Saharan Magazine from the Sahara Hotel and Casino, February 1966

HOTEL U.S.A.F Sahara eyes Nevada skies SAHARAN FEBRUARY 1966 SAHARA SQUADRON JLIVELY ANTICS of The King Cousins, left, make the Sahara's King Family show opening Jan. 25 in the Congo Room one of the season's happiest productions. Sahara Winter Lineup: Kings and DeCastros TALENTED TRIO is formed by the DeCastro Sisters, headliners in the Sahara's Casbar Theatre through Feb. 14. THE KING SISTERS, left, are featured from Jan. 25 through Valentine's Day with the King Cousins and Alvino Rey. in the Congo Room of Hotel Sahara. 1100,000 SHOWER rains down upon Albert Stamer, Las Vegas, irst contestant to win the Sahara's ?Shower of Money" draw- ng. Event took place twice daily on the Congo Room stage n large plastic booth as enthusiastic crowds watched. DN OUR COVER . . . Pretty Patti Barker doesn?t vasting time sleeping. She s ind night as a search pilot in Composite Squadron, Civil Forty pilots and 14 aircraft ensive searches whenever li ire reported down. But when finally hang up their boots fo, Patti puts on her makeup two early morning Watusi sho he Casbar Theatre. Patfi sp< iver time is left over studyis ieve in all day Sahara in i aircraft?!URGING HUBBY ON is Mrs. Albert Stamer as her husband other* rakes his one-minute turn in the Sahara's $100,000 "Shower e nightBof Money" booth. Up to his knees in bills and clothed in an danceSjoutlandish "shower suit,? Stamer is stuffing bills through the daily ?round hole in center of booth. A nervous first participant, ; what#Stamer won only $495, one of the "shower's" lowest payoffs, cookini Note official timing clock in background. The lilting offerings of pretty Liza Minnelli and the many-sided talents of the King Family highlight Hotel Sahara winter entertainment fare in the Congo Room in January and February. A brilliant new Paul Steffen dance production is also featured. Joining the roster of Sahara stars on Feb. 15 in a special two-week engagement is singing star Nancy Wilson. In the Casbar Theatre, the DeCastro Sisters hold forth through Feb. 14 in the headline spot in their initial Sahara outing. Phil Palumbo and His Pals make their Casbar debut on the same bill. Miss Minnelli, showing the voice and poise which stamp her as sure star material, drew enthusiastic crowds in her Congo Room engagement which opened on Christmas Day. Her spontaneity and wit captured customers and critics alike from opening night. Jackie Mason, making his Sahara debut with Miss Minnelli, also drew excellent notices for his topical comedy. The King Family presents a diversified act including the talents of the Four King Sisters, the Four King Cousins and Alvino Rey. Holding down the comedy slot on the same show is Jack Durant. Following the DeCastro Sisters into the Casbar Theatre on Feb. 15 are The Characters and The Senators. Don Rickies returns to headline on March 5. In the Congo Room, coming attractions include Buddy Hackett and Sergio Franchi, March 1; Robert Goulet and Norm Crosby on March 29, and Connie Francis and Pat Henry on April 27. DELIGHTFUL ADDITION to Hotel Saharas' Congo Room I in. is Miss Nancy Wilson, opening in a special two-week gagement, Feb. 15. Canadian Tops Winners In Sahara Anniversary A Canadian bell captain who refused to believe his good fortune and a visiting engineer from Ridley Park. Pa., snared the major prizes in Hotel Sahara?s 10-day 13th Anniversary Celebration, Dec. 14-23, an event which has left Las Vegas -? and the nation ? mumbling to itself. Overshadowing the major prizes ? a $10,000 Las Vegas Shopping Spree won by Spiros Trigazis, Toronto, Ont., Canada and a 1966 Lincoln Continental, won by Theodore Dowd, Ridley Park, Pa., ? was the Sahara?s daily $100,000 ?Shower of Money.? Twice a day for 10 days winners literally ?took a bath? in $100,000 in U. S. currency poured down on their heads by Sahara officials (see picture this page). Participants were allowed a minute to hand out, one bill at a time, as much money as they could. Largest payoff went to Ray Deppe, a Las Vegas encyclopedia sales?man, who won $1,585 including