A popular myth claims showgirls at the Sands Hotel in Las Vegas drove guests around in trams while wearing their performance costumes during the 1950s. This story emerged from a widely circulated vintage photograph, but the reality is quite different.

The woman in the photograph was actually Mara Lane, an Anglo-Austrian model and actress who appeared in the 1954 film "Susan Slept Here." She wasn't driving the tram either - this was a staged publicity photo taken by renowned Hollywood photographer Slim Aarons.

The photo was commissioned by Jack Entratter, the Sands' General Manager, who frequently hired Aarons to create attention-grabbing promotional materials for the resort. The shot was taken in 1955, coinciding with the introduction of the Copa Girls chorus line to the Sands' entertainment lineup.

A telling detail in the photograph is the visibly annoyed expressions of the passengers. These were likely actual hotel guests whose tram ride was temporarily commandeered for the photoshoot, rather than paid actors. Their unhappy faces suggest they were tired travelers who simply wanted to reach their rooms.

While the photograph has become an iconic piece of Las Vegas history, it represents a carefully orchestrated marketing effort rather than an actual hotel service. The image was later donated to UNLV Library's Special Collections Department when the Sands closed in 1996, where its misleading label helped perpetuate this enduring myth.

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