SANDS HOTEL & CASINO -------------------- RESTAURANT INFORMATON ______________________________________________________________________________ RARE HOLLYWOOD MEMORABILIA RESTORED AT SANDS HOTEL & CASINO "EPIC BUFFET" Atlantic City, NJ --- The Sands Hotel & Casino has taken on the look of a Hollywood backlot, as a pair of scenic designers labor behind the scenes restoring hundreds of rare and priceless movie artifacts used in major epic films. One of the largest accumulations of movie props on the East Coast is being restored on site at the Sands! Memorabilia from classic films, from Hollywood's greatest epic period, such as Ben Hur, Quo Vadis, the Ten Commandments, Spartacus and Cleopatra, as well as artifacts from today's hits, are being restored to their original condition for placement in the Sand's new multi-million dollar Epic Buffet, scheduled to open early July. Among the pieces on site are Cleopatra's chaise lounge and the two cats from her barge as well as the 9 foot statue of the Goddess of Taweret used in the epic film. The fertility goddess was based on the original that is presently in the Cairo Museum in Egypt. Also at the Sands is the Ka statue of Tutankhamen used in Cleopatra. This was also based on the original, circa 1347 B.C., on exhibit in the Cairo Museum in Egypt. Other artifacts include the chaiots and Charleston Heston's chair from Ben Hur and the Ten Commandment Tablets, as well as more recent pieces. The restoration process involves a variety of procedures. Re-creating on plaster, fiberglass, concrete such faux finishes as granite, gold, silver, copper, patina bronze, marble and gem stones takes an expert touch. Many of the pieces may require major renovations such as re-sculpting and re- creating missing parts. Some pieces just require a good cleaning. Most of the materials that are needed in the process, specialized paint, gold leaf, of which thousands of sheets are needed, are ordered from specialty vendors in Hollywood. The restorations are being done by experts Matt Flynn and Sean Falkner, of Hollywood, CA. According to the experts, the restoration process used 50 years ago still prove to be the best today. Flynn and Falkner have been involved with movie making for the past 10 years. Their movie credits include working on the sets and props of the original Batman, Dracula and Free Willy II, due out this Fall. Their television credits include populat TV shows such as the Wonder Years, Tales from the Crypt and married with Children as well as 700 commercials. In addition to these classic films, memorabilia from more recent hits will will be on display at the Sands. Forest Gump's bench and box of chocolates, Madonna's beret from Dick Tracy, Sly Stallone's hat from Rocky II and Jessica Lange's housdress from Rob Roy are just a few of the pieces that will be on display to the general public. Involvement in the procurement of these items started at the top. Bill Weidner, President, Pratt Hotel Corp. and Brad Stone, President, Sands Hotel and Casino, made the initial trip to Cine Citta Studio in Rome, Italy where many of the epic artifacts were being stored. After several trips to view the artifacts, both in England and Italy, their enthusiasm in furthering the memorabilia concept at the Sands escalated. The classic pieces will be on exhibit in the new Epic Buffet, which is scheduled to open early July. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ SANDS FOOD AND BEVERAGE DIRECTOR RECEIVES HIGHEST FOOD SERVICE CREDENTIAL Atlantic City, NJ --- Dave Williamson, Director of Food & Beverage at the Sands Hotel & Casino, was recently certified as a Foodservice Management Professional (FMP) by The Educational Foundation of the National Restaurant Association. FMP is a professional certification that recognizes individuals who demonstrate an exceptional level of experience, knowledge and leadership within the food service industry. Williamson, 39, received the FMP designation after successfully meeting the program's requirements for experience and education and passing a comprehensive examination. The FMP program is administered by The Educational Foundation, under the guidance of a Certification Governing Board consisting of 15 industry and academic leaders. FMP is the highest credential awarded by The Educational Foundation to food service professionals. The Marmora resident has been with the Sands since May, 1987. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |SANDS HOTEL CASINO | | S Indiana at Brighton ...609-441-4000 | | Box Office ............609-441-4137 | | Hotel Rooms ...........609-441-4444 | | Restaurants ...........609-441-4000 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------