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CENTRAL DISPATCH

THE HAWAII FIVE-0 FAN CLUB NEWSLETTER 

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Volume 5                  July, 2003                   Issue 19 

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by Cindy Kimura

CLOSE ON TRIGGER GUARD
The right hook ENTERS FRAME and rests on the trigger.
CLOSE ON TRIGGER
As the hook hand pulls the trigger. We hear a muffled shot.
ANGLE ON FUNERAL PROCESSION
FAVORING motorcycle cop as his bike crashes on its side. The hearse swerves to avoid him. Its tires SCREECHING, its horn BLASTING. As it does, a casket breaks through the rear doors of the hearse and crashes to the street, further horrifying the mourners.
EXT. ROOFTOP-DAY
CLOSE ON M-1. The hook hands work with uncanny speed as the gunman removes the scope. He throws it into a guitar case, closes the lid, then scoops up the case with his right hook. The sniper runs, his back towards us, melting into the BLURRED background. He deliberately leaves the rifle behind, still mounted on its bipod.


So opens "HOOKMAN", the premier episode of the '73 Hawaii 5-0 season. The opening scene of a police officer shot by a sniper with the police officer's name engraved on the gun barrel was a very powerful scene, and the show earned rave reviews from the Hollywood Reporter and Variety. Not bad for two guys fresh out of college and being able to write for one of the hottest shows on television at the time. Meet Rod Baker and Glen Olson, a little older and wiser but still full of stories.

I met Rod and Glen on a cool Saturday at the Olive Garden where we ordered our lunch and started the interview. They were in good spirits as they described their journey from fresh-faced kids to professionals. Many of you probably want to know how "HOOKMAN" came about. The main crux was to write a story about a criminal that had no fingerprints, hence the "hooks".  Glen and Rod had met each other while in the Navy during Vietnam and became friends and collaborators, entertaining their comrades and fellow Navy seamen on ship. They were surprised that their antics didn't cost them a court martial. They also spent some time in Pearl Harbor and Oahu and were able to soak up the local culture. 

After their tour of duty, they enrolled at Long Beach State University College in California. While there, they paid their dues by working on real Hollywood productions as grips and other sundry jobs. It was there that they started hammering out movie and television scripts and looking for their 'big break'. 

They penned an original had a feature movie script titled the "THE PROWLER" and since they had no takers for the script, they decided to rework it for Hawaii Five-0 . They had to trim a 120-page movie script down to a manageable 70 pages for television. Ouch! After finding the name of an agent in in Variety, they submitted their completed script to that agent and hoped for the best.  It worked. They received a phone call and soon next had a meeting at CBS with Five-0 story editor, Ken Pettus. Rod and Glen knew they were fortunate to have the late Ken Pettus to mentor them in the television script process. Pettus was considered one of the best story/character men in the television industry at that time.

Still wet behind the ears, Glen and Rod did the necessary rewrites and research required of the high standards on the Five-0 set. They often put in twelve and fourteen hour days to receive 'well done' memo by the late Leonard Freeman for such a great idea. Pettus, who loved mentoring new writers, taking pity on them and sent them to Hawaii to see their script being filmed. However, they were given strict orders not to do any last-minute, on location rewrites for Jack Lord while they were there. Lord had a reputation of asking writers to rework scenes for him whenever they were on location during a shoot. 

The highlight of their time in Hawaii was on the rooftop of a hospital where they were shooting a scene. "Jack Lord took out this nickel-plated pistol that Elvis had given him. Elvis was a big fan of Hawaii 5-0 and had given Jack and his wife Marie front row seats for his famous satellite concert in Hawaii. However, the gun was a real thorn in the side for Executive Producer Bob Sweeney because it 'glinted' in the light whenever it was filmed. They finally had to dull it with hair spray," Rod explained.

Another highlight was an evening spent with J.J. Armes, the famous El Paso private eye who played the sniper with hooks for hands. "We were in his hotel room and he was showing what he could do with his hooks," Glen related. "I mean he took an onion skin Bible and turned each page of the book without actually even looking at it." "He was an amazing person," Rod confirmed. "He had a .22 in his hooks and he showed it to us."

"And Jack Lord was McGarrett from 6 A.M. until shooting finished. Jack got on the set at 5 A.M. every day and was ready to go. The first day they shot our episode, there were problems. Not with the script, but with what Jack feeling there was a lack of energy on the set. And so and without political correctness Jack said, "you blankityety-blanks better get your act together and give me some support! Get to blankety blank work."  "Jack did cuss on the set," Glen explained.

"Another thing, Jack Lord did not wear a wig. He hair was real. A He had a hair stylist was combing his hair between every take with a thick brush all day on the set," Glen said, debunking the myth.

However, Jack Lord did rule the Hawaii Five-0 set. "He was the Lord of the Hawaii Five-0 set. He was 'McGarrett' from the start of the day," Glen confirmed. Glen thought Jack Lord had the necessary chiseled looks for his character and the attitude to go with it. James MacAurthur, 'Book 'em Danno,' was also terrific in his role and the two played off each other like magic. 

Both Glen and Rod were in awe the whole time they were there., Leonard Freeman was also there to there and directing any rewrites. If you recall the opening shot of Hookman, where the coffin and flowers fall out of the swerving hearse, you can thank Rod and Glen. As t hey were standing by innocently watching the swerving hearse being filmed, they discussed and started talking how much more effective the shot would be if the coffin and flowers came flying out of it when while still on the coffin at the time of the crashed. Unbeknownst to them, Freeman was behind them and heard every word. Instead of an expected reprimanded,. Freeman agreed with them He liked their idea and had the whole scene reshot, this time with the coffin and flowers spilling into the street. It was expensive to redo but it confirmed the young writers and the veteran filmmakers their respect for one another.

Although Glen and Rod were on location to see their episode being filmed, it wasn't life in paradise. Freeman made them work by sending them to Oahu's North Shore to do research for Hawaii Five-O's once a year North Shore episode. The result was "THE FLIP SIDE IS DEATH". While on the other side of the island at the Kuilima resort, they learned that the acid in pineapple juice could "erase" fingerprints. Freeman told them to find a way to put that in their script, and they did.

The team sold a total of six scripts, five of which aired. They are as follows: Hookman, Right Grave-Wrong Body, The Flip Side is Death, A Woman's Work is with a Gun, and finally A Sentence to Steal. Perhaps "Hookman" holds a special place in Glen's and Rod's hearts because they were also big fans of Hawaii Five-0 and selling that script made it all the more special. 

Glen and Rod went on to sell other scripts and eventually were made story editors for "Chips", working with Five-0 alumni guest stars, Eric Estrada and Larry Wilcox. They attribute this success to writing for Hawaii Five-0 in the beginning. Both Rod and Glen wrote for the popular shows, Petrocelli, The Streets of San Francisco, Jigsaw John, Baa Baa Blacksheep, The New Adventures of Wonder Woman, 240 Robert, ABC Weekend Specials and Strike Force.

"I was in 20th Century studio and stopped in to say hi to someone and ended up getting a script assignment," Rod recalls and bases the job on his Five-0 connection. 

Numerous awards were bestowed on the team. They won a Cine Golden Eagle award in 1981-1982 for The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County, which was adapted for ABC. Also, winning the NAACP Image Award and an Emmy Award nomination for their All the Money in the World, ABC Weekend Special, in 1983-1984.

Although they wrote for major television shows and garnered recognition, ageism caught up with them. Hollywood's dirty little secret is if you're a writer and over forty, you are forgotten. It's very difficult to get enough assignments to make a full time living at it. It forcing them to stop writing television scripts and broadened their writing opportunities. They didn't regret their time in the industry, however, being young Turks and replacing other writers who already had their time in the sun. Glen and Rod look forward to the new Hawaii 5-0 movie and know it will be a formidable task to find someone to replace Jack Lord. "There was only one McGarrett and Jack Lord was it," Glen reaffirmed. 

Both Glen and Rod agree that CBS is missing out on a golden opportunity to market all of the Hawaii Five-0 shows episodes on DVD. "Columbia House (owned by CBS) had released 'HOOKMAN' and five other episodes on VHS -- but that was four or five years ago. What about now? When you browse retail shelves, there are volumes upon volumes of old TV shows on DVD. Some good, some bad, some not worth the cost of the plastic. So where is Hawaii Five-O? It's popularity made it the longest running police show in television history and it was shot in one of the most scenic locations in the world!" Rod surmised with disbelief.  "But the other shows they have been releasing have to be the worst in television history. I mean Hawaii Five-0 was the longest running show in history, yet they don't release all of the episodes," Rod feels cheated in that respect.

Rod went on to writing and publishing in the fast growing CD/ROM industry. Glen went on to producing commercials, but both continued to write. Only recently have they joined back up again to write a feature film and are looking happily to their future. 


                                      

(That's Glen on the left and Rod on the right)

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A Special Hour with Charismatic Carole Kai
by Jerry Pickard, UH '72 (uhalum@yahoo.com)

Lots of people are said to accumulate their years gracefully. This is true for Carole but she is one who has attractively added a healthy dose of sweetness to the process. Not that she hasn't always been that way, at least in public and, it's suspected, in most if not all of the many facets of her dynamic life. Which leads the author to a confession right at the outset. This was one interview sought for grounds bordering on the almost prurient (dated though that may be for him, at this stage of the game!).

There have been a number of occasions when those who participate in online discussion about Five-0, have centered their musings on the various physical attributes about some of the performers. A lot of the show's outspoken followers tend to be women, while many of the main roles were played by men. So, naturally, considerable speculation has focused on the guys' supposed prowess's, characteristics, and so forth. However, once in a while the table would be turned. Your modest scribe would then pay particular attention. Such was the case when Carole Kai was described, not unreasonably given the usual context of her portrayals - nurse, girlfriend, beach-goer, etc. - as a sure fire "Five-0 Babe". (When she reads this write-up, it's a given the foregoing comment will bring forth highly audible laughter on her part, as was the case at Ala Moana!)

For Carole does indeed exude personality-plus, which does not detract from her still being very much a pint-sized pulsator of power. And certainly packaged very prettily, too. Once again, your humble reporter was awed that someone with her profile in Hawai'i would somehow find time for a meeting. With her business associate Julie in close proximity, Carole very graciously followed through with a get-together at the snack area of Ala Moana Center's Neimann Marcus Department Store, late one afternoon in November 2002.

We had perhaps an hour there and all be assured, it was one of the more eclectically intriguing sixty minutes one can hope to experience. For, besides dealing with the series and related questions from the bumbling interviewer, Carole was constantly interrupted by people she knew who were passing through the building. She jumped up from her chair and ran over to embrace several, part of the reason, it's concluded, that she has been and remains, one of Hawai'i's favorite show-biz icons in recent decades.

Hawai'i Stars Presents, Carole's entertainment production company, has spawned a number of local offerings. Probably the best- known of these currently is Jan Ken Po (www.jankenpohawaii.com), a very successful Sunday evening quiz program. The title sounds strange, perhaps, to most ears beyond the Islands, but it refers to a game played by most "keiki," or kids, in which objects are fashioned out of paper, scissors and stone. The TV show revolves around local trivia, history and 'da kine useless information, which nonetheless helps to instill pride in being a resident of the Fiftieth State. Interestingly, following our discussion, Carole mentioned that some Five-0 details she'd long ago put out of mind, had re-surfaced and might somehow be incorporated in the immensely popular Jan Ken Po!

Carole has her fingers in many pies, it was learned. A singer in her own right, she is a member of the local Divas which at the time of our meeting, also included the renowned talents of Nohelani Cypriano, and Melveen Leed, the latter also having some minor Five-0 exposure. (Sadly, a year before, irrepressible fourth diva Loyal Garner had suddenly passed on.) On another front, she launched the tremendously well-reputed Carole Kai Charities, Inc. in the mid-80's. Since then, this agency has provided over five million dollars to more than 100 non-profit organizations in Hawai'i, including the YMCA, Girl Scout Council, Hawaii Families as Allies, National Multiple Sclerosis Society and many more. Perhaps its highest profile venture annually, is the Great Aloha Run (www.greataloharun.com). Preparations for the 19th happening in February 2003, were in full swing when we met. Upwards of 22,000 entrants were anticipated (including this ink-stained wretch) for the Presidents' Day Weekend, with the main event covering a course just over eight miles between the Aloha Tower area downtown and Aloha Stadium near Pearl Harbor. Like many pastimes in Hawai'i, it will start early-early while the morning is still fresh!

As one may gather, our meeting encompassed topics well beyond the traditional scope of Five-0 and a very few of the episodes in which Carole played a role (for example, Force of Waves, Tiger By The Tail, Right Grave Wrong Body, Who Says Cops Don't Cry, and Percentage). With respect to that final one, incidentally, which the writer viewed a few days before seeing Carole, she had strong memories. Veteran actor Douglas Kennedy was playing her husband, and a significant gap in age between them was patently obvious. In fact, it turned out her character had been having a bit of a romantic tryst with a more youthful and debonair gambler. During the course of the show, a marital kiss had to be done by 'old guy' as she described him and, in Carole*s words, Kennedy "plunked a real wet one all over me." She still vividly recalls the distastefulness of that action, and in relating it, made a thoroughly god-awful face. Such are the sacrifices of being a featured performer!

On a somewhat more pleasant note, Carole referred to being bikini-clad, along with Susan Page (now a columnist with Honolulu's MidWeek magazine), and getting grilled by Danno during a beach scene. (This was in the very early episode Tiger By The Tail.) "We were supposed to be like real bimbos," she said and laughed heartily at the further recollection of having to say things like "Cool, man!.

On the same set, which was actually filmed across from elegant Kapi'olani Park, at the fortuitously-named Queen's Surf, Carole mentioned a particular incident. (As she said during our conversation, the more the things we brought up, the more memories resurfaced after being long filed away!) A break in the action had been called, so she used it to pay a needed restroom visit. While there she decided to check her make-up, and found it required a bit of rework. Contrary to the image on the screen, Carole*s eyes are actually rather round, but for the Five-0 sequences, anyone playing an Asian role had to appear to have unmistakably slanted orbs, usually achieved by copious application of mascara, etc.. By the time she returned, everyone was staring at her. Director Richard Benedict had given the order for the cameras to roll, but this could not happen as Carole was in the scene then being shot. He yelled at her "don't you ever do that to me again...it's extremely unprofessional!" A valuable lesson, she said, but learned in a very humiliating, hard way.

Ted Thorpe, involved with early casting, she remembers most fondly. He received invitations to her family's holiday parties. When he died, it saddened her deeply. Five-0 at the beginning, she suggested, was very much like a close-knit "ohana", or family. Carole felt she got along quite well with everyone. Jack Lord she respected for his overwhelming dedication, pointing out that "he was invariably focused, intense, never kidded around when filming was going on, very hard to get to know, and possibly quite shy." He also tolerated absolutely no extraneous sounds on the set, and would become extremely and visibly unnerved if such noise occurred. Carole says she*'l never forget how, to get himself psyched up for a scene, Jack would routinely clap his hands hard and fast as if to push his energy level up as high as possible. 

Other quick observations:

- The show was most definitely representative of its chauvinistic times, but she now looks back on this from the perspective of total acceptance. In those days, with women getting the coffee, acting as secretarial help, etc.; keeping any "libber" tendencies firmly in check, was simply how it mainly had to be, particularly if a gal were to gain any on-screen experience. It's been Carole's observation that for her, "being naturally nice to people works better than making a big deal of things' in other words, women don't need to act like men!"

- The failure of the show's management including Jack Lord and Zoulou in getting along, stands out. Contrary to other reports, evidently an unfortunate slur was committed by the latter in relation to Leonard Freeman's ethnic background, which led to Z's going off the show. Carole tactfully noted that this was a price of youthful indiscretion (and who among us has not had such encounters?), particularly as Mr. Freeman was well regarded by everyone involved with Five-0, including Zoulou.

- Among other things that make the show live on for her, there were "the best lunches on filming days". She appreciates, too, in retrospect, the relative harmony that existed in production. Jack Lord held his wife Marie on a figurative pedestal, she thought, with Marie definitely 'ruling the roost!' Carole also remarked that Jack was a most enthusiastic fan of his big Cadillac convertible. And, sadly, she misses contemporary fellow-Five-0 actress Josie Over, who passed on at a far too early age.

- Carole feels that possibly Five-0's greatest legacy for Hawai'i, was putting these small, so remote islands on everyone's map throughout the world. After her days on the show were over, she began pursuing her vocalist career in Europe and Asia. She said she is still quite amazed at how, after she was being introduced as from Hawai*i, the response from many audiences was to burst into the Five-0 theme!

- Because of the experience she gained on the show, she landed a co-starring role in Brian Keith's Little People. The acting called for her being a sort of "love interest" for him, and that involved some more "old-guy kissing." Perhaps recalling the incident in Percentage, she was not able to do this with a straight face, and more than once it took a good hour just to get a fairly straightforward pucker part out of the way (more laughter in our meeting, as she recalled those fun times). She said she liked this series, however, because it provided her with a more dignified opportunity, in helping children. She also did some work on Magnum P.I., but had little to say about that.

Carole Kai is a genuine First Lady in many circles within Hawai'i Nei. She is also a real hoot, and the relatively brief time this gangly Canuck interview was lucky to have with her, ("shared though it was!") will be long remembered. With her permission, anyone wishing to drop her a line or two can do so, Carole kindly said, through the Jan Ken Po website. Everyone is encouraged to check it out - and possibly pick up a bit of interesting little-known information about the Islands. She confided that she sees all communications directed to her, but of course, may not be able to personally reply to each one.

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Side note: Jerry did take part in the 19th edition of the Great Aloha Run which Carole co-founded, in February, 2003. He made the 8.15 mile trek from the Aloha Tower in downtown Honolulu to the Aloha Stadium near Pearl Harbor at a steady walk pace in 2'10". And also, Carole graciously emailed an invitation to Jerry and his daughter to sit in on a taping of Carole's HAWAII STARS talent show at Ala Moana Center when they were in Honolulu in May. "We took her up on this, enjoyed all the hoopla and I was very surprised that Carole recognized this old haole guy when she came off the stage, mouthing 'Jerry' as she did so!"

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 SPARRING WITH KWAN HI LIM
by Jerry Pickard, UH '72, uhalum@yahoo.com

The meeting with this surprisingly jovial but still 'kolohe' (rascally) individual, was a long time coming. In August 2002, Kwan Hi underwent extensive surgery for lung cancer-- first time he'd ever been a patient in hospital. Happily, his recovery appeared to be going well when we had our get-together.

Still, it was six months later before he did feel well enough for a face-to-face, when he graciously hosted me for about an hour at his Makiki, Honolulu condominium. Interestingly, Kwan Hi originally had the building constructed with just three floors but later added a fourth for his own occupancy. "At some stage," he pointed out, "an elevator will be installed for everyone when I find the stairs to be just too much." He is now 81, 5'6", and remarkably fit. A former championship boxer as well as surfer, he exercises often, and a formidable punching-bag was observed in his home. Smart money would not bet that the elevator's installation is likely to happen any time soon. 

Picked as a supporting actor mainly for his often perceived "villainous" appearance, Kwan Hi enjoyed some memorable roles in his over 25 appearances throughout the series' run. Perhaps his part as Tosaki in the 'V' For Vashon trilogy was one of his best. He had an incredible canniness to embody evil, yet during our get-together, it was not at all difficult for the writer to remember that such a portrayal was only an act. In fact, I discovered on arrival at his condo that he'd left a message at my place of lodging, offering to pick me up and bring me over during a steady downpour of rain. (His kind suggestion that he drive me back in his small pick-up after our chat was finished, however, was gratefully accepted!)

Kwan Hi never attended acting school or the like. He went into law in 1950, "strictly for the money," he said, because he came from a rather poor family background (with nine siblings), and had no personal motivation to replicate anything like his father's calling as a Methodist minister on a plantation. Later, he was appointed as a judge in Hawai'i, at which time he ended his acting stints for the sake of propriety. But during the time he ran his own modest law firm, he was able to be on the Five-0 set pretty much as required. He would bring along case-files from the office and work on them between filming sessions which involved his various characters. This was a good strategy; not only was he able to accomplish his legal commitments, but he had no reason - or time - to get involved with the usually disruptive antics, politicking and gossip that sometimes occurred when production was happening.

His may be one of the more captivating stories, vis-a-vis how he came to get on Five-0. One day in the late 60's he had finished surfing at Waikiki, and spotted an attractive young woman whom he thought would be fun to take out. (Kwan Hi told me with a wink that she was a psychiatric nurse from Canada, and that from an early age he was partial to ladies from the land of the maple leaf!) She demurred at first, but he pressed on, and before long, was successful in lining up a date for later that day. He was about to leave the beach, when a man came up to him, gave him his card (which revealed that he was Ted Thorpe, casting director for the then fledgling Five-0), and asked him to drop by the studio to read for a part. Kwan Hi however just threw the card away, not interested and thinking the gesture was likely a joke.

However, about a month later one of his subordinate lawyers did read for the show, and was unfortunately turned down. Kwan Hi dryly told the disappointed fellow, "it's easy but you got no talent." The underling said to the boss, "Well Mr. Lim, why don't you go try then?" Strictly on a lark, he went to the studio and as he walked in, Ted Thorpe happened to come out and recognized him immediately. He greeted him with "oh, you finally came by," and at once offered him a role without his even having to read for it!

Kwan Hi mentioned more than once that he was almost always aware of having a "tough face." A nose repeatedly broken, and now quite flattened, probably helped him get the parts of "not good guys" in series. It was, he said, "Busted four times when I was boxing." Surgeons were never allowed to touch it either.

He joked with Thorpe soon after copping the first Five-0 acting gig, saying, "I don't want you to cast me based on my good looks alone." To which Ted replied, "the truth is, Kwan Hi, you just appear sinister. When I saw you trying to pick up that girl on the beach, you reminded me of a relentless hunter of prey!" Thorpe, feels Lim, was remarkably intuitive about people. As casting director he was readily able to identify that Lim liked to fight, had a quick temper and was forceful. It was also something of a surprise for him to be properly addressed by his first two names, Kwan Hi, which is usual for a man of Korean descent. Thorpe and Lim seemed to develop a somewhat close rapport, in that whenever an appropriate part came up, Thorpe always called him directly, rather than delegating the task to an assistant. 

This actor looks back now and fondly reminisces that he liked the people in Five-0, as well as what was for him a pleasant change in routine. It was a plus being on a "hot show," too, which prepared him for the recurring role of Lt. Tanaka in the Magnum series. Magnum, he said, had a much more relaxing atmosphere about it, probably due in part to Tom Selleck's laid-back nature, he feels. His performing career has been financially good as well; as he pointed out, being a member of the Screen Actors Guild has led to a number of benefits, including attractive medical coverage. Moreover, he's never regretted the kind of character that he almost invariably portrayed..."seedier ones," he liked to remind me! 

Kwan Hi remembers getting along okay with Jack Lord, noting the strong perfectionistic aspect of the lead star and recalling the various instances when actors would be "chewed out" in front of everyone on the set. For himself, he didn't mind such displays, as he recognized that Jack had a great deal to teach the "apprentices." But perhaps Jack went a little easier on Kwan Hi; another recollection shared was that Jack would on occasion personally avail himself of Kwan Hi's legal expertise. K.H. pointed out to him more than once that free advice was being dispensed, which Jack just laughed off. Certainly, other actors were visibly afraid of Jack, he said, but he wasn't because the acting was merely a sub-pastime to a fairly lucrative career in law, and thus a mutual respect developed.

