The Unbelievable History of the Las Vegas Moulin Rouge

I absolutely love sharing the story about the 1955 Las Vegas Moulin Rouge Casino and Hotel. This casino had a short life span of about six months, but in that time it was a hot bed of fast and fun times.

It was so popular with it's after hours shows and legendary performers, that no one is able to fully comprehend what led to the closure.

If you agree that this sounds like an intriguing piece of history, stick around while I share some really good news with you about the story.About the Moulin Rouge Casino

Not only is this an intriguing story and little known piece of black history, but the story is also one that I have personally written a book on. My novel is called "Lights Out at the Moulin Rouge" and it's available on Amazon.com (even though it has gotten very little notice or exposure).

Allow me to set the scene and tell you about this story.

A little about the actual history of the casino

The best way to give you a visual, is to provide you with this brief excerpt from my book. This statement was made by the main character, a writer much like myself, who is trying to describe the historic casino to another character.

"Now, picture black legends like Sammy Davis Jr., Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington and others, all performing and raking in the crowds, night after night."

It was easy for me to write about this character's awe and excitement over the casino. The thought of how things must have been has always kept me in awe in real life. I constantly imagine what it must have been like to work in such an environment.

In fact, I've been fascinated with the story, ever since I first heard about it in 2007. Over the years, there has been controversy about the real reason why it shut down the very same year it first opened.

I had such a strong desire to write my book, because I connected with the story on so many levels; as a black person, as a creative person and as a human being.

All I could think about was what a symbol of pride the Moulin Rouge must have been to black people back then, especially to black entertainers.

Those legendary singers and performers were constantly demeaned at the white casinos on the Strip.

They were demeaned as artists, by the way they were treated directly following the outstanding performances they gave. But more than that, they were demeaned as human beings.

That's how I knew that the Moulin Rouge had to be a symbol of pride to them, and they saw it as the beginning of change. II can only imagine what that must have felt like to them.

About the Moulin Rouge Book

My book was written in a light tone, and doesn't attempt to tackle the weighty issue of discrimination and all the nasty activities that result from it.

What I wanted to do instead, is create a situation that would allow me to bring my readers back to 1955, and inside the casino to witness the shows firsthand.

The book is about a writer named April, who goes on a weekend trip to Las Vegas, to collect research for a book she's writing about the Moulin Rouge.

So I use the April character in the story, to convey my own feelings and desire about the topic, and show a strong determination, JUST to make more people aware of the story.

The fictional scenario that April finds herself in when she first arrives in Las Vegas, is really just a chain of incidents, that give me an opportunity to weave in all the historic facts that I've learned about the Moulin Rouge.

Then, later in the book, something happens, and April ends up taking a journey back to 1955, and that is where I was able to create a visual picture so readers experience the Moulin Rouge, exactly like it was.

"In Lights Out at the Moulin Rouge", I wanted more than anything, to emphasize how performing and working at the Moulin Rouge was a sharp contrast to the Strip casinos for blacks.

I also wanted to make readers picture in their minds, the splendor and elegance of the décor that was patterned after the Paris Moulin Rouge.

As you can see by now, I really wanted to highlight all the positive feelings and the pride that black people had for the Moulin Rouge.

Final Thoughts

My Moulin Rouge novel is in the Amazon marketplace, currently drawing dust from sitting on a crammed shelf, with other unknown books and writers. But that doesn't bother me a bit. Why?

Because I had the privilege of learning about this story, and doing what I could to shed a little light on this historical black venue.

Each time I share the story about the Las Vegas Moulin Rouge, I experience a sense of pride. Not just about having written the book about it, but for being able to enlighten those who have never heard about this iconic place.

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