Harry Owens And His Royal Hawaiians

238. HARRY OWENS AND HIS ROYAL HAWAIIANS (c. 1958-USA). CBS-TV Pacific net. With HARRY OWENS and HIS ORCHESTRA, HILO HATTIE, “PAHANA” (“whose voice is like a breeze from Polynesia”), and MISS HAWAII. Sponsored by “Regal Pale” – “one of America’s two great beers” (they maddeningly never tell you what the other one is!). JACK NARZ announcing. Two complete shows. Although Harry was born in Nebraska, he wrote Sweet Leilani and many other Hawaiian standards, and was an authentic interpreter of the music of the islands. Harry says, “Let tropic trade winds take possession of your spirit” and he isn’t kidding. This show could have been laughably corny, but it isn’t. The steel guitars play, the grass skirls swirl across the stage, and Hilo Hattie’s muu-muu fills the screen. It’s all quite well done; the musicians are Polynesian, and the 12 man big band puts out some delightful melodies. Those “vahines” in the skimpy costumes don’t hurt either. Thoroughly captivating music and a surprisingly genuine ambience of the islands despite Harry Owen’s Hawaiian pedigree being as authentic as a blintz! Most enjoyable and recommended live TV. 59 minutes total. Television-Music