"Hawaiian Eye" (1959) TV series 1959-1963

User Rating:

8.0/10   

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4

Release Date:

7 October 1959 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Crime | Drama | Music

Plot:

Set against the beautiful tropical landscape of Honolulu, Hawaii, this series centered around the cases...

Plot Keywords:

Detective | Honolulu Hawaii | Private Eye | Hawaii | Oahu Hawaii

Cast

Connie Stevens	...	Cricket Blake (90 episodes, 1959-1962)
Robert Conrad	...	Tom Lopaka (88 episodes, 1959-1962)
Poncie Ponce	...	Kazuo Kim / ... (88 episodes, 1959-1962)
Anthony Eisley	...	Tracy Steele / ... (73 episodes, 1959-1962)
Mel Prestidge	...	Lt. Danny Quon / ... (44 episodes, 1959-1962)
Douglas Mossman	...	Moke / ... (43 episodes, 1959-1962)

Also Known As:

Diamond Head (USA) (working title)
The Islander (USA) (original script title)

Runtime:

60 min (134 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Certification:

Argentina:13

Company:

Warner Bros. Television

Trivia:

Robert Wagner was asked to play Tom Lopaka, but he wanted to concentrate on movies instead. He then recommended his friend Robert Conrad for the role, which led to Conrad being cast. He had a dark tan from his time at the beach during the previous year, when he was looking for work, and that made the producers think of him as a beach type.

Quotes:

Tracy Steele: I come from a long line of nose-pokers. Oh, by the way, where's Mr. Lewis?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Biography: Mary Tyler Moore: All American-Girl (1995)" (????)

The Clones

TV actors, at least in the old days when they were placed in a separate class from movie actors, often seemed to be clones of their movie brethren. Some were singular in their associations. Nehemiah Persoff seemed to be the Edward G. Robinson of television, getting similar roles and acting them in a very similar manner. Carolyn Jones was the Bette Davis of TV, even to the point of playing a set of sisters one of whom is a murderer on Burke's Law. Other's had company in their pursuits. The western stars were all either John Wayne or Gary Cooper, with an occasional Jimmy Stewart or Henry Fonda thrown in, (including the real thing on "The Deputy"). There were a whole selection of Clark Gables, including John Russell, Rory Calhoun, Richard Egan , Robert Lowery and others. There were plenty of Brandos, including Burt Reynolds, George Maharis and John Saxon. There were enough Rock Hudsons to fill a theater, with John Gavin, Tom Tryon and Gardner McKay coming immediately to mind. The blonde versions I call the "Redfords", a group of thoughtful , well educated types of which Robert Redford was one along with James Franciscus, Richard Chamberlain and William Shatner. They had varying degrees of success with Redford emerging as the head of the class.

Perhaps the most successful strain, however were the Cary Grants. Grant made an ideal model for the suave detective hero, able to be charming or tough as the occasion demanded. Craig Stevens was hired to play Peter Gunn specifically because of a strong resemblance to Grant. His tightlipped performance was not really very charming but it's surely how Cary would have played that character. Latern-jawed John Vivyan played a role that Grant had actually essayed in the movies, Mr. Lucky. He was competent at best. The heroes of the Warner Brother's detective shows were largely based on Cary Grant. Ephram Zimbelist Jr.'s Stu Bailey was a grant-style role with a lot more charm than Peter Gunn. Richard Long's Rex Randolph on Bourbon Street Beat was much the same. Anthony Eisley's Tracy Steele was a less convincing version of the same character on Hawaiian Eye.

But the best of the Grant clones was Gene Barry. He was male-model handsome, had good breeding and seductive whiskey voice. He was also TV's greatest reactors. He had a series of comic takes that was perfect for Amos Burke, who had to confront an unending series of eccentric subjects. Yet he could turn around and romance the ladies or get tough with the tough guys. And he was a good enough actor to hold up his end when the heavy dramatics intervened.

One wonders what the originals of these clones must have thought as they watched the boob tube in it's infancy.