Tiki Stars Walk of Fame (or as close as I could get)

So HOW did someone like this obscure performer get a star on the walk? For me, the obscurer the better, but: Who knew who to get this one in? :D

Here is one more better known Hollywood star with a star and his one time connection to Poly pop:

This is actually an oddity in the South Seas genre, as it was shot entirely on location (a rarity in the early 50s still) and is considered fairly authentic in its portrayal of the place and people

But no one has brought up the fact that the WHOLE CONCEPT of the Walk of Fame is not only connected to an important figure of Polynesian pop:

...but according to Los Angeles Magazine, it is partially BASED on a classic Pre-Tiki Temple cocktail menu!:

I own the menu mentioned (never seen one with "gold stars", though):

A close up excerpt illustrating the "Stars" concept, and some great cocktail names:

Here is Harry Sugarman, years after he suggested the Walk, at the first stars being laid down:

I bow before you BigBro, I asked my folks and even they did not know who came up with the idea

Thank You, Chuck. That is the great thing about TC, it makes one dig deeper:

I knew he had had the idea, and when Boris's post kept on showing the stars, I DID have the thought of the cocktail menu connection (since it hangs on my kitchen wall). But then I thought "Naaaw, that would be - (sorry to use the term again :) ) - stretching it. Until I dug up that LA Mag quote. BINGO!

And here, for us film buffs, the poster for the film on the marquee behind Harry, from 1959:

:)

That topic on Sugarman and the connection to the Hollywood Walk of Fame was also covered here...

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=36628&forum=2&hilite=tropics

DC

Ha! Darn, that's how I must have "known" about the menu connection - but then it slipped my mind! Or, also possible, I simply overread that menu connection part (happens to the best of us!)

In any case, that discovery is clearly YOUR credit, DC, buddy! I just put it into context to this thread. And BORIS, where was YOUR memory of this? :D

Here is my earlier contribution to the evolution of Sugie research:

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=34039&forum=1&vpost=485313

[ Edited by: bigbrotiki 2011-06-01 15:20 ]

OK so Chuck Tatum posted Godzilla's HWOF Star but neglected to identify the Poly-Pop connection.

Was he just being a wise guy or does such a pop culture reference exist? Well many of the Godzilla films (most of which came out during the early 60's Tiki era) did have scenes that took place on South Seas islands. A few that come to mind are "Godzilla vs. Mothra","Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster", and "Son of Godzilla". (Gee, I hope I'm not coming across as a geek here).

All of those islands were inhabited by "Polynesian" natives who vaguely looked Japanese. :D

So were there any Tikis present ?? Well nothing that I've noticed but I really wasn't looking.

I'll add that to my Tiki "things to do" research list. :)

Ok: Reaching...reaching...streeeetching....and there it is, barely visible, one of the Moais of no, not quite Godzilla, but MOTHRA island, during the Mothra hatching dance ritual:

Now I know there is a scene of the Peanuts as the Mothra fairies singing the Mothra song, didn't hat show the whole temple platform with the Moais? Can't find a pic of it...

On 2011-06-01 15:47, bigbrotiki wrote:
Ok: Reaching...reaching...streeeetching....and there it is, barely visible, one of the Moais of no, not quite Godzilla, but MOTHRA island, during the Mothra hatching dance ritual:

But remember, Mothra would need to have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for that to be Tiki relevant for this thread.

I don't think he (she?) has one. Ha, ha. :D

On 2011-06-01 16:39, JOHN-O wrote:

On 2011-06-01 15:47, bigbrotiki wrote:
Ok: Reaching...reaching...streeeetching....and there it is, barely visible, one of the Moais of no, not quite Godzilla, but MOTHRA island, during the Mothra hatching dance ritual:

But remember, Mothra would need to have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for that to be Tiki relevant for this thread.

I don't think he (she?) has one. Ha, ha. :D

I thought everyone here would of seen all the Godzilla movies by now? I was thinking of "Son of Godzilla" myself
when I mentioned it.

And yes John-O, all those Island natives do look very Japanese, but I remember Idols in the movie (was it Moai?)
Reaching I know but there is a kitchy, pop culture connection.

So what was Keye Luke's surf connection? John

On 2011-06-01 12:44, Chuck Tatum is Tiki wrote:
Was it the cartoon "Battle of the Planets" which Keye Luke was a voice actor? John-O

Yup, the band "Man Or Astro-Man" often used dialogue clips from 1950's Sci-Fi movies or obscure cartoons as introductions to their songs. That clip was used for the song "Evil Plans of Planet Spectra".

You can listen to it here...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0DEL7dKCU8

So says Master Po !!

BTW, here's the Mothra Moais that Bigbro was referring to...

[ Edited by: JOHN-O 2011-06-01 20:56 ]

Where...whe...WHERE!!!? Am I struck with Master Po's ailment? Somebody turn on the light!

• CLICK! -

Aaaah! There they are!

