It Was Great While It Lasted – A PR Man’s Reflections on Nevada’s Entertainment Heyday
Written by Mark Curtis
The Black Rock Press, 163pp., 2001
The “cow town” of Elko, located in the remote northeastern corner of Nevada, was once the casino entertainment capital of the world. Las Vegas was not even a close second. That’s just one of the interesting tidbits you’ll learn reading the late Mark Curtis’ first-person narrative, “It Was Great While It Lasted”.
It seems that when no other casino had ever considered having entertainment anywhere near their gambling operations, Newt Crumley Jr., the owner of Elko’s Commercial Hotel (& casino) hired Joe Lewis, Paul Whiteman, Jimmy Dorsey, Sophie Tucker, Phil Harris and even Lawrence Welk along with others to perform.
The modern-day equivalents would be Jerry Seinfeld, Taylor Swift, Coldplay, Ed Sheeran, U2 and The Rolling Stones. Despite spending outrageous amounts of 1941 money (up to $12,000 a week), all these shows were sellouts, and the casino flourished. As Curtis writes, “Crumley taught Nevada it’s most valuable lesson: how to promote.”
Mark Curtis was a great student of the industry, and many of those who worked with him (including competitors) considered him to be one of the best writers, promoters and public relations professionals in the casino industry.
While he worked for several other northern Nevada casinos, the bulk of his career was spent with two different stints at Harrah’s Reno and Lake Tahoe properties, totaling 22 years.
Today, in what I consider gross corporate mismanagement, the Harrah brand is mid-level at best. The flagship Reno property was shuttered a few years back, suffering from a decade or more of decline hurried along by deferred maintenance. The Tahoe property is a bit better today, largely because of its presence next to the gorgeous lake, but it is nowhere near the five-star status it had under the leadership of Bill Harrah and the team of talented executives like Mark Curtis.
That forgotten legacy branding is hard to imagine today for those who’ve joined our industry in just the last few decades, but two quotes from the book put it into perspective:
- “I play Caesars Las Vegas. It’s top of the line. I love that place. They treat me well. It’s a great showroom. It has everything. But Caesars compared to Harrah’s is a toilet.” – Frank Sinatra
- “Harrah’s is the Cadillac of the gaming industry.” – The Wall Street Journal
Curtis played a role in several of the milestones that helped the shy somewhat alcoholic gambler from southern California (William F. Harrah) transform himself to become one of the icons of casino management. Curtis recounts his own efforts to persuade Mr. Harrah to drop the “Club” from the original Harrah’s Club name, abandon the early Genie-like cartoon character (aka “The Sultan”) from the property’s logo and, importantly, to help change the “gambling” category label to the more socially acceptable tag: “gaming.”.
A good portion of the book is dedicated to the world of casino showroom performers. Working under Holmes Hendricksen, the Harrah’s VP of Entertainment, Curtis shares fascinating stories of his time with both the superstars of the time (Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Liza Minelli and Tony Bennet) to the lesser-known talents who did surprisingly well in casinos (Al Martino, Don Cornell, Frances Fay, the Lancers and Billy Gray).
In one chapter he details how a TV appearance on Johnny Carson’s “Tonight Show” could guarantee a successful casino booking. But he also recounts how a good review from a lounge in Las Vegas or Lake Tahoe could work both ways by landing the performer a guest shot on the The Ed Sullivan Show or other TV productions.
One of the most captivating aspects of this narrative is how a young Army airman manning the bottom turret of a B-17 machine gun was shot down over Germany, ended up spending several years in German prisoner-of-war camps[1] (including Stalag 17), but then made the transition to a casino executive rubbing shoulders with Hollywood elite.
Part of that answer came from the GI bill. Curtis used that money to get his journalism degree from the University of Nevada, Reno. During his time there, he also served as the campus student newspaper editor. He put those skills to good use covering the entertainment scene in Reno. When he started, Las Vegas, Reno and Lake Tahoe had wrestled the title away from Elko, and the country’s biggest stars played the showrooms of these three venues on a regular basis. That’s where Curtis honed his writing chops first with Variety and later with Harrah’s.
It’s also what makes this book such a good read. Not only does it cover some of the important historical milestones of our industry, but it is well written and entertaining.
His descriptions of Marilyn Monroe, who was in Reno filming what became her last movie (the Misfits), are priceless. It turns out that it was also Clark Gable’s last film role. Curtis’ accounts of Monroe during that filming are exceptional and foreboding.
You’ll also enjoy his often-humorous account of how Harrah’s Reno/Tahoe tried to “own” the 1960 Winter Olympics held at nearby Squaw Valley (or today’s politically correct Olympic Valley moniker). Harrah’s had hired blond bombshell Jayne Mansfield to be their official hostess on site. Curtis recounts how he and the starlet were walking in the venue when one breathless reporter shouted after them, “May I interview you for television?”
“This was the Olympics, mind you, and network TV wanted to interview Jayne Mansfield about the games. Since she was under contract to Harrah’s, she turned to me for approval. The guy looked OK to me. ‘What’s your affiliation?’
I asked, like it made any difference. ‘I’m Walter Cronkite with CBS,’ he said.”
Mark Curtis was a friend and a great source when I was a young TV news reporter in Reno. His passing on June 24, 1998, at the age of 77, hit the Harrah’s and Reno community hard. While the book carries a 2001 copyright, Curtis completed the work shortly before his death.
His son, Mark Curtis (Jr.), who is closer to my age, shares many of his dad’s talents in advertising and PR. He has written and edited two great books about their home city (“Reno: A Fabled City Finds Its Soul” and “One of a Kind”).
It may not be easy to find the senior Curtis’ book today. I’d try your library first. There are a few hardcovers occasionally listed on Amazon for about $50+. With some internet sleuthing you might find the paperback either new or used in the $15 to $40 range. However, read the listings carefully, because there are a few other “Mark Curtis” authors out there. One is a British/US foreign policy wonk; one is a wrestling referee and a third is a TV journalist in Arizona. Check the book titles carefully.
Despite the effort required, finding this book is worth it. Some of the lessons Curtis shares are still very relevant today and reading this will give you some points to ponder. Not to mention, you’ll learn more about the “heyday” of our industry.
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[1] To better understand Curtis’ war service, the Apple TV+ series “Masters of the Air” is well worth viewing.
