Tagged: Las Vegas
Bond’s Gray Suit and Mustang Mach 1 in Vegas
Sean Connery on location in Las Vegas as James Bond in Diamonds are Forever (1971).
Vitals
Sean Connery as James Bond, British government agent
Las Vegas, Spring 1971
Film: Diamonds are Forever
Release Date: December 17, 1971
Director: Guy Hamilton
Wardrobe Master: Ray Beck
Tailor: Anthony Sinclair
Background
Yesterday’s post discussed the first car driven by Sean Connery’s James Bond (in an action scene). Today, we’ll be looking at the last.
After making five Bond films in as many years, Sean Connery was reasonably tired of his role. Sure it made him a star, but he was an actor, and actors like roles with character development and tight dialogue rather than repetitive plots, anonymous henchmen deaths, and volcano lairs. The days of espionage thrillers laced with realism like From Russia With Love had given way to over-the-top action and cliches in You Only Live Twice. (Sir Sean and I both agree on this matter.) Continue reading
Sinatra Takes it Easy in Ocean’s Eleven
Frank Sinatra as Danny Ocean in Ocean’s Eleven (1960).
Vitals
Frank Sinatra as Danny Ocean, smooth-talking con man and casino heister
Las Vegas, New Year’s 1960
Film: Ocean’s Eleven
Release Date: August 10, 1960
Director: Lewis Milestone
Costume Designer: Howard Shoup
Tailor: Sy Devore
Background
I’m sure the Macy’s commercials have reminded you that there are two weeks until Christmas Eve… as if you’d forget. To make sure you take time to relax, get inspired by Frank Sinatra (whose birthday would have been two days from today) to take things nice and easy…
He may be in the middle of the fallout of a major multi-casino heist in Las Vegas, but Sinatra knows when he needs to slow things down a bit. For some relaxation around his hotel room, he takes off the coat and tie and slips into a comfortable cardigan, enjoying some cocktails and banter with Dean Martin before the film’s villain-by-default Cesar Romero shows up to announce his havoc-wreaking plans. Continue reading
Casino – De Niro Wears Pink for a Car Bombing
Robert De Niro as Sam “Ace” Rothstein in Casino (1995).
Vitals
Robert De Niro as Sam “Ace” Rothstein, Vegas casino manager and mob associate
Las Vegas, October 1982
Film: Casino
Release Date: November 22, 1995
Director: Martin Scorsese
Costume Design: Rita Ryack & John A. Dunn
Background
Anyone standing outside Tony Roma’s restaurant on the Las Vegas Strip 31 years ago today would be in for years of ringing ears. On the morning of October 4, 1982, ousted casino manager, fringe mob associate, and gambler extraordinaire Frank “Lefty” Rosenthal left the restaurant and headed for his car, a silver 1981 Cadillac Eldorado coupe with the distinctive V8-6-4 engine, the failed experiment that only last one year. In this case, the failed experiment saved Rosenthal’s life as an extra metal sheet placed under the driver’s seat to offset the weight of this engine protected him from the initial blast of a devastating car bomb placed on his Cadillac. Continue reading
George Clooney in Ocean’s Thirteen – A Man in Black
George Clooney as Danny Ocean in Ocean’s Thirteen (2007)
Vitals
George Clooney as Danny Ocean, paroled con man and casino heister
Las Vegas, Summer 2007
Film: Ocean’s Thirteen
Release Date: June 8, 2007
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Costume Designer: Louise Frogley
Background
Much of the sartorial attention from the Ocean’s series goes to the flashy, sharp suits favored by Brad Pitt’s character Rusty Ryan. This is not undeserved praise, but flashy and sharp aren’t for everyone. George Clooney, as the gang’s de facto leader Danny Ocean, looks just as cool and confident in subdued suits in black and gray. Continue reading
Bugsy Siegel’s Las Vegas Discovery
Warren Beatty as “Bugsy” Siegel in Bugsy (1991)
Vitals
Warren Beatty as Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel, violent and visionary “celebrity” gangster
Las Vegas, March 1945
Film: Bugsy
Release Date: December 13, 1991
Director: Barry Levinson
Costume Designer: Albert Wolsky
Background
23 years after turning vicious Depression-era outlaw Clyde Barrow into a lovable if impotent protagonist, Warren Beatty was back at it, portraying sadistic rapist-turned-gangster “Bugsy” Siegel as an ambitious womanizer whose major flaw was being a stickler for good grammar.
While Siegel’s story was kept relatively similar—he was a dreamer amongst gangsters who fell in love with Hollywood and femme fatale Virginia Hill—Beatty plays him much differently than the cinematic mobster we’re used to seeing. Continue reading
Rusty’s Airport Attire in Ocean’s Thirteen
Brad Pitt oozes cool as “Rusty” Ryan in Ocean’s Thirteen (2007) in Vegas’s McCarran International Airport. Hey, Sopranos fans – am I crazy or does the guy sitting behind him look exactly like Meadow’s friend Noah from season 3?
Vitals
Brad Pitt as Robert “Rusty” Ryan, casino heister and hotel manager
Las Vegas, July 2007
Film: Ocean’s Thirteen
Release Date: June 8, 2007
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Costume Designer: Louise Frogley
Background
Possibly still smarting from Danny’s remark about “Ted Nugent’s shirt” at the end of Ocean’s Eleven, Rusty has relatively toned down his attire for Ocean’s Thirteen. I say “relatively” because he still wears white suits and shirts that reflect better than most mirrors, but it is also primarily solids, with a subtle stripe thrown in occasionally.
