mcbride: liberace opened the riviera in 1955.over and over. and what was good for one casino was good for all. it was one of the wisest moves that the mob ever made, in bringing bigger-than-life entertainment to las vegas. ♪ liberace: entertainment here in vegas has always been of the glittery type. the tremendous electric signs and the glamour of the hotels and the costumes i wear and everything were more or less stimulated by that. [ applause ] aren't you glad you came? [ laughter ] oh, lee? oh, he was wonderful. lee invented himself. crystals and candelabras, and it was make-believe, fun. ♪ newton: liberace took the las vegas image. he would drive cars on stage. he would have lighting that nobody else had. what he contributed to the town was enormous. liberace was probably the first true showman, in the most extravagant and broadest sense of the word. he gave a show, and that set a standard for las vegas. announcer: variety, the entertainment industry magazine, calls liberace the number-one draw in las vegas. the man has becom

mcbride: liberace opened the riviera in 1955.y back, over and over. and what was good for one casino was good for all. it was one of the wisest moves that the mob ever made, in bringing bigger-than-life entertainment to las vegas. ♪ liberace: entertainment here in vegas has always been of the glittery type. the tremendous electric signs and the glamour of the hotels and the costumes i wear and everything were more or less stimulated by that. [ applause ] aren't you glad you came? [ laughter ] oh, lee? oh, he was wonderful. lee invented himself. crystals and candelabras, and it was make-believe, fun. ♪ newton: liberace took the las vegas image. he would drive cars on stage. he would have lighting that nobody else had. what he contributed to the town was enormous. liberace was probably the first true showman, in the most extravagant and broadest sense of the word. he gave a show, and that set a standard for las vegas. announcer: variety, the entertainment industry magazine, calls liberace the number-one draw in las vegas. the man h

mcbride: liberace opened the riviera in 1955.ck, over and over. and what was good for one casino was good for all. it was one of the wisest moves that the mob ever made, in bringing bigger-than-life entertainment to las vegas. ♪ liberace: entertainment here in vegas has always been of the glittery type. the tremendous electric signs and the glamour of the hotels and the costumes i wear and everything were more or less stimulated by that. [ applause ] aren't you glad you came? [ laughter ] oh, lee? oh, he was wonderful. lee invented himself. crystals and candelabras, and it was make-believe, fun. ♪ newton: liberace took the las vegas image. he would drive cars on stage. he would have lighting that nobody else had. what he contributed to the town was enormous. liberace was probably the first true showman, in the most extravagant and broadest sense of the word. he gave a show, and that set a standard for las vegas. announcer: variety, the entertainment industry magazine, calls liberace the number-one draw in las vegas. the man has b

mcbride: liberace opened the riviera in 1955. and over. and what was good for one casino was good for all. it was one of the wisest moves that the mob ever made, in bringing bigger-than-life entertainment to las vegas. ♪ liberace: entertainment here in vegas has always been of the glittery type. the tremendous electric signs and the glamour of the hotels and the costumes i wear and everything were more or less stimulated by that. [ applause ] aren't you glad you came? [ laughter ] oh, lee? oh, he was wonderful. lee invented himself. crystals and candelabras, and it was make-believe, fun. ♪ newton: liberace took the las vegas image. he would drive cars on stage. he would have lighting that nobody else had. what he contributed to the town was enormous. liberace was probably the first true showman, in the most extravagant and broadest sense of the word. he gave a show, and that set a standard for las vegas. announcer: variety, the entertainment industry magazine, calls liberace the number-one draw in las vegas. the man has become an

liberace really didn't, but he attracted their wives. hi!t. my stones aren't large, but i didn't have to do anything to get mine. [ laughter ] woman: yes, you did! [ laughs ] [ applause ] nicholson: do you think that being a bachelor has kept you free to express yourself as you wanted to? well, i think my career has been, uh... perhaps the most interrupting thing, because most of the people i've gotten involved with romantically don't want to play second fiddle to a piano. gillis: i worked at the riviera with liberace, and we all knew. he was gay. nobody spoke of it, but we all knew. that was 1955, by the way. mcbride: it was like this elaborate game. i know you're gay, you know i know you're gay, but i'm not going to say anything about it and you're not going to say anything about it. he was absolutely deep, deep in the closet. ♪ binkley: that was the way it worked then. they didn't tell you and you didn't discuss it. mcbride: nevada had always been a state pretty much behind the times. because of religious influence from the mormons and co

liberace really didn't, but he attracted their wives. hi! but i didn't have to do anything to get mine. [ laughter ] woman: yes, you did! [ laughs ] [ applause ] nicholson: do you think that being a bachelor has kept you free to express yourself as you wanted to? well, i think my career has been, uh... perhaps the most interrupting thing, because most of the people i've gotten involved with romantically don't want to play second fiddle to a piano. gillis: i worked at the riviera with liberace, and we all knew. he was gay. nobody spoke of it, but we all knew. that was 1955, by the way. mcbride: it was like this elaborate game. i know you're gay, you know i know you're gay, but i'm not going to say anything about it and you're not going to say anything about it. he was absolutely deep, deep in the closet. ♪ binkley: that was the way it worked then. they didn't tell you and you didn't discuss it. mcbride: nevada had always been a state pretty much behind the times. because of religious influence from the mormons and conventional sexuality from

liberace really didn't, but he attracted their wives. hi!s. that's a big stone. i love it. my stones aren't large, but i didn't have to do anything to get mine. [ laughter ] woman: yes, you did! [ laughs ] [ applause ] nicholson: do you think that being a bachelor has kept you free to express yourself as you wanted to? well, i think my career has been, uh... perhaps the most interrupting thing, because most of the people i've gotten involved with romantically don't want to play second fiddle to a piano. gillis: i worked at the riviera with liberace, and we all knew. he was gay. nobody spoke of it, but we all knew. that was 1955, by the way. mcbride: it was like this elaborate game. i know you're gay, you know i know you're gay, but i'm not going to say anything about it and you're not going to say anything about it. he was absolutely deep, deep in the closet. ♪ binkley: that was the way it worked then. they didn't tell you and you didn't discuss it. mcbride: nevada had always been a state pretty much behind the times. because of religious in

