ABSTRACT
Of the thirty-two films to star Elvis Presley 1 one of the most successful was Viva Las Vegas (1964). Playing an aspiring auto-racing champion who is forced by circumstance to work as a bellhop, Elvis, together with romantic foil Ann-Margret, take Vegas by storm framed by a succession of glitzy backdrops – neon-lit casinos, poolside patios and even the Hoover Dam. It soon became a case of art imitating life: from 1969 until his death in 1977, Elvis was the king of Las Vegas, playing the Hilton (formerly the International Hotel) in month-long gigs, three to four times a year. Twice a night, clad in his trademark white-studded jumpsuit, The King would reprise his movie persona singing “Viva Las Vegas” to standing-room-only crowds. Likewise, Ann-Margret was known as the “Queen of the Strip,” headlining at the Riviera Hotel in a show which began with a production number featuring twelve motorcycles. Both Elvis and Ann-Margret had hotel suites named after them – Elvis at the Las Vegas Hilton and Ann-Margret at Caesar's Palace – a privilege reserved exclusively for the two stars of Viva Las Vegas (Graham 1989: 128–9; 178).
