Harold's Club

Last updated
Harold's Club
Barajas Bee del Harold's Club (1935 - 1995) de Reno Nevada - (2014) 2014-03-24 00-34.jpg
Harold's Club cards
Location Reno, Nevada, U.S.
Address 236 North Virginia Street
Opening date1935;89 years ago (1935)
Closing date1995;29 years ago (1995)
Theme Cowboy
Owner
  • Harold Smith
  • Raymond Smith
Coordinates 39°31′39″N119°48′48″W / 39.527522°N 119.813472°W / 39.527522; -119.813472

Harold's Club, also spelled Harolds Club, was a casino in Downtown Reno, Nevada that was established in 1935. The casino closed in 1995 and the building was demolished in 1999. Harold's Club was the set for the 1955 movie 5 Against the House . An Ocean's 11 predecessor set in Reno, the movie provides the best view of Harold's Club casino.

Contents

History

Harold's Club casino was established in 1935 by Harold S. Smith Sr. (1910–1985) and his brother, Raymond A. Smith. Soon afterwards, their father, Raymond I. ("Pappy") Smith (1887–1967), was appointed general manager and became the public face of the casino. [1] The casino expanded by buying adjacent Virginia Street properties. Harold's Club constructed a seven-story building as part of the casino, but never had a hotel on the property. Pappy Smith developed a marketing campaign that made the casino famous, using more than two thousand billboards across the United States advertising "Harold's Club or Bust", often written on a Conestoga wagon. [2] [3] (By the 1970s, most of the billboards had been taken down because of the Highway Beautification Act. [4] )

Harold's Club was sold to Howard Hughes's Summa Corporation in 1970 for $11.5 million. In December 1994, the casino was sold to Gamma International Ltd. and closed three months later. The casino was then sold to Harrah's Reno in 1999 and demolished. [5] The property is now an outdoor plaza for concerts and special events.

The casino building had an American Bandstand restaurant and nightclub for 8 years during the 1990s. [6]

Harold's Club was the target of a casino heist in the 1955 feature film 5 Against the House .

A large 70 by 35 foot mural of Old West pioneer settlers that was displayed in front of the casino is now on display at the Reno Livestock Events Center, about 2 miles from the old casino location. The mural was designed by Theodore McFallon and constructed by Sargent Claude Johnson. [7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mandalay Resort Group</span> American hotel and casino operator

Mandalay Resort Group was an American hotel and casino operator based in Paradise, Nevada. Its major properties included Mandalay Bay, Luxor, Excalibur and Circus Circus, as well as half of the Monte Carlo. In terms of market capitalization, it was one of the largest casino operators in the world. Its stock traded on the New York Stock Exchange with the ticker symbol "CIR" and "MBG".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stardust Resort and Casino</span> Defunct casino hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada

The Stardust Resort and Casino was a casino resort located on 60 acres (24 ha) along the Las Vegas Strip in Winchester, Nevada. The Stardust was conceived by Tony Cornero, and construction began in 1954. Cornero died in 1955, and the project was taken over by his brother. The Stardust had numerous creditors, and construction was stopped in 1956, when the project ran out of money.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Landmark (hotel and casino)</span> Former casino hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada

The Landmark was a hotel and casino located in Winchester, Nevada, east of the Las Vegas Strip and across from the Las Vegas Convention Center. Frank Caroll, the project's original owner, purchased the property in 1961. Fremont Construction began work on the tower that September, while Caroll opened the adjacent Landmark Plaza shopping center and Landmark Apartments by the end of the year. The tower's completion was expected for early 1963, but because of a lack of financing, construction was stopped in 1962, with the resort approximately 80 percent complete. Up to 1969, the topped-off tower was the tallest building in Nevada until the completion of the International Hotel across the street.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Frontier Hotel and Casino</span> Former hotel and casino on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada

The New Frontier was a hotel and casino on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. The property began as a casino and dance club known as Pair O' Dice, opened in 1931. It was sold in 1941, and incorporated into the Hotel Last Frontier, which began construction at the end of the year. The Hotel Last Frontier opened on October 30, 1942, as the second resort on the Las Vegas Strip. The western-themed property included 105 rooms, as well as the Little Church of the West. The resort was devised by R.E. Griffith and designed by his nephew, William J. Moore. Following Griffith's death in 1943, Moore took over ownership and added a western village in 1948. The village consisted of authentic Old West buildings from a collector and would also feature the newly built Silver Slipper casino, added in 1950.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">El Rancho Vegas</span> Hotel and casino in Nevada, United States

El Rancho Vegas was a hotel and casino at the north end of the Las Vegas Strip in Winchester, Nevada. It opened in 1941, as the first resort on the Strip, known then as part of Highway 91. It was located at what is now the southwest corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Sahara Avenue. The El Rancho Vegas was conceived by Thomas Hull, who owned several hotels in California and wanted to expand his operations to Las Vegas. He decided to build his new resort along Highway 91, on desert land located just outside of city limits. Hull intended to target motorists traveling from Los Angeles to Las Vegas, although his remote location was met with skepticism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Riviera (hotel and casino)</span> Former casino hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada

The Riviera was a hotel and casino on the northern Las Vegas Strip in Winchester, Nevada. It opened on April 20, 1955, and included a nine-story hotel featuring 291 rooms. The Riviera was the first skyscraper in the Las Vegas Valley, and was the area's tallest building until 1956. Various hotel additions would be made in later years, including a 12-story tower in 1966, a 17-story tower in 1975, and a 24-story tower in 1988. By the time of its closure in 2015, the resort included a 103,800 sq ft (9,640 m2) casino and 2,075 rooms.

Station Casinos, LLC is an American hotel and casino company based in Las Vegas suburb of Summerlin South, Nevada, and founded by Frank Fertitta Jr. Station Casinos, along with Affinity Gaming, Boyd Gaming and Golden Entertainment, dominate the locals casino market in Las Vegas. The company purchased several sites that were gaming-entitled, meaning that major casinos can be built at that location without additional approvals. There are only a limited number of such sites available in the Las Vegas area. Station Casinos has also branched out into managing casinos that they do not own. Red Rock Resorts, Inc. is a publicly traded holding company that owns a portion of Station Casinos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flamingo Las Vegas</span> Casino hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, US

Flamingo Las Vegas is a casino hotel on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Caesars Entertainment. The Flamingo includes a 72,299 sq ft (6,716.8 m2) casino and a 28-story hotel with 3,460 rooms.

The Castaways was a hotel and casino on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. It began in the 1930s, as a small motel called Mountain View. It became the San Souci in 1939, and underwent several ownership changes in its early years. A hotel addition opened on August 21, 1955, when the property became the Sans Souci Hotel. A casino, showroom, and restaurant were eventually opened on October 23, 1957. These facilities closed less than a year later, due to financial problems, although the hotel continued operations. Following a bankruptcy reorganization, the shuttered facilities reopened in May 1960. However, the property soon closed due to further financial difficulties.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harrah's Reno</span> Casino hotel in Nevada, United States

Harrah's Reno is a closed casino hotel in downtown Reno, Nevada. It is owned by CAI Investments, which plans to renovate the building as a mixed-use development named Reno City Center.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob Cashell</span> American businessman and politician (1938–2020)

Robert Alan Cashell was an American businessman and politician. He served as the mayor of Reno, Nevada from 2002 to 2014. He served as the 28th lieutenant governor of Nevada from 1983 to 1987 and on the Nevada System of Higher Education Board of Regents from 1979 to 1982. He served as a board member for Station Casinos from June 17, 2011 until his death on February 11, 2020. Cashell was a moderate member of the Republican Party and was a former member of the Democratic Party.

Martin Stern Jr. was an American architect who was most widely known for his large scale designs and structures in Las Vegas, Nevada. He is credited with originating the concept of the structurally integrated casino resort complex in Las Vegas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Cromwell Las Vegas</span> Casino hotel in Nevada, United States

The Cromwell Las Vegas is a luxury boutique casino hotel on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Caesars Entertainment. It was originally opened by Michael Gaughan as the Barbary Coast on March 2, 1979. Several nearby resorts were opposed to its construction, partially due to concerns about increased traffic congestion. The property featured Victorian décor and later became part of Gaughan's company, Coast Casinos. The Barbary Coast would go on to add two popular restaurants, and a nightclub by Victor Drai.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Las Vegas Club</span> Casino hotel in Nevada, United States

Las Vegas Club was a hotel and casino located on the Fremont Street Experience in downtown Las Vegas, Nevada. The Las Vegas Club opened in 1930, joining the Las Vegas Hotel which had opened in 1908. The Las Vegas Club was relocated across the street in 1949. At its new location, the Las Vegas Club operated within the Overland Hotel, which was established in 1905.

