The poetry of Don Blanding / Vagabond's House - General Tiki

S Swanky Tiki Socialite Hapa Haole Hideaway, Knoxville, TN Joined: Apr 03, 2002 Posts: 5398	S Swanky Posted posted on Thu, Sep 22, 2016 1:56 PM On 2012-09-24 00:28, virani wrote: In this great article "I'll be your tiki server" by Charles Perry, from 2001, the author shares your theory about Don the Beachcomber beign influenced by Don Blanding for picking his stage name. Very interesting. Sven, were you interviewed for this article ? http://articles.latimes.com/2001/jan/17/food/fo-13069 it says : In 1934, when he opened his original Don the Beachcomber bar in Hollywood (it started serving Chinese food in 1937), he'd never been to the South Pacific, so he was probably under the spell of Don Blanding, a writer popular in the '20s for his poems about Hawaii. Certainly Beaumont-Gantt didn't name his restaurant Ernest the Beachcomber. Just adding to what Phil said. Donn's older brother, and the wealthiest of the family (he was Donn's partner in most businesses), Hugh Gantt owned and ran a pottery company in Hawaii called "Hawaiian Pottery" in the 1920s. Hugh's wife was the artist. I believe this was where the mugs came from as they had no marks on their works, only on the molds themselves. It was through his brother Hugh that Donn visited Hawaii.

On 2012-09-24 00:28, virani wrote:
In this great article "I'll be your tiki server" by Charles Perry, from 2001, the author shares your theory about Don the Beachcomber beign influenced by Don Blanding for picking his stage name. Very interesting. Sven, were you interviewed for this article ?

http://articles.latimes.com/2001/jan/17/food/fo-13069

it says :

In 1934, when he opened his original Don the Beachcomber bar in Hollywood (it started serving Chinese food in 1937), he'd never been to the South Pacific, so he was probably under the spell of Don Blanding, a writer popular in the '20s for his poems about Hawaii. Certainly Beaumont-Gantt didn't name his restaurant Ernest the Beachcomber.

Just adding to what Phil said. Donn's older brother, and the wealthiest of the family (he was Donn's partner in most businesses), Hugh Gantt owned and ran a pottery company in Hawaii called "Hawaiian Pottery" in the 1920s. Hugh's wife was the artist. I believe this was where the mugs came from as they had no marks on their works, only on the molds themselves. It was through his brother Hugh that Donn visited Hawaii.

Post #768900 by Swanky on Thu, Sep 22, 2016 1:56 PM