the Spice Market buffet. If you like seafood I would recommend this one. They also have Beef Wellingtion, Prime rib and Colby beef, very delicious.
The largest buffet would have to be the buffet at the Rio, The Carnival World Buffet. This buffet was 25-30 bucks. It had a huge selection but I was not impressed with the food.
The worst buffet we had was breakfast at Bally's buffet. The food was not very poor. The Orange juice tasted like Tang.
Non- Buffet Eats
Burger?
The best burger would have to be at The Burger Bar in Mandalay Bay. they have Colby Beef burgers, which are not cheap. Around 16 bucks, but the were very good.
Want a great steak? The best steak I ever ate in Vegas was at Alan Alberts on the strip. It is a very nice restaraunt, great service, great food. Pricey but well worth it if your looking for a mouth watering steak. 3763 Las Vegas Blvd
Italian Food
Want some great Italian food, at a great old school eatery? Try Batista's Hole in the Wall. The restaurant walls are lined with celebrity autograpghed pictures. They even have an accordion player walking from table to table. The food is excellent. Meals come with your choice of wine, a salad, entree and complimentary cappuccino. I had the Chicken parm and it was very good. It was around 20-25 bucks a meal.
Cheap Eats
Lost all your cash at the tables? There are some great deals on meals all over Vegas. Kurt and tried most of them. If you are looking for upscale dining skip this section!
At The Las Vegas Club's Upperdeck downtown- We ate NY strip steak, eggs, hashbrowns and toast for $2.95!!! And it was actually very good.
Another great deal is the Prime rib at San Remos across from the MGM. You get bread, salad, prime rib, baked potato, vegetables all for $5.95. The slice of prime rib was pretty thin but for 6 bucks it was worth it. Another cheap meal we had a few times is, Steak and Lobster dinner at Careful Kitys in the El Cortez downtown. It was like 10 bucks and pretty good.
Bars and Clubs
Wanna hit the clubs? One of my favorites is the Ghost Bar on top of the Palms casino. They filmed MTV's Real World las Vegas at the Palms, and the cast frequented the Ghost bar.. Its part outside on the top of the building. The views of the strip are amazing. Mostly a younger crowd.
Tangerine at Treasure Island was also pretty good. You could also go outside with views of the strip and the Pirate show.
If you run out of cash and still want to get some drinks- go to a sportsbook. Kurt perfected this method! Grab a program and a seat and wait for the cocktail waitress to come around. Make sure to tip her and she will keep coming back!
Transportation
On my first trip to Vegas we didn't rent a car. We took a shuttle for 8 bucks from the airport to out hotel and walked or took the bus/ taxis for the rest of the trip. Ever since then we have rented a car. If you go midweek or offseason It is very cheap to rent a car in Vegas. We never payed more than 25 bucks a day. If you add up the cost of taxis and shuttles, it seems much smarter to rent a car.
Beware if you are a timid driver, people drive like maniacs there! If you prefer to get the exercise than the shuttle may be the best bet for you. There are buses every 10 min going up and down the strip, and there are many free mono rail trams going beetween many of the casinos on the strip.
My reccomendation is to rent a car and bring a wad of singles with and valet it. If you are like me you will want to go and see all of the beautiful casinos. There is nothing better than driving to the front door and having it parked. I usually tip a buck or two. Otherwise you can park in the parking structures for free.
Hotels
On my most recent vacation I went with my friend Kurt. Below are some pics of our hotel room at the Venetian. If you can afford to I would highly suggest staying here. It was by far the nicest hotel I have ever been to. The bathroom was HUGE, with a jacuzzi tub, double sink, seperate shower, the toilet was in a seperate room with a phone, marble floors.
Our Room
The Venetian and the Bellagio are the 2 nicest hotels in Las Vegas. They are expensive. I have been to many hotels in Vegas and it all depends on what you want out of your vacation. Most people will gamble and drink into the wee hours of the morning so the hotel won't matter much. If you want to stay at the cheapest hotel possible and stay close to gambling I reccomend staying downtown. I stayed at the Las Vegas Club downtown last year. Midweek you can get a room for 35-45 bucks a night. On that trip we only slept about 10 hours total the 3 nights we were there, so the hotel didnt matter much.
