This week’s mystery movie was the 1956 MGM picture Meet Me in Las Vegas, with Dan Dailey, Cyd Charisse, Agnes Moorehead, Lili Darvas, Jim Backus, Oscar Karlweis, Liliane Montevecchi, Cara Williams, George Kerris, Betty Lynn, Pete Rugolo, Jerry Colonna, Paul Henreid, Lena Horne, Frankie Laine and Mitsuko Sawamura.
Screen story and screenplay by Isobel Lennart.
Songs: Music by Nicholas Brodszky, lyrics by Sammy Cahn.
Music supervised and conducted by George Stoll. Music for Frankie and Johnny Ballet adapted by Johnny Green.
Lena Horne’s numbers arranged and conducted by Lennie Hayton. Orchestrations by Albert Sendrey and Skip Martin. Vocal supervision by Robert Tucker. Music coordinator Irving Aaronson.
Dances and musical numbers created and staged by Hermes Pan. Rehearsal Ballet and Sleeping Beauty Ballet created and staged by Eugene Loring.
In Cinemascope. Photographed in Eastman color. Photographed by Robert Bronner. Art direction by Cedric Gibbons and Urie McCleary.
Costumes by Helen Rose. Set decoration by Edwin B. Willis and Richard Pefferle. Special effects by Warren Newcombe. Color consultant Charles K. Hagedon.
Edited by Albert Akst. Recording Supervisor Dr. Wesley C. Miller. Assistant director George Rhein.
Hairstyles by Sydney Guilaroff. Makeup by William Tuttle.
Produced by Joe Pasternak.
Directed by Roy Rowland.
Meet Me in Las Vegas is available on a Warner Archive DVD from Critics’ Choice Video.
More on the history of Meet Me in Las Vegas is available from the AFI catalog.
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I chose Meet Me in Las Vegas after last week’s bleak A Time to Love and a Time to Die, in which almost nobody survives to the end of the movie. I searched the trades for a popular musical from roughly the same era, and here we are! Fun! Gambling! Nightlife! Lots of stars and a zillion cameos – perfect for mystery guests! Lots of Cyd Charisse! Hermes Pan’s choreography! Frankie Laine in a tuxedo! And nobody dies! Unfortunately, my recording of the film off TCM is badly pixelated for the Lena Horne numbers (thank you – not — ATT Uverse), which is why she is MIA.
Yes, the movie is pretty much a huge ad for the Sands (RIP) and it’s good to see what it looked like in the 1950s.
And, as incredible as it may seem, Bosley Crowther approved of such goings-on. No, he really did! (New York Times, March 14, 1956):
The expensive sounding invitation that Metro Goldwyn Mayer extends with its Meet Me in Las Vegas is one we can heartily urge the budget-minded tourist to accept without any qualms.
For the price of a ticket to the Astor Theatre, where this musical sight-seeing trip got underway last evening with a benefit for the United States Olympic Fund, the wary traveler can find himself taking a giant leap to the Monte Carlo of the West, putting up at the fantastic Sands Club and living like a Texas oil king.
For Monday, we have a mysterious girl. Her companion has been cropped out due to insufficient mysteriousness and will appear later.
Update: For Friday, adding our mysterious leading man.
Update: This is Mitsuko Sawamura and Dan Dailey.
For Tuesday, we have a mysterious fellow, with several mysterious companions.
Update: This is Frankie Laine and as yet unidentified mystery she-devils.
This week’s mystery movie has a huge cast with a zillion cameos. Here’s one of them.
Update: This is Peter Lorre. Back of the Head Guy is possibly Oscar (Oskar) Karlweis.
And he’s another one.
Update: This is Frank Sinatra when he was still at the Sands.
Finally, a mystery couple with Back of the Head Guy.
Update: This is George Chakiris performing as George Kerris, Betty Lynn and Jim Backus as Back of the Head Guy.
