Why is Elvis talking to clowns? Because it was Vegas,, and they were playing the Sahara. Everyone played the Sahara. No more:

There's that word again. Iconic. Everything's iconic these days.

The Sahara opened in '52. Lounge-music enthusiasts recall it as the home of the Prima / Smith / Butera late-night shows; NASCAR fans will lament the largest NASCAR-themed bar in town. People who'd been going there for years to lose money will probably sigh and move on to the other old casinos - the Trop, the Flamingo, the Riv.

A short look back: