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A hard-nosed casino owner wants to bring in his estranged son to learn the family business. He gets him - albeit reluctantly - to try it out, but soon gets more than he bargained for.

Strange late sixties film. It's listed as a comedy but it's not really funny. Maybe on some satiric level but even that is stretching it. It comes across more as a family drama with some unconventional elements thrown in. The main crux of the story involves the strained father-son relationship but the script throws in all kinds of subtexts pertinent to that time (e.g. love generation sensibilities versus the Dean Martin set) which only serve to convolute the whole thing.

David Janssen and Robert Drivas as the two male leads don't offer much depth to their roles and their characters are so different from each other its hard to believe they are father and son. Rosemary Forsyth and Brenda Vaccaro come off much better in support with the latter a standout as a flaky secretary. Don Rickles also has a nice cameo as a cheating card dealer.

Overall, "Where It's At" is more interesting as a historical curio which gives the viewer a rare glimpse of Vegas during that era. Especially well presented is Caesars Palace where most of the action takes place.

One other note about the film is that it frequently employs impressionistic style editing which may not be everyone's cup of tea. Viewed today it seems a little heavy handed and dated.

Whilst I would agree that Rosemary Forsyth is a great reason to watch this film, there are other points in favour of Where It's At. David Janssen plays a Type A casino owner who tries to bring his son (Robert Drivas, in a low key but effective performance) into the business. Shot on location at Las Vegas Caesar's Palace, this is a trip down memory lane for anyone who spent time in that city of sin back in the '70s. You'll see lots of big names in lights on marquees, but alas, Totie Fields is not amongst them. Anyhoo, the canny Drivas turns the tables on his father, leading to an unlikely though plausible family hug at the end of the picture.

Another interesting aspect of Drivas' character is the screenplay's refusal to commit on his sexuality. He's presented with willing female partners throughout the film (including the astonishing Edy Williams and cute as a button Brenda Vaccaro) but never consummates the relationship, and doubt is repeatedly cast on his manhood. I don't know if Drivas was gay, but the fact that he died of AIDS at the age of 48 lends a bittersweet piquancy to his performance here. All in all, an interesting film that will keep your attention.

Casting bone to pick: David Jannsen was 38 playing the father of Robert Drivas, who was then, 31 (yeah, I realize he's supposed to be just out of college, but clues in the script have him being a loafer and so he's probably 24-25 in the script--- that still puts Jannsen in parenting classes in Junior High). I assume the AMA wrote medical miracle up in their 1938 Year in Medicine. This movie hasn't aged very well at all and now it's main appeal is just to see a snap shot of Sin City, circa 1969 and all the incessant smoking, the weird hair (Drivas has an atomic comb over that makes him resemble a well-groomed hip Cousin It) and trendy fashions that went along with it. If anyone remembers, LV wasn't exactly London... the city coddled the mob and codger gamblers in those days. Drivas comes off as sexually ambiguous; his dad thinks he might be gay (in a sad irony, Drivas himself died of AIDS at 47) and the soapy conflict is from the generation gap issue (ahem, as if one may call 7 years a gap). Sonny boy wants to be his own man and dad wants to pull him into the casino (Caesar's Palace!), and plies him with girls (including the horny-for-money Edy Williams). Interestingly enough, the son doesn't seem to mind being thought of as gay--- unusual for the time and a cute Brenda Vaccarro is nearby to swoon platonically over him. What nudity there is is awfully lame--- just what was needed to pull the audience in for an 'R' rating in the early days of the MPAA rating system (which then was G-M-R[16]- and X). The editing is HORRIBLE and there's stupid-silly overdubs by The Committee (a late 60's neo-avante-garde comedy troupe that mercifully faded off the map within a couple of years). Don Rickles is on board as a blackjack dealer... seemingly preparing him for a role as a floor manager in the much better CASINO two decades later. Not to give anything away, but they would've dealt with Mr. Rickles' character with power tools and a hole in the desert back then. A curiosity at best, far from Joshua Logan's usual caliber of work. Dos/Dias. Now go watch CASINO again...

