Touring the Islands with Mark Twain

Posted by H5O 1.0 FOREVER on December 19, 2016 at 7:40 AM

​

Even if you haven’t read Mark Twain’s Letters from Hawaii (University of Hawaii Press) or Mark Twain in Hawaii: Roughing It In the Sandwich Islands (Mutual Publishing), you will enjoy this article about finding the real Hawai‘i.

​

Unlike Jack London, who was only passing through, and James Michener, who wrote too much and fictionalized most of it, Mark Twain spent four months in the Islands and gave a first-hand account of what he saw, from the sparsely clad kanaka maoli to the red glow of Kilauea. He stayed in the Volcano House hotel, which is still in business today, even though the original structure has been replaced. He rode horseback, determined not to miss a single detail, and paid for his tenacity with saddle sores.

 

But don’t let me spoil the fun. Read what Hawai‘i’s native son, Lawrence Downes, has to say about it:

 

Downes, Lawrence. Mark Twain’s Hawaii. New York Times. May 14, 2006.http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/14/travel/14twain.html

 

 

The French Dressmaker

Posted by H5O 1.0 FOREVER on December 13, 2016 at 9:55 PM

​

Amelia des Moulins was a Parisian dressmaker, who moved to New York City in 1899 to work as a dressmaker. Hear her tell about her experience:

https://soundcloud.com/user-84830014/the-french-dressmaker?utm_source=soundcloud&utm_campaign=wtshare&utm_medium=Facebook&utm_content=https%3A%2F%2Fsoundcloud.com%2Fuser-84830014%2Fthe-french-dressmaker

 

​

Warren Oates

Posted by H5O 1.0 FOREVER on December 11, 2016 at 2:40 PM

​

Warren Oates, who portrayed the irrascible Ves Painter in all 32 episodes of Stoney Burke (ABC, 1962-63), also appeared with Jack in Studio One in Hollywood : “A Day Before Battle” (CBS, 1956).

 

"A Day Before Battle" was about Union soldiers, who tried to decide whether it was moral to shoot the Confederate spy they had captured. The credits do not give the name of Mr. Oates' character, but we can be pretty sure that the Kentucky native was the spy. Also appearing in the episode were Susan Oliver and Gerald Serracini. 

​

​

A Sinking Ship

Posted by H5O 1.0 FOREVER on November 22, 2016 at 3:55 PM

​

During World War II, a merchant ship on which Jack served was torpedoed off the coast of Italy. The fantail was blown away, and the ship sank in only seven minutes. We may assume lives were lost. Jack and other survivors were adrift in a lifeboat for sixteen hours before they were rescued.

 

In a scene near the end of "A Bird in Hand" (Season 12), we see a dozen or more photographs that either were taken by Jack or relate to his life. The photograph behind the portable radio shows a ship that has lost its fantail. Was it the ship on which Jack sailed? Possibly. We have no way of knowing whether the shot was taken from a passing military aircraft without search-and-rescue capability or whether the shot is of a different ship that met the same fate. Many merchant ships did meet that fate during the war. In either case, the photograph shows us just how terrifying Jack's wartime experience must have been.

 

 

The Merchant Marine is Remembered on Veterans Day

Posted by H5O 1.0 FOREVER on November 22, 2016 at 6:35 AM

​

It seems that, when the Davis Madrigal Singers performed a medley of armed forces songs at a Veterans Day memorial service this year, they failed to sing the Merchant Marine song. The wife of a merchant mariner brought it to their attention with the loveliest results we ever could imagine. Let us remember that, after many years of petitioning for recognition, the Merchant Marine is now an official branch of the military.

 

Read about it:

Jones, Andy. “The Merchant Marine and Musical Magic in the Davis Cemetery” in The Davis (California) Enterprise. November 18, 2016. http://www.davisenterprise.com/forum/opinion-columns/the-merchant-marines-and-musical-magic-in-the-davis-cemetery/

 

Hear the Merchant Marine Anthem, Heave Ho My Lads Heave Ho: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdgiCZrgN8w&feature=youtu.be

​

​

Support HR 2992 - Merchant Marine World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act

Posted by H5O 1.0 FOREVER on November 17, 2016 at 2:35 PM

​

Contact your Congressman and ask him/her to vote in favor of H.R.2992 - Merchant Marine of World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act. Here’s their contact information: https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/2992/cosponsors" target="_blank">https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/2992/cosponsors.