I can't believe some of the names that got thrown out there before this guy;

Yes, I noticed is the topic had drifted into "Other than", and hence why I bring up Bing. Most everyone/everything that has been mentioned, also have been connected to Polynesiana, Hawaiiana, and tropical backgrounds, and thats why I'm tossing Harry into the pot. He is probably one of the most deserving, and earliest purveyor's of fauxnesian© lifestyle. :D

[ Edited by: Tom Slick 2011-06-01 22:26 ]

On 2011-06-01 20:36, JOHN-O wrote:

On 2011-06-01 12:44, Chuck Tatum is Tiki wrote:
Was it the cartoon "Battle of the Planets" which Keye Luke was a voice actor? John-O

Yup, the band "Man Or Astro-Man" often used dialogue clips from 1950's Sci-Fi movies or obscure cartoons as introductions to their songs. That clip was used for the song "Evil Plans of Planet Spectra".

I remember the Space Concert episode, this was one of those cartoons I grew up with.
also was a big fan of Keye Luke from Kung Fu, then later from 1940s Green Hornet, Mr. Moto and dozens of movies & TV shows with Tiki cred.

How about these guys for the "Road to..."exotic places movies?

Yea, guess that's stretching it.

Boris paid tribute to Gilligan's Island with the inclusion of the stars for Jim Backus and Alan Hale Jr.

Really I think that Tiki credit needs to go to this guy…

Sherwood Schwartz

And you know that "Cursed Tiki" episode of the Brady Bunch?

He created and produced that TV series as well.

On 2011-06-01 23:10, King Bushwich the 33rd wrote:
How about these guys for the "Road to..."exotic places movies?

Yea, guess that's stretching it.

Tom Slick beat you to that one, King Bushwich. Well at least half way.

I don't think that's really stretching it but it is kind of obvious. They would be the boring answer to a Poly-Pop trivial pursuit question. Remember, the geekier we get with our choices and rationale, the fresher and more interesting this thread will be. I see this as the perfect opportunity to uncover cool, obscure, or forgotten Tiki facts related to Hollywood that may have flown below the radar.

Where's BongoFury when you need him ?? :)

And I don't mean to bag on other people's contributions but I've come to understand Bigbro's original point about diluting a good idea. There are just SO MANY South Sea films starring actors with a HWOF star, that this thread is gonna get old fast if we simply just post pictures.

Wanna see what I'm talking about? Go here...

http://www.southseascinema.org/shows.html

[ Edited by: JOHN-O 2011-06-01 23:56 ]

He may not have a star on the HWoF, but he does have a place on Canada's Walk of Fame.

Why include him?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3aNm-b-8Xw

On 2011-06-01 23:10, King Bushwich the 33rd wrote:
How about these guys for the "Road to..."exotic places movies?

Yea, guess that's stretching it.

Stretching it? Maybe not! In an example of "passing Tiki forward", the character name of "Lala", in Tiki Bar TV, was based on Dorothy Lamour's "Princess Lala", in Hope and Crosby's "The Road to Bali".

[ Edited by: Limbo Lizard 2011-06-01 23:39 ]

I was waiting for someone else to post Robert Mitchum
with movies like "White Witch Doctor" (for your Jungle style thread John-O) "Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison"
Fire Down Below and so many many more, my folks said Mitchum was a regular at many Tiki Clubs in the 50s

Boras already listed Mitchum on first post, Sorry.

[ Edited by: Chuck Tatum is Tiki 2011-06-02 23:54 ]

Mitchum is on page one Chuck.

OK, I know my next two choices of Bela Lugosi and Eartha Kitt will at first glance seem to be "stretching it".

Yes, they are not Tiki stars but I think they are HWOF stars who arguably have a Tiki connection.

Here's my argument for Dracula...

And here's my argument for Catwoman...

On 2011-06-01 23:11, JOHN-O wrote:

And you know that "Cursed Tiki" episode of the Brady Bunch?

He created and produced that TV series as well.

diddle-iddle-ooo!!!

On 2011-05-30 22:25, Bora Boris wrote:
Exotica

Some "House of Bamboo"

Starlets

Excellent post.
Nice drawing the connection between Hollywood and those who exemplify Tiki.

It seems to me that we have gone well beyond "EXEMPLIFYING Tiki"? As I said earlier:

On 2011-05-31 12:53, bigbrotiki wrote:
So now that we have gone from "People-on-the-Walk-of-Fame-that-had-an-impact-on-Tiki" to "Any-Hollwood-Star-that-ever-played-in-a-South Seas-Movie" just to keep this game going...

...which YES, we all agreed was OKAY to do.

The exotica girl of silent cinema...

She could really move her grass around.

Good addition King Bushwich, that's a significant one from a historical Poly-Pop perspective !!

Which begs the question, what was the first depiction of Polynesia in film? Let's leave out documentary reels for that, and focus only on a "staged" paradise.

I guess to fit within the theme of this thread, the question would be "What is the first depiction of Polynesia in film, as it relates to a HWOF star?"

I wonder if that indeed would be Clara Bow? Caltiki Brent would probably know that answer. Silent film is his area of expertise.

And also, isn't Theda Bara considered THE "Exotica" girl of the Silent Era?...

