Other nostalgia interests besides tiki and exotica

I also dig art deco architecture, although it is kinda early for tiki era. I like the idea of combining the two, getting an art deco building and giving it a tiki spin. Coulda happened, somebody 'updating' their old deco style digs in the 'tiki heyday'.

Egyptania (Especially Pop Culture Egyptian)
Megaliths & Megalithic Archetecture (Giant stone assemblages like the Pyramids, Stonehenge, Moai, Nan Madol, etc.)
Anime (I just found a bunch of "Kimba" cartoons for $.99 a DVD, cool!)
Old Computers

Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington, Louis Prima, Louis Armstrong, Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Elvis, a lot of music from the 30s - 60s.

Neon especially 30s - 50s. 50s - 60s architecture & decor from minty green with linoleum to Naugahyde & teak, leopard print, chrome & barware as well. Mmmmartini & the sophisticated air associated with it.

Sci-fi and B monster movies, weird indi films & old classics.

Vintage advertising & ephemera including off colour representations of cultures around the world

1964 1/2 mustangs & my Dad's 1965 Corvair in glacier gray.
Brewerania, specifically Whitbread's - I am a Whitbread after all.

For me a lot of it is encapsulated in the old TV show, Hawaii Five-0. 70s styles were over-the-top enough, but when you mix in the trop./Polynesian element you really end up with some remarkable results.
Disco music evokes a certain over-the-top retro feel too. Like so much that we might now call "retro," it presented itself as kind of "risque`" at the time but now seems so innocent.

On 2005-08-11 11:10, tropicalguy wrote:
For me a lot of it is encapsulated in the old TV show, Hawaii Five-0. 70s styles were over-the-top enough, but when you mix in the trop./Polynesian element you really end up with some remarkable results.
Disco music evokes a certain over-the-top retro feel too. Like so much that we might now call "retro," it presented itself as kind of "risque`" at the time but now seems so innocent.

According to Viacom, Hawaii Five-O is slated to be released in 2006 on DVD!!!

On 2005-08-11 13:40, Urban Tiki wrote:

According to Viacom, Hawaii Five-O is slated to be released in 2006 on DVD!!!

That's all well and good but the question is... when will Paramount release Hawaiian Eye on DVD? :)

For anyone who likes noir & who likes to read, Cornell Woolrich's novels are wonderful. I had never heard of him 'til I bought a battered copy of "The Black Path of Fear" for a quarter at a thrift store. His writing is like a drug to me.

I miss being able to tune into Johnny Carson & see Truman Capote in one of his fabulous hats. I miss that old game show that had Kitty Carlyle & Orsen Bean. I miss the Jackie Gleanson show(from Miami Beach)& the June Taylor Dancers.

KC - Woolrich's "Black Path of Fear" was originally performed on the radio program Suspense in 1944... the story was done again in 1946 with Cary Grant in the starring role but I can't find a link for that online so you'll have to make due with Brian Donlevy's original broadcast...

http://otrfan.com/otr/series/suspense.html

Check it out!

On 2005-08-11 20:18, kctiki wrote:
For anyone who likes noir & who likes to read, Cornell Woolrich's novels are wonderful. I had never heard of him 'til I bought a battered copy of "The Black Path of Fear" for a quarter at a thrift store. His writing is like a drug to me.

I miss being able to tune into Johnny Carson & see Truman Capote in one of his fabulous hats. I miss that old game show that had Kitty Carlyle & Orsen Bean. I miss the Jackie Gleanson show(from Miami Beach)& the June Taylor Dancers.

I saw Trumane Capote, complete with hat, in Trader Vic's when it was in the basement of the Plaza Hotel here in NYC many moons ago (late 70s). I think the game show may be "To Tell the Truth", but they may have done more than one together, possibly "What's my Line. Kitty Carlysle is still alive. A friend of mine was in a play with her about 3 years ago. Shes in her 90s and looks great. I also love The Great One, I remember those shots from above of the JT Dancers that looked like kaleidascopes.

