The Hurricane, New York, NY (restaurant)

Name:The Hurricane
Type:restaurant
Street:49th and Broadway
City:New York
State:NY
Zip:
country:USA
Phone:
Status:defunct

Description:

Time for some pre-Tiki artifacts from The Hurricane, New York's Smart Tropical Restaurant. Looks like they competed with the famous Hawaiian Room for the South Seas dinner and dance crowd.

I have a few postcards, this one of the main dinning area.

This postcard includes the dance floor and the Tahitian Hut bar.

And finally, a nice matchbook from ebay.

DC

Nice work DC!

Here are some photos of one of my Holy Grail items: "The Plunder Set" from the late 30s. The box contains six pilsner glasses and six glass swizzles depicting twelve famous New York bars & night clubs of the period. Among them are The Hurricane, and Monte Prosser's Beachcomber (which is credited with introducing the Zombie to New York).

The set seems to go for $300-$500 when it comes up on eBay (which is rarely). I'd be happy just finding the Hurricane or Beachcomber glasses on their own. I'm not sure if these glasses were actually even used in the bars themselves. They may have just been created for this promotional boxed set.

Sabu,

That is a great glass set, have never seen that one before, thanks for adding it.

DC

Cool post. I love those glasses Sabu.
KG

Indeed, I almost missed this post, amazing! What is on that glass that says "Havana" on it?

KG, post some more pics from "The Hurricane" the movie here, for it was the inspiration for this and other "Hurricane" titled pre-Tiki places.

BigBro,
I really don't have much from the film. Just the sheet music and an ebay image of a movie poster and this movie still. I'm sure the movie inspired the restaurant. The font in the poster matches the restauant matchbook. BTW, the book was writen by Nordoff and Hall (Jon Hall's uncle was James Norman Hall), the same due who wrote the Bounty trilogy.
KG

KG,

Thanks for that post, you are right on, the movie poster font and style are the same as the matchbook and the back of the postcard.

Here is another photo of the inside of the matchbook, pretty cool design with the 3-D pop-up relief of the Hawaiian maiden.

DC

Oh jeez, what a beaute! Yours or e-bay's, DC?

looks like the Hawaii kai had some competiton as they were a block from each other (at least if they existed in the same time period)

Bigbro,

Have tried for that matchbook on several occasions with no luck. Will let you know if I pick one up.

Here are some more great posters from The Hurricane movie.

This is a fold out souvenir item.

Certainly looks like it could inspire a restaurant.

DC

Thanks, DC. THE HURRICANE sure has a lot of Pre-Tiki Poly pop history around it:

The star of the film, Jon Hall, was related to Norman Hall, co-writer not only of the novel that "The Hurricane" was based on, but also of the "Mutiny on the Bounty"! (Award winning cinematographer Conrad "Conny" Hall was his son. )

Jon Hall also was married to Frances Langford, USO performer in the South Seas, who later opened The OUTRIGGER restaurant in Florida.

Director John Ford, famous for his Westerns, also directed "Donovan's Reef"

And Dorothy Lamour was THE South Sea movie queen of the 30s and 40s.

Bigbro,

Did not realize all of The Hurricane movie connections, pretty cool.

There was another Hurricane bar inspired by the movie located in San Francisco. A few images snagged from here and there.

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DC

Here is another Hurricane bar and restaurant menu from Boston that is straight from the movie posters.

This beauty is from Mimi Payne's great website.

DC

This menu sums up tiki for me. Hollywood polynesia, Don the Beachcomber rum drinks, located in Boston.
Perfect.

Picked up a nice wood-grained dinner menu from the Hurricane restaurant in New York.

Tahiti on Broadway at 49th.

The exotic oriental menu.

This place was a block down from Monte Proser's Beachcomber at Broadway and 5oth.

DC

Nice stuff. If only we could turn the clock back about 50-60 years.

I spotted a reverse image doppelganger of the menu I have from the Hurricane - the hut moved, must have been the storm!

I also tried for a nice drink menu on ebay that has a list of the exotic drinks.

I have seen that Hawaiian women image before...

The South Seas in Anaheim.

DC

Spotted this old photo folder from the Hurricane on ebay

That has a photo of the interior.

Nice tapa and hanging lamp.

Also saw a photo of the exterior.

DC

Spotted this menu from the Hurricane on ebay.

Same graphics used by Monte Proser at the early Beachcombers in New York and Miami.

Makes one wonder if Monte wasn't involved in this place at one time?

DC