Las Vegas Showgirls
She is a beautiful creature bedecked in sequins, feathers and always wears only the reddest lipstick. Her image is synonymous with the glamour of the city's stages. She is the Las Vegas showgirl and without Donn Arden she may never have existed.
When Donn Arden died in 1994 the lights of Las Vegas were dimmed in his honour. The first person to receive the Entertainment Personality of the Year award from the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce, Arden is the father of Las Vegas extravaganza.
The producer of some of the most spectacular stage shows has ever seen, Donn Arden brought together two key elements: the most magnificent showgirls and the most dazzling special effects. In a career that spanned 50 years he sank the Titanic, crumbled the towers of Delilah's temple and recreated the San Francisco earthquake on stage.
His shows were famous for waterfalls, ice rinks, swimming pools and, of course, hundreds upon hundreds of the most beautiful and talented dancers that money could find.
An accomplished dancer himself - as a boy he dreamt of being the next Fred Astaire - Arden organised small dance troupes that performed in nightclubs across the country.
His big breakthrough came in 1950, when he was invited to create a show for the opening of the Desert Inn in Las Vegas. His unlimited budget was put to good use with the extravagant costumes and daring special effects that became his trademark.
In 1958 he adapted the famous Lido de Paris for American audiences at the Stardust Hotel and for the first time topless showgirls were seen in Las Vegas. The show became a Vegas signature and ran until 1991. Arden followed the success of the Lido with his Jubilee Show, which still wows audiences today.