Brain Trust roll call: Tucson Barbara (mystery movie, both mystery guests and fellow cropped out due to insufficient mysteriousness), Floyd Thursby (mystery movie and Tuesday’s mystery singer), Sarah (mystery movie and Monday’s mystery girl), Jenny M. (mystery movie and Tuesday’s mystery singer), Beach Gal (mystery movie, both mystery guests and fellow cropped out due to insufficient mysteriousness), Incredibleinman (Tuesday’s mystery singer), Anne Papineau (mystery movie and both mystery guests), Earl Boebert (mystery movie and Tuesday’s mystery singer), Megan and Thom (mystery movie, both mystery guests and mystery gent cropped out due to insufficient mysteriousness), B.J. Merholz (mystery movie and Tuesday’s mystery singer), Gary (mystery movie and both mystery guests), Sylvia E. (mystery movie, both mystery guests, fellow cropped out due to insufficient mysteriousness and mystery musical numbers), Mike Hawks (mystery movie and both mystery guests), Patrick (mystery movie and both mystery guests), Suzanne Stone (mystery movie and Monday’s mystery girl), L.C. (mystery movie and mystery cast), Arye Michael Bender (Tuesday’s mystery singer), Bob Hansen (Tuesday’s mystery singer) and Mary Mallory (mystery movie, both mystery guests and mystery gent cropped out due to insufficient mysteriousness.
For “aha Thursday,” we have this mystery woman.
Update: This is Agnes Moorehead.
We also have this mysterious fellow and another Back of the Head Guy.
Update: This is Paul Henreid with Dan Dailey as Back of the Head Guy.
Brain Trust roll call: Beach Gal (Wednesday’s mystery guests and Back of the Head Guy), Mary Mallory (Wednesday’s mystery guests and Back of the Head Guy), Tucson Barbara (Wednesday’s mystery guests and Back of the Head Guy), Incredibleinman (mystery movie and Wednesday’s mystery guests), Megan and Thom (Wednesday’s mystery guests and Back of the Head Guy), Mike Hawks (Wednesday’s mystery guests and Back of the Head Guy), Sylvia E. (Wednesday’s mystery guests and Back of the Head Guy), Anne Papineau (Wednesday’s mystery guests), McDee (Tuesday’s mysterious singer), Bruce (mystery movie and Wednesday’s mysterious cameos), Roget-L.A. (mystery movie and Wednesday’s mystery guests and Back of the Head Guy) and Mark G. (mystery movie and Wednesday’s mysterious cameos).
For Friday, here’s another one of the many cameos in our mystery film.
Update: This is Pier Angeli (minus everybody’s favorite little dog) and Jeff Richards.
We also have our mysterious leading man.
Update: This is Dan Dailey.
And our mystery leading lady and mysterious companion.
Update: This is Cyd Charisse and Lili Darvas.
Brain Trust roll call: Beach Gal (Thursday’s mystery guests and Back of the Head Guy), Mary Mallory (Thursday’s mystery guests), Tucson Barbara (Thursday’s mystery guests), Blackwing Jenny (mystery movie, Wednesday’s and Thursday’s mystery guests), MadAboutPlaid73 (Wednesday’s and Thursday’s mystery guests), Mike Hawks (Thursday’s mystery guests and Back of the Head Guy), Sylvia E. (Thursday’s mystery guests and Back of the Head Guy), McDee (mystery movie, Wednesday’s and Thursday’s mystery guests) and Anne Papineau (Thursday’s mystery guests).
Miyoshi Umeki, in ‘Sayonara’ with Marlon Brando and Red Buttons.
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“Meet Me in Las Vegas”
Mon – Miksuko Sawamura
Tues – Frankie Laine
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I think that’s Dan Dailey who’s been cropped out of the picture.
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For Tuesday we have Frankie Laine. The movie is “Meet Me In Las Vegas.”
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Frankie Laine means it’s “Meet Me in Las Vegas.” Mitsuko Sawamura was the actress on Monday.
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Frankie Laine in Meet Me in Las Vegas.
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Monday is Mitsuko Sawamura
Tues is Frankie Laine
Our movie is Meet Me In Las Vegas (1956)
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On Monday, I think our cropped out gent is Dan Dailey singing with Mitsuko Sawamura
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Check the spam file. My response with Mon/Tues and name of film has vanished. I just posted it a couple minutes ago.
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Is Tuesday’s mystery fellow Liberace?
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Frankie Laine today.
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Mitsuko Sawamura in “Meet Me in Las Vegas”
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On Tuesday, Frankie Laine
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Frankie Laine in “Meet Me in Las Vegas.” Dunno who the dancers are, but as the Victorian lady said when she saw her first can-can, “Caaahn’t be good for them.”
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The movie this week is “Meet Me in Las Vegas”. The mystery girl on Monday is Mitsuko Sawamura and possibly with Dan Daily. Today’s crooner is Frankie Laine.
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Is Frankie Laine being attacked by some Las Vegas She-Devils?
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Without a doubt this is Mitsuko Sawamura and Frankie Laine in Meet Me In Las Vegas.
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Woo-hoo! Thanks to Frankie Laine.
