Question of the Day - 18 December 2025

Elvis Presley made his Las Vegas debut at the New Frontier in 1956 in a two-week stint as the closing act for Freddie Martin and his orchestra. Although it wouldn’t be long until Elvis became a worldwide sensation — his first number-one hit, “Heartbreak Hotel,” had been released earlier that year — he struggled winning over the older crowds, who'd come to see Martin and comedian Shecky Greene.

Bill Willard, a reviewer for the Las Vegas Sun, wrote of the performance: “For the teenagers, the long tall Memphis lad is a whiz; for the average Vegas spender or showgoer, a bore. His musical sound with a combo of three is uncouth, matching to a great extent the lyric content of his nonsensical songs.”

The series of performances came on the eve of Elvis’ first movie, Love Me Tender, which was released in November 1956. And 1956 was a lucrative touring year for Elvis, who traversed the country from New York to San Diego, Miami to Denver, and everywhere in between. The average ticket price: $1.50. Adjusted for inflation, that same ticket today would cost $17.66.

By contrast, ticket prices for Judy Garland, who also performed at the New Frontier in 1956, ranged from $5 to $15 ($58.88-$176.64 today). 

But Elvis would have the last laugh. After playing Sin City only a handful of times before embarking on an almost decade-long movie career, including Viva Las Vegas, filmed here in 1963, Presley showed he was indeed "the King" in his residency at the International Hotel (now Westgate). In this historic residency, on the heels of his “’68 Comeback Special,” Elvis performed 636 consecutive sold-out shows.

The prices for his International shows: $10, $7.50 and $5. Calculating from 1969, the year Elvis began the residency, a $10 ticket today would cost $88.90.

“It’s hard to believe that people could buy tickets at that price,” says Bruce Merrin, owner of Bruce Merrin’s Celebrity Speakers and longtime Elvis publicist. “They were always sold out—this was Elvis. Back then, he was about as big as it gets. People would line up early. It was way before Ticketmaster and all that.”

When the International opened in July 1969, it was the largest hotel in Las Vegas at 1,500 rooms. It also had the largest showroom in Las Vegas, holding 2,000 people. 

As for Frank Sinatra, he made his Vegas debut on Sept. 1, 1951, at the Desert Inn. “For six bucks, you got a filet mignon dinner -- and me,” Frank once said, referring to his first Las Vegas shows. 

Later, Sinatra was one of the first major stars to perform at the Sands when he debuted there in 1953. Much more intimate than the International, the property opened with 200 rooms in December 1952. Its footprint was indelible, however, thanks to its 56-foot-high sign. The hotel would achieve iconic status eight years later after the Rat Pack classic, Ocean’s Eleven, was filmed there.

Ticket prices for Sinatra’s shows there: $5-$6. In today’s prices, that’s $59.10-$70.92.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of this question, which includes recollections of Elvis and Sinatra on stage.