However the Las Vegas Club was pretty nice the rooms were very large thay had a couch. I have stayed at other hotels downtown and most are in that price range and more expensive weekends and peak season. So If you want to be pampered and stay somewhere nice find a hotel on the strip- The Venetian and the Belagio are very nice, and very expensive. The MGM or Luxor or New York are mid priced.. If you want to go cheap stay downtown.
Drinks
If you love to gamble and love to drink PERFECT- If you are gambling drinks are free. So dont spend 8 bucks at the bar, hit the tables or slots and drink on the house.
Gambling
I have gambled at many-a-casino in Vegas. I think on this last 10 day vacation we hit most of them. My suggestion for gambling comes down to preference and cash. On weekends and peak times it is hard to find a blackjack table with a 5 dollar minimum on the strip. Most are ten bucks and up. So If you are on a budget I suggest gambling downtown. They have plenty of five dollar tables and even three dollar tables. They also have single and double deck blackjack games downtown for lower limits. We found most casinos on the strip use auto shufflers and are 6+ decks- This makes for very bad odds. On this trip I mostly played blackjack. I consider online poker my profession and being on vacation I needed a little break. So I played mostly blackjack and the horses.
Some must see casinos are the Venetian, there are shops and the Venice canals, and beautiful paintings and artwork. Also the Belagio is a stunning casino, they have a water show in front set to music. If you are going to bet on horses or sports I suggest the sportsbook at the Belagio. They have personal flat screen TV's leather chairs and they have plenty of cocktail waitreses supplying the drinks. We spent a lot of time here.
Food
Where to eat? We ate so much food on this trip, I must have gained 20 pounds...Lets start out with the buffets:
The best buffet I have ever had is The Spice Market Buffet in the Aladdin Casino. It was around $25 and the food was amazing. They had food in diferent categories, American, Mexican, etc. Everything I tasted was delicious. The fruit they had was fresh, the desserts were amazing. I highly recommend this buffet.
Another great buffet is The Buffet at the Belagio. This buffet was very close in price and taste to the Spice Market buffet. If you like seafood I would recommend this one. They also have Beef Wellingtion, Prime rib and Colby beef, very delicious.
The largest buffet would have to be the buffet at the Rio, The Carnival World Buffet. This buffet was 25-30 bucks. It had a huge selection but I was not impressed with the food.
The worst buffet we had was breakfast at Bally's buffet. The food was not very poor. The Orange juice tasted like Tang.
Non- Buffet Eats
Burger?
The best burger would have to be at The Burger Bar in Mandalay Bay. they have Colby Beef burgers, which are not cheap. Around 16 bucks, but the were very good.
Want a great steak? The best steak I ever ate in Vegas was at Alan Alberts on the strip. It is a very nice restaraunt, great service, great food. Pricey but well worth it if your looking for a mouth watering steak. 3763 Las Vegas Blvd
Italian Food
Want some great Italian food, at a great old school eatery? Try Batista's Hole in the Wall. The restaurant walls are lined with celebrity autograpghed pictures. They even have an accordion player walking from table to table. The food is excellent. Meals come with your choice of wine, a salad, entree and complimentary cappuccino. I had the Chicken parm and it was very good. It was around 20-25 bucks a meal.
Cheap Eats
Lost all your cash at the tables? There are some great deals on meals all over Vegas. Kurt and tried most of them. If you are looking for upscale dining skip this section!
At The Las Vegas Club's Upperdeck downtown- We ate NY strip steak, eggs, hashbrowns and toast for $2.95!!! And it was actually very good.
Another great deal is the Prime rib at San Remos across from the MGM. You get bread, salad, prime rib, baked potato, vegetables all for $5.95. The slice of prime rib was pretty thin but for 6 bucks it was worth it. Another cheap meal we had a few times is, Steak and Lobster dinner at Careful Kitys in the El Cortez downtown. It was like 10 bucks and pretty good.
Bars and Clubs
Wanna hit the clubs? One of my favorites is the Ghost Bar on top of the Palms casino. They filmed MTV's Real World las Vegas at the Palms, and the cast frequented the Ghost bar.. Its part outside on the top of the building. The views of the strip are amazing. Mostly a younger crowd.
Tangerine at Treasure Island was also pretty good. You could also go outside with views of the strip and the Pirate show.
If you run out of cash and still want to get some drinks- go to a sportsbook. Kurt perfected this method! Grab a program and a seat and wait for the cocktail waitress to come around. Make sure to tip her and she will keep coming back!
