Las Vegas Strip

Lore & Background

The heist is planned precisely like a military operation by World War II veterans from the 82nd Airborne Division's 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment. Danny Ocean and Jimmy Foster recruit nine comrades from their unit. Josh Howard takes a job as a sanitation worker driving a garbage truck while others get jobs at the various casinos. Sam Harmon entertains in one of the hotel's lounges. Demolition charges are planted on a local electric power transmission tower and the backup electrical systems are covertly rewired in each casino to open the emergency doors of the cashier cages instead of powering the emergency lights when the automatic generator kicks in. The crew then goes back inside the casinos and mingles with the crowds before departing as soon as the lights turn back on. A garbage truck driven by Josh picks up the bags and passes through the police blockade.

Reader's Guide

The Las Vegas portion of the film was shot on location at the Flamingo, Sands, Desert Inn, Riviera, and Sahara hotels. One segment was also filmed at the former Las Vegas Union Pacific station. According to Frank Sinatra Jr., the Rat Pack members were performing shows at 8pm and midnight during the production, so by the time the cast and crew were ready after the shows, much of the footage on location was shot between 3am and dawn. The film's closing shot shows the main cast walking away from the funeral home, with the Sands Hotel marquee behind them, listing their names as headliners.

Did You Know?

• The film premiered in Las Vegas on August 3, 1960, and was theatrically released in the United States on August 10 by United Artists.
• When Peter Lawford first told Frank Sinatra of the story, Sinatra joked, 'Forget the movie, let's pull the job!'
• The animated title sequence was designed by Saul Bass.
• The film originated the Ocean's film series.

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