The TV show, "Hawaiian Eye", was the first exposure for many of us to
Tiki culture (Wikipedia
link) . The carved figure is a Tiki.
Read more here
about this 1959-1963 private eye show starring Robert Conrad, Anthony Eisley,
Connie Stevens and Poncie Ponce.
"Hawaiian Eye" opening
"Hawaiian Eye" lyrics:
The soft island breeze brings you strange melodies
And they tell of ...
Exotic mysteries under the tropical spell of...the
Hawaiian Eye
Hawaiian Eye
Where love and adventure await
This is your fate
And you can not stray from...
You can't run away from...the
Hawaiian Eye
Hawaiian Eye
Martin Denny could sometimes be seen in the background on "Hawaiian Eye",
playing at the Shell Bar of the Hawaiian Village Hotel. The tune for which
he was best known, "Quiet Village" (written
by Les Baxter), was the first Fantastic Theater
theme.
1960s Jade East cologne (by Swank) sported the same ideographs
as the restaurant.
In the early 1990s, I and a group of co-workers made a lunch pilgrimage
to the Jade East Restaurant, a remnant of Tiki culture in Tulsa.
The Polynesian decor was still there, if a bit down at the mouth. There was
a fountain and much rattan in evidence, just as these pictures from the matchbook
show.
Sadly, I was not then wise in the ways of Tiki, so I didn't pay as close
attention as I would now.
Just as described by
"The
Book of Tiki" (an excellent book), Polynesian/Chinese cuisine is a bit
sweet and greasy, and Jade East's offering found little favor at our table.
I alone, however, ate all of my buffet meal with gusto.
Jade East closed down several years ago. But even today, if I should tout
some restaurant's food, one alumnus of this trip always feels called upon
to qualify my praise: "Yeah, this is the guy who snarfed up that slop at
Jade East".
There were no cameras to record my reaction to Jade East's food, but this
picture of me is an accurate depiction according to the individual just
quoted*.
Lee Woodward
said:
I am not absolutely sure, but I think my old friend and artistic mentor,
Saint Clair Homer ("Homma") carved the two Tiki
God figures that held up the porte cochere at the "Jade East" restaurant.
I helped him carve two twenty foot "Totem Poles" for the old 101 Ranch in
about 1960? And I heard that he may have done the Tikis.
I ate at Jade East about a year before it closed and was overwhelmed by the
cockroaches coming out of the rattan wall covering. WOW!
Noted Indian sculptor Saint Clair Homer II was born and raised in Oklahoma.
He served with Patton in WWII and studied art in Rome after the war.
His grandfather was secretary of the Choctaw tribe at one time. His German
mother taught art in Sand Springs in the 1970s while in her 70s.
Homer made a living carving cigar store Indians and and selling them out
of his '51 Cadillac in the Southwest of the late 1950s. His stylized bronzes
have been shown at Gilcrease. He was named one of nine master artists of
the Five Civilized Tribes in 1976.
He signed his pieces "Homma", Choctaw for "Proud Red".
A man's blind date nightmare, or a dog's fire hydrant
dream?
Neither...it's one of the giant Jade East Tikis!
(from Guestbook 107 and email) Kevin Reiswig
said:
I love your Tulsa Tiki web page. A friend sent the link to me and thought
it might interest you to know that I actually purchased the two 10' solid
redwood Tiki statues from the old Jade East Restaurant at 41st and Memorial.
This is the female pictured with me beside it. Both statues are in my backyard
overlooking my koi pond. I was so excited to see who might have carved them,
I had no idea about how to find out. Thanks for your information.
Thank you for a major art-tiki-logical find, Kevin!
Jade East was owned by Henry Jin, who also owned the Ricsha on Brookside.
He passed away in 1993 (probably the beginning of the decline of the Jade
East).
He and Jade East won a competition of menu idea exchanges from throughout
the world. Jade East was home to the Shanghai Lounge.
Matchbook cover from the Jade East. Kathy Hamlin: "The fancy lounges
often had bridges that you walked across into the new dimension of
paradise."
After putting the Jade East story out here, I found this note at
www.tikinews.com from 1999:
"I grew up in Tulsa and moved away about 12
years ago. Since moving away from Tulsa, I have gotten into Tiki Bars. I
have vague memories of a Chinese/Polynesian restaurant at the corner of 41st
and Memorial. I think it might have been called "Jade East". When I lived
in Tulsa I happened to step inside this place to see if I could find a phone
to use and thought it was very unusual. But, not knowing what a Tiki bar
or restaurant was at the time I did not appreciate it for what it was.
"Years later, I went to Tulsa for a visit and tried to track this place down
and found to my great disappointment that it had been torn down and replaced
by a Burger King.
"Can anyone give me some background on this place? Did they serve Tiki Drinks
like Zombies, Blue Hawaiians, Mai Tais? (Well, probably not alcoholic ones,
since Oklahoma did not have liquor by the drink
when I was growing up there.) If they did serve some type of Tiki Drinks,
were they served in fancy mugs? I would be interested in memories, photos,
or stuff like matchbooks, mugs, etc... from this place."
