Channel surfers
see '5-0' facesHOLLYWOOD notes: I got a call at home Sunday night telling me to put on Channel 30 and see myself in "Hawaii Five-O," circa 1970. By the time I tuned in, the sleazy character I played -- no cracks about type casting -- had already been arrested, so I never did see myself. I did, however, see the actress I thought would go places, if only for her real name: Joy Bang ... Then there was Barbara Eden of "I Dream of Jeannie" fame. She's such a fan of Fred Livingston's eateries that she's already lunched at Crouching Lion and dined at Matteo's. Can Trattoria be far behind? ... I saw a clip of actor Gary Sinese talking to Nicholas Cage in a scene from "Snake Eyes" in which he says, "I get you VIP seats and you show up looking like Don Ho." Looks like Hollywood is still Ho-bashing.
THE Kauai Visitors Bureau continues to get calls from folks who've seen the Harrison Ford-Anne Heche film "Six Days, Seven Nights" and want to know where the lovely, picturesque resort in the movie is located. It falls to KVB exec director Sue Kanoho to inform them it's a movie set in Hollywood. She does go on to let people know there are plenty of places on the Garden Island just as appealing ... Actress Vonnie Rhee just returned to Hollywood after flying in to celebrate her dad's 60th birthday and to be maid of honor at the wedding of pal Dawn Larson, a former Miss Honolulu and Miss Hula Bowl. You may remember Vonnie as one of the Korean hair salon employees on a famous "Seinfeld" segment. Now Dawn is getting into the act. She'll be playing the wife of a character in "Wind on Water," a new TV series just getting under way ...
Ohayo in Hawaii
JAPAN'S Agnes Kimura has been making a series of appearances at various isle music stores, shopping centers, hotels and broadcast studios to promote a new record. She wanted some hula dancers for an East-West Center concert Sunday night, and whom should she run into in town but Tokyo kumu hula Ku'uleinani Hashimoto. Many years ago, Agnes had danced for Ku'ulei, so it was like old home week for the two at the concert, where they watched local kumu hula James & Michael Dela Cruz stop the show by performing Kimura's new song ...FORMER Tongg Publishing honcho David Benz and wife Inez have moved to the San Francisco area to be closer to their four children, all West Coasters by choice. It was Benz who brought Jack Burns, after his 1962 election to governor, in touch with other business leaders to show them Burns wasn't the dangerous left-winger they thought he was ...
Two thumbs down
WANT to save a few bucks? Ignore the critics who raved about the alleged comedy, "There's Something About Mary." I'd heard people say how much they liked it and even Ben Wood Saturday called it "one of the funniest movies in years." Don Robbs of KHET and I went Sunday and agreed totally -- it was the worst movie we'd seen all year. I didn't laugh once, having seen the so called "highlights" of the movie during night show cameo appearances by star Cameron Diaz and others. She's a beauty to be sure, but despite the fact she's supposed to be a Princeton grad and an orthopedic surgeon, she's the quintessential dumb blonde who loves sports and falls for the lamest of lines from any man around. It's every pubescent boy's dream, which probably accounts for the movie's popularity. Siskel & Ebert gave it "Two Thumbs Up," but I know where those thumbs were. Robbs and I gave it "Two Thumbs Down" -- our throats! ...
Dave Donnelly has been writing on happenings
in Hawaii for the Star-Bulletin since 1968.
His columns run Monday through Friday.Contact Dave by e-mail: donnelly@kestrok.com.