On 2005-08-11 16:35, johntiki wrote:

On 2005-08-11 13:40, Urban Tiki wrote:

According to Viacom, Hawaii Five-O is slated to be released in 2006 on DVD!!!

That's all well and good but the question is... when will Paramount release Hawaiian Eye on DVD? :)

That would be very cool. Wasn't that a crossover of 77 Sunset Strip? The stars used to guest on each others show, anyway. That and Bourbon Street Beat that took place in New Orleans.

Cheers,
Ray

[ Edited by: Urban Tiki 2005-08-12 06:03 ]

On 2005-08-11 10:12, Tikiwahine wrote:
Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington, Louis Prima, Louis Armstrong, Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Elvis, a lot of music from the 30s - 60s.

Neon especially 30s - 50s. 50s - 60s architecture & decor from minty green with linoleum to Naugahyde & teak, leopard print, chrome & barware as well. Mmmmartini & the sophisticated air associated with it.

Sci-fi and B monster movies, weird indi films & old classics.

Vintage advertising & ephemera including off colour representations of cultures around the world

1964 1/2 mustangs & my Dad's 1965 Corvair in glacier gray.
Brewerania, specifically Whitbread's - I am a Whitbread after all.

All very cool stuff- I'm just now starting to collect some Louis Prima stuff- he's the greatest. Ella is also the greatest. I was fortunate enough to see her in the 80s with Oscar Peterson at an outdoor concert in Connecticut- a magical evening. I love old movies and cheesy sci-fi is one of my favorites.

I forgot to mention...

http://otrfan.com/otr/series/suspense.html

...the episode "The Black Curtain" does star Cary Grant and it was also written by Cornell Woolrich - it's a good one!

On 2005-08-12 05:59, Urban Tiki wrote:

I saw Trumane Capote, complete with hat, in Trader Vic's when it was in the basement of the Plaza Hotel here in NYC many moons ago (late 70s)...Kitty Carlysle is still alive...Shes in her 90s and looks great.

Wow! That's even better than the dream I had where I was dressed in a sequined Bob Mackie creation, sitting at the bar at Tiki Ti, when Jack Palance comes in and sits to my left, then Marlon Brando comes in and sits to my right. Now I have and end to the dream. We all three finish our drinks and walk over Trader Vic's. We see Truman Capote & Kitty Carlysle having dinner together. I do a Tarzan yell and they invite us to join them. For a grand finale we all lay down on the floor and create kaleidoscopic designs.

Oh and Johntiki, thanks for the Old Time Radio links. I will have to check the old Suspense shows at work because I have inadvertently deleted all the sound drivers off my home computer while trying to eradicate all the porn junk that mysteriously appears on my computer after my son has been home on leave. I don't know how that boy got to be so strange.

Books on travel written in the early 20th Century.

Older small cars that were designed to look big.(Nash Metroplitan, Plymouth Lancer, Mercury Meteor)

I've always liked company and sports logos. The iconography specifically chosen to represent a team or company...often in elegant fashion. (The Hartford Whalers used to have a great logo.)

About 40 years ago, the Anaheim Angels had hats with a tiny halo embroidered in the top. I loved that..they could have just had that and no letters in the front and it would have been cool.

Robertson's Marmalade until very recently used a little black fellow as an icon. (He was called Gollywog) It makes me sad that people found him offensive, and thus he had to go.

Foldgers or Hills Bros used to have an Turbaned and Robed fellow drinking coffee as their logo. Sadly it disappeared to.

Rambler cars used to have a stylized "R" (I love the name Rambler for a car...hell yeah) and it seemd in the '60s and '70's ever old person who owned on in Leisure World had a plastic rose on the Aeriel. (from the song)

Speaking of rambling....

On 2005-08-10 09:59, tikitortured wrote:
Vintage drum kits (anyone got a VOX?)

I played in a band with a guy that had a VOX drum kit. It was a small Ringo Starr style set up. The bass drum was kidney shaped and the whole kit finished in metal-flake gold faux alligator skin pattern (I swear to God, I'm not makin' this up).

