Post #785639 by HotelCharlieEcho on Tue, Apr 3, 2018 3:18 PM

Wanted to make a plug for a movie I saw recently called "Navy Blues" from 1941.

Jack Haley (still fresh from his career-making turn as the Tin Man in 1939's "The Wizard of Oz") is Powerhouse Bolton, a Navy sailor who is behind on the alimony he owes his ex-wife Lilibelle (played by Martha Raye, in characteristic over-the-top fashion). Lilibelle and her friend Margie Jordan (Ann Sheridan, as stunning as I have ever seen her look on film) are in Honolulu at the same time Powerhouse's ship is in port. Shenanigans and interlocking love triangles ensue, and along the way we are treated to Jack Oakie in a show-stealing supporting role (himself fresh off a Best Supporting Actor nomination for his turn as Benzino Napaloni in Chaplin's "The Great Dictator"), and none other than Jackie Gleason in his first film.

It's a light-hearted and largely forgettable film, though perhaps slightly less so for fans of pre-Tiki and Tiki Culture. There are plenty of stock 1940s-era Poly-pop influences, including tropical drinks and a big hula scene with a hilarious cross-dressing twist.

Of most interest to me, however, is an early scene in what can only be described as a pre-Tiki (if not, indeed, Tiki) bar. The bar has extensive lauhala matting, faux palm trees, bamboo and other tropical décor, but interestingly there is also a big tiki (or moai? it's some sort of humanoid stone figure) painted into a mural on one of the walls. I've tried unsuccessfully to find a picture of the mural - will have to take one the next time it airs. For now, here are some other pictures showing very limited views of the bar set:

I know there has been substantial debate here over what was the first "tiki bar", but given the early connections between Tiki culture and the Hollywood film industry (in perhaps an unbroken line from Ernest Gantt's loaning South Seas props to film studios to bigbro's own career in the industry), I'm also curious when we see the first tiki bar/tiki in a bar in a Hollywood film? Anybody got anything pre-dating 1941?

IMDB Entry: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0033942/

Wikipedia Entry: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Navy_Blues_(1941_film)

TCM Entry: http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/14962/Navy-Blues/ and Article: http://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/253212%7C0/Navy-Blues.html

Another Old Movie Blog Review: http://anotheroldmovieblog.blogspot.com/2009/12/navy-blues-1941.html

[ Edited by: HotelCharlieEcho 2018-04-03 15:20 ]