Lorrie Akins, Chicago
(Left: Lorrie at Trader Vic's in Chicago.)
I left a note for Lorrie on this page, who discovered it on February 26,
2002:
(from Guestbook 102) Lorrie Akins said:
"Aloha!"
"I went to the Tulsa Tiki website and was astounded to see that the author
of the page wanted to talk to me - Lorrie Akins. I was born and raised in
Tulsa, Ok. I lived there until about 1982 when I went off to college in Texas
and later to Illinois. I got into Tiki while living in California. By that
time all of the Tiki stuff that I was never aware of while living in Tulsa
was all gone. Boo-Hoo!!!!!
"I am very happy to now live in a town that hasn't destroyed all of its Tiki
stuff. I even have a Tiki bar in my basement and run with a crowd of Tiki
maniacs who also have Tiki bars in their house. I know the Trade Winds had
some fantastic Tiki mugs, but what about the Jade East? Do you know of any
Tiki places left anywhere in the surrounding areas of
Tulsa?"
The Jade East was not torn down; it has been completely remodeled and is
now Tokyo Garden. Bamboo curtains, a rockface
waterfall and the bridge over a koi pond are still there. The Tulsa World
gave it 3 stars, and we found the food and atmosphere excellent.
The Tiki Lounge out east is still in existence, but I don't think it leans
too heavily on the Tiki motif at this point.
Thanks for writing, Lorrie!
5/23/2005: The
Seven Pleasures
Gallery now features photos of the Tokyo Garden. The book
Tiki
Road Trip used some of the info from the Tulsa Tiki page.
Webmaster, 11/30/2002: On our recent Hawaiian honeymoon cruise, my wife
and I met
Tiki
carver Gecko and his wahine, Ailie at a fabulous Tiki bar in Honolulu,
the La Mariana Sailing Club, and met Annette Nahinu, nee La Mariana, the
original
owner since the 50s. Gecko was most gracious to show us around La Mariana,
and Ailie was kind enough to run us back to our ship (the Celebrity Infinity)
after our visit, and is a delightful personality to boot.
Webmaster & wife Gaye Brown with Tiki carver
Gecko at La Mariana Sailing Club in Honolulu
Jenny (our waitress), Ailie (native of Burkburnett, TX) &
Judy
Let's also remember the 1959-1962
ABC series, "Adventures in Paradise", created by James Michener.
Adam Troy (Gardner McKay) was a Korean War veteran who remained in the South
Pacific after the war. As captain of the schooner "Kon-Tiki" (oops, the
"Tiki"...see below), Troy drifted from adventure
to adventure while carrying passengers and cargo.
A little correction for the Tulsa Tiki site (which is truly great, thanks
for the BOT links):
Adam Troy's schooner was simply called the "Tiki", and featured a grinning
Marquesan Tiki as its figurehead. He also wore a Tiki necklace, which is
what the ad on page 240 of the BOT refers to: "..Millions of TV viewers have
each week seen the TIKI GOOD LUCK CHARM worn by the romantic Sea Captain.."
Aha, THAT romantic Sea Captain, yeah...
They didn't want to get in licensing trouble so they didn't dare to name
him.
Opening and 10 minute clip from "Adventures in Paradise"
(from Guestbook 96) The webmaster inquired:
Anyone remember the Kon-Tiki on Admiral near
Yale? A big tiki head statue with lit-up eyes stood in front of a thatched
tiki hut/bar. This would have been in the early 60s during the general exotica
craze. Does that sound familiar to anyone?
(from Guestbook 101) Lowell "Tiki" Burch missed the webmaster's earlier comment,
but said:
I still have some strange mugs and glasses that look tiki to me that I bought
about 1969 or 1970 from the first Pier One Import, back when it was a really
cool place full of all kinds of off-beat junk. It still handles some unique
merchandise but it is much more of a mainstream store.
One odd little building that may have had a tiki theme is just west of Sheridan
on the north side of 11th (actually west of Yale and
Admiral...webmaster). It is round with a simu-thatch roof. It is
repainted now but at one time it had a definite grass hut look. It has been
a used car lot for years, maybe always, but maybe someone knows the origin.
(from Guestbook 101) Ricardo said:
As an answer to Lowell Burch's question ...I believe it to be the original
location (there was only one)...of KON-TIKI-KONEY... a coney joint drive
in with a definite Polynesian decor... flaming torches at the entrance, and
all...sorry, no hula dancing car hops, you had to go to the little "grass
shack" yourself and place your order....as I recall, the coneys weren't bad
(as though you could make a bad coney) but unfortunately, the place didn't
last too long as a coney joint...the building has lasted considerably longer
than any of the subsequent businesses at the location have survived...
Bob Duff replied:
Webmaster, you are still in Kansas. There was indeed a tiki lounge complete
with thatched roof and that statue you mentioned. It was on Admiral between
Pittsburgh and Yale on the south side of the street.
