Everyone dressed to the nines to go to the MGM Grand.
It also definitely raised the bar of luxury in Las Vegas. It was the largest hotel in the world when it opened and it held that title for years after. The hotel lived up to its hype of elegance. Classic era stars such as Cary Grant, Ann Miller, Gregory Peck, Van Johnson and many more were there that opening weekend emphasizing the glamour and glitz not only of Hollywood but of the resort. Being big classic-era film buffs, we were delighted to have a slice of old-style Hollywood in our backyard. We watched it being built and read the newspaper articles and the gossip magazines of the day for any information we could get. The hotel sought to bring a new elegance to the famed Las Vegas Strip.
The hotel was modeled after the MGM movie, 'Grand Hotel' starring Greta Garbo, John Barrymore and Joan Crawford. The original MGM Grand Hotel was built by Kirk Kerkorian, who at the time owned the famed MGM movie studio, film library and the name. This is not to be confused with the new MGM Grand on the corner of Tropicana and Las Vegas Blvd. I had the opportunity to visit Bally's Hotel and Casino over the weekend.īack when I was younger Bally's was then known as the MGM Grand Hotel.
