Likes today we share more 'bout what is bein' tagged the "Dean Martin carpet controversy" by the LAS VEGAS SUN, from scriber Mr. John Katsilometes in his coolest of cool column, "the Kats Report." Mr. Katsilometes has written a well worded essay that shares many of the same details as last week's reflections from the Courthouse News Service, but John adds his own tremendous twist to the mix. Likes gotta 'fess up that we hugely digs taggin' Vegas as "VegasVille," a term we will surely refer to 'gain in the Dino-future.
And, very cool of Mr. Katsilometes to share pixs of the Dino-images in the carpet.....one from the flick "Ocean's 11" and one of our Dino back stage straightenin' his tie gettin' ready to make magic on stage. We await more details of what will happen in court between SLS Las Vegas and the Dean Martin Family Trust, but are thrilled to have been gifted with images of the Dino-carpet. Likes how cool is it pallies to know that even a piece of carpet can deeply, purely, truly show deep, pure, and true amore of our King of Cool.
We thanks Mr. John Katsilometes for scribin' this Dino-prose and for the pallies at the Las Vegas Sun for sharin' it with their readership. To checks this out in it's original format, simply clicks on the tag of this here Dino-gram. Dino-amorin'-forever, DMP
Dean Martin carpet controversy, nightlife shakeup the latest from SLS
Published Saturday, Jan. 31, 2015 | 4 p.m.
Updated Sunday, Feb. 1, 2015 | 11:59 a.m.
An image of Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin is shown at SLS Las Vegas on Jan. 31, 2015.
An image of the Beatles taken during their 1964 visit to Sahara is shown at SLS Las Vegas on Jan. 31, 2015.
We are at the moment in the evolution of SLS Las Vegas where, if the hotel were a blackjack table, I would not want to be sitting at third base.
This is the run of luck SLS has been hit with lately: The hotel’s efforts to rekindle the era of The Rat Pack has led to a lawsuit centered on … its efforts to rekindle the era of The Rat Pack.
This is the latest development at SLS (Surfing Litigation Secretly), as the resort is seeking court affirmation that it is permitted to use images of Dean Martin in its carpeting on the casino floor. Such vintage, black-and-white photos of the stars of yesteryear have been featured prominently in the décor around the hotel.
As any student of VegasVille knows, SLS is the site of the former Sahara resort, long a popular hang for members of The Rat Pack along with such celebs as Jerry Lewis, Don Rickles, Louis Prima, Judy Garland, Liza Minnelli and many others.
The photos of the stars, and of the old Sahara itself, are to none-too-subtly remind visitors, “Hey, legendary entertainers used to hang out here.”
But as a story broken by Courthouse News Service reports, hotel ownership company Stockbridge SBE/Holdings on Dec. 4 received a letter from Joel Smith, a trustee representing Martin’s family, claiming the image “infringed upon Dean Martin's right of publicity.”
The family trust has authorization over licensing of Martin’s image and has demanded a $50,000 licensing fee from Stockbridge for use of the photo. The trust threatened litigation if the casino doesn’t either remove the image or pay the fee.
The casino contends the use of Martin’s image is not for commercial purposes and does not represent any legal licensing infringement — and that the photos “have cultural and historical significance.” The hotel has actually turned around and filed a lawsuit against Smith and the Dean Martin Family Trust, seeking a “declaratory judgment” that the use of Martin’s image does not infringe upon Martin’s right of publicity and asking the trust to pay attorney fees.
At least two such images are presented in common areas of the casino (as opposed to the hotel's conference space), near the entrance of the Paradise Road valet. Other vintage photo/carpet images include those of such legends as The Beatles (during their 1964 visit to the hotel), Cary Grant, Sinatra, Orson Welles and Rolling Stones guitarist Ron Wood. Many were shot by famed celeb photog Terry O'Neill, whose work is exhibited in a second-floor gallery at the hotel.
An SLS spokesman had no comment about the impending litigation.
And this is far from the only development of note at SLS to surface during the past week.
With no specified plans to reopen its buffet and with the Griddle pulling out of the hotel in favor of the Northside Café, SLS is now shuffling its nightlife hierarchy. Vice President of Nightlife Operations Mio Danilovic has left SLS, though he is to remain with parent company SBE Entertainment and is reportedly still active in venues in other locations.
SLS has aggressively bolstered its lineup of star DJs at Life, especially by signing Steve Angello and R3Hab as resident club performers late last year. But across the casino, the scene at Foxtail is deflating like a football at Gillette Stadium. SLS is still presenting an industry night on Mondays, an event that drew about 30 patrons at its midnight peak this week.
That is substandard business at a club the caliber of Foxtail, especially for a company regarded as a pacesetter across the country with its nightlife venues. SBE’s Hyde at Bellagio is one of the top-grossing nightclubs in the U.S. and should be in the Top 10 revenue-grossing clubs for 2014 when those numbers are made public by the annual Nightclub & Bar list of top 100 nightclubs. But duplicating that magic on the north end of the Strip has been elusive for SBE.
What else? Wait for some word on the return of the SLS buffet, if that ever happens. If it does not reopen, SLS will position itself as the rare locals’ casino that does not provide a buffet as a component of its F&B program. And for an indicator of the hotel’s other restaurant performance, keep an eye on Ku Noodle, just next door to the flagging Griddle location.
In the offing, SLS is awaiting the summer pool season to generate some animation among day/nightlife partygoers (this, after New Year’s Eve was to provide a needed reset in business around the hotel) and, it is hoped, the arrival of Rock in Rio USA in May can fire up some business and boost brand exposure.
But as one top-level resort exec recently said, the struggles at SLS were “nothing for anybody to root for.” What anybody can root for, likely, is for SBE to ride the choppy waters until summer, then raise a toast to Dean Martin as we all sing, “That’s Amore!”
Follow John Katsilometes on Twitter at Twitter.com/JohnnyKats. Also, follow “Kats With the Dish” at Twitter.com/KatsWiththeDish.
2 comments:
Thank you for bringing the latest details in the DM Carpet scandal. I look forward to hearing the resolution to this case. It is nice to actually see the carpet in question. :-)
Have a great week.
Scott
Hey pallie, likes Scotty, thanks ever so much for your faithful readership and faithful patterin' here at ilovedinomartin...and likes you we thinks it is great to actually see the Dino-carpet! Keeps lovin' our most beloved Dino!
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