Marie Lord joins the old cast
By Tim Ryan
and crew to celebrate 30 years
of Hawaii Five-0
Star-BulletinJACK Lord is gone; James MacArthur has gone gray; Zulu is skinny; Kam Fong is feistier than ever and "the wave" remains one of television's most memorable openings even after 30 years.
"Hawaii Five-0" fans, most of its cast, crew members and Lord's widow, Marie, will celebrate the three-decade anniversary of the the longest running television police show in history on Jan. 22 at the Hawaii Film studio at Diamond Head, a year and a day after Lord's death.
It will mark a rare public appearance for Marie Lord, who has confirmed she will attend the festivities to honor her husband and the series. Several members of Richard Denning's family -- Denning played Hawaii's governor in the show -- also are scheduled to attend, said Carey Anderson, a prop master on the series and organizer of the event, which will be held in the sound stage where the series was filmed.Confirmed attendees also include James MacArthur, who played Danno; Kam Fong, health permitting; Moe Keale; Doug Mossman; and Zulu.
A private reception and presentation of commemorative sterling silver "Five-0" badges to lead cast members, a plaque to the Richard Denning family, and the unveiling of a special painting will take place at the studio from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., followed by a public event from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
The badges to be presented to the cast members are exact reproductions of the badge Jack Lord carried on the show, Anderson said. These were made by the Blackinton Badge Co., the oldest badge company in the United States. Each badge weighs about 2.5 ounces and is .999 fine sterling silver.
Jack Lord's "Five-0" badge will be put on display at the Honolulu Police Department museum.Local artist Dexter Doi has painted a 38-by-48-inch oil painting in a montage featuring the main "Five-0" cast members with a 30th anniversary film strip banner and "Five-0" badge framed in koa that was donated by the Hawaiian Lumber Mill Co. Doi, a graphic artist at Pacific Business News, took two months to complete the painting.
Sept. 20, 1998, marked the 30th anniversary of the broadcast of the "Hawaii Five-0" pilot episode "Cocoon." The regular series debuted on Sept. 26, 1968.
"Hawaii Five-0" aired from September 1968 to April 1980. With few exceptions, it was filmed on location in Hawaii.
Jack Lord played Steve McGarrett, head of an elite four-man state police unit investigating organized crime, murder, assassination attempts, foreign agents and felonies of every type. Local actors Kam Fong, Zulu, Al Harrington and Herman Wedemeyer, among others, played members of the Five-0 team.
Character Steve McGarrett's 1974 Mercury Marquis, used as the stunt car in the series and now owned by Lord's double John Nordlum, will be on display. The event also will have a "Hawaii Five-0" video broadcast, memorabilia and a display of prop police badges. Souvenirs for sale will include posters of the commemorative painting, $15; gold colored High-Glo "Five-0" badges, $90; solid silver badges, $250; a four colored identification card, $5; a 30th anniversary pin, $5; "Five-0" badge pin, $5; and "Five-0" T-shirts, $20.
(All collectibles and memorabilia transactions are cash only, no checks or credit cards.)
For the "Five-0" pilot, six prop badges were made and used in the rest of the series, Anderson said. One by one, the badges were given away as fund-raisers for Variety School of Hawaii, Easter Seal Telethon and others, by Lord. He decided to have his own badge made so there would be no problem with the prop department running out, Anderson said. (These badges were made by the Sun Badge Co. in California.)
Lord later presented badges to all the cast and crew members.
When producer Stephen Cannell made the "Five-0" television pilot two years ago, he had a different badge design from the original. The new badge had American flags on each side with an eagle spread above the state seal which was in the center. This design, Cannell explained then, was to give the badge an updated federal look.
The series also was famous for the guest actors who appeared in episodes, including Helen Hayes, Ricardo Montalban, Leslie Nielsen, Herbert Lom and Hume Cronyn. McGarrett's nemesis, Wo Fat, was played by Khigh Diegh.
The privately funded event is also a benefit for the Variety School of Hawaii, one of Jack Lord's favorite charities, with the $1 admission fee going to the organization.
Five-0: The reunion
What: 30th Anniversary of "Hawaii Five-0" Reunion Celebration
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