For much of Ocean’s Thirteen, and especially the final scene, Rusty embraces the summer climate and wears a lot of bright earth tones. It is a very cool look and, as usual for Brad Pitt, is risky for the standard layman to execute successfully. However, Rusty’s confidence and – dare I say – swagger work in his favor and even Roman Nagel has to admit early on that Rusty “has style”. Continue reading
Poolside De Niro in Casino
Robert De Niro as “Ace” Rothstein in Casino (1995)
Vitals
Robert De Niro as Sam “Ace” Rothstein, Vegas casino manager and mob associate
Las Vegas, Summer 1972
Film: Casino
Release Date: November 22, 1995
Director: Martin Scorsese
Costume Design: Rita Ryack & John A. Dunn
Background
With tomorrow marking the first official day of summer, people will be flocking to the pool. It’s a nice place to catch some sun, but maybe you’re not in the mood for swimming. Who knows why – maybe you’re afraid of water, or maybe you have lice. Still, you’ll want to make sure you look cool while sitting poolside, puffing away on a cigarette while dealing with your city’s major power brokers and delegating control of your turf…assuming you’re a ’70s casino executive in Martin Scorsese’s world. Continue reading
Sinatra’s Dark Gray Ocean’s Eleven Suit
Today marks the sad anniversary of 15 years since the death of the legendary Frank Sinatra. To pay tribute to the man, here is another installment from the original Ocean’s Eleven.
Frank Sinatra as Danny Ocean in the original Ocean’s Eleven (1960).
Vitals
Frank Sinatra as Danny Ocean, smooth-talking con man and casino heister
Las Vegas, New Year’s 1960
Film: Ocean’s Eleven
Release Date: August 10, 1960
Director: Lewis Milestone
Costume Designer: Howard Shoup
Tailor: Sy Devore
Background
A great suit is great not just only for looking good but also for its versatility. In several key scenes in Ocean’s Eleven, Sinatra wears a sharp gray suit, the same suit seen in the iconic Rat Pack poster of all five members standing in front of a sign for the Sands in Vegas. What makes this suit diverse is that Sinatra’s character, Danny Ocean, wears it for both a night at the casino and the funeral of an old buddy.
In an interesting reversal, the original Ocean’s Eleven is actually darker than the modern remake. According to Frank Sinatra, Jr., in the DVD commentary, Danny and his men were to charter a plane, flown by one of the “eleven”, and get the stolen money out of Vegas successfully. Unfortunately, the entire group would then be killed in a plane crash.
Other than the irony, there’s not really much that is very funny about this ending. After it was decided that no one really cared for it, an alternate ending was developed. The new ending still featured death, but only one compared to eleven. This sort of black comedy was not very common in 1960, and the Rat Pack handled it perfectly. They would be the perfect guys to defy cinematic conventions and say, “Fuck it. Someone’s gotta die for this movie.”
What’d He Wear?
Sinatra wears a dark gray wool suit, tailored for him by the legendary Sy Devore. Continue reading
De Niro’s Black Wedding Suit in Casino
Robert De Niro in Casino (1995)
Vitals
Robert De Niro as Sam “Ace” Rothstein, brilliant sports handicapper, gambler, and mob associate
Las Vegas, Spring 1974
Film: Casino
Release Date: November 22, 1995
Director: Martin Scorsese
Costume Design: Rita Ryack & John A. Dunn
Background
Robert De Niro is arguably one of the screen’s most famous BAMFs. My first De Niro post, however, isn’t about boxer Jake LaMotta (Raging Bull) or vicious mobster Jimmy Conway (Goodfellas) or even the dapper Mafia chief Vito Corleone (The Godfather, Part II)… so to kick off BAMF Style’s Week of Weddings (since Valentine’s Day is coming up!) and bring in Mafia Monday on a BAMF note, here is De Niro getting married in Casino.
I don’t know why it’s taken me this long, other than the fact that it’s a three-hour movie that features over fifty costume changes for its main character—pretty much all of them suits or sport jackets—but here is the first breakdown from Casino. As mentioned, it’s said that De Niro had at least 52 costume changes throughout. Most of his suits and jackets are very loud, a series of silk pastels ranging from hot pink to lime green (if limes were radioactive), so the suit chosen for his wedding was relatively conservative. Continue reading
Dino’s New Year’s Eve Tuxedo in Ocean’s 11
Vitals
Dean Martin as Sam Harmon in the original 1960 Ocean’s Eleven.
Dean Martin as Sam Harmon, lounge singer and part-time casino heister
Las Vegas, New Year’s Eve 1959
Film: Ocean’s Eleven
Release Date: August 10, 1960
Director: Lewis Milestone
Costume Designer: Howard Shoup
Tailor: Sy Devore
Background
Much as Dean Martin was seen as Frank Sinatra’s second-in-command in the Rat Pack, Martin’s character Sam Harmon was the right-hand man to Sinatra’s Danny Ocean in the original Ocean’s Eleven. When the film was remade forty years later, Dean Martin’s Sam Harmon became Brad Pitt’s Rusty Ryan, who matched Martin’s sharp-dressed style with classy suits and sport jackets.
However, Pitt knew to stay away from the territory Dean Martin was known for: his tuxedos. Continue reading
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