denied that day as it was unable to post a bond that would pay the $5.8 million worth of claims, filed by approximately 120 other creditors after Plaza Towers Inc. entered bankruptcy. Hughes' $17.3 million acquisition of the Landmark, through Hughes Tool Company, was completed on July 1, 1969, a day after Hughes issued checks to three different entities to complete the purchase: $2.5 million to Plaza Towers; $5.8 million to fully pay unsecured creditors; and $9 million to pay off the Teamsters Union. Opening and operation (1969–1990) The Landmark opened on the night of July 1, 1969, a day before the International Hotel. The resort was first unveiled to 480 VIP guests prior to the public opening, which was scheduled for after 9:00 p.m. Apollo 10 astronauts Thomas P. Stafford and Eugene Cernan attended the grand opening, and were the first people to enter the new resort. Other guests included Cary Grant, Dean Martin, Jimmy Webb, Phil Harris, Tony Bennett, Sammy Cahn, Steve and Eydie, and Wilt Chamberlain. Nevada governor Paul Laxalt, as well as senators Alan Bible and Howard Cannon, were also at the opening. Three members of the Los Angeles Rams were also in attendance: Jack Snow, Lamar Lundy, and Roger Brown. Local, national and international media were also present for the grand opening, which was described by the Las Vegas Sun as resembling a Hollywood premiere. A closed-circuit television camera filmed the festivities in the Landmark on opening night, with the footage being shown live to guests at Hughes' other hotels, the Sands and the Frontier. Hughes – who lived in a secluded penthouse at his nearby Desert Inn hotel-casino – did not attend the grand opening. For opening night, comedian Danny Thomas was the first to perform in the Landmark's theater-restaurant showroom. Hughes had earlier suggested a Rat Pack reunion or a Bob Hope-Bing Crosby reunion as the opening act, both of which were considered unlikely to happen. Television advertisements for the resort stated: "In France, it's the Eiffel Tower. In India, it's the Taj Mahal. In Las Vegas, it's the Landmark." Dick Parker, executive vice president for the Landmark, had stated during the previous year that the International and the nearby Las Vegas Convention Center would not harm the Landmark's business. The Landmark reportedly lost $5 million in its first week of operations, and despite its close proximity to the convention center, the resort