The Sands Hotel's showgirl tram story, often shared on social media, is actually a myth stemming from a misleadingly labeled publicity photo from the 1950s.

The famous image shows model and actress Mara Lane, not a showgirl, pretending to drive a tram at the Sands Hotel. Lane, who had a minor role in the 1954 film "Susan Slept Here," was one of photographer Slim Aarons' preferred models.

The photo was commissioned by Sands GM Jack Entratter as part of a publicity campaign. Entratter, who created the Copa Girls chorus line, frequently hired Aarons to capture attention-grabbing promotional shots for the resort.

A telling detail in the photo is the visibly annoyed expressions of the passengers. These were likely real hotel guests whose tram ride was interrupted for the photoshoot, not hired extras.

While the image has become part of Las Vegas folklore, it represents a carefully staged marketing effort rather than an actual service where showgirls transported hotel guests. The photo was donated to UNLV Library's Special Collections Department when the Sands closed in 1996.

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