Why Didn’t Elvis Open the International Hotel in Las Vegas?
Elvis Presley is so closely associated with the former International Hotel in Las Vegas that it is easy to assume he must have opened it. Today, the property is the Westgate Las Vegas, and for fans of Elvis who are taking a break from playing online baccarat to visit the city, it is one of the most important places connected to the performer.
However, Elvis did not open the International. That honor went to Barbra Streisand, who began a four-week engagement when the hotel opened on July 2, 1969. Elvis did not perform his first show there until July 31. What is less clear is why Elvis was not the opening act, and over the years, several explanations have emerged as to why.
Barbra Streisand Opened the International
When Kirk Kerkorian opened the International in 1969, it was the largest hotel in the world, with around 1,500 rooms and a huge 2,000-seat showroom. The aim was to create something on a scale Las Vegas had not seen before, so having big-name entertainers perform was obviously important. Streisand was one of the biggest stars in entertainment at the time. She had recently won the Academy Award for Best Actress for Funny Girl, and the International signed her to headline its opening engagement.
Elvis was in a rather different position. His 1968 NBC television special had been a major success, but he had spent much of the previous decade making movies and had barely performed live. A month-long engagement in a large Las Vegas showroom would therefore have been a bit of a risk for the casino.
Streisand was also reportedly paid $1 million for her four-week engagement, twice the amount Elvis received for his first run at the hotel. This suggests that, at least initially, she was viewed as the more popular live attraction. However, there is plenty of evidence that the International was also extremely keen to secure Elvis.
Did Colonel Parker Refuse to Let Elvis Open?
Several people connected to the International later claimed that Elvis was offered the chance to open the hotel but that his manager, Colonel Tom Parker, preferred to wait.
Bill Miller, the International’s entertainment director, recalled that owner Kirk Kerkorian wanted Elvis to open the showroom. According to Miller, Parker would agree to the booking only if another performer appeared there first. Former general manager Alex Shoofey was also reported to have tried to persuade Parker to let Elvis open the hotel.
If these accounts are correct, Parker appears to have thought that putting Elvis straight into a brand-new 2,000-seat showroom carried too much risk. Elvis had not been performing regularly for years, and there was no guarantee that his return to the Las Vegas stage would work.
This does not mean there was any doubt about his fame, and Elvis was one of the most recognizable entertainers in the world. The worry seems to have been more about whether his return to regular live performances would succeed.
There is also surviving paperwork showing that the International and Parker had already reached an agreement for Elvis to perform at the hotel before it opened. A December 1968 telegram confirmed a four-week engagement, while a January 1969 letter initially proposed September 11 as the starting date. The dates were eventually moved forward, and Elvis opened on July 31, just 29 days after Barbra Streisand.
Elvis Soon Became the Star Most Associated with the Hotel
Whatever the exact reason for waiting, the decision certainly did Elvis no harm. His first International performance on July 31, 1969, marked his return to regular live shows and was a huge success. He went on to make the hotel his Las Vegas home for the following seven years.
Ultimately, Elvis performed 636 sold-out shows there before his final appearance in December 1976. To this day, the International’s connection with Elvis remains one of the most important parts of its history, despite the changes to the venue’s name.
There is no doubt that the opening-night story is slightly strange, and there may never be a completely definitive answer as to why Elvis did not open the International on July 2, 1969. However, the evidence strongly suggests that the International wanted him and that Parker was reluctant to let Elvis be the first act into a completely new showroom.
If that is correct, then Streisand did not open the International because Elvis had been overlooked. Rather, his manager simply decided it was better to wait a few weeks.
