Meet Me in Las Vegas


Meet Me in Las Vegas is an MGM musical comedy produced by Joe Pasternak, directed by Roy Rowland, filmed in Eastman Color and CinemaScope, and starring Dan Dailey and Cyd Charisse.
The screenplay is by Isobel Lennart, cinematography by Robert Bronner, music direction by George Stoll, and choreography by Hermes Pan and Eugene Loring.

Story

Set in and around the Sands Hotel, the film has a fairly simple plot, telling "what happens when a gambling rancher discovers that all he has to do to win at roulette is take hold of ballerina Charisse's hand". The film was tailored for the talents of Charisse, showcasing her modern ballet dancing. Several popular singers are featured as themselves. The location shooting gives a good idea of what Las Vegas looked like in 1956.

Cast

There are brief appearances by Jerry Colonna, Paul Henreid, Lena Horne, Frankie Laine, and Mitsuko Sawamura. Cameo appearances include Frank Sinatra, Debbie Reynolds, Vic Damone, Pier Angeli, Peter Lorre, and Tony Martin.
Sammy Davis Jr. sings "Frankie and Johnny" near the end of the film, danced by Charisse, Montevecchi, and Brascia, with special lyrics by Sammy Cahn and arranged by Johnny Green.

Reception

According to MGM records, the film earned $2,217,000 in the US and Canada and $1,497,000 elsewhere, resulting in a loss of $496,000.

Honors

The film received an Oscar nomination for best musical score.

Home video

The film, which has been shown on Turner Classic Movies, was released on DVD from Warner Brothers Archive Collection on July 8, 2011.