Vintage Wahine of the Week: Jayne Mansfield ...

Introducing this weeks Wahine of the Week Jayne Mansfield, a bit of a blast from the past. Biography from Java's Bachelor Pad.

"In the 1950's, Jayne Mansfield was probably the most well-known Hollywood blonde bombshell next to Marilyn Monroe. Whereas Marilyn was the unattainable goddess, Mansfield was the girl that every swinging bachelor hoped and prayed to meet at a nightclub. She was everyman's ideal of the buxom beauty. She knew how to purr and how to sway her hips. But these are the same attributes that caused her own downfall. As intelligent as she was (an IQ of 163) and as much as she wanted to be taken seriously as an actress, she could never shed her image of the dumb blonde."

"In the 1960's the world changed, but Mansfield stayed where she was, a prisoner of her pink-colored world and unmarketable to a new generation who had grown tired of the classic glamour model. But in the last 40 years, Mansfield's mystique has grown. As kitschy as her life was, we still adore her."

We certainly do!

Tikimentary - In search of the Lost Paradise ...

I recently came across some trailers for a short film tiled "Tikimentary" which went on to become a longer movie screened at the 2010 Hukilau. Tikimentary is

A road-movie searching for the ultimate Tiki experience. Take a trip through San Diego's Tiki Oasis, The Hukilau, in Fort Lauderdale and the Luau By The Lake, in fabulous Lake George. An intimate portrait of this new exotic urban tribe: the so-called "tikiphiles". They drink tropical drinks, dress in vintage clothes, listen to Exotica music, but most of all: are a big and colorful family. Starring: Tiki Kiliki, Otto Von Stroheim, Baby Doe, Marina The Mermaid, King Kukulele, Shag, Lenore "Tikilicious" & Steve Koppleman, Joe & Nicole Desmond, Harold Golen, Paul & Kelly Patterson, Suzanne Long, Sandy Future, Amy Eggers, Kiki Lenoue, David Lenoue.

Here are a couple of trailers to wet your appetite:

"The average person doesn't get it, they don't understand."


"Tiki casts a spell on you!"

"We are all looking for a paradise to escape to."

It was directed by Duda Leite, a Brazilian independent filmmaker currently living in São Paulo. He has directed some “cult” short films like “Serial Clubber Killer” (1994) Best Short Film at Mix Brazil, “Selma & Denise” (1995), “After the Fox” (1999) – Official Selection at OutFest in Los Angeles and Frameline Festival in San Francisco, and “Resmungo” (2002) which aired on MTV Brazil.The final version of the movie is currently available for watching on MUBI.com.

Watch the Tikimentary.

The Beachcomber Bar, Minehead, UK ...

A recent postcard purchase set me thinking about a Tiki Bar that I visited every year for about eight years as a child. The post card above is an original from 1970 and depicts the Beachcomber Bar inside the Butlins Holiday Camp, Minehead, UK.

In the mid 60's most of the Butlin's camps in the UK had theme bars, the best remembered has to be the Beachcomber with its tropical storm, boats and Hawaiian bar maids. From the other postcards I’ve seen online the Minehead Beachcomber seemed to have the most ephemera and looks to have been the most decked out.

It was an amazing experience as a child, sitting eating and drinking soda in those surroundings - Running water abounded, fish swam, lightening flashed and the rain poured every half hour like clockwork!

This Pathe News clip recorded at another Beachcomber gives you a tropical flavour of what it was like. (I love the commentary on this … very much of the time)

THE BEACHCOMBER BAR

Minehead Butlins was built in 1962 and the Beachcomber with its impressive A frame (… even if it was just bolted to a square shed!) proved to be a tempting tropical escape within the camp!

It operated for over twenty years before the decline started …

In 1995 - 96 The Beachcomber was used for the Bingo (yes … Bingo!) and retained some original fittings including the Volcano which by this time had become sadly dormant! In 1996 the venue was split in half and one side remained semi-intact and was renamed Hurricane Harry’s and was fitted out with new fittings and furniture.

The Beachcomber closed its doors for the last time in 1998 and was used as a storage room. Tiki Bar? ... yes! Tiki storage room? ... it'll never catch on!

Sadly in 2006 the building was demolished ending hopes that one day it might be restored to its former glory. Still I hold on to some fond memories ... and a postcard! ;0)

Aloha Lanes ...

Now its been a long time since I created a model here on the Secret Island, and when I did it resulted in the use of a basic kit, some glue which seemingly was only useful for attaching fingers and a lot of swearing from my Dad! I ended up with a Spitfire of sorts and lots of spare parts... I've had no interest since ... until now!

Mike Cozart has always loved model making and spent thirteen years working for Disney and is still building and designing models today! His latest project is the wonderful Aloha Lanes (originally to be called Tiki Bowl ... Aloha Lanes is better!) inspired by several structures in the San Diego area some which are still standing today. Aloha Lanes also features a coffee shop called "TIKI COVE" and a cocktail lounge called "THE PELE ROOM."

The good news is that you may be able to purchase a version of Aloha Lanes in a 1/8Th (HO Scale) laser craftsman kit, Mike points out that the version of the final kit may not be as elaborate, and the coffee shop section may become a separate kit to keep the model size a bit smaller but he hopes that these will be sold under the CENTURY SCALE MODEL line.

I'll update when Aloha Lanes becomes available...

What is Witco?

Witco started out as Western International Trading Company and imported South Pacific home furnishing items like Capishell Lamps. The company co-founders and artists were Ron Hovde and Bill Westenhaver.

As well as their business dealings in decorative imports they also had an interest in carving which eventually evolved into the rough cedar chain saw carved furniture and Tikis that Witco, as it became more commonly known, became famous for.

The artwork and production plant in Mt. Vernon, Washington eventually sold $15 million worth of Witco products throughout the world over a 10 year run in the 1970's.

One of their best customers must have been Elvis! The King's Jungle Room at Graceland is furnished almost entirely with Witco furniture. Most homes could get away with a feature piece or two, but not so Elvis as it would seem that his insatiable appetite for food was matched by his love of Witco! His Jungle Room features a full couch, a half-dozen chairs, tables, a cabinet, and a tiki bar with stools. Finished off with a lime green shag carpet not only on the floor but the ceiling as well!

p277 to 293 in the essential book Tiki Modern have a wonderful section on Witco and the legacy that it has left behind. In coming weeks I'll feature some of the work of Bosko, one of my favourite artists, which has a Witco flavour that I love.

Kahiki Collectables - Update

You might remember my previous post on the fate of the iconic Kahiki Tiki and Fireplace. Well the bids are in and the eBay auction has ended.

The good news is that the Tiki has been sold for $890.22 or in the local currency here on the Secret Island  AU $923.66. I guess it was always going to be the more practical of the two buys. I can just imagine the Tiki standing proudly in its new spot, with loving owners, restored with the flaming red top knot back in position.

The Fireplace at twenty two feet in length has fewer applications and potential new homes and remained unsold  with a top bid of $16.50 (AU $17.12) after the reserve was not met. It is much harder to gift wrap, get under the tree and just imagine Santa's trip down that baby! It's future remains unclear ...

Kahiki Collectibles ...

In the words of Critiki ...

"Kahiki Supper Club is a legend in the tiki world - a massive polynesian palace in the frozen land of Columbus, Ohio. Kahiki founders Bill Sapp and Lee Henry started work on the Kahiki after their bar, the Grass Shack, burned down on this site in 1959."

 They built the Kahiki for more than $1 million (about $7.3 million today), however having fallen through the hands of several owners the Kahiki closed it's doors for the last time in 2000...

"The Kahiki's building was a classic example of midcentury polynesian pop architecture, and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997. Despite this, Walgreen's purchased the building and bulldozed it. Some of the interior decor had been stored in a warehouse, and there was talk of the restaurant reopening in a new location. The potential for that seems to have ended: some of the decor was installed in the frozen food factory; the Kahiki's last owner, Michael Tsao, has died; and many of the remaining artifacts appear to have been sold at auctions."

Perhaps the most striking features of the Kahiki other than its A Frame were the Moai heads guarding the entrance. Standing over sixteen foot tall each had a red "topknot" which sat atop the head and spewed fire from a gas burner...

While on the inside was a twenty two foot Tiki fireplace complete with glowing red eyes, as featured in this Shag painting ...

... and the essential book Tiki Modern!

Interestingly both of these Kahiki icons are up for grabs and could be yours at the right price!

Kahiki Moai Head - eBay Auction.
Kahiki Fireplace - eBay Auction.

Both show some signs of damage when they were removed but both deserve to fall into the hands of someone who will love and cherish them and return them to their former Tiki greatness... how much for postage to The Secret Island!?!

"No restaurant with a fire-breathing stone head has ever captured the hearts of Columbus quite like the Kahiki.The Polynesian eatery took Tiki kitsch to the max with an aviary, indoor thatch huts, umbrella-topped drinks, waterfalls and the deep thrum of drums." Elizabeth Gibson.

"At the point when the last great Tiki bar closes, someone will open a new one and everyone will say these are great. It's a shame we always seem to realize too late how much things mean to us." Frank Decaro.

The loss of cathedrals of Tiki like Kahiki make the fight for bars like the Tonga Room even more important. The fight continues...

History of the Aloha Shirt ...

Hawaiian shirts have a long history in the 50th State. There have been numerous stories, fictions, as well as the odd half-truths perpetuated about the origins of the Hawaiian Shirt, more popularly known as the Aloha Shirt in Hawaii. One such story goes like this…

Prior to the establishment of the Hawaiian Shirt in the fashion annals, Honolulu was a rather conservative, somewhat drab place from a fashion standpoint. In the 1920s and 1930s immigrants from numerous countries began setting roots in Hawaii, seeking prosperity and a new life in what was then a Plantation town. Bright Kimono cloth came from Japan, the relaxed and cool-wearing Barong Tagalog  came from the Phillippines, bright formal colored garments and silk came from China, the traditional collared shirt style came from the USA, and native Hawaiians provided their own traditional geometric block patterns, first seen on the Kapa Malo (loin cloth) and Kapa Pa'u (similar to a sarong).

The probable precursor to the modern Hawaiian Shirt was the Palaka Shirt and the Kimono-cloth shirt. The Palaka is a short sleeved shirt with bright geometric line patterns that were widely worn by plantation workers. It has a plaid design, and resembles a checkerboard. Also popular during that time were short-sleeved shirts sewn by Japanese housekeepers and made out of leftover Kimono cloth, designed for Japanese boys and men.

Many attribute the invention of the Aloha Shirt to Ellery Chun, owner of a Dry Goods store in Honolulu who sold the tropical print fashions in the 1930s. However what we now know is that the "Hawaiian Shirt" had already been in circulation for numerous years, although Mr. Chun had a major role in the Hawaiian Shirt's proliferation. Ellery Chun was born in Hawaii in 1909. He graduated from Yale University with a degree in Economics in 1931, in the midst of the Great Depression and then returned to Hawaii to take over his Father's dry goods store in Downtown Honolulu. In an attempt to build business during the Depression, Chun expanded the scope of the store to appeal to a wider audience beyond the Chinese community it primarily served. He and his sister Ethel Chun Lum, began selling bright print short sleeve shirts made out of the leftover material from Japanese Kimonos. He also renamed the store King-Smith Clothiers. Some of the original Hawaiian prints sold by Chun included designs with Palm Trees, Hula Girls, and Pineapples. One of his tailors would make about 3 or 4 dozen at a time.

At the same time  a business named "Musa-Shiya the Shirtmaker" was also making shirts from Japanese Kimono fabric. Musa-Shiya the Shirt Maker eventually evolved into "Musashiya", a fabric store that is still in business today at Honolulu's Ala Moana Shopping Center. The business advertised its "Aloha" shirts with a starting price of 95 cents per shirt!

Local Hawaii residents, and Waikiki beachboys and surfers quickly noticed the shirts and began buying them in ever-increasing numbers. Over time, tourists, Hollywood movie stars, and other rich and famous visitors to Hawaii also began noticing the bright, casual, easy to wear styles, and began bringing styles home to the U.S. mainland. After his success with the shirts in the early 1930's, Mr. Chun, trademarked the term "Aloha Shirt" in 1936. He continued selling his Aloha Shirts, and widely expanded his line, with his sister Ethel designing the fabrics and shirt styles. It was during this period that Ethel Chun Lum began creating the bright tropical fabric patterns that were based more on Hawaiian designs rather than Asian styles. Ellery Chun passed away on May 16, 2000 in Honolulu at the age of 91. Although he may not have invented the garment, he certainly popularized it, helped establish a staple Hawaiian industry, and helped assure the Hawaiian Shirt an enduring place in fashion history.

By the 1950's, the Hawaiian Shirt had blazed into prominence. In August 1959 Hawaii became the 50th State of the U.S.A., bringing the new “Aloha State” even more attention, and most significantly, even more tourists! The cover of Life Magazine, dated December 10, 1951, featured a beaming President Harry Truman wearing a Hawaiian shirt for a story entitled “The President of the United States - Evolution of a Wardrobe.”

Hawaiian shirts also began receiving high exposure in Hollywood movies, and a succession of popular Hawaii-based TV-Series through the late 1950's, 1960's, 1970's and 1980's. 

Today the Hawaiian shirt remains a firm favourite with fans of Tiki Lifestyle and should be worn loud and proud.