Every August, my favorite network,  Turner Classic Movies, celebrates Summer Under the Stars.  Each day in August is devoted to a different star.  24 hours of films.  Sunday, August 16th they turn the spotlight on Elvis Presley.

For Classic Las Vegas lovers that means only one thing:  VIVA LAS VEGAS!  Elvis and Ann-Margaret meet cute and fall in love all under the bright neon lights of Las Vegas in 1964.  If you aren't going to be awake at 3:00 am, then set your TIVO to record it.  You won't be disappointed.

Much of the film was shot on location and there are terrific shots of places like the original Convention Center that aren't there any more.  Also, some great footage of the Riviera and other hotels and their pools.  It helps that Ann-Margaret plays Rusty, a swim instructor.  Look for Nicky Blair in a supporting role.  His restaurant used to be on Paradise near the Convention Center.

Best of all, there is footage of the Mint Hotel with it's beautiful neon wave.  Which we'll be talking about more tomorrow!

In the meantime, do yourself a favor, watch or TIVO "Viva Las Vegas", you won't be disappointed.

Here is a link to the rest of the Summer Under the Stars schedule.  If you haven't checked it out, please do so:

http://www.tcm.com/2009/summer/_pdf/summerunderthestars09.pdf

Tomorrow:  Big news on our upcoming Mid-Century Modern Tour!

And this surprises anyone?

From the R-J:

A group of earnings reports from smaller gaming companies had a common theme today: Revenues continue to fall while the companies talk to creditors about restructuring debt.

Planet Hollywood Resort expressed concern today that it may not be able to generate enough cash flow to fund financial commitments that include monthly payments on a $860 million loan.

A filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission said: “Absent a capital contribution” from the property’s owners, or “an equity investment by third parties or a restructuring” of the debt, the owners “do not believe that cash generated from operations, cash held in reserve by the lenders under the loan agreement ... will be adequate to meet the anticipated working capital and debt service obligations” of Planet Hollywood Resort through Dec. 31.

The filing warned that the property could default if the Strip property’s ownership fails to modify its loan agreement or secure additional capital investment.

Sharp decreases in revenue and debt load payments drove the property’s net loss of $13.6 million in the second quarter ended June 30, a small improvement from the $14.3 million loss posted a year earlier.

Quarterly revenue fell 16.1 percent to $60.6 million from $72.2 million. Cash flow, defined as earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, fell 47.8 percent in the quarter to $5.8 million from $11.1 million.

Casino revenues slipped 8.5 percent in the quarter and revenues for the 2,496-room hotel fell 24.8 percent. Average daily room rates dropped to $96 from $136. Occupancy fell to 91.6 percent from 97 percent last year.

Hooters posts loss

Hooters Hotel posted a second-quarter net loss of $5 million as the property continues to work with its lenders on a possible financial restructuring.

The loss reverses a $2.3 million profit posted a year earlier. The property is in default on $144.5 million in debt, but is talking with lenders led by Wells Fargo Foothill about restructuring or selling the property. The property’s ownership said March 31 that it was not going to make interest payments on its debt.

Quarterly revenue fell 28.7 percent to $11.7 million in the quarter. Cash flow fell 95.4 percent to $86,000 in the quarter. Casino revenues fell 37.2 percent in the quarter and hotel revenues fell 32.8 percent, which includes the spa and retail. Occupancy for the 696 rooms was 84.6 percent, down from 97.6 percent last year.

Black Gaming trims loss

Nearly 80 miles northeast of Las Vegas on Interstate 15, Black Gaming trimmed its second-quarter loss through cost-saving measures that included a continued pullback of operations at the company’s Oasis property.

The Mesquite-based company, which also operates the CasaBlanca and the Virgin River, is in default on $205.8 million in debt, but continues to discuss restructuring with representatives of its debtholders and Wells Fargo Foothill.

Black Gaming posted a net loss of $4.8 million in the quarter, a 76 percent swing from the $20.3 million loss posted for the same time last year.

Quarterly revenues fell 24.2 percent to $27.3 million. Quarterly cash flow improved to $4.6 million from a negative cash flow of $8.6 million in 2008.

The Oasis now operates with 16 slot machines; the property’s 900-room hotel, recreational park and convention facilities are still available on an overflow basis. The Oasis’ Palms Golf Course, gun club and time shares remain open.

Vote coming on Herbst plan

While many casino operators’ financial futures remain uncertain, Herbst Gaming is preparing to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy, maybe as early as this year.

Ballots were issued Wednesday to creditors to approve or disapprove the reorganization plan. The ballots are due Sept. 15 and a confirmation hearing is scheduled to run Oct. 28-29 in Reno.

Under the plan, some creditors will receive 100 percent of the equity of the reorganized Herbst Gaming in addition to a $350 million new senior secured bank loan issued by the new company. The loan and equity will replace the current outstanding debt balance of $875.9 million.

Herbst Gaming posted second-quarter net income of $4.5 million, but a loss of $28.4 million in the first six months. Second-quarter revenues fell 15.6 percent to $172.7 million. Casino operation revenue fell 3.6 percent in the quarter . Slot-route operations fell 18.3 percent and 17.5 percent respectively.

It's been one of the big hits of the summer, Fremont Street Experience's Salute to 1969, Summer of Love.   With tribute bands and rock and roll bands from back in the day performing on the weekends, crowds under the canopy have been plentiful, sometimes elbow to elbow.

With the Woodstock anniversary approaching and Ang Lee's new movie, "Taking Woodstock" about to open, the FSE gets on the band wagon with a salute to Woodstock all its' own.

