Harlin Bros. still going strong in 1955
Jay Harlin, inventor of the Multi-Kord pedal steel guitar
stands at far right with bow tie. Jay's 15 pedal guitar stands in front.
John Quaterman photo, John is 3rd row back 2nd from left
* From the early 1900's to the 1930's phonograph recordings had great impact in spreading the gospel of steel guitar and Hawaiian music. Up to the time of the wall street crash of 1929 the sale of Hawaiian music recordings had boomed, infact during one period they outsold recordings of any other type of music. During the depression years, record sales dropped to only a fraction of what they had been and many people didn't have the phonograph on which to play them. As if on cue, a less expensive medium of entertainment made its appearance in the form of a talkie movie. People in unheard of numbers sought the escape that the movies had to offer. What better fantasy than a musical romance on an island in paradise? Where else but Hawai'i or the South Pacific?
One of the first South Seas movies was "The Pagan", released in 1929 featuring actor singer Ramon Navarro who both introduced and sang 'The Pagan Love Song'. This was probably the first "hit" Hawaiian-type song to be introduced via a sound movie. It soon became popular around the world and was eagerly seized upon by Hawaiian steel guitar players who found it ideal material for the instrument and made it an all-time standard.
1932 saw the release of 'Bird of Paradise' with Dolores Del Rio and Joel McCrea. In this movie there is a considerable amount of acoustic steel guitar played by the one and only Sol Ho'opi'i. In addition to other Hawaiian melodies, 'Mauna Kea' and 'Ima Au Ia Oe" can be heard in the background weaving the story together. As time passed, Hollywood improved on its Hawaiian/Polynesian theme with stars like Dorothy Lamour and Bing Crosby. The new songs that each succeeding movie introduced and the sound of the music, soft strings with the glissandos of the steel guitar riding over them, created a Hawaiian music addiction. Huge box office receipts told Hollywood moguls they were onto something very good.
In the 1937 movie "Waikiki Wedding" starring Bing Crosby and Sheila Ross, four new Hawaiian songs were introduced, the two most important being 'Sweet Leilani" and 'Blue Hawai'i' being backed by Lani McIntire's Hawaiians with orchestrations by Sam Koki and steel guitar by Bob Nichols. These two recordings were sold around the world in unheard-of numbers. "Sweet Leilani" rose to number one on the U.S. popular radio charts and stayed in that position for 28 weeks, and world wide sales of the record rocketed to millions. Harry Owens, composer of 'Sweet Leilani' was awarded an Oscar for best movie song of the year. Thousands rushed to buy steel guitars and begin instruction. Both 'Blue Hawaii" and 'Sweet Leilani' have been recorded in excess of 100 times.
"The Hurricane", a movie released in 1937 starring Dorothy Lamour was also a tremendous hit. It introduced 'Moon of Manakoora", another evergreen for the steel guitar player. This movie was something of a phenomenon in that, although superbly performed by Sam Koki, it contained only 16 bars of steel guitar in its entire length but for some inexplicable reason it had tremendous impact on those who were susceptible. This writer has personal knowledge of two members of an audience of "The Hurricane" who, after seeing the movie, went immediately to music stores to purchase steel guitars.
Most of the great Hawaiian steel guitar artists of the 1930's and 40's worked in Hollywood. To name a few would be appropriate at this time.
Sol Bright had speaking roles in "South Sea Rose" 1929, "Charley Chan's Greatest Case" 1933, "Flirtation Walk" 1934, and "White Woman".
Hal Aloma played with Tommy Dorsey in MGM's "Ship Ahoy".
Sam Koki performed in "The Hurricane" 1937, "Waikiki Wedding" 1937, "Paradise Isle"1939, "Bamboo Blonde" 1939, "Beyond the Horizon" 1942.
Sol Ho'opi'i was featured in the 1932 release of "Bird of Paradise", "Flirtation Walk" 1934, "Hawaiian Buckaroo" 1938, "Navy Blues" 1941, "Waikiki Wedding" with Bing Crosby, and "Song of the Islands" with Betty Grable and Victor Mature.
Andy Iona played steel guitar in "Hawaiian Buckaroo", plus "Honolulu" 1938 and "Moonlight in Hawai'i" 1941. He played 'Hola E Pae' from "Honolulu" in a later movie "I Dood It" starring Eleanor Powell.
Freddy Tavares, steel player for Harry Owens' Royal Hawaiians and his Royal Hawaiian Hotel Orchestra played in "Coconut Grove" 1938, "Hawaiian Nights" 1939 with the song 'Hawai'i Sang Me To Sleep', "Its a Date" 1940, among other steel players in "Song of the Islands" 1942, and "Lake Placid Serenade" 1944. The songs in "Its a Date" were 'Rhythm Of The Islands" 1942, and "It happened in Kaloha".
Danny Stewart's steel guitar artistry can be heard in the movies "Aloma Of The South Seas" 1941 and "From Here To Eternity" 1953.
Barney Isaacs played steel extensively (the song was 'Waipio') in the film "Donovans Reef" 1963.
Ralph Kolsiana states that he worked on the sound track of "Mutiny On The Bounty", "Waikiki Wedding", and "The Horizontal Lieutenant".
Joe Custino played steel in "Gidget Goes Hawaiian".
Mike "Malihini" Scott and his Hawaiianaires were chosen to play the part of a Hawaiian band playing background music in a restaurant scene in the movie "Life With Mikey" starring Michael J. Fox. Filming of their section took place in the Hilton Hotel, Toronto, on November 6, 1992.
Credit also goes to the great stars who did much to promote the cause of the steel guitar and Hawaiian music through their performances. Among the many are Bing Crosby, Dorothy Lamour, Francis Langford, Jane Frazee, Arthur Godfrey, Hilo Hattie, and Harry Owens.
In all, including productions made for television, short subject films and videos, probably close to 200 movies have been produced dealing in some degree with Hawai'i and the south seas. Most but not all of them featured Hawaiian music or steel guitar. It's rather interesting to note that Harry Owens and his camera man travelled widely over the South Pacific in 1956, shooting in full colour enough footage to produce thirteen half-hour television shows. We believe they were basically of the travelogue type with beautiful background music provided by Harry Owens' Royal Hawaiians featuring Eddie Bush on steel guitar. Tragically, none of them were ever shown on television or released in any other form. It is believed, however, that they are still in existence.
Hawaiian musicians with their steel guitars made their impact on many cultures from the turn of the century until the 1960's. Now it is high time for a new impact, one that will once again give this beautifully melodious instrument the universal popularity it enjoyed in the past and surely deserves in the future.

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