 

Sheila Sova, who maintains the “US Merchant Marines of World War II” page on Facebook, writes, “…There is a chance that the Congressional Gold Medal Act for the H.R. 2992 MMWWII will be brought to the Congressional House floor right after they convene after Thanksgiving. It is imperative that you call or email your Congressman so that he or she knows that you want them to vote in favor of this bill.”

 

Those in the know feel this is the last opportunity we will have to obtain the long-overdue recognition for our World War II merchant mariners.

 

 

Unsung Heroes of World War II

Posted by H5O 1.0 FOREVER on November 17, 2016 at 2:35 PM

​

Geroux, William. “The Merchant Marine Were the Unsung Heroes of World War II” in Smithsonian Magazine. May 27, 2016. 

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/merchant-marine-were-unsung-heroes-world-war-ii-180959253/.

 

Sheila Sova, who maintains the “US Merchant Marines of World War II” page on Facebook, writes, “…[The Merchant Mariners] are trying to make a National Maritime Sanctuary where all the merchant vessels are located off of N.C.” U-Boat activity off the East Coast was atrocious, and many merchant ships were lost there. You may want to jump in and help support this effort.

 

​

"My Merchant Marines"

Posted by H5O 1.0 FOREVER on November 16, 2016 at 8:05 PM

​

Mark Alexander Trainor has created a website in memory of his father and uncles, who served in the Merchant Marine during World War II. On the site, he tells how they joined, what training they received, gives the names the ships on which they served, and gives the fates of those ships.

 

Check it out: www.mymerchantmarines.com

​

What a fine tribute you have created, Mark. Thank you for sharing it with us.

​

​

The Traveling Lady

Posted by H5O 1.0 FOREVER on October 24, 2016 at 8:55 AM

​

Presented as a musical, The Traveling Lady, opened at the Playhouse Theatre, on Broadway, on October 27, 1954, and ran for 30 performances, ending on November 20, 1954. The script was written by Horton Foote; the music was composed by Milton Davidson. It claims only one award, and that was Jack’s receipt of the Theatre World Award for promising new actor.

 

The Traveling Lady is a story about simple people in a time gone by. It is set in a small town in South Texas. Georgette Thomas (Kim Stanley) and her young daughter, Margaret Rose (Brook Seawell), arrive to look for her husband, Henry Thomas (Lonny Chapman), whom she believes is being released from prison. Throughout his incarceration, she has been working hard to raise the money for his release. Sadly, she learns that he has been free for some time and that he has not changed his ways and has no intention of being a husband and father.

 

Similarly, Slim Murray’s (Jack Lord) marriage ended unhappily. He likes Georgette and her daughter and can see through Henry Thomas and his criminal ways. He worries about what will happen to mother and daughter even as he falls in love with Georgette. As Slim, Jack speaks the very first line spoken in Act 1, Scene 1. Because it was produced as a play, we may assume that Jack sang, as well.

 

The foreword of the script talks about the difficulty of imparting the appropriate southern speech in the play’s dialogue. There is no one southern “accent.” For example, people on the East Coast (Georgia and South Carolina) speak differently from people in Texas, where the play is set, while people in all areas speak in ways that reflect their origins. Thus, people in Florida carry the speech patterns of their Latino origins and their New York snowbird origins, while people in Texas carry the speech patterns of their Mexican, Scots-Irish, English, and German origins. And, so, the speech patterns heard in the play are what the actors portray as being southern speech patterns. We can only imagine how New Yorker, Jack, presented the southern dialect.

 

Playwright Horton Foote was known for creating characters who felt deeply and came to life on stage. In addition to his own scripts, he wrote screenplays for television and for such movies as To Kill a Mockingbird (1962); Baby, the Rain Must Fall (1965), which was based on The Traveling Lady; and Tender Mercies (1983).

 

See the opening night Playbill, including the cover, cast, and other pages: 

http://www.playbill.com/production/the-traveling-lady-playhouse-theatre-vault-0000009372

​

The script of The Traveling Lady is available from Amazon and other print media outlets.

 

 

We Remember Marie

Posted by H5O 1.0 FOREVER on October 13, 2016 at 7:45 AM

​

Today is October 13, 2016. Eleven years have passed since we lost Marie. Marie, a lady of style and grace, who epitomized the dutiful wife, while being ahead of her time as a career woman who dared to move to the Big City to make her mark. Both are made all the more remarkable by the fact that, in the 1920s, ladies just didn't go off alone to the Big City, but Marie did, and she maintained her values and her dignity in the process.

 

Marie grew up as an only daughter, neatly sandwiched between two brothers, in the rough-and-tumble town of St. Louis, Missouri. She received a traditional upbringing, yet we can be sure that the woman who flew with Jack in his own airplane surely climbed her way up more than one tree with her brothers. In fact, when we read about how smart and achieving her brothers were, we can see that she was being groomed for her marriage of nearly fifty years with Jack.

 

Florian, her younger brother, seems to have taken on the role of Jack's older brother. Indeed, when Jack's health began to suffer, Florian shared books on spiritual healing written by Mary Baker Eddy. And when Florian came across a biography written about an early 20th century performer, A. J. Balaban, he sent it to Jack. We don't know as much about Marie's older brother, Silvius, except that he had a part-time job in the St. Louis Public Library system at the age of 15! Both were good matches for Jack, who was an avid reader.

 

Indeed, Marie was meant to marry "Mick" and to devote the second half of her life in support of life as they defined it as a couple. Even after Jack's death, she continued to support their chosen causes. And, yet, at the same time, she never ceased to be her own person with a mind, interests, and activities of her own.

 

We miss you, Marie, and value the lessons you left for us. Requiescat in pace.

​

​

A World War II Merchant Mariner Tells What It Was Like

Posted by H5O 1.0 FOREVER on October 8, 2016 at 9:35 PM

​

Moose Dunne, a 90-year-old World War II veteran who served in the Merchant Marine, talks about his experiences. The parallels between his merchant service and Jack’s are easily seen, but while the torpedoes missed Moose Dunne’s ship, they hit Jack’s ship.

 

Moose said, “Even smaller than the Coast Guard, the Merchant Marine had only 215,000 members, and yet had the highest rate of fatalities of any branch; 83,000 died in service.” That is one fatality in every 2.59 merchant mariners. The odds of survival were lousy!

 

Moose said, “I would guess that at least half of the crew were 4-F, but so patriotic they wanted to serve their country by going to sea. The other half were overage – too old to serve in the Army or Navy – so they went to sea.” 4-F means medically unfit for military service. Overage means they were over the age of 29, which was the maximum induction age during World War II.

 

It is interesting to note that Moose Dunne graduated from New Trier High School in Winnetka, Illinois, in the same class as Rock Hudson, the Class of 1944. Unlike Moose, Rock joined the Navy.

 

Read a poem, The Seafarer’s Life at Sea: http://theseahuman.com/seafarers-life-at-sea/

 

Read the article about Moose Dunne: Stevens, Tamara. Harbor Springs resident ‘Moose’ Dunne recalls service in the Merchant Marines. http://www.emmetcounty.org/harbor-springs-resident-moose-dunne-recalls-service-merchant-marines/

 

​

Bring Back No Greater Love

Posted by H5O 1.0 FOREVER on October 6, 2016 at 7:40 AM

​

For those of us old enough to remember, the Veterans Administration (VA) has had an atrocious reputation for providing poor medical care since the Vietnam War. Sadly, conditions are no better now. That is not to say that most patients suffer there, but too many do fall through the cracks at the VA.

​

In an episode of Blue Bloods entitled “Baggage” (Season 5), a group of army veterans rob a bank to raise funds for post-war care for one of their comrades. Roy Cobin (Paul Urcioli) lost both legs in Afghanistan. He has trouble remembering certain things and organizing his thoughts in order to speak. He needs help. When Danny Reagan (Donny Wahlberg) suggests that he check into the VA hospital, he is told that Roy has been on a waiting list for entirely too long. As a result, the veterans were trying to come up with money (albeit illegally) to pay for Roy’s care in a private hospital.

​

That’s television. Here’s a disturbing fact from real life. Did you know the VA no longer sponsors the No Greater Love program? Jack was very active in leadership of the No Greater Love program at Tripler Army Medical Center during and after the Vietnam War. Pictures of him with recovering servicemen and personnel at Tripler are highly sought after.

​

Search the VA’s website today, and you won’t find mention of the No Greater Love program. Google “No Greater Love,” and all you’ll find is a Bible verse (John 15:13), a movie, a documentary, and a song. Google “Veterans Administration – No Greater Love,” and all references are to past activities. Nowhere will you find the No Greater Love program for the care of today’s injured veterans.