Older small cars that were designed to look big.(Nash Metroplitan, Plymouth Lancer, Mercury Meteor)

Yes, of course, how could I forget! The European post-war cars designed to offset the gasoline shortages. The microcars! Awesome! Talk about character! The Mini, the Isetta, and my holy grail of automobiles: the Messerschmitt Kabinenroller. I have the unrealistic dream of restoring a KR200 with the engine from a motorcycle, probably a BMW model. The original power plant runs dirty apparently. Also, you had to cut the engine and run it BACKWARDS to go in reverse. I'd probably have to push my modified KR if I wanted to go backwards...

Not sure I'd drive a microcar on the highways and byways of the U.S. of A. what with all the MY-GIGANTIC-SUV-KEEPS-ME-SAFE-AS-I-RUN-YOU-DOWN cars on the road these days.

Then there's that new Smart Car happening in Europe.... history repeating itself?

Anyway, here's a sweet link:

http://www.microcarmuseum.com/index.html

-Joe

[ Edited by: Rum Demon 2005-08-15 08:14 ]

Shipwreckjoey, THAT'S THE KIT I'M LOOKING FOR!!! Who cares how it sounds...it's got a kidney shaped bass drum, c'mon!

That's a cool link Joe, thanks. My father was in the service and we lived in Spain when I was a kid in the 60s, and those microcars were all over the place.

On 2005-08-10 11:56, Urban Tiki wrote:
I just got a DVD that has two movies on it- Ghost of Drag Strip Hollow (1950s B&W), and Ghost in the Bikini (Early 60s in color). In the Ghost in the Bikini, there is a pool party scene with a band playing by the pool. Not only are all of the instruments Vox (big Vox emblem on the bass drum), but there are big tiki planters around the pool. There is this really crazy shaped Vox guitar. This is a great (cheesey) DVD.

I know this post is 12 days old, so call me slow, but here's a couple more tidbits about that flick. The band at the pool party in Ghost In The Invisible Bikini is the Bobby Fuller Four. They had to lip-sync and then overdub some vocals later. Guitarist Jim Reese was put on the piano - makes no difference anyway when no one's really playing. The Vox gear musta been some kind of promotional fix, because the BF4 hated the sound of Vox gear and wouldn't use it except to start a bonfire (as Jim Reese says in Kicks). But later on, Vox put out an ad with a still from the movie, with the BF4 "playing" on the Vox gear.

Fun movie though. For an AIP beach movie, it's missing a few things, like Frankie, Annette, and the beach. But it's got Eric Von Zipper, Nancy Sinatra, Tommy Kirk, Boris Karloff, and Gorilla X, er, I mean Monstro.

If'n you dig this kinda stuff, you really should check out the Dumb Angel Gazette (discussed here). The new issue just came out, and it's, like, the bossest.

-Randy

Rum Demon, Thanks for that link !

Rum Demon, wow those are great cars! It just seems like driving one of those to work would be fun, although like you said about the Mess. I'm sure most of the simpler ones would not pass any emission control.

I've always wondered why they won't allow single passenger commute vehicles to be built from 350cc quads like cops in some cities use.

In the 1970s, Lion Country Safari had a bunch of paddleboats shaped like Hippos. I always thought THOSE would make fantastic little sports cars if one could fabricate it.

Vintage diners...and vintage DRIVE-INS...

Shabby, but still gloriously pink, and yes, they do light up the ice cream sundae! Mearle's is in Visalia CA.

Sadly, another one of my personal obsessions is old New Orleans jazz...I inherited my mom's old Kid Ory records. sigh

I also love really melancholy old motel signs...

Wowie Wow Wow! This is the BEST post!
Almost all of my favorite things have been mentioned -

~Space Age and Sci-Fi * Especially Sci Fi Novel covers from the 50's and 60's! The art is really beautiful and inspiring!
AND old cheesy Sci-Fi Movies *Nothing beats a giant spider or monster (man in a suit) attacking the world.

