Date: Saturday, April 21th, 2012 at 8:00pm
Venue: Oddball Films, 275 Capp Street San FranciscoAdmission: $10.00 Limited Seating RSVP to programming@oddballfilm.com or (415) 558-8117
Highlights Include:
Hang Ten (Color, 1970)
Directed and produced by the team of Greg MacGillivray and Jim
Freeman (cult surf favorite 5 Summer Stories and the surf sequences in Big
Wednesday, plus second unit scenes in Blade Runner, The Shining and more),
“Hang Ten” is a psychedelic riff on surfing and surf culture. Image overlaps, color shifts, reverse
motion coupled with a bizarre, fuzz/chamber pop soundtrack by the mystery band
Topaz.
Hawaiian Rhythm/Hawaiian Nights (B+W, 1939)
Two early shorts from Castle Films (later to become the leader of
8mm and 16mm films sold to consumers for in-home projection). Hawaiian Rhythms
is a compilation of mostly angolo-Hawaiian Soundies with some great hulas and
luau scenes, while Hawaiian Nights is more of a travelogue with music,
including the slack-key master Sol Hoppii and amazing footage of Waikiki beach,
outriggers and surfers in the days long before jet travel and high-rises.
Isle of Tabu (Color, 1945)
Two-hour musical epic packed into 17 minutes! Part of Paramount’s
Musical Parade Feauturette Series, this early Tiki film has angry Tiki gods,
exploding volcanoes and a curse-lifting, human sacrifice plot with some song
and dance numbers and a happy marriage ending. The not-so-authentic natives
include Nancy Porter in her starring role debut (never to be heard from again)
and several B-movie pretty boys. Music by Napua, Sam Koki and his Islanders and
Pau Kua Lana Girls. Director William Shea’s most notable later work was an
episode of “Mister Ed”.
Polynesian Holiday (Color, 1955)
Filmed in stunning Kodachrome color, this rare short travelogue
stars bandleader Harry Owens in a tongue-in-cheek island vacation, where he’s
fanned and feted by beautiful native women. Harry established the “hapa haole”
style of Hawaiian music (native music as interpreted by foreigners) and won an
Oscar for his song “Sweet Leilani”.
Hawaii: State of Paradise (B+W, 1951)
Nice early 50’s tourism short on the yet-to-be-fully
exploited/spoiled Waikiki. Great surfing shots and some Tiki/Luau action.