Charles replied:
I remember the Tiki on Admiral. As an child Eastsider from the 60's-70's,
it was one of the landmarks I remember when we went up Admiral to go Downtown.
Don Lundy said:
As I remember, the Kon-Tiki on Admiral had some pretty good coney dogs. Now,
not in the class of the Coney Island downtown or even Jim's Never On Sunday,
but pretty good nevertheless.
The full name was "Kon-Tiki Koni". It was
located at 4418 Admiral Place just as Bob Duff said, and first appeared in
the 1961 phone book.
The operators of the business were James and Tom Lester, and Morse Purkey
(left, resembling a young Dennis Quaid)
The Kon-Tiki Koni
head appeared to be made of heavily lacquered
papier-mâchè and was a garish orange-ish color. I remember
it being at least 7' tall. Tom Lester told me that colored light bulbs served
as the eyes, one red, one green, flashing alternately. A speaker in the mouth
blared South Seas music, occasionally prompting someone from Rose Hill Cemetery
across the street to ask for the volume to be reduced. Smoke from the meat
smoker issued festively from the nose.
All in all, it was a bizarre and spooky sight for a youngster to see at night
from the windows of his parents' car.
By 1968, it had become "Kon-Tiki Motors", a used car lot.
The Tiki Nook Club (see below) was in the Trade
Winds West Motor Hotel just south of I-44 on Peoria. The proprietor?
Morse Purkey.
Must have had one too many Mai Tais at the Tiki Nook Club...I can't remember
much about it today.
"Mai Tai" does mean "out of this world" in Tahitian.
The Tiki Nook was located at the Trade Winds West at 1120 E. Skelly Drive.
The Trade Winds was also the site of KAKC's broadcast
studio during its Top 50/Big 30 heyday (60s-70s). The Trade Winds West hosted
Club Trader's Cove (the Trade Winds Central had the Showboat.)
The Trade Winds West, courtesy of the Beryl Ford Collection/Rotary
Club of Tulsa
KAKC at the Trade Winds West
A special line of Tiki items were created for the Trade
Winds by Frankoma Pottery in Sapulpa, Oklahoma (near Tulsa).
Read all about it on this TTM page:
Pertaining to the Trade Winds West, one summer when I was a kid, my old lady
took my brothers and me there to swim. While she had the lobby door open
for us to go in, out came Carl Wilson of the Beach Boys. I didn't realize
who he was at the time, but my brother recognized him immediately. Enraged
by this opportunistic behavior, she let go of the door, which caught old
Carl in the gut. One of the Beach Boys right behind him witnessed this incident,
and, filled with remorse, held the door for her.
*Tim is the individual who hassles me about Jade
East.
The Trade Winds' restaurant/club was known as the Club Trade Winds before
it became the Tiki Nook, As you can see, the Tiki was an integral part of
the concept from the start.
For latter day Tiki lovers, Aloha
Taste Of Hawaii at 71st & Yale serves up authentic poi and
hula dancing with your Luau For Two.
3/2003: It has become 2 Palms,
but still retains Hawaiian menu items and decor.
11/2003: It's now the Cancun
Cove...no Hawaiian food. Hmmm...the history of Tiki recapitulated
within the space of a year. Then maybe there will be a revival next
year!
1/2004: Now Cancun Cove is serving Phillippine food, but
the decor is the same.
Here's a book from Tulsa World
writers John Wooley (who
interviewed yours truly a few years ago), Thomas
Conner and Mark Brown about lounge and Tiki records. It's a discography and
price guide, but has many sidebars, photos and album covers.
Yale, Oklahoma's Chet Baker is featured. Martin Denny,
Esquivel, exotica, spy jazz, TV soundtracks...all covered.
James Michener's
Hawaii (all 1000+ pages) is a great read. It
takes you from the islands' thunderous, eons-long birth, through the migration
of Polynesians to Hawaii, to the arrival of the missionaries, the contribution
of the Chinese and Japanese to the culture, the great sugar and pineapple
businesses and Hawaii's liberation from their domination. The story is told
in very human terms, approachable and moving.
Here is a great internet radio station
I've been listening to lately: SomaFM. Actually, it is 11 stations on one
site, piped out of a basement in San Francisco. Try Illinois Street Lounge,
which features classic bachelor pad and exotica (also see the
Fantastic Theater
page).
Lee Woodward
said:
(from Guestbook 107 and email) Kevin Reiswig
said:
(Left: Lorrie at Trader Vic's in Chicago.)
Let's also remember the 1959-1962
ABC series, "Adventures in Paradise", created by James Michener.
The Kon-Tiki Koni
head appeared to be made of heavily lacquered
papier-mâchè and was a garish orange-ish color. I remember
it being at least 7' tall. Tom Lester told me that colored light bulbs served
as the eyes, one red, one green, flashing alternately. A speaker in the mouth
blared South Seas music, occasionally prompting someone from Rose Hill Cemetery
across the street to ask for the volume to be reduced. Smoke from the meat
smoker issued festively from the nose.
Here's another manifestation of Tulsa Tiki:
