An expectant opening night crowd of 200 waited in The Lounge of the Commercial Hotel in Elko. The date was April 26, 1941. Enthusiastic applause broke out when the tuxedo clad band leader tipped his battered silk top hat and, breaking into a big smile, he asked the audience, "Is everybody happy?"

Raising his baton, Ted Lewis gave his famous jazz band a down beat and big name entertainment was born in Nevada casinos. There was no cover charge, no food served, and drinks were 25 cents each. When the the first show ended many of the audience stayed in the Commercial's casino. The scheme had worked. Top notch entertainment drew people to the show and they stuck around afterwards to gamble.

When locals heard that Lewis and his band were to appear at the Commercial they didn't believe it. Some said the band would show up but not their leader or, perhaps, someone might impersonate him. When Lewis did show up in person the doubting Thomases would have believed anything announced by the Commercial Hotel owners.

Today, Nevada is noted as the entertainment center of the world but the idea was not conceived in Las Vegas or Reno. Those communities are just copy cats. Newton Hunt Crumley, son of longtime hotel owner, Newt Crumley, started the whole business at the Commercial Hotel in downtown Elko.

Crumley's Commercial Hotel had humble beginnings as the Humboldt Lodging House in1869 next to the Central Pacific Railroad tracks. It was a frame building housing a few bedrooms, a bar, and dining room. Years passed as ownership and the building's appearance changed. In 1925 old man Crumley met with the owner, William Doyle, in Reno to dicker over the price of the now two story brick hotel. Doyle held out for more than Newt was willing to pay. Gamblers being gamblers the deal was made after both agreed to flip a coin for the $5,000 difference.

Thus, the stage was set (no pun intended) for big name show biz's start in the Silver State 16 years later when young Newt and his dad began shelling out as much as $12,000 a week for the shows. It was a massive amount of money in those days but that's what it took to get Sophie Tucker who was billed as "Last of the Red Hot Mamas," Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey and their orchestras, Chico Marx of the Marx Brothers, Spike Jones and his City Slickers, Lawrence Welk and his band, the Andrews Sisters, Carl Ravazza, the Ritz Brothers, and Minsky's Follies to name a few. Some of you may not recognize the names but they were the super stars of the time.

Paul Whiteman, called "The Greatest Name in American Music," came to town. When he signed to come to Elko Variety's front page proclaimed: "Whiteman Fixed to Play Stix." The "King of Jazz" made a deep impression on Elkoans who made remarks like "He's a real guy," "I liked his informal way," and "You can tell he's from the West."

Included in every performer's contract was a clause requiring them to give one free performance for the community's children and teens. Most of those performances were held in the Hunter Theater. Special shows were presented at the Old Folks Home and out at the Nevada Industrial School (now Nevada Youth Training Center). The shows, including those for adults, were clean back then; in fact, if an "off color joke" was uttered, the entertainer was fired. No exceptions. The comedians today would hardly last through the first sentence of their monologue.

During World War II some of the Commercial's shows were taken to Wendover Air Base, Utah for the US Army Air Corps men stationed there. The Commercial continued its big name entertainment after the war but was soon joined by its competitor, the Stockmen's Hotel, directly across the railroad tracks.

Once the Mayer Hotel, the establishment was bought by R.C. "Red" Ellis and A.C. Bigham who changed the name to the Stockmen's. The partners opened a lounge in August, 1946. Big namers who appeared there included Margaret Whiting, Burl Ives, Alfred Drake, Rex Allen, and Tennessee Ernie Ford.

In that same year young Crumley built and opened the Ranchinn, a "super motel" of its day. It was on Idaho between Eighth and Ninth streets. Newt, of course, hired stars to appear at his new place. His first two headliners were Henry Bussey and his orchestra and singer Tex Ritter.

Elkoans and their visitors had great times at the three casinos. The town rocked with the most famous entertainers of the times for several years. Reno and Las Vegas casino owners finally came to their senses and realized that the stars were drawing cards. Prices for the acts rose past the budgets of the local hotels, lack of larger stages and rooms, and ownership changes brought an end to big name entertainers visiting Elko.

Although the stars do not visit Elko often memories still remain with many Elkoans and they are proud it all started here.

Elko's famed Commercial Hotel still holds forth on the corner of Idaho and Fourth streets. Now owned by Full House, Incorporated the casino is a popular place with visitors and locals alike.

Note: Sincere thanks to Angela Aguirre for her article, "It Began in Elko," published in the Fall, 1989 issue of The Northeastern Nevada Historical Society Quarterly. Most information came from an article, "Is Everybody Happy?" I wrote for the Elko Independent in 1980 and my story, "One Night Stands," that appeared in the March/April,1980 issue of Nevada Magazine.