How can I use my Late 2009 iMac as an external monitor with my new MacBook Pro 15" Retina

I want to use my iMac (Late 2009) as an external Display for my new 15" MacBook Pro Retina, I need to know what Cables to use so I can go buy them the Apple Store, I already tried a thunderbolt cable between the two and that doesn't work, but I think this might
          iMAC                                                                                 MBP 15" Retina
Mini display Port to VGA adaptor -> VGA Cable -> Mini Display Cable to VGA adaptor
or maybe
Mini Display port to HDMI adaptor -> HDMI Cable -> HDMI Port on MBP
Pleae help I can't seem to figure it out online.
Thanks!

Hello, All-
I too am very interested in the answer to this query. Same set up, same fail w/the Thunderbolt cable. The Genius Bar at the Apple Store was no help & recommended I bring my 27" iMac into the store...seriously? Their ultimate answer was that I needed a plain old male-male mini display port cable....that the Thunderbolt cable was the problem. Bloody unlikely, I say. Another guy in the store agreed with me this morning, so swapped out the cable. I was hoping upon hope it was a bad cable, but no such luck—still nothing. Next I tried a mini-display-port-to-DVI adapter—DVI cable—mini-display-port-to-DVI adapter. This also did not work. Is there a chance that the iMac running Snow Leopard and the MacBook running Mountain Lion is the problem???

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