7 Facts About Scorsese's 'Casino' That Might Surprise You
The 1995 Martin Scorsese classic Casino depicted the glitz, glamour and dark underbelly of 1970s era Las Vegas. In addition to a gripping plot and expertly laid out storyline brought to life by Hollywood greats like Robert De Niro, Sharon Stone and Joe Pesci, the setting, costumes and attention to detail make this one for the books. Stone got an Oscar nod for her portrayal of the unpredictable Ginger, but the ensemble as one is what made this film so great. Here, take a look at these facts about Casino you might not have known.
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Facts about Casino
1. While the Tangiers is fictional, filming took place at an actual Las Vegas casino
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Although it shut its doors in 2015, filming for the movie took place in Las Vegas at the Riviera casino during the wee hours of the morning when the casino floor was less congested.
2. A whopping budget for threads
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You can't think Casino without picturing De Niro's technicolor suits or Sharon Stone's glitzy outfits — and that's probably because the costume budget was reportedly $1 million!
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3. Maintaining authenticity
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In addition to filming in an actual casino with real casino-goers present, real pit bosses and dealers were used in the film when possible.
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4. Packing on the pounds
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While Sharon Stone's ornate dresses and certainly fabulous outfits were a big part of what makes this film so great, they didn't come without their own set of issues. At one point in the film, Ginger is seen rocking an embellished gold gown, which the actress revealed "weighed about 35 pounds" in an interview with Access Hollywood.
"Those metal sequins were a nightmare. Everywhere they seamed, they were cutting. They cut into my armpits and my neck. That dress was a misery."
5. Stone's favorite on-screen kiss
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On Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, Sharon Stone revealed that Robert De Niro was her best on-screen kiss. "It was the actor that I admired the most and my whole career was like, I just wanna be able to sit across the table from Robert De Niro and hold my own. Maybe because I just held him in such extraordinary high regard and it was the pinnacle of the kissing moment for me. There was so much attached to it, but I was just so madly in love with him as an actress to start with that he probably could have hit me in the head with a hammer and I would have been like 'Oh, yeah!'," she joked.
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6. A brutal hit
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In the scene in which Joe Pesci's character meets his demise, he actually broke a rib. Ouch!
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7. A hands on director
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Sharon Stone explained how during the scene in which she's in the phone booth, she called Martin Scorsese over, explaining how she was having feelings of anxiety and fear, to which he responded by sitting outside of the booth so she was able to see and touch him as she went to a very intense place for the scene.
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