Hawaiian Eye has been called the
"77 Sunset
Strip" played in Hawaii". There certainly were similarities. Both shows
were
produced by the same studio (Warner Brothers), both featured two handsome,
free-swinging young detectives as alternate
leads, both had simple melodramatic plots set against glamorous backgrounds, and
both made use of nutty sidekicks for
comic relief.
Base of operations for Tom Lopaka (Robert Conrad) and Tracy Stele (Anthony
Eisley) was a swank, poolside office at the
Hawaiian Village Hotel (now the Hilton Hawaiian Village Hotel.) Their sidekicks
were a pert, somewhat addled young
singer-photographer named Cricket Blake (Connie Stevens), and a colorful
cabbie named Kim (Poncie Ponce). Kim, the operator
of a one-man taxi service, was especially helpful as he has seemingly dozens of
relatives scattered around the islands
ready to help if one of his employers needed some local assistance. Kim's
trademarks were his 'pupule' (crazy) straw hat,
dumb jokes, and ukulele.
A new detective named Greg MacKenzie (Grant Williams) arrived in December
1960, while Philip Barton (Troy Donahue)
joined the cast of characters in 1962 as the hotel's social director.
Lt. Danny Quon (Mel Prestidge) was the contact on the Honolulu police
force.
'Hawaiian Eye' theme - words & music by Mack David & Jerry Livingston
############### Hawaiian Eye #################
################ appendix ###################
##############################################
Network Competition
for same time slot
1959- The Millionaire/I've Got A Secret CBS
Perry Como's Kraft Music Hall NBC
1960- My Sister Eileen/I've Got A Secret CBS
Perry Como's Kraft Music Hall NBC
1961- Checkmate/Mrs. G Goes to College CBS
Perry Como's Kraft Music Hall NBC
1962- Red Skelton Hour CBS
Empire NBC
In 1959 Connie Stevens had a hit record with Edward 'Kookie' Byrnes
from '77 Sunset Strip' called 'Kookie, Kookie Lend me your Comb',
reaching No. 4 and followed this with a solo hit in 1960 called
'Sixteen Reasons' which reached No. 3 in the charts.
She stayed with Warner Brothers after 'Hawaiian Eye' ended, teaming up
with George Burns in the comedy series 'Wendy and Me (1964-65) 32 episodes x 30 min bw.
Format: Audio CD
Release Date: 05/08/2001
Label: Collectors' Choice
Catalog Number: 157
Distributor: Koch
Tracks:
1. Sixteen Reasons
2. On A Slow Boat To China
3. Too Young To Go Steady
4. Little Kiss Is A Kiss Is A Kiss, A
5. Why Try To Change Me Now
6. Love Of The Month Club
7. Apollo
8. Too Young
9. Lulu's Back In Town
10. Why Do I Cry For Joey
11. Let's Do It
