Art Imitates Life: 4 Real-Life Casino Events in Movies
Casinos are a popular backdrop for movies. Whether it is the glitz and glamour of the Las Vegas strip or the seedy underworld of Atlantic City, casinos provide filmmakers with an interesting and exciting setting. How about we explore the four real-life casino events that have been used as inspiration for popular movies? Alright, let’s start.
Casino (1995)
We always remember that infamous “Cheater’s Justice” scene in Martin Scorcese’s Casino (1995). The Consequences of Casino Cheating told us enough to know that casino cheating has dire consequences. But what about the event that inspired this movie?
The real-life casino event that served as the basis for Casino was a skimming operation run by Frank “Lefty” Rosenthal and Anthony Spilotro at the Stardust Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. The two men ran a successful skimming operation for years until the FBI finally uncovered it. The men surely are fortunate enough that the mob didn’t get to them first.
The Sting (1973)
One of the most popular heist films of all time, The Sting (1973), is based on a real-life casino robbery that took place in 1966. Seven men were involved in the robbery of the Riviera Casino in Las Vegas, which netted them over $500,000. The robbers were caught and sentenced to prison, but not before they had blown most of the money on lavish cars, houses, and parties. Talk about bad financial management, right?
The Hangover (2009)
You didn’t really think we could make a list of casino-inspired films without mentioning The Hangover (2009), did you? This popular comedy is based on a real-life incident that took place at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas. In 2005, a group of friends got together for a bachelor party and ended up trashing their hotel room so badly that they were banned from the property. We’re sure they had some good stories to tell after that.
21 (2008)
The 2008 film 21 is based on the true story of a group of MIT students who were trained to count cards and then used their skills to win big at casinos. The students were so successful that they won millions of dollars before they were finally caught. We’re sure they had a lot of fun while it lasted. After all, they did what they’re supposed to with their gifts, no?
So, there you have it, four real-life casino events that have been used as inspiration for popular movies. What do you think? Do you have a favorite casino-inspired film? Let us know in the comments below. Thanks for reading.…