That old black magic

de Thomas Clavin

1948, New Orleans. Veteran trumpeter and singer Louis Prima stumbled into a young girl named Keely Smith: barely a performer, almost half his age. They went on to invent "The Wildest," the most exciting and successful lounge act Las Vegas has ever seen, an act that became one of the hottest in the U.S. in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Their professional success helped bring about the rise of Las Vegas as a mecca of American entertainment. Their love story ended in the 1960s, but their influence is still evident.