There was never any stigma attached to being recognized when he'd be away from the Islands. Kwan Hi told of an incident in Rome. There'd been some flight mix-up, and he had to queue up behind quite a number of other people to check in at the upscale Excelsior Hotel. However, one of the employees noticed him, and beckoned him to the front of the line, commenting that he'd just seen Kwan Hi on a Five-0 the night before. K.H. consequently landed a superior room at a very favourable price!

He is still occasionally called for parts, e.g. X-Files, but at this stage he politely declines. Having TV credits, in addition to Five-0 and Magnum, in Big Hawaii, The Little People, Six Million Dollar Man, and Sanford & Son, would have been quite impressive enough for a secondary calling. But he also appeared in a number of movies, including Uncommon Valor, Hawaii, Seven, Acapulco Gold, Morning Calm, Melting Pot, Hard Ticket to Hawaii, The Islander, Bridgett's Romance, and Tutu Kane & the Shark God. Perhaps he can be forgiven for calling it quits at the moment, preferring to maintain his good health, dabble a bit in cases of the law that he finds personally interesting, tend his wide assortment of potted plans, mentor his three children (two of whom are in the legal profession) and just be with his wife.


The almost-last words for this article are those he graciously provided for inclusion with his autograph in my copy of Karen Rhodes' 1997 tribute to the series. "Nowhere in the world can you find a more interesting and diverse group of races living in such a small area, called Hawaii. And Hawaii Five-0 addresses this diversity very appropriately. Am proud to be a small part of the show, K.H.L. The 'Heavy')" 

Kwan Hi, you mused to the writer as we departed from your building, that you'd be interested in seeing how the write-up turned out. My main hope is that somehow, through this attempt to capture our brief time together, those who read these lines might share at least a little in the delight you imparted to a fan of a seemingly mischievous but inherently "right-on" key component character of this ground-breaking series.

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HAPPY 100TH BIRTHDAY, FORD MOTOR COMPANY

BY Michael Timothy

June 16, 2003 marked the 100th anniversary of the incorporation of the Ford Motor Company, official supplier of vehicles to Leonard Freeman Productions and Hawaii Five-0. As part of the celebration, a select group of Ford aficionados were invited to bring their historic, classic vehicles to the Ford World Headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan to mark the celebration. A certain black 1968 Mercury Park Lane Brougham was on the invite list and received center billing in the display of classic Lincoln-Mercury products. A number of fans were grateful to get their picture with the car in the classic McGarrett pose - right hand on the roof, drivers' door open, mike in the left hand barking out orders. Comments ranged from, "Is that REALLY the car?', "Beautiful job!", "Can I sit in it?" to a heartfelt, "Thanks so much for saving a piece of television history". The validation of the years of effort in bringing the car back from the dead was reflected in the appreciation and joy in other's enjoyment in experiencing the car. I truly wish I could be around to celebrate #200 with all those who have an appreciation for this segment of television and automotive history. Aloha!

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Just Stuff!

** For anyone with the gumption to write to George Litto, his address is George Litto Pictures, 2750 Cardwell Place, Los Angeles CA 90046

**  From Greg:  In 2008 Jack Lord becomes eligible to be on a postage stamp.  The more who write in and request this happen, the better the chance that it will.  The address is Citizens Stamp Advisory Committee, 475 L'Enfant Plaza SW, Washington, DC 20260-2435

**  Zoulou's recent transplant did not go as hoped.  He is currently waiting for another opportunity for a transplant.  If you would like to send a card you can mail it to:  Zoulou, PO Box 21, Kea'au, HI 96749.  You may include your phone number but at this point I'm sure he would just appreciate knowing that his fans send him their best wishes!

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As always, thank you to Jerry Pickard, Cindy Kimura and everyone else who was willing to help with this issue!  Coming up:   Tim Ryan, Emma Veary and Seth Sakai!

Next issue:   October, 2003

Be There,

Aloha!