The 1940s was a special time for the Las Vegas, NV community. It marked the establishment of what is now known as the Las Vegas Strip.
The first casino to be built on the Strip was the El Rancho Vegas, which opened on April 3, 1941. It was followed by the Hotel Last Frontier in 1942, the Flamingo in 1946, and several more by the end of the decade.
As post-war travel restrictions were lifted, Las Vegas tourism traffic exploded, and not only did the tourism industry flourish but the local population more than doubled in size within a 5-year span from 1940 to 1945.
Aside from the live entertainment business thriving, filmmakers were also attracted to the new Las Vegas scene, and the number of motion picture productions with “Vegas” in the title increased at a rapid rate in the 1940s (source). Here are just a few of the many films that were shot in or around the Las Vegas Valley in the 1940s.
20 Mule Team (1940)
A Western film about a mule driver who is blackmailed after finding a bag of borax crystals.
IMDB | Watch trailer for 20 Mule Team
Las Vegas Nights (1941)
A comedy about a pair of sisters who inherit an old building and attempt to turn it into a new nightclub.
IMDB
Moon Over Las Vegas (1944)
A romantic comedy about a woman who goes to Las Vegas to make her husband jealous but once there, she ends up getting involved with another man.
IMDB
Sheriff of Las Vegas (1944)
A Western film about a newly appointed Sheriff of Las Vegas who attempts to find his predecessor’s murderer.
IMDB
Vacation In Reno (1946)
A comedy about a man on the search for buried treasure while on vacation in Reno who also finds himself being sought after by his wife who wants a divorce and bank robbers who want him dead.
IMDB
Heldorado (1946)
A Western film about a Nevada State Ranger who is asked to investigate a money laundering case while he is on leave to celebrate the annual Heldorado Frontier Days Festival in Las Vegas.
IMDB | Watch a clip of Heldorado
The Invisible Wall (1947)
A Film-Noir about a gambler who returns from war and ends up at his old job working for a bookie. He is dispatched by his boss to deliver $20,000 to someone in Las Vegas, but he ends up losing all of the money.
IMDB | Watch the entire film on YouTube: The Invisible Wall
The Lady Gambles (1949)
A Film-Noir about a husband who tries to find help for his wife, who is addicted to gambling.
IMDB