[ Edited by: JOHN-O 2011-06-02 11:28 ]

Unga Bunga, I'm turning the page on you.

Dude, people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. And that's not a comment on sexual orientation but rather your (and my) interest in a sub-culture which already rates pretty high on the Geek meter. :)

Sheesh, I'd think that if any sub-culture could appreciate (and RESPECT) the mid-century flamboyance and talent of Liberace, it would be Tikiphiles.

UPDATED - For the Smiley Face.

[ Edited by: JOHN-O 2011-06-02 16:44 ]

On 2011-06-02 06:33, Bora Boris wrote:
Mitchum is on page one Chuck.

Sorry, some how I passed over that, think I need glasses or less Rum.

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=24814&forum=1

Huh, I don't think SHE deserves a star. :evil:

And Elvis, he understood...

OK, back to the stars...

[ Edited by: JOHN-O 2011-06-02 15:33 ]

This one also stretches things a bit, but as he's been a personal favourite for many years I think he warrants
a mention..

..for this..

As a non-related aside, considering the time it was filmed, I always thought the animatronics in Fairbanks'
'The Thief of Bagdad(sic)' was better than any of the godzilla stuff.

Also, in the back of my mind, I keep thinking that 'our boy' Errol Flynn should be mentioned but I can't quite
remember him making a south seas adventure flick.....anybody??

JOHN-O, I think that..

..is an absolutely glorious photo of the King and, dare I say, the Queen.

[ Edited by: komohana 2012-09-04 06:22 ]

Sorry but it saddens me that for all that Liberace accomplished, on TC he's being reduced to a cliche.

Chandell was the best 60s Batman villain ev-ar !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bghuVG9qHM4&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jPGBQ77ddU&feature=player_embedded
Chandell's episode's were the highest rated/watched out of all the Batman shows.

[ Edited by: Chuck Tatum is Tiki 2011-06-02 23:40 ]

Damn straight !! Liberace was one Kool Kat and ahead of his time.

But I must say he was the 2nd best Batman villain...

Sorry for the derail Boris, but we ARE discussing two HWOF stars. :)

[ Edited by: JOHN-O 2011-06-02 23:46 ]

Double damn straight! John-O!

Back on track...

On 2011-06-02 18:34, komohana wrote:
Also, in the back of my mind, I keep thinking that 'our boy' Errol Flynn should be mentioned but I can't quite remember him making a south seas adventure flick.....anybody??

Errol Flynn did a stint aboard the HMS Bounty (along with Clark Gable and Marlon Brando)...

And oops, initially I forgot to include the star. That swastika is interesting. Urban legend does have it that "Robin Hood" was a fascist. :(

[ Edited by: JOHN-O 2011-06-03 00:04 ]

On 2011-06-02 23:44, JOHN-O wrote:
Liberace was one Kool Kat and ahead of his time.

Damned straight !!

OK, let's mix this up a bit and play some HWOF Tiki trivia. The South Seas angle is getting too easy. :)

What connection does this famous Hollywood director have to Tiki ? FYI, it's a two-part answer. And to make it even more challenging you have to answer it with visual PROOF. Don't just blurt out the answer.

A: The Tiki Bar Scene in Goodfellas, B: The vacant Hawaii Kai was used in this scene.

Here's the full answer I was looking for. :)

Martin Scorsese used Tiki bars in scenes for TWO of his films...

Yes, the first scene in the movie "Goodfellas" was shot in New York's Hawaii Kai.

The second scene in "Casino" was a recreation of Las Vegas's Aku Aku. And yup the "Tiki" part only lasts a few seconds...

Just to back-track a bit, I also had it in the back of my mind that 'our other boy' Mel Gibson
(ok he was born in the U.S. but moved to Australia as a young chap) should be mentioned but I
can't for the life of me remember why... anybody??

And HWOF Tiki Trivia Question #2 (Crap, question #1 got bumped too fast)...

OK, we saw Clara Bow's connection to Poly-Pop but what was this other silent film legend's claim to "Tiki" fame ?

[ Edited by: JOHN-O 2011-06-03 08:30 ]

Well...considering the HUGE AIP aficionado you are, it makes perfect sense that the Keaton connection is with an AIP film.

1965's How to Stuff a Wild Bikini saw Keaton starring as a "South Seas Witch Doctor"

Buster Keaton was in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn in 1960 with Patty McCormick. Patty McCormack was in Frost/Nixon in 1980 withe Kevin Bacon. Buster Keaton has a Bacon number of 2.

Man, there's just too many Tiki smart people around here !!

On 2011-05-31 19:38, Beach Bum Scott wrote:

Ok, here's HWOF Tiki Trivia Question #3...

**Can anyone point out Clark Gable's more specific (Pre) Tiki connection ? **

(Other than appearing in a version of Mutiny on the Bounty)

And the relevant images are appreciated.

[ Edited by: JOHN-O 2011-06-03 15:20 ]

I can't believe belive Brooke Shields doesn't have a star!

Tropical setting, rum, virgin sacrificing natives, Moai-like idols - what else could you ask of a tiki film? :P