one $ 1,000 bill. The ?shower? received national coverage and delighted large throngs at 2 and 10 p.m. each day. Third grand prize winner was Emile Nizet, a retired Las Vegan, whose name was drawn for $3,000 in a special event. Trigazis, called at 3 a.m. in the morning, refused to believe he had won the $10,000 Las Vegas Shopping Spree. A Greek-speaking Las Vegas woman, Mrs. Kay Rush, came out of the audience to convince Trigazis. Daily Golden Slot, ?Lucky Chair? and Keno drawings plus free cocktail parties made the Sahara celebration the most successful in the hotel?s history. Nearly a million tickets were deposited by Las Vegans and tourists. HAPPY WINNER of a 1966 Lincoln Continental is Theodore Dowd, center, Ridley Park, Pa., as Las Vegas Mayor Oran Gragson, right, who drew his winning ticket, and master of ceremonies Gus Giuffre look on. LARGE CROWD packs the Sahara's Congo Room at a free cocktail party awaiting the $100,000 "Shower of Money" on stage in rear. Thousands attended the daily festivities during the hotel's 13th Anniversary Celebration. CHILDREN of Sahara employees came in for their fun, too, in the hotel's anniversary festivities. Employees' young?sters, 800 strong, attended a Christmas party which lasted four hours and featured clowns, magicians, puppets, elf-garbed musicians and presents for every child includ?ing bicycles, record players, TV sets, a full-sized playhouse and a miniature Mustang auto large enough to hold two children.Sahara airlines attendance soars over 6,000 mark BRANIFF INTERNATIONAL displayed drastic new air wear at its reception. The day after the fashion show, a full color layout appeared in Life Maga?zine on colorful Braniff innovations. UAL Hosts Convention Golf Meet NUMBER 6,000 to register for the air?lines party were Mr. and Mrs. Ray A. Saxton of Denver, Colo. They were treated to a Judy Garland show, along with other complimentaries. ment for its reception. Here, Patti Barker, who also happens to be this month's cover girl, goes through the frantic paces on the stage of the South Convention Hall. TWA Interline Di?rector Bill Cotter was master of cerempnies. The latest in-flight fashion, the urgent dancing of Tahitians, Watusi, fun, rich draw?ings and the ingenuity of top airlines executives combined to reward 6,042 employes of major airlines with a memorable convention at Hotel Sahara in December. The Eighth Annual World Airlines Christ?mas Party and Convention kicked off on Nov. 29 and ran through Dec. 13, punctuated by nightly receptions that jammed the Sahara?s South Convention Hall with record crowds. Five thousands delegates were expected; over 6,000 showed up. reaffirming once again the wisdom of the Sahara architects who saw * the promotion?s powerful future eight years ago. It was Vice President Herb McDonald?s idea and he nursed the gathering from a handful of delegates to the whopper it was this year. Airlines people came from all around the world, mostly staying for two days each. Some, however, planned their vacations and stuck it out for the entire 15 days of revelry. One airline modeled drastically different air wear for flight crews and stewardesses. One imported a dance troupe from Tahiti for its cocktail party. Two others engaged Watusi dancers to provide the evening?s entertainment. Vacations to exotic places were given away nightly, along with awards like free rent-a-cars for a year. Naturally, Hotel Sahara threw in a rich array of complimentaries, including a free Don the Beachcomber Cantonese dinner. The Gray Line gave each registrant a camera. Avis Rent-A-Car concocted ?We Try Harder? cocktails for all registrants. Virtually every delegate brought along a Christmas gift for the needy. They were placed under a huge ?airlines tree? in the hotel lobby, where they piled nearly to the ceiling. Salvation Army units received them after the party and began the happy holiday task of distributing them where they were needed most. Airlines taking part in this year?s lineup included: Monday, Nov. 29?American Airlines Tuesday, Nov. 30?Braniff International Wednesday, Dec. 1?Continental Airlines