“Meet Me in Las Vegas” 1956
Monday – Mitsuko Sawamura and (cropped for lack of mysteriousness) Dan Dailey singing “My Lucky Charm”
Tuesday – Frankie Laine singing “Hell Hath No Fury” accompanied by devilish dancing ladies.
I’m looking forward to hearing how you bumped into this one. I’d never heard of it. Reminds me of “Pepe” but in Vegas. All singing all dancing…etc
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Mitsuko Sawamura and Frankie Laine in MEET ME IN LAS VEGAS.
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Mitsuko Sawamura and Frankie Laine in Meet Me in Las Vegas from 1956.
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Tony Martin in 1956’s “Meet Me In Las Vegas” and Mitsuko Sawamura in Monday’s photo.
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Meet Me in Las Vegas (1956) w/Mitsuko Sawamura, Frankie Laine, Dan Dailey, Cyd Charisse, Agnes Moorehead, Jim Backus, George Chakiris, Betty Lynn…
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Frank LoVecchio from Chicago. He attended Lane Tech High School in the city, then changed his last name. Think raw hide with a whip.
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Frankie Laine on Tuesday. Couldn’t tell you what the movie is, tough.
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MEET ME IN LAS VEGAS. Jim Backus out of frame Monday with Mitsuko Sawamura and Frankie Laine today.
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Actually probably Dan Dailey out of frame Monday.
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Wed #1 – Peter Lorre
Wed #2 – Frank Sinatra
Wed #3 – George Chakiris (as George Karis) and Betty Lynn with BOTHG being Jim Backus
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Keenan Wynn BOTH with Peter Lorre, Frank Sinatra, George Chakiris, Betty Lynn, and Jim Backus.
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Wed – Peter Lorre, Frank Sinatra, George Chakiris, Betty Lynn, Jim Backus
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Peter Lorre, Frank Sinatra, George Chakiris and Betty Lynn today, in “Meet Me in Las Vegas.”
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For today we have Peter Lorre at the bar, Frank Sinatra at the slots. Also the couple, George Chakiris and Betty Lynn, with back of the head guy appropriately – Jim Backus.
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Peter Lorre, Frank Sinatra, George Chakiris, Betty Lynn and Jim Backus.
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Wednesday
Peter Lorre
Frank Sinatra
George Chakiris, Betty Lynn (I think) and BOTHG is Jim Backus
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On Wednesday such a lineup: Peter Lorre, Frank Sinatra, George Chakiris and Betty Lynn
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Is Tuesday’s mystery guest Frankie Laine?
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Peter Lorre, Frank Sinatra and IMDb’s “Credited with” tool lead me to “Meet me in Las Vegas”. If I can get this on Wednesday, you must be flooded with correct answers!
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Peter Lorre, Frank Sinatra, George Chakiris, Betty Lynn, and Jim Backus in Meet Me in Las Vegas (1956)
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The first two of Wednesday’s cameos are Peter Lorre and Frank Sinatra. Our movie is 1956’s Meet Me in Las Vegas.
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Thurs #1 is Agnes Moorehead
Thurs #2 is Paul Henreid
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Thurs BOTHG is Dan Dailey
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Agnes Moorehead nad Paul Henreid and Jerry Colonna from the back.
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Agnes Moorehead and Paul Henreid
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Late as usual but better than never: “Meet Me In Las Vegas”-with Peter Lorre, Agnes Moorehead, Paul Henreid and George Chakiris.
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I see Paul Henreid, Frank Sinatra and Peter Lorre.
And I think I also see both Frankie Avalon and Agnes Moorehead.
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Agnes Moorhead, Paul Henreid and Dan Dailey.
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Thursday – Agnes Moorehead in image 1 and Paul Henreid with Dan Dailey as the BOTHG (I think)
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Meet Me in Las Vegas from 1956. Henreid, Lorre, Sinatra, and many more in cameos.
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Agnes Moorehead and Paul Henried
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Dan Dailey on Monday with Backus in the background, Pier Angeli, Dailey, Cyd Charisse, and Lili Darvas.
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Fri #1 – Pier Angeli & Jeff Richards
Fri #2 – Dan Dailey
Fri #3 – Cyd Charisse & Lili Darvas
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Is the ‘Friday mysterious man’ Dan Dailey?
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Elaine Stewart, Jeff Richards, Dan Dailey, Cyd Charisse and Lili Darvas.
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Friday
I think the guy is Jeff Richards. Maybe the woman is Elaine Stewart?
Dan Dailey
Cyd Charisse and Lili Darvas
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