From the Las Vegas Review-Journal:

In honor of the 40th anniversary of Woodstock, the Fremont Street Experience is hosting its own three days of music and peace Friday through Sunday.

"Woodstock TributePalooza" will feature a variety of musical acts representing some of the more iconic performers that graced the stage during the concert that became a touchstone for a generation.

"I don't think anyone can doubt the importance of that event," says Jeff Victor, president of the Experience. "There were half a million people in that field for three days, and for that many artists to come together, I'm not sure it could happen today."

Victor, 45, knew Woodstock was a major event for its time, but when he started researching in preparation for the tribute, it took on a whole new level of significance for him. That year, 1969, was a volatile year in American history and it shares some parallels to the present-day climate, he says, including a bad economy, a deep concern over the environment and a very unpopular war.

"You had the lofty achievements of putting a man on the moon four weeks before this giant concert on the ground happened," Victor says. "At the same time, there were Manson murders. We had a new president who vowed to get us out of Vietnam. It was a very iconic year that had all these amazing ups and downs. Woodstock was one of those amazing things."

Some of the Woodstock performers -- Janis Joplin, Jimmy Hendrix, The Grateful Dead -- became the faces of that era.

Victor's idea for the tribute was to find artists who could perform the more well-known music from Woodstock. Among the performers will be Dead Ahead, a band that performs the music of the Grateful Dead; Randy Linder, performing Credence Clearwater Revival; Byron Bordeaux playing Jimi Hendrix music; Alan Kaye doing Joe Cocker's music; The Wholigans performing music from The Who and Cara Lee, who will pay tribute to Janis Joplin.

A movie, "From Havens to Hendrix," will play on the lighted canopy. Music and performances are scheduled to start every day of the tribute at 6:30 p.m., with acts planned through midnight. For a full schedule of events, visit vegasexperience.com or call 678-5777.

It doesn't look like it now, though the bones are all still there if you look close enough, but when I was a kid growing up in Las Vegas, McCarran Airport was a mid-century modern oasis.

The new terminal was designed by Los Angeles architect, Welton Beckett and it fit right in with the space age theme that was prevalant back then.  From the Landmark tower to the Convention Center, the new terminal would be right at home.

The Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas has a wonderful collection of photographs and negatives from one of the busiest and best photographers of that era, Jay Florian Mitchell.  Mitchell came to Las Vegas in the early 1950s and began photographing the town.  You can chart the transformation of Las Vegas from a town into a growing city by looking at the photos and negatives that are in this collection.  Mitchell's work spans the mid-1950s to the late 1970s and includes aerials.

Here are some of McCarran Airport:

Here's hoping that Gov. Gibbons doesn't cut anymore of the budget for the states' museums.  They were the hardest hit in the spring when they became part-time employees.  There are fears that the governor will try to keep the state afloat by closing all state-sponsored museums.

But there may be some good news for those beleagured employees.

According to Cy Ryan at the Las Vegas Sun:

Despite the continuing bad economic news, Gov. Jim Gibbons says he’s not planning on calling a special session of the Legislature — at least at this time.

He says his administration is continuing to look at ways to adjust the state budget so it doesn’t fall into the hole.

“When we get to a point where we can no longer make those adjustments to the state’s budget, based on executive orders, we will have to, by necessity, consider a special session,” he said.

He said he is going to bring in legislators in the interim to “offer their input.” He said he has already talked to legislators. Pressed, he said he conferred with Republicans Senate Minority Leader Bill Raggio and Sen. Randolph Townsend, both of Reno.

Asked if he has talked with any Democrats that control both houses, Gibbons said he hasn’t after reading reports in the Las Vegas Sun. “All the reports show they have made their decision.”

Asked what those Democratic decisions are, Gibbons replied, “I’m only believing what I read in your reports...”

Assembly Speaker Barbara Buckley, D-Las Vegas, said she has never been contacted by the governor about a special session and hasn’t made any comments to the Sun about it.

She said it’s too early to make a decision whether to convene a special session. She said a conclusion could be made in October or November when more tax revenue information is available.

While Nevada leads the nation in economic problems, she said, it’s too soon to make a judgment whether this will turn around.

Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford, D-North Las Vegas, said he would be willing to meet with the governor at any time to discuss the state’s business. But he hasn’t talked with Gibbons since near the end of the 2009 Legislature in early June.

He said it was “premature” to discuss a special session. He said there have been periodic updates from the fiscal staff of the Legislature on the condition of the state.

Gaming and sales taxes are the two biggest revenue producers for the state, and both are down.

The state Gaming Control Board says the state collected $655 million in taxes from casinos in the last fiscal year, down from the $663 million predicted by the Economic Forum on which the state budget is based. Collections from the sales tax are down by $8.1 million below their forecast for the first 11 months of last fiscal year.

Only the governor can call a special session of the Legislature. And the regular session of the Legislature doesn’t convene until February 2011.

Gibbons said his administration was “very conservative” in its approach to the budget last February. But the Legislature increased taxes $1.1 billion over his veto, he said. “Still we are seeing a lack of revenue to meet the spending requests of the last Legislature.”

The governor made his statement to reporters after a meeting of the state Board of Examiners, which agreed to delay for two more months the requirement for employees in the state prison system to take one day off a month to save money.

The Department of Corrections says it needs to keep these prison employees working to ensure public safety and it needs more time to plan for the furloughs. This delay in the prison furlough plan will cost the state $630,172 since these employees won’t lose more than 4 percent in salary every month, as other department workers do.

Gibbons said the prisons need more time to plan how this furlough procedure will be accomplished. Gibbons is chairman of the three-member examiners board.