Hawaii
IT'S difficult not to wonder about Pamela Lee Anderson and April Masini and the similarities the two share. Both are buxom, blonde bombshells with ties to "Baywatch," and both are models-turned-actresses-turned producers. Both are Cancers who not only share the same birthday (right down to the year!) but both drive a silver convertible Jaguar -- one in real life (April) and Pamela on her TV show. There's more, but suffice it to say that both also have dated the same handsome, blue-eyed championship surfer. Kind of spooky. I wonder if they were born in the same hospital -- do you suppose? ... SPEAKING of April, her protege, Kala'i Miller, dropped into the Dixie Grill for lunch with about a dozen fire-fighting pals, who simply parked their trucks outside. Kala'i, whom Masini got signed with the William Morris Agency, insisted on picking up the tab, though manager Jim Hamachek discounted it substantially as he does for all firemen and cops in uniform. Kala'i is taking a year off -- at least -- from fire-fighting to pursue a new career in Hollywood ... Miller time may have come and gone, however. Word is that the busy April is accompanying actor Rick Yune ("Snow Falling on Cedars") back to L.A. today and the two seem to have become more than a bit friendly ... Pam and April soul sisters?
Son of "The Beach"
CREATORS of the new Leonardo DiCaprio vehicle, "The Beach," traveled to the Far East for filming the feature, but now that they're in the process of promoting it have come closer to home. DiCaprio is on Maui doing press interviews with many large magazines and national publications topromote the film. And where better than on a beach in Maui, home of some of the nicest? Plus, it's remote enough in some areas to keep screaming, teeny-bopping fans from being a nuisance ... THE crush to get in on the Diana Krall bandwagon continues. CNN featured an interview with the Grammy Award nominee just prior to her appearance with the Pops Symphony at the Concert Hall. Then last night, NBC ran a Conan O'Brien rerun from last August where the featured guest was -- you got it, Diana Krall. Beating the Backstreet Boys and other artists with superstar sales figures won't be easy, but many will be rooting for her ... POPPING into town for the first time in years was Lloyd Samaha, the man who first ran the Canlis' Broiler for owner Pete Canlis. He called Sally Sheehan, the ailing widow of former Canlis' regular Ed Sheehan, and asked, "Where is everyone?" Many of the old crowd have long since gone to that Broiler in the sky. And in strolling down Kalakaua, Samaha must have felt more than a twinge of nostalgia seeing a vacant lot where the handsome restaurant with its skylights once stood. Lloyd moved on to the Canlis' in the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco on leaving here, and this is a rare trip back ...
Doing swimmingly, thank you
THE UH Rainbow swimming team, now in its second unbeaten season, swept the 64th annual College Coaches Swim Forum in Fort Lauderdale, but one win won't go into the NCAA record book. In the Miami Sub Submarine race, the Rainbow team managed to swim, make a sub sandwich and proceed 25 meters with it underwater. Team captain Simon Thirsk credited coach Sam Freas' daily underwater drills for preparing the team, as was the lure of a 24-foot long sub sandwich, which they shared with the two runnerup teams ...
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: ddonnelly@starbulletin.com