Circus Circus To Be Demolished?

The last time I stepped foot at Circus Circus in Las Vegas was in 2015 when I took my daughter Amber there so she could interview with the dolphin show at The Mirage. We stayed at the Circus Circus RV Park.

Three days ago, Las Vegas Strip - Trip Reports Facebook page posted the following:

BREAKING LAS VEGAS

While an official announcement has not yet been made, rumors are growing that Circus Cicrus Hotel in Las Vegas will be demolished and replaced with a new luxury resort by a world known brand that I cant directly say yet. I would stop in several more times if you have the chance. Circus Circus is apparently up for Sale!

Circus Circus has been a popular hotel and casino since the 1960s. It was featured the 1971 James Bond movie, Diamonds Are Forever starring Sean Connery. We stayed at the hotel tower in 1986 when I got married.

It has been a bit rundown in recent years. This has also fed to rumor mill.  

It would not come as a surprise if the rumors turn out to be true. Too bad, if so.

Sean Connery At Hell's Kitchen

When I took this photo of Chef Gordon Ramsay's Hell's Kitchen Tuesday night, I didn't notice something about the shot.

The next day, we were driving by it again and I noticed Sean Connery as James Bond from Diamonds Are Forever (shot in Las Vegas in 1971, by the way). I checked my camera and there he was in the photo. It must be for a Diamonds Are Forever-themed game in Caesar's Palace.

Above, the full shot of Hell's Kitchen. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, a cropped enlargement of Sean Connery
 from the photo. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Breakfast At The Ahwahnee

Above, the Ahwahnee Hotel dining room. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Before even heading up to Yosemite National Park, I decided to have at least one meal at the Ahwahnee Hotel's dining room. (Notice that I am refusing to call it The Majestic Hotel due to the trademark lawsuit brought on by Delaware North?)

Above, this is what greets visitors as they enter the dining room. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

I found their dinners a little too pricey, but breakfast was doable.

So, I headed to the hotel on Sunday morning and I was greeted by the title theme of Diamonds Are Forever by the pianist in the dining room. I was given a table at a window. I guess they know a V.I.P. and a James Bond fan when they see one!

Above, the dining room ceiling is impressive. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

I kept breakfast simple: bacon, scrambled eggs, hash browns and toast. Along with that, coffee and orange juice.

Above, yours truly having orange juice at a table with a great view.. 

The servers were very attentive and provided great service. Every visitor to Yosemite should at least have one meal in the Ahwahnee's dining room.

Latest DVD/Blu-ray Arrivals

Today turned out to be DVD/Blu-ray day.

Diamonds Are Forever

While Christmas shopping at Best Buy, I browsed through the bargain bin and found a number of classic James Bond movies. As I have most all of them, I picked up Diamonds Are Forever (1971). It starred Sean Connery, Jill St. John, Lana Wood and Jimmy Dean.

Diamonds is probably the worst Connery Bond movie. The story was silly (better fitted for Roger Moore) and much of the acting was terrible. Connery was fine, as he had an old pro's grace about him, but some of the co-stars were awful. It had its moments and it was better than the last two Roger Moore Bonds.

I hadn't seen Diamonds Are Forever for a long time as I just had an old VHS tape of it. The transfer of the DVD was excellent. The movie looked as if it were made recently, not 42 years ago. It was fun to see Las Vegas as it was in the early 1970s, the time I started going there. It was not the congested mess it is today.

I am not too thrilled about the box art, but that is just a minor quibble.

Jiro Dreams of Sushi

The Blu-ray of this 2011 documentary arrived today from Amazon. My roomie borrowed the DVD from her culinary school's library and we both enjoyed it. I reviewed it almost a year ago. I decided to buy the Blu-ray edition.

March of the Wooden Soldiers

The DVD I ordered arrived right on schedule, so we'll be watching it tomorrow night over a big batch of popcorn.

Roger Moore Makes His 007 Debut 40 Years Ago

Today (actually yesterday, but I started this before midnight) marks 40 years since the U.S. premiere of Live and Let Die. The movie was Roger Moore's debut as James Bond 007. It premiered on June 27, 1973.

Moore was tapped to play Bond after Sean Connery bowed out from the role after a one-picture deal which resulted in 1971's Diamonds Are Forever.

The Ian Fleming novel was the second Bond novel (it followed Casino Royale) published (April 5, 1954).

The movie was set in New Orleans and along with Moore, it featured Jane Seymour, Gloria Hendry, David Hedison and Yaphet Kotto.  It was directed by Guy Hamilton. The script was by Tom Mankiewicz.

Paul McCartney and Wings performed the title song, which was produced by George Martin.

For more on Live and Let Die, go here.

Next: "Goldfinger"

"Baja?! I don't have anything in Baja!" So said Willard Whyte (a Howard Hughes billionaire) in Diamonds Are Forever. However, neither he nor Ernst Blofeld appear in the book version. They just were in the movie.

There's no diamond laser satellite, moon rover or Burt Saxbe in the book. But in the Ian Fleming book appear Mr. Wint, Mr. Kidd, Tiffany Case, Shady Tree and mobsters who are involved in a diamond-smuggling pipeline from Africa to the United States. At least Las Vegas is in the book (as it is in the movie).

James Bond's assignment is to infiltrate this pipeline. The novel is a straight-out thriller involving mobsters and the Spangler brothers who are running the smuggling operation.

To me, the book started out slowly but the action picks up midway through.

The next two books in order of publication are "From Russia With Love" and "Doctor No." As I've already read them, I am going to read the next book after them: "Goldfinger."

Diamonds Are Forever

I finished reading Ian Fleming's James Bond novel, "Moonraker" last week.

It is a much better story than the movie of the same name with Roger Moore. There were no space shuttles, no Holly Goodhead, no South American locales or space stations.

The story was a simple story of the Moonraker rocket that Hugo Drax mounted an armed nuclear warhead to bomb England.

As I am reading Fleming's novels in publishing order, I am now reading the next novel, "Diamonds Are Forever." I have already finished about two chapters and there are, so far, a Tiffany Case and Peter Franks in the novel.

In "Diamonds," James Bond is investigating a diamond smuggling ring.

I'll let you know how I like "Diamonds Are Forever."