Post #718879 by aquarj on Sun, Jun 1, 2014 12:08 AM

Great stuff DC! I have some images that I scanned a few years ago, but unfortunately don't have notes on all the sources. My Dad stayed at the Hawaiian Village in 1961 on his return trip from business in Japan. There's a chance he might have pics from then too.

The next few pics are almost definitely taken in the mid-to-late 50s by Robert Wenkam, the same photographer who took some of the famous pics of the fabulous Waikikian lobby (next door to the Hawaiian Village). Some of these echo the images posted by DCabove.

B&W version of a color picture that DC posted above, but the funny thing is that the timing is just a couple ticks different too. Compare with the color version...

A little bigger view of one from DC above

Again, echoing one of the pics from DC

Wenkam photo of the Kaiser dome

Room interior (posted earlier in color by DC). Lucky thing that her outfit just happened to match the room decor. Look close and see if you spot the tiki.

Postcard from 1959

Beach Lanai pool

Aerial, late 50s

Entertainment on one of their stages - looks like Alfred Apaka on the right

Pre-opening ad

Great ad illustrations, looks like Stubenberg's style

Earlier ad from 1958 - the concept from the beginning was to offer as complete a resort experience as possible

Also from 1958, and again with a Stubenberg illo echoing the color version from DC's brochure above

The Hawaiian Village definitely still exists (now Hilton), and it's an enormous sprawling resort. The Rainbow Tower is one of the most iconic buildings in post-hi-rise Waikiki (the era that was kind of ushered in with the Ilikai two doors down). Here's some quick pics I had handy from when we stayed there in 2010.

The Rainbow Tower

In front of the Tapa Tower

In the Tropics restaurant

And speaking of the Rainbow Tower, etc., here's another pic DC posted showing the Waikikian lobby next door, with the Rainbow Tower in the background...

On 2011-10-27 23:37, Dustycajun wrote:
And another cool photo of the main entrance building with the Ilikai and Hilton Hawaiian Village looming in the background.

In the movie Blue Hawaii, Elvis has a few scenes at the Hawaiian Village, including the patio scene where he meets the lady customer whose group he'll be hosting for tours around Oahu, and later Kauai and the Coco Palms. They meet at the Garden Bar, and you can just catch a glimpse of the wild ceiling pattern. Here's the only pic I have for the Garden Bar, but if I remember right, it was even wilder in color.

-Randy