​

It’s been said that 95 percent of medical care is letting the patient know that s/he is not going through the ordeal alone. By that definition, today’s system of medical care is only touching on 5 percent of patient need. How misguided is that! It also tells us how important No Greater Love is in a veteran’s recovery program.

​

Bring back No Greater Love!

​

​

What Do You Think?

Posted by H5O 1.0 FOREVER on August 31, 2016 at 1:15 AM

​

Give 100% or Just Pay Lip Service?

​

An interesting point came out in Blue Bloods. I watched the episode "Growing Boys" (Season 4) over lunch today. Jamie was mentoring a teen, who had been in trouble with the law. The teen was responding very well until two of the gang members with whom the teen formerly had associated beat him up for changing sides.

​

The statement was made that showing the teen a better lifestyle does no good if he is sent back into the environment that caused him to get in trouble in the first place. The commissioner said he would like to expand the mentoring program in order to use the local housing authority to help relocate the teens and their families who have turned their lives around.

​

On the other hand, the opposing factions thought the program was infeasible -- both ineffective and infeasible -- and did not want to put even more time, effort, and money into it. That group thought the city had given enough for teens who would just go back and get in trouble again. After all, that's all they ever had done.

​

Both sides agreed that no improvement could be expected if the teens returned to their former environment. The question is whether helping the teens should go so far as to move the rehabilitated teens and their families to new environments. Is that the next step in solving the problem of youth crime, or is that pouring good money after bad? What do you think?

​

​

We Learn a Little More

Posted by H5O 1.0 FOREVER on August 27, 2016 at 9:10 AM

​

A post on Facebook provides information we normally would not gain:

​

*  Marie bought Maybelline makeup at Woolworth at Kahala Mall.

*  She and Jack bought day-old fruit and vegetables from Times Market Kahala.

​

It reflects their coming up during the Great Depression. It was not uncommon to buy day-old veggies and off-brand cosmetics. My mom wore Revlon, not Estee Lauder, Lancome, or other upscale brands.

 

​

Sea Year Stand Down

Posted by H5O 1.0 FOREVER on June 26, 2016 at 6:35 PM

​

All is not calm at sea. Following reports of shipboard sexual assault and sexual harassment of undergraduate midshipmen during their Sea Year training, the problem has been run up the chain of command, all the way to the Maritime Administration (MARAD) and the Department of Transportation, who are trying to decide how to get a handle on the situation.

​

Unofficial sources cite the following uncorroborated shipboard events as having initiated the ongoing proceedings:

​

- A recent graduate was assaulted at sea, both during Sea Year and again within one year of graduation. As a result, he/she (gender not disclosed) now feels unable to go to sea.

- A crewmember reportedly told midshipmen that they would not graduate if they reported onboard happenings.

- Pornographic films were shown aboard ship.

- Crewmembers have stalked midshipmen (multiple incidents).

- Midshipmen and senior officers have fraternized aboard ship.

​

Clearly, such incidents cannot be tolerated by the US Merchant Marine Academy, which is hailed as being of the same high quality as Annapolis and West Point. At the same time, the reputation of commercial seamen has been less than stellar through the decades, if not centuries. Will the solution lie in establishing law enforcement agencies aboard ships? If so, under whose jurisdiction should they fall, since these ships travel around the world? This will not be an easy problem to solve. Can commercial carriers get a handle on the behavior of their seamen?

​

In the meantime, a stand down of Sea Year has been ordered, and midshipmen at sea have been called home. No midshipman can graduate who has not experienced his/her Sea Year; therefore, a speedy resolution is essential.

​

Read more about it: “At Closed Meeting, Details of USMMA Sea Year Problems” in The Maritime Executive. June 24, 2016. http://maritime-executive.com/article/marad-discusses-sea-year-decision-at-closed-meeting

​

​

Save Our Military Bands

Posted by H5O 1.0 FOREVER on June 26, 2016 at 6:35 PM

​

This just in from Honu:

 

Do you remember when we were in school and military bands would come and perform concerts for us? Long before A Capitol Fourth ever aired on PBS, we heard the Sousa marches and other patriotic tunes. Why, the bands even taught us what individual horns sound like. It was an education unlike any other.

