Popular Culture Influenced by The Flamingo Las Vegas

The Flamingo Las Vegas is among the most elite resort entertainment properties in the world, and as such, has found itself consistently integrated into popular culture over the course of the last 50 years.  The original version of the Rat Pack movie Ocean’s 11, which went on to inspire the mega-successful modern trilogy, was filmed on-location at the resort.  The Flamingo was a popular, real-life watering The Flamingohole for the Pack, adding an unusually surreal quality to the film for those in the know.  The Ocean’s 11 remake included a flashback scene shot on the grounds.

Hunter S. Thompson, journalist, author, rampant recreational drug abuser and creator of Gonzo journalism, had lodgings there during his attendance of the National Conference of District Attorneys on Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs being held in the adjacent Dunes Hotel.

His experiences at The Flamingo, and those of his long-time friend Oscar Zeta Acosta, played an instrumental role in providing him with material for his classic semi-autobiography Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.

Talented American rock singer Brandon Flowers of The Killers named his freshman solo effort after The Flamingo and the road of the same name, finding a first love, a first job and many other influential first experiences during his residency there.  The Tim Powers novel Last Call fabricated a partially authentic exploration of a ‘what if?’ scenario where Bugsy Siegel created the casino instead of Billy Wilkerson.  With an abundance of appearances and references in other movies, literature and even video games, the famed hotel remains an indelible influence on decades of pop culture.

Check out The Flamingo to uncover other popular culture references.