Garson Kanin wrote and directed this look at "modern day" Las Vegas and the gap between generations, his first directorial effort since the 1940s! David Janssen is somewhat miscast as a big-shot casino owner who reunites with his son (Robert Drivas, who looks disconcertingly like an older Jason Bateman). Janssen approaches every scene the same way: defensively, with a chip on his shoulder. Playing this role cool and laid-back is asking too much from Janssen, who barks at everyone like a grouchy put-upon husband (he even chews out Don Rickles and makes him cry!). His son, a ne'er-do-well in search of his own identity, makes hip comments about how young people look down on Vegas (give them another ten years), and his disapproval of Dad's lifestyle causes friction. Brenda Vaccaro is cute as a self-conscious secretary and Edy Willaims has a fun bit as a showgirl at an audition. Unfortunately, "Where It's At" doesn't have much else going for it other than the now-dated ruminations on ethics between adults and their kids, some quick T&A shots and amusingly jaded satirical bits on the high-stakes world of gambling--most of which has been covered by now, ad nauseum. ** from ****

Just re-saw this movie after thirty seven years. I was eleven years old and caught this flick on South Beach at the long gone Cinema Theater on Washington Avenue. In 1969, I thought Where it's At! was a very good movie. Now, however, after almost forty years, it's not as good as it was. Times have changed, and this movie is now a tired old re-hash of the war between the generations. It did however, catch a place in time which is just a memory. It's really interesting to see the mod fashions, the old Vegas, a slim Don Rickles, chain smoking, and a hip opening song. The acting was decent, the script somewhat out-dated, but the memories were still fresh. Where it's At, may not be where it's at for you, but for me, it was still a nice and entertaining trip down memory lane.

Whether the son was gay was settled by the middle of the film. His sexuality was of no importance to the movie. As to the statement that he did not consummate any relationship. I can only say he must have been watching a different movie.

One of the most fascinating things about the movie was that the shot of Caesar's Palace pool area showed a vast empty space space behind the hotel. Another is that all the main characters in the movie smoked quite a bit - it is a bit jarring to current sensibilities. Brenda Vacarro was great and was the best thing about the movie. David Jansen also did a good job. He played the part much as I would have thought Clark Gable would have played it. My main problem with the movie was that i thought the son was miscast. He was supposed to be an idealist but he seemed a bit slimy to me right from the start.

I stumbled onto this movie when I was eBay'ing Caesars Palace stuff, as I'm enamoured with its rich Vegas history as the last of the original luxury resorts still standing in good condition (unless you count Bally's, the original MGM Grand). In that respect, this movie delivers full-force. You're given a grand tour of the Caesars property,which in spite of all the renovations and additions they've done over the 40 years it's been open, looks alarmingly similar. As a film overall, the plot is somewhat difficult to follow, thanks in large part to the horrendous editing. And when I say horrendous, I'm not using that word lightly. There's a lot of spliced-in, second-long snippets of Vegas traffic, casino crowds, and even a scene where the Robert Drivas character is having a conversation with his father about how much he's grown up, and without any explanation, he (Drivas) goes (in those infamous snippets) from being himself, to a baby, to a little boy, and then back to himself while talking back and forth with his father. (That doesn't give away any plot details; if anything, one can be prepared for it and maybe they won't be as flabbergasted as I was by the editing.) The film has aged well otherwise, and has a good message about the inherent differences between a father and his son that most guys could relate to in some form or fashion.

I can only believe that Garson Kanin must have been two people. The one who wrote the brilliant "A Double Life" and the funny "Born Yesterday" and co-wrote such excellent screenplays as "Adam's Rib" and "Pat And Mike" with his wife Ruth Gordon and then the one who wrote and/or directed such tiresome, sad drivel as "Bachelor Mother", "Some Kind Of A Nut", and this. The cast tries, but the script is so tired and clichéd that even the efforts of the always wonderful Brenda Vaccaro are defeated. The script sinks to it's nadir in the truly offensive sequence in which Janssen's character tests Drivas's character to make sure he's not gay. An ugly sequence, but sadly one which could easily play in a film today. "Ethnic" jokes are now totally verboten, but "fag" jokes are still "good, clean, family fun".

