This private detective series from ABC was billed as “77 Sunset Strip in Hawaii”.
Both series were produced by Warner Brothers, both featured two handsome free-swinging young detectives as alternate leads, both made use of nutty sidekicks for comic relief, and it was not unusual for the characters in one show to turn up in the other.
The stars of Hawaiian Eye – apart from the weekly bevvy of beautiful women parading around the place – were Tom Lopaka (Robert Conrad) and Tracy Stele (Anthony Eisley), two young private eyes based in poolside offices at the Hawaiian Village Hotel.
The main leads alternated with each episode and both had assistance from sexy local nightclub songstress Cricket Blake (played by Connie Stevens) – who sang at The Shell Bar – and colourful local cab driver Kazuo Kim (nicknamed Kim Kim) who was played by a Hawaiian actor with the extremely dubious and rather unfortunate name of Poncie Ponce. Kim’s trademarks were his straw hat, dumb jokes and ukulele.
Grant Williams joined the cast as new detective Greg MacKenzie and Eisley left the series in 1962, his place being filled for the final season by Troy Donahue as the hotel’s social director. Because of his blonde, boy-next-door good looks, Donahue became one of the show’s major attractions.
Lieutenant Danny Quon was the contact on the Honolulu police force.
Jack Nicholson made an early appearance before the camera in the 1962 episode ‘Total Eclipse’.
Tom Lopaka
Robert Conrad
Tracy Stele
Anthony Eisley
Cricket Blake
Connie Stevens
Kazuo Kim
Poncie Ponce
Greg MacKenzie
Grant Williams
Philip Barton
Troy Donahue
Moke
Douglas Mossman
Lt Danny Quon
Mel Prestidge
Both series were produced by Warner Brothers, both featured two handsome free-swinging young detectives as alternate leads, both made use of nutty sidekicks for comic relief, and it was not unusual for the characters in one show to turn up in the other.
