American Experience
(1988– )
On this IMDbrief, we break down the worst gifts ever given in our favorite holiday movies. For some great gift ideas, check out IMDb's Holiday Gift Guide, curated with the entertainment lover in mind!
User Lists
Related lists from IMDb users
Share this Rating
Title: Las Vegas: An Unconventional History: Part 1 (14 Nov 2005)
Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below.
Photos
Add Image
Add an image
Do you have any images for this title?
Edit
Cast
| Episode credited cast: | |||
| Michael Murphy | ... | Himself - Narrator (voice) | |
| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
| Lucille Ball | ... | Herself (archive footage) | |
| Imogene Coca | ... | Herself (archive footage) | |
| Noël Coward | ... | Himself (archive footage) (as Noel Coward) | |
| Walter Cronkite | ... | Himself (archive footage) | |
 |
Patricia Cunningham | ... | Herself |
| Sammy Davis Jr. | ... | Himself (archive footage) | |
| Marlene Dietrich | ... | Herself (archive footage) | |
| Judy Garland | ... | Herself (archive footage) | |
| Oscar Goodman | ... | Himself | |
|
|
Brian Greenspun | ... | Himself |
| Bryant Gumbel | ... | Himself (archive footage) | |
|
|
Dave Hickey | ... | Himself |
| Jimmy Hoffa | ... | Himself (archive footage) | |
| Howard Hughes | ... | Himself (archive footage) | |
Edit
See full technical specs »
Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
14 November 2005 (USA) See more »Company Credits
Show more on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Color:
ColorFrequently Asked Questions
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.On IMDb TV, you can catch Hollywood hits and popular TV series at no cost. Select any poster below to play the movie, totally free!
Explore popular and recently added TV series available to stream now with Prime Video.
The opening interview in this documentary is VERY ironic. A housekeeping lady from a hotel talks about how great things are in Vegas--how they are constantly building and expanding so jobs are easy to come by and how you can buy a house with no money down. Now, after the housing bust, the opposite is now very true. Las Vegas has one of the highest unemployment and foreclosure rates in the country--and many, many homes and businesses sit vacant. Apparently all this enthusiasm was a bit premature and much has changed since this episode of "The American Experience" first aired in 2005.
The beginning of the episode didn't seem that unconventional. It's a history of Nevada and how it suddenly blossomed after gambling was legalized. The rest is a discussion of the seedier sort of Vegas--the Vegas of yesteryear. Mob influence, gambling addictions, segregation, nuclear detonations nearby and the Rat Pack all are discussed--leaving the viewer with a feeling that this was indeed 'Sin City'. All in all, an interesting and exciting episode--full of the usual "American Experience" quality and craftsmanship. Well worth seeing.