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Las Vegas (Diamonds are Forever)

Las Vegas in Diamonds Are Forever (1971).

Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city known primarily for gambling and shopping.

Background[]

The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous for its consolidated casino–hotels and associated entertainment. Las Vegas often refers to the city plus some areas beyond the city limits, especially the resort areas on and near the Las Vegas Strip, and sometimes the entire Las Vegas Valley.

Established in 1905, Las Vegas was incorporated as a city in 1911. At the close of the 20th century, Las Vegas was the most populous American city founded in that century (a distinction held by Chicago in the 19th century). The city's tolerance for various forms of adult entertainment earned it the title of Sin City, and this image has made Las Vegas a popular setting for films and television programs. There are numerous outdoor lighting displays on Fremont Street, as well as elsewhere in the city.

Novel appearances[]

Diamonds Are Forever[]

Infiltrating a diamond smuggling ring, James Bond travels to Las Vegas. Under the cover of Peter Franks, Bond calls Shady Tree to enquire further about the payment of his smuggling fee and is told to go to the Tiara Hotel in Las Vegas. The Tiara is owned by Seraffimo Spang and operates as the headquarters of the Spangled Mob. Spang also owns an old Western ghost town, named "Spectreville", restored to be his own private vacation retreat. At the hotel, Bond finally receives payment through a rigged blackjack game where the dealer is Tiffany Case. However, he disobeys his orders by continuing to gamble in the casino after "winning" the money he is owed. Spang suspects that Bond may be a 'plant' and has him captured and tortured. However, with Tiffany's help he escapes from Spectreville aboard a railway push-car with Seraffimo Spang in pursuit aboard an old Western train. Bond re-routs the train to a side line and shoots Spang before the resulting crash.

Film appearances[]

Diamonds Are Forever (1971)[]

As in the novel, James Bond infiltrates a diamond smuggling ring and follows the pipeline to Las Vegas. There Bond goes to The Whyte House, a casino-hotel owned by the reclusive billionaire Willard Whyte, where Tree works as a stand-up comedian. At the craps table, Bond meets the opportunistic Plenty O'Toole, and after gambling, brings her to his room. Gang members are waiting there and throw O'Toole out the window and into the pool. After they leave, Bond spends the rest of the night with Tiffany Case.

After Tiffany retrieves the diamonds at the Circus Circus casino, Bond follows the recipient to the last link in the chain – a remote research laboratory owned by Whyte, where he finds that a satellite is being built by a laser refraction specialist, Professor Dr. Metz. When Bond's cover is blown, he escapes by stealing a moon buggy and reunites with Tiffany.

After a police car chase around the Las Vegas Strip, Bond and Tiffany return to the Whyte House, where Bond scales the building to confront Whyte. Inside, 007 is instead confronted Blofeld who is masquerading as Whyte. He is then knocked out by gas and taken to Las Vegas Valley where he is placed in a pipeline and left to die. Bond manages to escape and after rescuing the real Whyte, discovers that Blofeld has fled to W.W. Petroleum oil platform in Baja California.

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