 

Well, now, Congress is trying to reduce the budget these bands have for taking tours to schools, appearing in public, like A Capitol Fourth, and other functions. It's time to stand up and let the powers that be know we consider these bands to be a vital part of music education in this country. Read more about it, below. Then, sign the petition and let your elected officials know how you want them to vote on this matter.

 

PLEASE click on the link below to sign the petition:

https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/continue-military-bands-funding

After your sign the petition, call your state senator.

Below is a link to your Senators’ contact information:

http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

 

 

If Snoopy Were President . . .

Posted by H5O 1.0 FOREVER on June 26, 2016 at 6:30 PM

​

If Snoopy® Were President, He Would . . .

​

Teach us to stop taking ourselves so seriously.

Teach us to lie outside and gaze up at the stars.

Teach us to make friends with birds.

Teach us to be kind to children.

Teach us to lift up the downtrodden and help them back into their nests.

Take a big bite out of terrorism.

Govern this 50-state neighborhood with unconditional love.

​

                                                         ~ Virginia Tolles

 

Snoopy® is the invention of Charles Schulz.

 

​

Happy 75th Birthday, Coast Guard Auxiliary

Posted by H5O 1.0 FOREVER on June 26, 2016 at 6:30 PM

​

June 23, 1941 - June 23, 2016

Jack was an honorary commodore in the Coast Guard Auxiliary.

 

 

ADM McRaven on Survival

Posted by H5O 1.0 FOREVER on June 26, 2016 at 6:25 PM

​

Not only surviving in this world, but making it a better place.  While addressing the University of Texas' Class of 2014, Admiral William H. McRaven made some excellent points.

 

Listen to his commencement address: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yaQZFhrW0fU&feature=youtu.be

​

​

"Hymn to the Fallen"

Posted by H5O 1.0 FOREVER on June 13, 2016 at 10:35 AM

​

Honu sent a link to a wonderful video featuring absolutely astounding photographs of the resting places of American soldiers who were killed in World War II. The background music is "Hymn to the Fallen" by John Williams, director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Boston Pops.

​

Here's the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Omd9_FJnerY

​

Mahalo nui, Honu!

​

​

The Merchant Marine in "Smithsonian Magazine"

Posted by H5O 1.0 FOREVER on May 27, 2016 at 4:50 PM

​

Did you catch this article?

​

Giroux, William. “The Merchant Marine Were the Unsung Heroes of World War II” in Smithsonian Magazine. May 27, 2016. 

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/merchant-marine-were-unsung-heroes-world-war-ii-180959253/?no-ist

​

​

Man Overboard!

Posted by H5O 1.0 FOREVER on May 25, 2016 at 8:45 AM

​

A man fell overboard from the US Coast Guard Cutter Eagle during training exercises off the coast of Ireland. TheEagle is a three-masted tall ship, or barque, that is used by the Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut.

​

A call was put out to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution’s Crosshaven station in Ireland; however, crewmen aboard the Eagle managed to rescue the man before the Crosshaven's rescue boat and helicopter arrived.

​

Read about it and see pictures: https://gcaptain.com/man-overboard-from-u-s-coast-guard-sail-training-ship-in-ireland/

​

Read more about the USCGC Eagle on the Coast Guard Academy's website: http://www.cga.edu/eagle.aspx?id=688

 

 

A Review of "Dolphin's Tale"

Posted by H5O 1.0 FOREVER on April 27, 2016 at 8:05 PM

​

Dolphin’s Tale should be dedicated to ocean dwellers and disabled veterans everywhere.

​

Sawyer Nelson (Nathan Gamble) is 11 years old, lonely, and without friends until he meets Winter, a dolphin that was entangled in a crab trap rope and lost its tail. After seeing recovering war veteran amputees learning to play basketball with prosthetic legs, Sawyer wonders if a prosthetic tail wouldn’t work for Winter. With the help of a kindly prosthetic engineer (Morgan Freeman), it does.

​

Dolphin’s Tale was inspired by a true story. One cannot help but feel the dolphin’s pain and the caretakers’ frustration as they work, first, to save Winter’s life and, then, to find a way to help him swim again. At the same time, one cannot help but feel the pain and frustration of a veteran amputee, formerly a swimming champion, as he strives to put his life back together.