Sunday, November 29, 2009
5 Star Las vegas Hotels
The Venetian Resort-Hotel-Casino
3355 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Las Vegas Strip, Las Vegas (Nevada) •
Renowned as one of the most elegant hotels on the Strip, this resort and casino brings the romance of Italy to the heart of Las Vegas, along with unrivaled amenities and facilities.…
Luxury Suites International at The Signature
125 East Harmon, Las Vegas Strip, Las Vegas (Nevada) •
Situated on the grounds of the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino, Luxury Suites International features spacious accommodations with kitchens as well as easy access to a variety of amenities.…
Trump International Hotel Las Vegas
2000 Fashion Show Drive , Las Vegas Strip, Las Vegas (Nevada) •
Towering high above the Las Vegas Strip, this all-suite hotel offers sweeping views of the city, luxurious spa services and excellent dining just steps from the exciting shopping and gaming
Encore Las Vegas
3121 Las Vegas Boulevard, Las Vegas Strip, Las Vegas (Nevada) •
Luxurious accommodations, state-of-the-art amenities and non-stop entertainment and excitement await guests at this modern hotel, situated just off the Las Vegas Strip and offering an on-site casino...…
Wynn Las Vegas
3131 Las Vegas Boulevard, Las Vegas Strip, Las Vegas (Nevada) •
A luxurious oasis moments from the Las Vegas Strip, this exceptional hotel boasts a 3-acre lake, a full-service spa and a top-rated golf course along with first-class accommodations
Four Seasons Hotel Las Vegas
3960 Las Vegas Boulevard, Las Vegas (Nevada)
This non-gaming and family-friendly luxury hotel is set on the top floors of the famed Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino and features a full-service spa and the acclaimed Verandah restaurant.…
Caesars Palace
3570 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Las Vegas Strip, Las Vegas (Nevada) •
Bringing the romance and elegance of Rome to the Las Vegas Strip, this luxurious hotel and casino boasts unrivaled gaming facilities, legendary performance space and first-class amenities
Palms Place Hotel and Spa
4381 West Flamingo Road, West of the Las Vegas Strip, Las Vegas (Nevada) •
Enjoy first-class nightlife as well as an excellent array of dining options at the Palms Place Hotel, with exciting Las Vegas gaming, entertainment and dining just minutes away
3355 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Las Vegas Strip, Las Vegas (Nevada) •
Renowned as one of the most elegant hotels on the Strip, this resort and casino brings the romance of Italy to the heart of Las Vegas, along with unrivaled amenities and facilities.…
Luxury Suites International at The Signature
125 East Harmon, Las Vegas Strip, Las Vegas (Nevada) •
Situated on the grounds of the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino, Luxury Suites International features spacious accommodations with kitchens as well as easy access to a variety of amenities.…
Trump International Hotel Las Vegas
2000 Fashion Show Drive , Las Vegas Strip, Las Vegas (Nevada) •
Towering high above the Las Vegas Strip, this all-suite hotel offers sweeping views of the city, luxurious spa services and excellent dining just steps from the exciting shopping and gaming
Encore Las Vegas
3121 Las Vegas Boulevard, Las Vegas Strip, Las Vegas (Nevada) •
Luxurious accommodations, state-of-the-art amenities and non-stop entertainment and excitement await guests at this modern hotel, situated just off the Las Vegas Strip and offering an on-site casino...…
Wynn Las Vegas
3131 Las Vegas Boulevard, Las Vegas Strip, Las Vegas (Nevada) •
A luxurious oasis moments from the Las Vegas Strip, this exceptional hotel boasts a 3-acre lake, a full-service spa and a top-rated golf course along with first-class accommodations
Four Seasons Hotel Las Vegas
3960 Las Vegas Boulevard, Las Vegas (Nevada)
This non-gaming and family-friendly luxury hotel is set on the top floors of the famed Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino and features a full-service spa and the acclaimed Verandah restaurant.…
Caesars Palace
3570 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Las Vegas Strip, Las Vegas (Nevada) •
Bringing the romance and elegance of Rome to the Las Vegas Strip, this luxurious hotel and casino boasts unrivaled gaming facilities, legendary performance space and first-class amenities
Palms Place Hotel and Spa
4381 West Flamingo Road, West of the Las Vegas Strip, Las Vegas (Nevada) •
Enjoy first-class nightlife as well as an excellent array of dining options at the Palms Place Hotel, with exciting Las Vegas gaming, entertainment and dining just minutes away
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