Elvis, Marilyn, and the Space Aliens: Icons on Screen in Nevada

by Robin Holabird

Overview

Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe, and space aliens like the Transformers share a surprising connection along with James Bond, Indiana Jones, and Rocky Balboa. These beloved icons played active roles in movie and television projects set in the state of Nevada. Long time state film commissioner and movie reviewer Holabird explores the blending of icons and Nevada, along with her personal experiences of watching movies, talking with famous people, and showing off a diverse range of stunning and iconic locations like Las Vegas, Reno, Lake Tahoe, and Area 51.

Holabird shows how Nevada’s flash, flair, and fostering of the forbidden provided magic for singers, sexpots, and strange creatures from other worlds. She also gives readers an insider’s look into moviemaking in Nevada by drawing on her extensive experience as a film commissioner. This is a unique take on film history and culture, and Holabird explores eighteen film genres populated by one-of-a-kind characters with ties to Nevada. Along with being a film history of the state of Nevada written by a consummate insider, the book is a fun mixture of research, personal experiences, and analysis about how Nevada became the location of choice for a broad spectrum of well-known films and characters.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781943859245
Publisher:	University of Nevada Press
Publication date:	02/21/2017
Edition description:	1
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.80(d)
Age Range:	3 Months to 18 Years

About the Author

Robin Holabird is former deputy director of the Nevada Film Office and a regular film reviewer on KUNR 88.7 FM, Reno Public Radio. She has traveled the state extensively scouting locations for films. A former board member of the Association of Film Commissioners International (AFCI), she is former editor of the organization’s magazine Locations.
 

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments vii

Introduction 3

1 Elvis and the Impersonators 10

Elvis Presley sang "Viva Las Vegas" and transformed his career with concerts in the city, one of the best places in the world to see him today

2 Marilyn and the Divorcees 19

Marilyn Monroe's new husband wrote a special script for her after joining millions by seeking a famous Nevada divorce

3 Space Aliens and Area 51 28

The US military denies running a top-secret facility that studies aliens in isolated Nevada desert, but Indiana Jones says otherwise

4 The Godfather and Mobsters 38

Nevada provides screen gangsters with an offer they can't refuse

5 Crime Scenes and Investigators 53

Las Vegas and Reno generate unique 911 calls

6 Partiers and Las Vegas 62

Nevada's biggest city provides for 24/7 celebrations and hangover recovery

7 Oceans in the Desert 70

Two Oceans' Eleven teams bring class, style, and thievery to Nevada casinos

8 Gamblers and Casinos 78

Betting in Nevada changes lives for The Gambler, The Cooler, and others

9 Rocky and the Fighters 89

Screen icon Rocky Balboa joins world champions for major matches in Nevada

10 Big Things at the Atomic Test Site 101

An iconic location generates giant ramifications

11 Stephen King and the Monsters 112

A best-selling author discovers Misery and Desperation in Nevada

12 Melvin and the Really Famous People 133

Working class stiffs find well-known faces in Nevada

13 Mustang and the Ranches 142

They don't raise horses at the World Famous Mustang Ranch (and good luck finding felines at Cathouse)

14 Showgirls and the Entertainers 154

Nevada's economy develops with sexy shapes

15 Bonanza and the Cowboys 162

Westerners build the Nevada frontier

16 Maverick and the Top Guns 173

Nevada fills the need for speed

17 James Bond and the Spies 180

Superspy 007 uses his license to kill in Las Vegas, but the city nearly takes him down

18 Rain Man and the Road Trippers 186

Nevada highways are a trip

Epilogue 200

Movie Location Guide: Viva Las Vegas! 202

Movie Location Guide: Waking Up in Reno 210

Movie Location Guide: Joy Ride through Rural Nevada 218

Sources 237

About the Author 239

Index 241

Editorial Reviews

Elvis, Marilyn and the Space Aliens by Robin Holabird provides a detailed, personal look at the film industry in Nevada. The author’s experience in the Nevada Film Office gives her a unique perspective on an interesting topic, one that is likely to be of significant interest not only to movie buffs but also those eager to learn more about Nevada history.”
—Steve Blust, Former Deputy Editor, Las Vegas Review-Journal


“An enjoyable introduction to Nevada cinema written in an authoritative but approachable style by Robin Holabird … Holabird’s book is a welcome―arguably much-needed―addition to the literature. Holabird is an unquestioned authority on the material presented in the book. As a film commissioner, she was actively involved in bringing many of the projects she references to Nevada.”
―Forrest Hartman, Former Arts Editor, Reno Gazette Journal and Lecturer in Journalism at University of California, Chico
 

From the Publisher