​

This movie won two awards and was nominated for four more. Produced by Alcon Entertainment, Arc Productions, and St. Petersburg Clearwater Film Commission, 2011.

​

See it on Netflix.

 

 

Give the Man a Chance, for Crying Out Loud!!!

Posted by H5O 1.0 FOREVER on April 14, 2016 at 9:20 AM

​

Yep! You guessed it! The naysayers have arisen once more to try and show Jack as thoroughly unpleasant and a trouble maker. This article comprises comments I posted on Mike Quigley's discussion forum on Wednesday, 13 April 2016.

​

When trying to understand Jack, it helps to look at the big picture. He was far more than an actor who went to the set, recited his lines, and went home. He was involved in the production of Hawaii Five-0 from the arrival of the script to the shipment of the film to post-production in California. He helped to train locals with little or no previous experience in film making. He taught some to act; he taught others how to work behind the scenes. His efforts were not always appreciated.

​

Tales are legendary about Jack becoming angry on the set. If cast or crew arrived late, played when they should have been working, or otherwise failed to measure up to Jack’s strict standards – and they were strict – he did not hesitate to give them a dressing down. To try and gain a sense of perspective, however, we need to ask several questions:

​

1. How often did this happen and over what period of time? For example, five outbursts in a day is serious, while five outbursts in a season might cause people to wonder, while five outbursts in twelve seasons isn't even worth thinking about. Unless we were there, we cannot know how often Jack’s outbursts occurred. Because few people walked out or refused to work on Hawaii Five-0, we can assume that they did not happen in the extreme. Similarly, we can deduce that he – like anyone – would have an outburst more than five times in twelve years. And, so, we will assume that he had an average of five outbursts per season. That works out to one outburst for every five episodes. Not welcome – and the number might be a bit low – but not excessive.

​

2. Did people realize Jack had a role on the show that went beyond acting? Did they know Leonard Freeman hired him to help manage production and that he gave him one-third ownership, perhaps to give him the authority to help manage production? Again, this is difficult to know unless we were there. Because Jack’s role as ex-officio executive producer did not appear in the credits, there is a better than even chance that they did not know. Rather, from all appearances, he was an actor with a big ego, who was throwing his weight around. What other impression could they receive without the benefit of an organizational chart. Here, the problem would have been failure to communicate.

.

3. Can we attribute at least a portion of the complaints to "sour grapes"? Let's face it: An actor surely must dream of starring in a highly successful television series. It doesn't come to many. Could they have been even a tad jealous? This is entirely possible when Jack had to dress down guest stars for arriving late, hung over, or unprepared. It is known that Jack was very unhappy with Marion Ross, who took her children with her to Hawai‘i and left them in the hotel, The Kahala, while she was filming. Children being children, issues came up, and she would be called away from the set to tend to her children. There can be no doubt but that this interfered with the filming schedule, which was tight on a rigid eight-day schedule. Can she have resented Jack for not understanding her situation? Is it not possible that, while Jack did understand her situation, he had no choice but to insist that filming remain on schedule?

​

This leads us to the next question:

.

4. Can we attribute at least a portion of the complaints to generation gap? The gap was very wide between Jack's generation (my parents' generation) and my generation. Here, we come to what is quite possibly a very real explanation for the accusations made against Jack.

​

To illustrate, look at McGarrett with the peaceniks in "Not That Much Different" (Season 1). The peaceniks saw him as an enemy of peace, because he carried a gun.

 

There are dangerous animals in the world, and some of them walk on two feet. They don’t want peace, and they’re not capable of love. Society — and that means you and you and you and you — needs protection from these warped minds. And that’s my job.

​

Even after he explained his role, they still saw him as the enemy and didn't want to help him discover who had killed their friend.

​

Does it not follow, therefore, that other people saw Jack in a similar light, especially when they did not know that he had the authority to manage? They were largely from a generation that had a lighter, more carefree outlook on life than did the generation that had lived through the Great Depression and World War II. They were the “let it all hang loose” generation. Jack must have seemed very rigid, very strict to them.

​

This is further illustrated in Jack's last production, M Station: Hawaii (1980). Although he cast a large number of baby boomers, those in leadership roles were from his generation: Andrew Duggan, Dana Wynter, Lyle Bettger, and himself. In my opinion, this is one reason why the pilot failed. Andrew Prine, Jared Martin, Moe Keale, Elissa Dulce Hoopai, and others weren't teenagers. They were adults, in their 30s. Yet, to Jack's generation, they were too young to lead. At the same time, the baby boomer generation did not want to watch a show where the older generation bossed their generation.

​

The gap isn't as great today, between Mark Harmon, executive producer of NCIS, and the younger generation comprising Michael Weatherly, Sean Murray, Cote de Pablo, Pauly Perrette, and others. First of all, Mark Harmon is from the generation that ushered in taking a lighter view on life, the generation that did not understand Jack's generation. Second, the casting system changed from a star system to an ensemble system so that Mark's billing isn't flaunted as a starring role (even though it is one). Third, we are allowed to see the Gen Xers living their lives, doing their work, bantering, etc., which makes them more present and more real than Danno, Kono, and Chin Ho were a generation ago.

​

Similarly, in Blue Bloods, while Tom Selleck and Len Cariou are seen as patriarchs, the action centers around the Gen Xers: Donnie Wahlberg, Will Estes, and Bridget Moynahan. We even see a scene each week with the still-younger generation: Andrew and Tony Terraciano. Although they have much smaller roles than the adults, we do see them at family dinners, playing in ballgames, and the like. (As an aside, I think Andrew Terraciano looks like a very young Jack Lord.)

​

Finally, this discussion would be incomplete without a look at Jack’s other business ventures.

​

5. Was Jack selfishly looking out for himself when he asked for interest ownership in the productions in which he appeared? The answer here is a definite “No!” Rather, he tried to buy into projects he felt would be highly successful. When one makes an offer, he always asks for more than he thinks he will receive. His offers were not always accepted. Jack asked for a percentage to continue playing Felix Leiter in the James Bond series of films. Albert Broccoli and Harry Saltzman turned him down. So did Gene Roddenberry (Star Trek). Conversely, Leslie Stevens (Stoney Burke) gave him 25 percent, and Leonard Freeman (Hawaii Five-0) gave him 33 percent.

​

It is well known that Jack was an astute businessman. He belonged to a hui (a group, real estate developers, in this case) that built houses on the east side of Diamond Head and a shopping center in Hawaii Kai, among other ventures. We saw the shopping center in several episodes of Hawaii Five-0, including "Who Says Cops Don't Cry?" (Season 12).

​

So, no. Jack wasn't being greedy. He simply was investing his earnings, which were much larger than any sum he could simply deposit into a savings account. In the first place, he earned handsome sums from acting. A deposit slip that sold on Ebay showed payment of $1,500 ($7,500 in today’s dollars) for one day's work spent recording dialogue to be dubbed into a film. He also earned thousands of dollars from the sale of his paintings. The art gallery at the Ala Moana Shopping Center – seen in "The Diamond that Nobody Stole" (Season 5) – sold his paintings for as much as $10,000 each ($30,000 in today's dollars). Sell one of those each month, and you are a wealthy man.

​

To summarize, Jack was one cast member among many and one crew member among many. He was authorized by Leonard Freeman to manage Hawai‘i operations for Hawaii Five-0. The evidence shows that personnel problems on the set related far more to the changing times than to anything Jack or any other one person did. Furthermore, Jack was an astute businessman who invested not only in television and film productions, but also in real estate and art. That is another side of Jack Lord about which few people know, yet it is a side that helps to explain the side of him that was seen on the set.

​

​

Hokulea in Florida

Posted by H5O 1.0 FOREVER on April 1, 2016 at 12:30 AM

​

The crew aboard Hokulea, the Polynesian Voyaging Society's wa'a (canoe) seem to be very excited to be on the mainland. They arrived in Key West last week, have been to Fort Myers on the Gulf of Mexico, and now are making their way across Florida, through the Okeechobee River and Lake to the East Coast, near Port St. Lucie.

​

They have met with members of several tribes of Seminole Indians, who are native to southern Florida. Now, they are learning about early morning mist and fog, having to time passing under bridges to the schedules of the trains that pass over them, and rising above sea level as they pass through no fewer than five locks that enable them to pass from the Gulf Coast to the Atlantic. I was surprised to read that the Okeechobee Lake is the size of the island of Maui!

​

Over the next few days, they will make their way up the Atlantic Coast to Cape Canaveral, where they will participate in a festival, before they continue up, toward New York City for the World Oceans Day celebrations. Follow along on their blog page: 

http://www.hokulea.com/blog/