Royal Tahitian

http://www.dailybulletin.com/ci_15992923

The list of entertainers that performed there is amazing.

I can't help but think what a great place that would be for a tiki "weekender" is the place was in good repair.

I hate seeing places like this go - even if they have been dilapidated for years.

The history with places like this is so amazing.

TB

[ Edited by: tikibob 2010-09-06 07:21 ]

Otto,

Thanks for posting the article, sad to hear the wrecking ball is coming to the Royal Tahitian.

Here are a few items on from the blog of the author of the article that Otto posted.

A flyer with all of the acts from the 1967 Summer concert series, including some adult entertainment!

And a phone book ad.

If you live in the area, you should get out and take one last look before its gone.

DC

oh Man!? these guys ripped off Bamboo Ben!! LOL

On 2008-03-30 16:48, Tiki-Kate wrote:

Found this buy outside, hiding behind a shrub.

and is this a Guanko-Bumatay!??????????

Although I live in LB, working in Riverside affords a chance to stop by the old RT building. I golfed there around 2001 and knew nothing of its poly pop roots. I stopped by just before Labor Day and was able to sneak in the main A-frame part of the building and as reported, it is falling down.

A similar view as the postcard posted by Pa’akiki and DC. The "No Smoking" support post looks to be where the silver post is in the postcard.

Could that be the outline of the now filled in sunken bar in the carpet?

Anyway, it’s a goner any day now…sad times for all A frame's.

But things brightened up a bit. While shopping for old LP’s last weekend, my eyes lit up when I saw the Royal Tahitian LP for $6. The record is in pretty good shape and the cover jacket is pristine! Here are most of the photos from the back of the jacket that Bongofury had previously posted.

Looks like the sunken bar was Ontario hot spot!




Sorry, missed one!

[ Edited by: A frame 2010-09-17 19:28 ]

Thank you Anders for what are probably the last photos of that great building, a unique take on the A-frame concept, with its slanted geometry and dividing walls. And thanks for the close ups of all the back cover photos, very interesting. How is their version of Quiet Village, and how are the bird calls? :)

And Al, all those Tikis that stood in front of the "Whispering Lakes" apartments were Milan Guanko carvings. I would think that because both he and Bumatay were of Filipino heritage that sometimes their style showed some similarities. Also, as I am sure you know, they both had provided Tikis for the Royal Hawaiian in Laguna Beach, which was owned by a Filipino family

Quiet Village & the bird calls sound great Sven, unfortunately my LP is in mono. If a stereo version was created as well, it would sound wonderful. I thought I saw that Digitiki and/or Jeff Central had this version included in a past pod cast.

Ray Charles played at the Royal Tahitian in 1966:

I think the LP was only released in mono. Side A is quite nice with exotica and Tahitian percussion/vocals from the house band: The Royal Tees (nod to the golf angle). The B side is swing and showtunes from a vocalist called Henrietta "Hank" Hammond. I wonder if there are any of the house musicians still around? At some point she says "Let's wake'em up out on the Luau grounds."

[ Edited by: Digitiki 2010-10-02 22:09 ]

This thread is a little bit mixed with the Royal Tahitian and the Whispering Lakes apartments and the Guanko Tikis across the street, so I thought I would post this photo here even though it is not about the Royal Tahitian.

Saw this photo on ebay, a nattily dressed woman next to what I am assuming is a Guanko Tiki at an apartment complex. Figured this had to be one of the Tikis at the Whispering Lakes Tikis. Any thoughts?

DC

Nope, not that one. But Milan Guanko told me that he carved quite a few apartment Tikis in his day, especially in the Anaheim area. One even stood on a rotating base, never found out where that was.

But this damn well is THE Tiki that was the model for Gilligan's "Kona" statue!:

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=37718&forum=17&start=30&36

WHO won that photo!

Some more good stuff from the Royal Tahitian. This place really had it going on for a while.

Polynesian floor shows!

Concerts in the Garden!

College coeds dancing in front of the Sun God thingy...

Luaus!

Dancing!

Arthur Lyman!

Richard Pryor?

A sunken Island Lounge

The A-Frame

And that great, great sign.

DC

Golf Score Card

That's the best quality reproduction I have seen of this rendering, which was used in various forms for ads and matchbooks.

I have always loved that modernist A-frame for its unique "slanted" concept, with the a-symetrical dividers slicing it. Never seen another one like it. Photographed it in the late 90s. As can be surmised by the previous pages, it is gone now.

Dan Blocker of Bonanza at the Royal Tahitian!

The Dan Blocker Singers? Who knew?!? Great stuff from DC and the King! And I love the scorecard too Shaker!

Coo-elle! Dan Blocker also used to hang out at the Pagan Hut up North: