Waikiki 3
2284 Kalakaua Avenue,
Honolulu,
HI
96815
2284 Kalakaua Avenue,
Honolulu,
HI
96815
10 people
favorited this theater
Showing 1 - 25 of 69 comments
The front of this theater appeared in “Magnum P.I.” in 1983. About 14 minutes into the Season 4 episode “Distant Relative,” Magnum drives the Ferrari 308 past it and the neighboring Waikiki Beachcomber hotel. The sign “Waikiki” was preserved or at least mimicked in a smaller version that sits atop the little shopping center box that replaced the theater.
Site is now a shoe store(Foot Locker).
Opened with Edwin Sawtelle presenting hawaiian melodies, a Mickey Mouse cartoon(Mickey’s Grand Opera), Paramount news, and “Under two flags”.
New Showcase Presentations in Honolulu article includes mention of the numerous 70mm presentations here and at other Honolulu cinemas.
Grand opening ad with 8 pages at http://www.calameo.com/read/000247928e1a632a68fe1
Found on Newspapers.com powered by Newspapers.com
Also grand opening ad in the photo section.
Should never have torn it down. If anything they should have remodeled it!
Appears quickly in separate footage in the Season 12/1979 Hawaii Five-O episode “A Lion in the Streets,” during the opening credits, and appears to be showing Mark Robson’s 1968 film of Jacqueline Susann’s VALLEY OF THE DOLLS. There is no double-marquee, so this could not be the Waikiki 1 & 2; perhaps some previous stock footage not used until then (5-0 aficionados can confirm if the shot is re-used in another show.).
A beautiful picture of the auditorium from 1983 upon completion of the HPS-4000 sound system. From HPS website.
Waikiki 3
Featured in this great Article by John Allen of High Performance Stereo.
A 7o MM Review
I went through Hawaii on my way to Guam, in 2005, had to stay overnight,so I walked Kalakaua Ave looking at places we went to in the 1980s when we were stationed in Hawaii. This place was boarded up. Kalakaua Ave is much darker these days. At least I have my memories of these grand theaters.
We loved the Palm trees inside and the organ music. I think this was in the movie Pearl Harbor
I saw a number of movies here, but the one I remember was stephen King’s “Creepshow”. Saw it in the 7th grade with some classmates, who were on a date but wanted to bring me as a chaperone of sorts. To this day, I don’t know why. Even though it was Rated R, I think the father of one of them got us in.
The one thing I remember the most about this visit was not just the cockroach scene in “Creepshow”, but the fact that a Chilly Willy cartoon was shown before it. Looking back, it seems odd for that to be shown before a horror film.
From the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, June 6, 1968. Rory is right about what was playing at the Waikiki Theatre.
This is the theatre the marquee of which you can very briefly see at the end of HAWAII 5-0’s first season’s end credits, filmed in 1968. It comes into view just as the credit reads “Filmed Entirely on Location in Hawaii.” I’ve freeze-framed it on DVD and can make out that the movie playing was PLANET OF THE APES.
Nice looking theatre Chuck.
This might have been the downtown theatre shown in the end credits on HAWAII 5-0 on season one dvd. Any local help out there in the Pacific.
Was there another Waikiki theater? According to this article the space occupied by a Waikiki 1 & 2 theater on Seaside Avenue is going to be converted to a Ross clothing store: View link
I had the pleasure to visit this theatre in March of 1991, when I was out there on my honeymoon with my first wife. It is really a shame that this beauty is gone. What became of the organ?
Hallo,
I have just added another 5 photo’s from the 1940’s .
View link
These are the last 5 in my set on the Waikiki : they are lo res at the moment as I have to scan them in at higher res and replace as time permits.
I hope to have more soon…!
Enjoy
Kev P
What a delight seeing that clip. I had the pleasure and honor of running the spotlight for Johnny D at the Waikiki #3. Johnny would usually end his set with “Blue moon†at which time I would light him with a blue spot. I hope Scott B saw this clip, he also worked the spot at #3 between shows and I am sure is as sad as I am to know that it is all gone now.
Johnny also worked as a relief manager at the theatre, and often would fire up the organ during a slow matinee to entertain the audience with an impromptu performance. I can still hear him on the intercom, “Hey Vito, I’m going to play, light me up will youâ€
That always made my day.
Here is a youtube video from the late 1980s about the organist at the Waikiki 3:
http://tinyurl.com/yogx6o
The Waikiki Center still has the memorabilia lining the walls on either side of the escalator. On the second floor are large exterior and interior photos as well.
as promised
check these beauties out !
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kevp/2000597019/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kevp/2001397710/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kevp/2001585360/
and the piece de resistance
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kevp/2001609688/
Show us Kev! I also now know the film advertised on the marquee in the courtyard of the postcard I posted a link for above is “The Last of Mrs. Cheyney” from 1937, starring Joan Crawford.
Sad loss, here’s another picture
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kevp/1964704106/
I have two more to add…one in colour from the'50’s !