Thursday. Dec. 2?West Coast Airlines and Alaska Airlines Friday, Dec. 3?United Air Lines Saturday, Dec. 4?Western Airlines Sunday, Dec. 5?Iberia Airlines Monday, Dec. 6- -Pacific Airlines Tuesday, Dec. 7?Del E. Webb Hotel Company Wednesday, Dec. 8 -Southern Airways Thursday, Dec. 9?Frontier Airlines Friday, Dec. 10?Bonanza Airlines Saturday, Dec. 11?TransWorld Airlines Sunday, Dec. 12?Japan Airlines Monday, Dec. 13?Varig Airlines CHRISTMAS GIFTS from all around the world were donated to needy children by the airlines delegates attending the Christmas party. All were placed under this huge "airlines tree," shown being inspected by Sahara hostess Yolanda Saladana. JAPAN AIRLINES hostess June Kawai helped welcome air personnel to the JAL reception. The entire North Convention Hall was decor?ated in Oriental fashion. During the 15 days of the Eighth Annual World Airlines Employes Convention and Christ?mas Party, United Air Lines staged a golf tournament at Paradise Valley Country Club, near Hotel Sahara. Delegates registered and played daily during the convention. More than 200 golfers turned out. Championship went to Peter V. Ueberroth, a 14 handicapper who shot a 63. Ueberroth, of Los Angeles,, is an executive with Alaska Airlines. For the most part, weather was beautiful for the golfing during the Christmas party. The Para?dise course is the sitp of the annual $111,111.11 Sahara Invi?tational Golf Tournament, largest on the fall PGA tour. United awarded trophies to winners along with merchandise prizes. ALL SMILES are these air executives who engineered the United Air Lines Golf Tournament during the Airlines Christmas Party. Sahara Vice President Herb McDonald, left, congratulates Les Ehringer, United manager of Interline Sales and Development; Paul Shoemaker, Southwest Pacific manager of interline sales; and Walt Wehner, Las Vegas sales manager. PEOPLE, PEOPLE and more people ? mostly of the a' flooded into the Sahara's South Convention Hall during of fun and fellowship at the airlines party. MISS ALASKA of 1965, Carla Sullivan of Fairbanks, attended several of the nightly parties. She posed for the Saharan aboard this model of a Douglas DC-9 that was assembled in the South Convention Hall. Alaska Airlines and West Coast Air Lines sponsored one of the receptions jointly.DEADEYE DUO of Gerry Williams, left, hot-shooting teenager from Ellensburg, Wash., who captured the junior title of the Sahara?s annual Mid-Winter Trapshoot?ing Tournament last year, and champion A. E. Labrum, Roose?velt, Utah, return February 1-6 in the 1966 renewal of the rich event ? the nation?s second largest. A shooter?s delight . . . Jan. 21-23?U. S. Open Archery Cham?pionship Jan. 27-30?Mid-Winter Gun Show Feb. 1-6?Sahara Mid-Winter Trap?shooting March 11-13?Sahara Invitational Pistol Match THE STANCE may not be proper for pistol shooting, but Sahara dancer Josephine Spinedi at least is comfortable in this reminder of the 1st Annual Sa?hara Invitational Pistol Matches March 11-13. The NRA-sanctioned matches are expected to draw top handgun shooters from all over the country. Rich prizes and nightly coctail parties will liven the com?petition, which will take place at nearby Nellis Air Force Base. Sahara becomes'shooting headquarters'in 1966 BULLSEYES WILL COME in plenteous amounts during th> Sahara-Colt?s $10,000 U. S. Indoor Archery Championship, Jan. 21-23, and Margie Cooke poses a pretty reminder. Archers from every part of the nation will vie for cash, trophies and merchandise prizes. Double firing lines accommodating 400 archers each will be set up in the massive Las Vegas Convention Center. Registration blanks may be obtained by writing Hotel Sahara. PHOTO BUG Harry Knode, left, noted Dallas, Tex., arms collector and authority, couldn?t resist taking a picture of the famed Jennings Rifle (serial No. 1) held and owned by Paul Fulks, Wolfe City, Tex., during a recent Hotel Sahara Gun Show. Fulks and over 100 other top collectors will be on hand Jan. 27-30, for the Sahara's Mid-Winter Gun Show. Fulks? Jennings is the forerunner of the famed Winchester line, to which the Sahara show is dedicated this Winter.LIGHTING UP THE FRONT of Hotel Thunderbird is the world's largest free-standing neon sign and marquee. Over 37,000 light bulbs and eight miles of neon tubing light up an area nearly two football fields in length bordering the famed Las Vegas "Strip." Thunderbird Cash Binge! T-BIRD LINEUP! HOTEL THUNDERBIRD?S $100,000 House Party GRAND PRIZE DRAWING 9 p.m. Feb. 6, 1966 (Winner must be present) ?