Ten Things You (Probably) Didn’t Know About The Movie “Casino” (1995) Posted Dec 6, 2020
The Casino remains one of the greatest movies about Las Vegas. Martin Scorsese directed the iconic film that was released in 1995. In the movie, two mobsters that are best of friends try to create their own casino empire. It is an exciting film based on the true story of Frank Rosenthal and Tony Spilotro. Punters playing their favorite casino games on an online casino like the Lucky Nugget Casino would find the plot interesting. In the film, Robert De Niro plays Frank, and Joe Pesci plays Tony. In this piece, you’ll learn ten things about “Casino” that you probably didn’t know. Read on to find out.
Tangiers Casino Didn’t Exist
Not many Casino fans know that the Tangers casino was fictional. Unlike other casinos like the Venetian Macao in China, Yebo in South Africa, and Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut, the Tangiers casino didn’t really exist. However, the movie was shot at a real casino that is in operation called the Riviera.
Robert De Niro Met With Frank
Before shooting the film, Robert De Niro met with the man whom he played in the movie. He met with Sam Rothstein face-to-face.
There Is a Book
According to a biography about De Niro, the movie was based on a book called Casino: Love and Honor in Las Vegas. The book was a nonfiction piece by crime reporter Nicholas Pileggi. It was released a month before the movie.
It Did Not Get Many Awards
The Casino did not receive as many accolades as it deserved. Sharon Stone, who plays Ginger in the film, won the Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a Drama. The others were just nominations to the Golden Globe Award.
Pesci Broke a Rib
Sources reveal that Pesci broke a rib in one of the scenes in the movie. In the scene, Pesci gets a beating and breaks a rib in real life. Joey broke the same rib 15 years later as he was being bundled into a grave with his dead brother.
Las Vegas on Location
If you’ve visited Vegas regularly, there are several locations in the film you could recognize. For instance, Stone’s Ginger character's heartbreaking ending was shot inside one of the Cabana suites at El Cortez Hotel and Casino.
The Spilotro Brothers Were Not Killed In the Desert
The real Spilotro brothers were not killed in the Las Vegas desert as portrayed in the film. They were killed in Illinois in a basement where they thought Michael would be inducted into the Mafia.
A Host of A-List Actresses Could Have Played Ginger
Several top-rated actresses could have played Ginger, including Madonna, Rene Russo, Uma Thurman, Nicole Kidman, Amber Smith, and Melanie Griffith. However, it was Sharon Stone that convinced Scorsese to give her the role.
The Costume Budget For The Film Was 1 Million USD!
Robert De Niro has 70 costumes in the film, all of which were made from scratch. On the other hand, Ginger (Sharon Stone) had 30 vintage and custom-made dresses crafted just for the movie. Generally, clothing cost nearly 200 USD per piece.
The Rivera Attracted More Punters
The Rivera management took advantage of the chance presented and advertised that De Niro, Sharon Stone, and Joe Pesci would be filming the new movie in the Casino. This strategy bore fruit as they attracted more punters to the Casino.