Hawaii
MAYOR Fasi called former Assistant DA Pete Donahoe "a professional in the tradition of Irishmen who made their marks in City Hall politics across the country." Come on, Frank, can't you say anything nice about the guy? (Feb. 10. 1969) ... Talk about multitalented -- the sign on the shopfront of Mr. & Mrs. Masuda at the corner of Liliha and Likelike Highway lists the following services: "Massage ... Pain Reducing ... Apt. and Hotel ... Photo Finishing ... Gold Bond Stamps." Put them all together and you have a wild operation. (Feb. 10, 1970) ... 1969: Takes the luck o’ the
Irish to be praised by FasiARRIVING Friday night will be Ernie Freeman, whose name is on 125 gold records -- most often as arranger. You may recall his first record hit, "Raunchy." He's going to be the new producer-arranger for the Society of Seven and will accompany the group back to Hollywood for a vocal recording session Monday and Tuesday. Ernie is up for a Grammy for arranging Simon & Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Water," and is an odds-on favorite to win. (Feb. 10, 1971) ... Lin Comito, who bought the Royal Spaghetti House downtown, wants to revert back to the establishment's original name of 100 years ago, the Royal Saloon. "Absolutely not," says the Liquor Commission, which for some inexplicable reason smiles favorably on live sex shows in bars but frowns on the word "saloon." (Feb. 14, 1973) ...
THERE was Sam Sanford discussing with some cronies whether martinis or champagne should be served at his W.C. Fields memorial banquet at a polo game this season. Over Sam's protests it was agreed champagne alone should be served hen WHAM, down came a hanging candle which crashed into a clay model of Fields and knocked its head off. Sam looked up and said simply, "Then martinis it is!" And martinis it'll be! And "The Exorcist" doesn't even open till tomorrow. (Feb. 12, 1974) ... If you haven't seen Bobby Short at the Prince Kuhio Hotel, you owe it to yourself to do so. I can't remember spending a better evening in any showroom. Short is simply the most entertaining performer you're likely to see in Honolulu. Hotel GM Charlie Bogdhan pulled a real coup in getting him here to perform at the newly opened hotel -- they've known each other for years. (Feb. 10, 1980) ...
THERE was something special about the Punahou Carnival's first variety show of the weekend. The senior playing the lead in the show was John Wilson, whose divorced parents live on the mainland. (He elected to stay in Hawaii to finish his senior year and is living with the family of another Punahou student, helping to work his way through school by waiting tables at Bobby McGee's.) The character Wilson played in the show was granted several wishes, and after the opening, the director took the stage to say that if John had one more wish, it would be for his mother to see him perform. And with that, she came on stage, her trip back to Hawaii paid for by contributions from students of the Punahou senior class. As school President Rod McPhee put it, "There wasn't a dry eye in the house." (Feb. 10, 1986) ...
DEVELOPER Gordon Crabtree is introducing his new baby daughter, Kingsley, as "King Crab." You just know he chose that name on purpose. (Feb. 10, 1987) ... One strange coincidence came to light while a number of people were trading stories at the Hawaiian Open. It turned out that Vin Scully, the NBC broadcaster, Jim Becker, Bill Bachran and Herman Wedemeyer were all present for a football game between Fordham and St. Mary's more than 40 years ago. Scully was broadcasting the game, Bachran was covering it for a paper, Becker was on the job for the Associated Press, and "Squirmin' Herman" was on the field. It was that game, in fact, where Wedemeyer fielded a quick kick, and as the Fordham team descended on him en masse, he promptly kicked the ball back over all their heads, amazing everyone. (Feb. 15, 1988) ...
Dave Donnelly has been writing on happenings
in Hawaii for the Star-Bulletin since 1968.
The Week That Was recalls items from Dave's 30 years of columns.Contact Dave by e-mail: ddonnelly@starbulletin.com