Mai Kai 50th Anniv. - a look back in pictures!

Chip and Any & Gator Rob,

Thanks for the great image posts and history. That glass ceiling garden area sure looked awesome. Here is another shot of a flaming Kona Coffee Grog being poured in that room.

DC

FYI, the red head is Annie Campbell. She worked as a bar waitress and was a Mystery Girl aroung 1963-66. It was she who introduced the wigs to the Mai-Kai girls, and this is a wig. She said it was a very windy day when this was shot. It took Bob Thornton a while to warm up to the red wig, and even after he said okay, it was not common.

Annie was the Mystery Girl who appeared in that long lost relic the movie that was available in the gift shop. Her copy was destroyed by a water leak...

The above image is also Annie at a Derby Daiquiri party. She says it had to be a Daiquiri party because men would not order those. They wanted the more manly rum drinks! Probably Bob Thornton on the left in black. As you can see, she looks quite different. The use of the wigs has made it very difficult for her to know who she is in pictures now! The mole on her left arm visible in the top pick is the best way to tell when you can see it.

This is her too with "Big Susan" around 1968. She came back there then for a short time after the sudden death of her husband. Bob Thornton hired her on short notice as Mystery Girl where she could work in silence and not have to talk with her friends and locals about her difficult time..

Still undecided about this one. The mole is right, but, she isn't positive.

I am working on an article about her for the summer issue of Tiki Magazine. Would like to get her to Hukilau, but, her husband's health is probably not going to allow that to happen.

She has a great story to tell and you can read it all later! Her time at the Mai-Kai lead to her traveling around the world with incedible adventures for a woman at that time.

Thought I should add this here with the other stuff about "Barney":

From April 10th, 1964, the paper reports on traffic snarled due to the Barney West carved Tikis being placed at the Mai-Kai. 11 pieces from 1 to 6 tons came by freight car.

16 foot, 3 1/2 ton "Barney gets put in place

23 foot, 6 ton Moai

"...constitute the largest carved South Seas statuary in the United States, and their addition to the restaurant's lavish tropical gardens make up what is believed to be the largest and most complete collection of artifacts in this country."

Back then, they were both placed at the south end of the property, out front.

Mai-Kai Memories Series Custom ceramic mugs!

[ Edited by: Swanky 2012-02-22 15:49 ]

Nice one! Haven't seen those pics before. And I never realized "Barney" used to sit out front. Must have been quite an operation to later on relocate him to the back.