~B-Movies *These were made with passion. You can just tell by watching them that these guys had an obsession, say about Florida Swamps, and they had to make their movie about that, no matter how little the cost, or how bad the production. Check out "Wild Women of Wongo" for a good Florida movie.

~Googie Architecture and Drive Ins *Googie Redux: Ultramodern Roadside Architecture - is a great book and roadsidepeek.com - is a really great site for this sort of fettish.

~Definitely Old Time Radio Shows - Groucho Marx, Mel Blanc and Jack Benny!

~Carnivals, Sideshows and non Disney Amusement/Mom and Pop Roadside Parks are a huge nostalgic interest! *Check out Untamed Highway for a whole comic about that. And roadsideamerica.com for an awesome site visiting those places.

~Vintage Diners *My friend just sent us this cool link about the Valentine Diners from the 50's. It's really interesting!

~Sodas made from Sugar! *We are lucky enough here in Littlerock, Ca. to have "Charlie Brown's" restaurant and gift shop. They sell tons of those types of sodas and old fashioned candy too. Does anyone remember Sky Bars or Mallow Cups? I don't, because I was born in the 70's, but I get to enjoy them now. If you live in this area, check it out, it's on Hwy. 138 on the way to Vegas.

~Great old Black and White T.V. Shows, Sitcoms, Dramas, etc. *From a time when you could watch almost every show with your kids, being that they were moral and sentimental, yet still interesting and funny.

~Vintage Cookbooks and Household Lifestyle *Since I got married I have become more and more obsessed with the way women were back in the 50's. Such loving mothers/wives, who cooked their families great meals, and helped their kids with their homework, while still being hip and sexy wives too. Just because you cared about your family didn't mean you were a dork. Laura Petrie is a good sexy/hip example...

~Shriner/Secret Society Stuff *This whole realm just boggles my mind. I read once about a "goat", a round circle thing, that they'd strap you to and roll you down their secret halls to initiate you. The crazy thing is that there was a manufacturer who made these initiation devices for Lodges, along with Marching Band Uniforms! The name of the co. has slipped my mind.

~P.S. we just got those two movies also - "The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini" and "The Ghost of Dragstrip Hollow". They're another great example of superb movie making! Check out "Village of the Giants" too! Sci-Fi, Sexy, Go-Go Fun!

Thanks for the great Post!

http://www.sideshowstamps.com
Retro & Tiki Art and Rubber Stamps...

[ Edited by: Sideshow Stamps 2005-10-13 06:43 ]

Man, i love Googie...i'm so glad here in Florida we've got a ton of it to look at(well, at least whats still left standing, anyway). One day i will make a pilgrimage to Palm Springs...someday.

I´m really into vintage guitars...

Don´t think tattoos is really nostalgia but the history of tattooing (talking old school here, like Sailor Jerry, Herbert Hoffman, Charles Wagner...) is a huge interest to me

Adding to this thread--
I have a big interest in WWII history and plan to incorporate some of that into the basement Tiki bar I'm building (on another thread). I've collected quite a bit of stuff and, for the Tiki bar, I've mostly tried to find stuff centered in the Pacific theater. The theme is my imaginary version of a 1940s/50s era tiki/polynesian bar.
Here's a cool original water color I bought on Ebay today that has a great Polynesian vibe to it. It was painted by a (popular at the time) war time cartoonist, Paule Loring in 1944. I combined the listing pics so you can see the details (The complete painting is the bordered with rope):

Anyone else have this interest or other cool WW II/Polynesian related stuff?

[ Edited by: Mr. Pupu Pants 2009-01-30 03:39 ]

Besides tiki mugs, Hubby and I also collect:

vintage men's magazines, especially ones featuring Bettie Page
jeep anything, ads, signs, etc. (we have a 1947 Willy's CJ2A)

and we're always on the look out for old sci-fi posters and memorabilia (my mom is Prez of the local Dr Who fan club, she even painted her garage to look like the interior of the TARDIS)

Not vintage but...
ANYTHING LEBOWSKI!! Lebowskifest posters, t-shirts, special edition dvd sets, figurines... I even went as far as bidding $300 on his outfit from the "Gutterballs Dream Sequence" but was outbid.