liberace really didn't, but he attracted their wives. hi!es aren't large, but i didn't have to do anything to get mine. [ laughter ] woman: yes, you did! [ laughs ] [ applause ] nicholson: do you think that being a bachelor has kept you free to express yourself as you wanted to? well, i think my career has been, uh... perhaps the most interrupting thing, because most of the people i've gotten involved with romantically don't want to play second fiddle to a piano. gillis: i worked at the riviera with liberace, and we all knew. he was gay. nobody spoke of it, but we all knew. that was 1955, by the way. mcbride: it was like this elaborate game. i know you're gay, you know i know you're gay, but i'm not going to say anything about it and you're not going to say anything about it. he was absolutely deep, deep in the closet. ♪ binkley: that was the way it worked then. they didn't tell you and you didn't discuss it. mcbride: nevada had always been a state pretty much behind the times. because of religious influence from the mormons and conventional

liberace really didn't, but he attracted their wives. hi!gamblers went to gamble. yeah, i love yours. it's gorgeous. that's a big stone. i love it. my stones aren't large, but i didn't have to do anything to get mine. [ laughter ] woman: yes, you did! [ laughs ] [ applause ] nicholson: do you think that being a bachelor has kept you free to express yourself as you wanted to? well, i think my career has been, uh... perhaps the most interrupting thing, because most of the people i've gotten involved with romantically don't want to play second fiddle to a piano. gillis: i worked at the riviera with liberace, and we all knew. he was gay. nobody spoke of it, but we all knew. that was 1955, by the way. mcbride: it was like this elaborate game. i know you're gay, you know i know you're gay, but i'm not going to say anything about it and you're not going to say anything about it. he was absolutely deep, deep in the closet. ♪ binkley: that was the way it worked then. they didn't tell you and you didn't discuss it. mcbride: nevada had always been a st

some reason, when we talk about entertainment in las vegas, we turn our attention to frank sinatra and liberacehat really started was with boxing. it is another one of those big -- oh, you wanna do that? -- big nights in sports tonight. there's been a great deal of talking about this fight. it's a fight that two billion people around the world will be watching, the fight tween muhammad ali and larry holmes. it is a battle of hard hitters in a city of high rollers. announcer: muhammad! schilling: muhammad ali, larry holmes in las vegas. there was excitement. people were coming from all over the world, not just america. announcer: if larry gets lazy with his left jab, which he's been known to do, he can... holmes: vegas was paying more. they would out-negotiate the madison square garden, people like that. because they wanted to be known as the place to be. announcer: that's it! they stopped the fight. a tko! boxing became another form of entertainment in las vegas. if there was a title fight, it was going to be here. and you knew you were getting people who spend money. barbutti: i would see at t

some reason, when we talk about entertainment in las vegas, we turn our attention to frank sinatra and liberace that really started was with boxing. it is another one of those big -- oh, you wanna do that? -- big nights in sports tonight. there's been a great deal of talking about this fight. it's a fight that two billion people around the world will be watching, the fight between muhammad ali and larry holmes. it is a battle of hard hitters in a city of high rollers. announcer: muhammad! schilling: muhammad ali, larry holmes in las vegas. there was excitement. people were coming from all over the world, not just america. announcer: if larry gets lazy with his left jab, which he's been known to do, he can... holmes: vegas was paying more. they would out-negotiate the madison square garden, people like that. because they wanted to be known as the place to be. announcer: that's it! they stopped the fight. a tko! boxing became another form of entertainment in las vegas. if there was a title fight, it was going to be here. and you knew you were getting people who spend money. barbutti: i would see

look at liberace. you don't need it!lause] rivers: carson was definitely a mentor, and you hang onto those relationships where there is that magic. rivers: thank you for my career. thank you for letting me guest host for you, because i would not be sitting here ever. they all thought i stank, and you were the first one to say, "you're funny." thank you. carson: thank you. we'll be back in a moment. [applause] when i start watching late night tv. i had this instant idea that women can be funny; women can be a part of late night television. cohen: as much as i loved johnny, it was a holiday when joan rivers subbed for him. [audience cheering] rivers: i have the same thing! [laughter] rivers: of course she dreamed of getting johnny's job permanently. why wouldn't she? she was the heir apparent. a big executive at nbc came to my parents' house and said to them, "i've seen the memo "of the possible replacements for carson. "your name is not on the list. "you'll always just be a guest host." it was devastating. my mother was s

here's mort e proof that liberac california is just one bigm. public restroom.ps eventually hadhad to flushy the roles.migh it might have been better suiteh for the streets of san francisco were nearly half of the sidewalks have a feces. greg, you first. >> this is a story i won't care about until i'm sitting on a toilet and realize there's noin toilet paperg .is you go through the list ofou g things within arms reach thathi you can use, this is why i keep a copy of jesse watters book, you just pick it up, tero to page, to written half.o yo what do you have in yourroom bathroom in case? >> i just yell for my wife.el >> what if she's not home? >> i yell for someone else ins the hostto, she has to -- someoe has to be there. >> what if you are alone in theh house like me? >> i don't work and hypotheticals.blam >> i was going to say biden because i can't think of anything else.na. >> a really valid talking points >> sometimes tuesdays are hard for me.t >> i always want to know what brand of toilet paper. >> there's that one brand i can't stand. >> it's like not wipi