| The Commercial Casino History Part 2
Lewis, his orchestra, and revue had the desired effect. Former Nevada State Journal editor, Paul Leonard, remembered the reaction as "electric."
When the show was over, many in the crowd stuck around in the Commercial's casino that contained a long bar, roulette table, a couple of 21 tables, a few poker tables, and a simple lunch counter. Thus, Nevada casino owners discovered that famous name entertainment set an excellent atmosphere for gambling, attracted people to the gaming rooms and, therefore, paid off well in the long run. 
During the orchestra's appearance, the Commercial's business was brisk and even Lewis joined in the gambling. In fact, when he left Elko, he had spent all he made and departed with the two Crumbley's holding his IOU for a sizeable amount-so large that Lewis endorsed his contract check in such a manner that he agreed to a return engagement to square the marker.
Elko appealed to other entertainers. Many show people stayed in Elko for a week or two just to have fun. In order to rest and "get a little Nevada sunshine," Sophie Tucker, the famed singer-comedienne, billed as the "Last of the Red Hot Mamas," came to town two days prior to her Commercial engagement. After her arrival, she met a number of Elkoans at the Lounge and topped off the day by going to the movies. The hotel management also arranged for her to visit the Petan Ranch in Northern Elko County. Miss Tucker appeared with Carl Ravazza's popular dance band in the hotel's "Serenade to Summer." She made such a hit Saturday and Sunday nights that it was announced that there would also be a Monday evening performance. Ordinarily, no performance was presented on Mondays; shows ran from Saturday to Sunday with a break on Monday. Huge crowds quickly made seating difficult on weekend nights and the Commercial staff began taking fewer reservations and held them only until 8:45p.m. Efforts were made to accommodate patrons on other nights so there would be more room for dancing. The big bands took up a large section of the floor. Floorshows in those days were just that "floor shows." The situation led to construction of a tiered platform at the north end of the Lunge to afford guests seated in that area of the nightspot a better view of the performance. Later, a stage was built in the end of the room. Many bandleaders of the era wrote one or two hit songs, but Ray Noble, who came to Elko in July 1941, was perhaps, the only one who achieved equal distinction both as a bandleader and composer. (Continued in Part 3) |
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