The El Rancho Hotel and Casino was a hotel and casino that operated on the Las Vegas Strip in Winchester, Nevada. It originally opened on September 2, 1948, as the Navajo-themed Thunderbird. At the time, it was owned by building developer Marion Hicks and Lieutenant Governor of Nevada Clifford A. Jones. A sister property, the Algiers Hotel, was opened south of the Thuderbird in 1953. During the mid-1950s, the state carried out an investigation to determine whether underworld Mafia figures held hidden interests in the resort. Hicks and Jones ultimately prevailed and kept their gaming licenses. Hicks died in 1961, and his position as managing director was taken over by Joe Wells, another partner in the resort. Wells added a horse racing track known as Thunderbird Downs, located behind the resort. The Thunderbird also hosted numerous entertainers and shows, including Flower Drum Song and South Pacific.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holy Cow Casino and Brewery</span> Locals casino and brewery in Nevada, US

Holy Cow! Casino and Brewery was a locals casino and microbrewery on South Las Vegas Boulevard, north of the Las Vegas Strip, in Las Vegas, Nevada. The property began in 1955 as Foxy's Deli, which operated until its closure in 1975. A year later, the building was reopened as a casino named Foxy's Firehouse, which later closed in 1988. Tom "Big Dog" Wiesner purchased the building and reopened it as the Holy Cow casino in 1992. Wiesner added a microbrewery the following year, making the Holy Cow the first brewery to open in Las Vegas. Wiesner persuaded the state to change its laws that had prohibited breweries from operating in Las Vegas.

Fitzgeralds Gaming was a gaming and hotel company based in Reno, Nevada, that operated four casinos under the Fitzgeralds brand. It filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in December 2000, and subsequently sold all its properties.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hotel Nevada and Gambling Hall</span> Casino hotel in Nevada, United States

Hotel Nevada and Gambling Hall, also known as the Historic Hotel Nevada and Gambling Hall, is a hotel and casino located at 501 Aultman Street in Ely, Nevada.

Key Largo was a hotel and casino located on 4.85 acres (1.96 ha) of land at 377 East Flamingo Road, one mile east of the Las Vegas Strip, in Paradise, Nevada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Circa Resort & Casino</span> Resort and casino in downtown Las Vegas

Circa Resort & Casino is a casino and hotel resort in downtown Las Vegas, Nevada, on the Fremont Street Experience. The property was previously occupied by the Las Vegas Club hotel-casino, the Mermaids Casino, and the Glitter Gulch strip club. Circa is owned by brothers Derek and Greg Stevens, who also own other downtown casinos. They purchased the Las Vegas Club in 2015, followed by the acquisition of Mermaids and Glitter Gulch. The three businesses were demolished in 2017, and construction on Circa began in February 2019, with an opening initially scheduled for December 2020.

References

Harold's Club neon sign, 1955
  1. Butterfield, Roger (October 15, 1945). "Harold's Club". Life . p. 117. ISSN   0024-3019.
  2. Kling, Dwayne (2000). The rise of the biggest little city: an encyclopedic history of Reno gaming 1931–1981. Reno, Nevada: University of Nevada Press. pp. 61–70. ISBN   0-87417-340-X . Retrieved October 25, 2010.
  3. "Harolds Club". Online Nevada Encyclopedia. Retrieved January 8, 2018.
  4. "Harolds Club or Bust" signs vanish. The Southeast Missourian July 28, 1974
  5. Vogel, Ed (December 13, 1999). "Page From Past". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on October 3, 2000.
  6. "Brief: American Bandstand club closes". Las Vegas Sun . January 4, 1999.
  7. "Harolds Club Mural". Online Nevada Encyclopedia. Retrieved January 8, 2018.

Further reading