Hilo Hattie (1901-79), the Hawaiian school teacher who performed for nearly half a century as a comic hula dancer, singer and actress, appeared briefly in the movie “Blue Hawaii,” a musical romantic comedy starring Elvis Presley, Joan Blackman and Angela Lansbury, which was filmed in Hollywood, Oahu, and on Kauai in 1961.
Hilo Hattie (1901-79), the Hawaiian school teacher who performed for nearly half a century as a comic hula dancer, singer and actress, appeared briefly in the movie “Blue Hawaii,” a musical romantic comedy starring Elvis Presley, Joan Blackman and Angela Lansbury, which was filmed in Hollywood, Oahu, and on Kauai in 1961.
Actually though, Hilo Hattie was not from Hilo, nor was her real surname Hattie.
She was born Clarissa Haili in Honolulu and took her stage name from the 1932 Don McDiarmid Sr./Johnny Noble song “When Hilo Hattie Does the Hilo Hop,” which became her signature tune.
Appearing with Hilo Hattie in “Blue Hawaii” was Honolulu disc jockey and television personality Robert M. “Lucky” Luck (1918-77).
A born mimic, “Lucky” Luck’s pidgin English comedy routines were so fluent that many locals were often surprised to learn that he was not born and raised in the Islands.
His TV and radio advertisements for Leonard’s Bakery of Honolulu were immensely popular.
That’s why “Lucky” Luck and Leonard’s Portuguese malasadas and pao doce sweet bread are synonymous even to this day.
And, Kauai girls – Elithe Aguiar, Leimomi Buchanan and her sister, Marvelyn Buchanan, and Janet Largusa – bedecked in gowns, with flowers adorning their hair, also appeared in “Blue Hawaii.”
Elithe, Leimomi and Marvelyn, ages 17, 17 and 16, respectively, and Janet, age 21, accompanied Elvis Presley and Joan Blackman in the movie’s famous wedding scene at the Coco Palms Hotel lagoon.
Elithe Aguiar was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. August Aguiar of Kapaa.
She would be crowned Miss Kauai in 1963 and would capture the title of Miss Universe Hawaii in 1965.
Leimomi Buchanan, crowned Miss Kauai in 1961, and Marvelyn Buchanan, who won the Miss Kauai contest the following year, were the daughters of Alexander Kahoiwai Buchanan and Ethel Palama Buchanan of Kukuiula.
Janet Largusa was the daughter of Tomas and Erodita Refamonte of Hanamaulu.
Elithe is married and lives in Honolulu; Leimomi married and is a longtime resident of Maine; Marvelyn wed an Italian and resides in Milan, Italy; and Janet Refamonte Largusa married and lives on Kauai.