I saw this movie in 1969 when it was first released at the Cameo Theater on South Beach, now the famous Crowbar Night-club. It was the last year of the wild 60s and this movie really hit home. It's got everything; the generation gap, the sexual revolution, the quest for success, and the conflict between following one's family "traditions" to those of seeking ones own way through life.

It was a fast paced, highly enjoyable movie. Vegas was at it's hippiest peak, Sin City in all it's glory. Beautiful women, famous cameos, laughs, conflict, romance, and even a happy ending. A very enjoyable time over all.

The poster from this film rests on my bedroom wall. I look at it and I go back in time; a time of my youth and my times with my dad, a great time in my life.

"Where It's At" is a movie that really confuses me. It was filmed at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas...and yet instead of glamorizing the town and the resort, it makes it come off as tawdry and gross. And, I also was confused that David Janssen would make the film as he was a pretty big star in 1969 and the script was a mess. In fact, the movie is rather unpleasant and the only reasons I could see to watch it are to see what old Vegas used to look like or to get a glimpse at the era...a time where movies were moving from the squeaky clean Post-Code era to the era of rated R and X films. While this one is only R, there's a decent amount of nudity and plenty of adult language for the era.

A.C. (Janssen) runs Caesar's Palace and so he's a very important man. However, as a father he's pretty crappy and much of his son's life he wasn't there. So, when Andy (Robert Drivas) comes for a visit, A.C. pushes him to stick around and learn the family business. But this is a very bumpy road, as the father and so are so different. A.C. is worldly and completely amoral and the son is rather horrified by this and the life his father leads. And, when Andy doesn't sleep around with all the beautiful showgirls, A.C. assumes he must be gay and sets out to 'cure him'. What's next? See the film yourself...or not.

Pretty much everyone in the film is ugly down deep and because of this there's no one to root for or care about at all. A.C. is awful, the women around him are essentially prostituting themselves and Andy, it turns out, is pretty terrible once you see the real man down inside. All in all, a glum and sad film to watch...one that gets harder and shabbier the longer you watch....some of which is because of the deliberately sloppy edits.

I think my wife summed this one up best when she said "I feel like I wanna take a bath after watching this!".

Along with the equally trite Some Kind of Nut, Where Its At was one of two films released in 1969 written and directed by Garson Kanin signaling the end of his career with this dull and uneventful film that is rarely funny and never truly involving. Though not a period piece, Where It's At is somewhat reminiscent of, but far less charming than The Flamingo Kid and Dirty Dancing. The leads are not particularly likable. Robert Drivas comes across as creepy and drifts through his role while David Jansen as his father walks through his. Visually it's ugly looking and claustrophobic. The supporting cast is led by the bland Rosemary Forsyth as well as Edy Williams, Don Rickels and Brenda Vacaro who supplies much needed charm. A rudderless comedy/drama without pace or purpose.

The extraordinary Rosemary Forsyth is the main reason to see this flick. Why she never became a bigger store may never be known. But she is exceptional and steals every scene she's in. Garson Kanin directed this piece of fluff and the cast is first rate, with Robert Drivas and Brenda Vaccaro especially memorable. A "9" out of "10."

Looking towards the future of life has its meaning. Following your own beat, or the beat of others. Las Vegas, also known as "Sin City. Like New York, it's the "city that never sleeps". The father owns a hotel/casino and his his son is a college student looking forward to go abroad. They clash on the paths one should go on. The father wants the son to be heir of the business. He on the other hand has his own way of thinking. Playing a game with chance can go either way. You can win or lose. The father gets a new wife. The wife who gave him his son, died. And the son ended up with the secretary, the unlucky in love in the beginning. She shouldn't put herself down in the first place. The movie is great, lots to it. Nothing was left out. Life's a gamble, see this film. 3.5 out of 5 stars.