Hawaii
RECENT isle visitor Barbara Klein has changed her name to Barbara Benton for a film she's making called "How Did a Nice Girl Like You Get Into This Business?" In answer to the question, Playboy Hugh Hefner has been signed to play himself in the film. It's a German picture that a guy named Horst Wendlandt is producing; maybe he just didn't like the name "Klein." (July 14, 1969) ... Who was parking cars at the Hawaiian Skillet restaurant Saturday night but owner Cec Heftel. The parking boy didn't show up, and rather than see prospective customers drive away, the enterprising Heftel, who also owns KGMB and Olomana Golf Links among other interests, spent four hours parking cars himself. Next we'll probably find him caddying at Olomana. (July 14, 1970) ... 1977: So what do females
do at the Makiki
post office?THE WEEK THAT WAS
WHEN the Society of Seven plays softball on weekends, they're all decked out with spiffy uniforms that have numbers on the back. All except their Outrigger boss, Dr. Richard Kelley, that is. His uniform has a dollar sign on the back. (July 9, 1974) ... Grace Wisnom was beside herself with gratitude after her car stalled on the freeway and a local fellow not only helped her get it started, but drove her home while his girlfriend followed in her car. Grace was particularly happy a good Samaritan happened by instead of a cop because she'd inadvertently left her driver's license in another purse. If Grace seems a bit forgetful, she's to be forgiven -- next month she turns 88! ... Then there's the case of Anita Liptak of Tongg Publishing. She didn't know which way to turn after approaching a window in the Makiki Post Office and finding a sign saying, "Male Pickup Only." For female pickups, one supposes, please report to Boyd's! (July 13, 1977) ... THIS seems to be the time of year for stars of the 1940s to visit Hawaii. Yesterday I revealed that actress Jane Wyman would be in Honolulu this month to appear in an episode of "Charlie's Angels," to be filmed here. Now comes word that big-band vocalist Helen O'Connell will be spending two weeks here on a bit of R&R, during which she'll have a reunion with bandleader Del Courtney and doubtless join him in one or more of his Royal Hawaiian tea dance appearances. And if that's not enough for you, Jane Russell, founder of WAIF, will be flying to Hawaii to attend "Elegance in Action," a function sponsored by the local WAIF to be held here Sept. 21. Dick Jensen will be donating his entire Hula Hut show as entertainment for the event. (July 9, 1980) ...
HONOLULU Community Theater director Jim Hutchison was in the original Broadway production of "Pajama Game" and danced the show-stopping "Steam Heat" number with Carol Haney and Peter Genaro. He's no longer a chorus boy, but as director and choreographer for HCT's "Pajama Game" production, opening Friday at Ruger Theater, Hutchison cast himself in his re-creation of that same number. This time around, his dance partners are Marian Jay and Gary Barton. (July 13, 1981) ...
NEW assistant food and beverage manager at the Hilton Hawaiian Village is Noel Trainor, late of the Mauna Lani, and he's immediately been put to work by his boss, f&b manager Dieter Seeger. Seeger, whose first name isn't pronounced like someone on a diet, but rhymes with his last name, has just become a papa for the first time -- wife Mary Jane gave birth to a boy, Benjamin. Too bad -- Jonathan Livingston Seeger would have been nice. (July 10, 1984) ...
FORMER Channel 2 honcho George Hager didn't learn until he was on the putting green at Waialae that his partner in a blind draw for a forthcoming golfing "horse race" was Dr. Richard Mamiya, the famous heart doctor. "Great," Hager said. "If I need help, I'll have it right in the cart." To which a wag quipped, "He's a surgeon -- not a magician." (July 11, 1986) ... When Don Murphy of Murphy's Bar & Grill agreed to sponsor "Blondie" in the Transpac, he was hoping it would arrive at cocktail time so he could shower the crew with mai tais. Alas, it came in at 3:30 a.m. yesterday -- that may be the cocktail hour for some people, but not Murphy. Still, he showed up along with bagpiper Larry Coleman to welcome the boat and crew on arrival. That may explain the strange sounds emanating from the Ala Wai Boat Harbor in the wee hours yesterday (July 11, 1991) ...
The Week That Was recalls events culled from
Dave Donnelly's three-dot columns over the past 30 years.
Dave Donnelly has been writing on happenings
in Hawaii for the Star-Bulletin since 1968.Contact Dave by e-mail: ddonnelly@starbulletin.com