$10,000 Marquise Diamond Ring ?or? ?1966 Lincoln Continental ?Consolation Prize of $3,000 Drawn at 11:45 pm. If winner is not present $1,000? IT PAYS TO BE PRESENT Grand Prize Tickets are available in the Slot Depart* ment to everyone purchasing coins, hitting Jackpots or finding lucky bonus coins. DAILY PRIZE DRAWINGS (A winner every drawing) ?Watch for Special Treasure Chest Coins in all Slot Payoffs. Coin Entitles Holder to One Free Draw in Treasure Chest. ?200 Prize Drawings Daily for $100,000 Treasure Chest Items including: $5000 Diamond Ring $500 Cash $2000 Cash $250 Cash $1000 Watch $150 Cash $1000 Cash $ 50 Cash $25 Cash Free Rolls of Coins Deluxe Gold Lighters Gold Key Chains Buffet Dinners Oyster Bar Dinners and Steak House Dinners SPECIAL ADDED ATTRACTION Lucky Tickets for "Thunderbuck? Treasure Chest (All the Thunderbucks you can Scoop in One Hand!) ?Daily 7 p.m. Drawing. Two Special Cash Drawings for $50.00 Each Evening to the Person Sitting in the Lucky Numbered Casino Chair or Playing the Lucky Slot. ?Every night at 11:45 pm. ? Room Key Drawing in Showroom ? Ticket Corres* ponding with a Room in Hotel Thunder?bird will Be Drawn for $100.00 for maxi?mum of 15 minutes. Winner must be present. SPECIAL 24-HOUR EVENTS ?Double Slot Jackpots Every Hour on the Hour (You Hit a Jackpot and We Pay You Double) ?Lucky Casino Chairs Every Hour on the Half Hour ($10 if You Are Sitting in the Lucky Casino Chair When the Number is Drawn) WEEKLY GRAND PRIZES (Winner Must Be Present) ??Every Sunday at 4 p.m. a Special Drawing will be Held from the Grand Prize Barrel for $500 Cash. Drawing Will Continue Until Winner is Found with $100 Guaranteed Prize. Hotel Thunderbird launched a huge 37-day ?House Party? Jan. 2 to introduce its recently completed and expanded gaming, dining and entertainment facilities. The $100,000 ?House Party? runs through Feb. 6 with a drawing for a 1966 Lincoln Continental or a $10,000 Marquise Diamond ring as grand prize. In addition, over 41,000 other prizes are offered ranging from diamond rings, watches, cash awards up to $2,000 and free meals in any of the Thunderbird?s four fine restaurants. Hotel Thunderbird, the only Las Vegas hotel fea?turing 24-hour entertainment, has moved its entire entertainment lineup back into the main showroom, combining with art around-the-clock buffet to create one of the most unique showrooms on the famed ?Strip.? The 500-seat Continental Theatre is completely open for viewing from the casino area. Removal of the smaller Theatre has nearly doubled the size of the hotel?s gaming facilities and has enabled the Thunderbird to add some 500 more slot machines and additional gaming tables. What used to be one of the Strip?s smaller casinos is now one of Las Vegas? largest. On the second floor of the hotel is the all-new T-Bird Steak House, finished in rich maroons and gold and featuring dining innovations heretofore un?available in I>as Vegas. Specialty of the house is a 30-ounce Porterhouse Steak fired over imported mes- quite wood. The featured stage spectacular, ?C?est la Femme,? has been completely revised and expanded to utilize the large stage facilities. Alternating with the twice- nightly production around the clock are Belle Barth, the Korean Kittens, the popular afternoon revue, ?Girls ala Carte,? and other top acts. There is never a cover or minimum. In connection with the house party the Thunder?bird is offering a special $25 Gift Certificate good for room, food and beverage for $10. A coupon for the certificate is available on this page and can be mailed directly to the Thunderbird. House Party festivities run ?round the clock through the entire promotion with double slot jackpots paid every' hour as well as cash drawings for lucky num?bered casino chairs. Daily at 7 p.m. there are two $50 cash drawings going to patrons playing the lucky numbered slot machines or sitting in the numbered casino chairs. At 11:45 each evening an additional drawing is held especially for hotel guests with a $100 bill going to the holder of the selected room key number. Up to 200 drawings from the Thunderbird Treasure Chest are also staged daily with over 41,000 prizes available. There is a winner every time. Specially marked coins are placed in the slot machines and can drop with any payoff. Persons finding the coins receive a special Treasure Chest draw. Weekly drawings are held every Sunday at 4 p.m. for $500 in cash with the winner required to be present. Drawings will be held until a winner is found with a consolation prize of $100. Wrap-up to the entire party comes at 9 p.m. on February 6 with the Grand Prize drawing. If the winner is not, present another drawing for $3,000 will be held at 11:45. If that winner is not present he/she will receive a consolation prize of $1,000. The new Theatre and enlarged facilities complete the major portion of the Thunderbird?s remodeling program. Finished earlier in the year was the con?struction of the state?s largest swimming pool and the world?s largest free-standing neon sign in front. f Enel I Gift nus ? >66 Enclosed find $10.00 for one (1) Hotel Thunderbird $25.00 "House Party Bonus ift Certificate" good for room, food or beverage Jan. 2 through Feb. 6, 1966 Please make my reservation as follows: NAME ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ ? TWIN ADDRESS------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------? DOUBLE CITY ___________________________________________________STATE______________________________________________ ? SINGLE -DEPARTURE DATE- ARRIVAL DATE --------------------------------- One occupied room per gift certificate. Reservation subject to hotel confirmation. Mail to George Benson, Resident Manager, Hotel Thunderbird, Las Vegas, Nev. EFFECTIVE JAN. 2 through FEB. 6, 1966 THUNDERBIRD! LAS VEGAS NEVADA JSahara Special Events JAN. 7-JAN. 9?Sahara Amateur Radio Operators Convention JAN. 21-JAN. 23?Sahara-Colt U. S. Open Indoor Archery Championship JAN. 27-JAN. 30?Mid-Winter Gun Show FEB. 1-FEB. 6?Mid-Winter Trapshoot MAR. 11-MAR. 13?Sahara Invitational Pistol Matches CONGO STAR Connie Francis paid a recent visit to the plush House of Lords steak house at Hotel Sahara during a brief lull in her singing schedule. She is shown here with Maitre d' James Hochland. THE SAHARAN Vol. 7, No. 2 February, 1966 Member International Council of IndCistrial Editors; Intermountain Assn, of Industrial Editors PUBLISHED MONTHLY by the Hotel Sahara publicity department, Las Vegas, Nevada, for the information of guests, travel agencies, and members of the press. Enjoy the finest hotel facilities in related Del Webb properties: Thunderbird Hotel Las Vegas, Nev. TowneHouse San Francisco, Calif. Mountain Shadows TowneHouse Kings Inn Sun City, Ariz, TowneHouse Sahara-Tahoe The Mint Scottsdale, Ariz. Fresno, Calif. , Sun City, Calif., Sun City, Fla. Phoenix, Ariz. Lake Tahoe, Nev. Las Vegas, Nev. ? 1966 - Sahara-Nevada Corporation RESERVATION OFFICES Sydney, Australia BW 8333, 29-2701 Calgary, Alberta, Canada AM 3-4810 London, England REG 4995 Kowloon, Hong Kong 62068 Kyoto, Japan 7-0041, 0040 Tokyo, Japan 591-5038 Mexico City 11-79-89, 25-71-28 Manila,Philippines 3-60-71 Bangkok, Thailand 27611-2-3 Anchorage, Alaska BR 4-3001 Phoenix, Ariz. 264-9321, AL 4-5411 Tucson, Ariz. Los Angeles, Calif. Palm Springs, Calif. Philadelphia, Pa. San Diego, Calif. San Francisco, Calif. Denver, Colo. Honolulu, Hawdii Chicago, III. St. Paul, Minn. Las Vegas, Nevada Albuquerque, N.M. New York, N.Y. Portland, Ore. El Paso, Texas Fort Worth, Texas Galveston, Texas Houston, Texas Lubbock, Texas Texas City, Texas Salt Lake City, Utah Seattle, Wash. 264-3961 MA 2-7726 BR 2-8892 CR 6-0231 325-2756 WA 2-0860 BE 9-5151 EX 7-4996 244-2261 933-766 FI 6-2368 698-1242 735-2111 CH 2-6457 CH 