White Russians included?

Dude

On 2009-01-30 13:39, MakeDaMug wrote:
Not vintage but...
ANYTHING LEBOWSKI!! Lebowskifest posters, t-shirts, special edition dvd sets, figurines... I even went as far as bidding $300 on his outfit from the "Gutterballs Dream Sequence" but was outbid.

Did you happen to see the episode of Ace of Cakes where they made a cake for Lebowskifest?

If not you can watch it on Hulu.com. Let me just say it was the biggest severed toe ya ever did see!

Vespas!

On the subject of "Nostalgia," and not necessarily tiki, I see that Disney today announced a new bar coming to the Boardwalk resort. Given the current popularity of tiki-style drinks at the resorts, I wouldn't be surprised to see something tiki-ish on the drink menu. When this new bar opens, I will certainly look for some tiki drinks. This new bar is nice in that it is also highly themed, something which it will have in common with the highly-themed tiki bars we all enjoy so much. The comments on their web site indicate a planned opening in January 2017. Details below.

I've pasted the entire article, with photos, because the Disney blog pages eventually expire and disappear.

Cheers!

All in the Details: First Look Inside AbracadaBar at Disney’s BoardWalk
July 20, 2016
by Jennifer Fickley-Baker, Editorial Content Manager, Walt Disney World Resort
https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2016/07/all-in-the-details-first-look-inside-abracadabar-at-disneys-boardwalk/

Today we’re happy to share with you the first look inside AbracadaBar, a new cocktail lounge that will soon open for business at Disney’s BoardWalk Resort.

AbracadaBar at Disney’s BoardWalk AbracadaBar at Disney’s BoardWalk

When it comes to describing this new location, “magic” is key. As the story goes, this little lounge was a former stomping ground for the famous magicians, boardwalk illusionists, and lovely magician’s assistants of the Golden Age. After a show, prestidigitators would gather to “conjure” up new cocktails, swap magic tips and tricks, and stay up all night attempting to “out-charm” each other with their extraordinary illusions. According to BoardWalk lore, it was on just such an evening that every single magician in the lounge vanished into thin air, and was never seen again …

Now, after sitting vacant for nearly seventy years, the secret magician’s lounge is now back in the spotlight and making its world debut as “AbracadaBar.”

Once inside, guests will get a special peek at the sophisticated social club of some of the most famous illusionists of the 20th century. While it’s rumored that the magicians who frequented the lounge vanished without a trace decades ago, their magic still remains strongly intact, and can be seen, heard, and savored in the bar’s signature cocktails. From its enchanted magic show posters and mystifying mirrors, to vintage props and tricks left behind years ago, AbracadaBar promises to be just as surprising and magical as its name suggests.

Keep your eye on the Disney Parks Blog for more details on this curious new location.

I came to tiki via some of my other nostalgic interests, specifically classic cocktails (and barware) and mid-century Disney. Some other interests include (in no particular order):

Trains
Old time radio (favorites include Fibber McGee and Molly, Gunsmoke, Yours Truly Johnny Dollar)
World's fairs
Classic movies and classic Hollywood
Early 20th century architectural movements (Craftsman, Art Deco, Streamline Moderne)
1920s-1950s automobiles (aesthetics, mostly; I couldn't talk about how they work)
Most forms of early jazz (Dixieland, Big Band) and mid-century popular music before Rock and Roll (crooners, girl singers, "easy listening" stuff) and a real guilty pleasure in Lawrence Welk

Hamo, I share a lot of your interests. My oddest one, in some eyes is my passion for ferns and exotic plants. I have quite a collection and they fit well with tiki. The drought is making it tough here in the West though.
Cheers

[ Edited by: nui 'umi 'umi 2016-09-28 23:44 ]

Old malls, departments stores and rotospheres!