2-5263 581-7766 AT 8-5801 LO 6-1631 ED 5-4424 SO 5-9347 JA 9-3911 PO 3-4354 Wl 5-4422 355-2841 LA 5-4050, ME 3-3020 MU 2-1955, MA 3-1177 If the weather is good, Sahara officials expect to equal or better the record 752 shooters who par?ticipated in the hotel?s Mid-Winter Trapshooting Tournament last year. The 1966 event is scheduled Feb. 1-6, at the Sahara Gun Club just outside Las Vegas. Guaranteed purses and added money come to $18,700 . . . Don Rickies, playing the Sahara- Tahoe in December, wrote to friends in Las Vegas, ?please send help. I?m trapped on the side of a mountain and running out of deer meat fast.? . . . Sahara executive Gene Bowen was awarded a Cer?tificate of Appreciation from Julius H. Winer, M.D., president of the Pacific Coast Fertility Society, for his work during the society?s recent Sahara conven?tion . . . The Smothers Brothers join the list of Sahara Congo Room stars in 1966, making their Congo debut on June 7 . . . also coming on line in 1966 in the Sahara entertainment lineup will be Dinah Shore (Oct. 11) and Liberace (June 21) ... two other newcomers include Shirley Bassey and Norm Crosby, in supporting roles . . . producer Arthur Leon had a real problem when it came to producing a golden girl for his James Bondish Watusi show, ?Go Go Galore,? in the Sahara?s Casbar Theatre. But he solved it with the help of makeup special?ists who determined he could coat his ?Goldfinger Girl? with mineral oil, then dust her with bronze powder to create a spectacular effect. It worked . . . The Characters have drawn special plaudits for their recent Sahara Casbar performances with new material and arrangements. The popular group has been with the Sahara for 13 years . . . First winner in the $100,000 ?Shower of Money? during the Sahara?s 13th Anniversary Celebration was Albert Startler of Las Vegas, who owns a janitorial service called ?Mr. Kleen-Up.? The columnists had a field day with that one when Stamer literally ?cleaned up.? . . . The Sahara welcomed two new annual events in January ? the SAROC (Sahara Ama?teur Radio Operators Convention). Jan. 7-8-9, and the U. S. Open Archery Tournament, co-sponsored with Colt?s firearms, Jan. 21-22-23 . . . Liza Min?nelli was coaxed on stage by her mother (Judy Gar?land I for a sneak preview of her Sahara appear?ance on Dec. 8 during Judy?s two-week engage?ment. Liza opened on Christmas Day . . . March 11-13 are the dates for the 1st Annual Sahara In?vitational Pistol Matches at Nellis Air Force Base. Three hundred shooters are expected to compete for the rich prizes. The matches are sanctioned by the National Rifle Assn. Sahara Gun Show pro?ducer Harry Mann has been named NRA referee. Sahara Candids MISS RODEO AMERICA Carolynn Seay, Miss Rodeo America 1966, is a poised, 21-year-old college junior who learned to ride a horse before she could walk and who wants to be a schoolteacher. In winning her title in the annual pageant sponsored by Hotel Sahara and the International Rodeo Management, the brown-eyed Miss Seay set a record by winning all three divisions of the competition?horsemanship, personality and appearance. Born Dec.. 30, 1944, Miss Seay grew up in Corpus Christi, Tex., graduating from W. B. Ray High School and entering Southwest Texas State University of San Marcos, Texas. Her majors are home economics and speech and most of her scholastic activities are closely related to these fields. She works with Kinder?garten children, appears in speech festivals, de?signs western clothes, and still finds time to make the Dean?s Honor List. A member of her university?s Rodeo Associa?tion, she was elected Rodeo Sweetheart in 1965. and is an active member of the Southwest Texas State Rodeo Team, where her specialty is goat tying. She finished second in the National Inter?collegiate Rodeo Association finals in goat tying and was named ?Miss College Rodeo 1965.? Carolynn also barrel races, rides cutting horses, participates in numerous horse show events such as western pleasure, halter and reining and is an excellent breakaway roper. Her hobbies are water skiing, bowling and painting. Sahara Scene