NATIONAL HAWAII DAY!

JULY 5th

National Hawaii Day is observed annually every July 5th to celebrate becoming the 50th state of the US.

However, statehood was officially granted on August 21, 1959. It’s not known why the holiday is held on July 5th. Hawaii holds the distinction of being one of four states that were once independent nations, along with California, Texas, and Vermont.

Statehood bills for Hawaii were introduced into the US Congress as early as 1919. Additional bills were introduced in 1935, 1947 and 1950. In 1959, the US Congress finally approved the statehood bill, the Hawaii Admission Act. This was followed by a referendum in which Hawaiian residents voted in support of statehood and on August 21, 1959 (the third Friday in August), President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed a proclamation making Hawaii the 50th state.

In 1940′s Dance, Girl, Dance, Lucille Ball did the Hula, a dance developed in Hawaii by the Polynesian settlers.

Hawaii was a cherished get-away spot for the Arnaz family to escape from the pressures of Hollywood.

In 2007, Lucie Arnaz remembered their trips to Hawaii fondly:

“It was before my parents were divorced and the time when they were at their happiest. No arguing, no work to take them away, and they just loved being there and with each other.”

In “Lucy Gets Ricky On The Radio” (1951), Lucy has trouble remembering whether Alaska and Hawaii are states or not.  At the time, both were territories working towards statehood.

Hawaii was also mentioned on “I Love Lucy” in “Ricky’s Hawaiian Vacation” (ILL S3;E22) in 1952.

Despite the episode’s title, the closest Ricky and the gang get to Hawaii is the living room!

It is reported that in 1954, before television was widely available in Hawaii, Hilo High School put on a sanctioned “I Love Lucy” play!

“I Love Lucy – The Play” was written by Hollywood dramatist Christopher Sergal in 1953. Act 1 opens in their messy living room, based on the TV show’s eighth episode, “Men Are Messy.” Lucy and Ricky argue over finances. Lucy changes the subject by wanting to look up Ricky’s horoscope, from “The Séance.” She does this to encourage Ricky to ask Mr. Littlefield, owner of the Tropicana nightclub, for a raise (from “Ricky Asks for a Raise”). Peggy and Arthur, “The Young Fans” are also in the cast. Later, Mr. Littlefield comes over to the messy apartment and wonders how Ricky can manage the Tropicana if he can’t manage his own wife.

It wasn’t until December 1952 that television began broadcasting in Honolulu. It spread to Maui and the Kona Coast two years later. Several students in the 1954 play had to drive to a home in Waimea to watch the show for the first time. The sister of a Hilo High School teacher living in Hollywood met with the publicity manager for Lucy and Desi and told them about the approaching production. Lucille Ball was reportedly “thrilled,” and asked for pictures of the Hilo High School cast. The “I Love Lucy” senior play had four daytime student performances and one night showing for the community. It was also staged at the Kilauea Military Reservation. The Arnazes sent them a congratulatory telegram.

Reviewer Thelma Olival in the Hilo Tribune Herald wrote,

“If you want to laugh until tears run down your cheeks and your sides ache go see ‘I Love Lucy,’ the hilarious comedy production by Hilo High School’s senior class. The cast literally had its audience rolling in the aisles.”

In 1957 Lucy, Desi and their two young children vacationed in Kona. Students at Hilo High School sent them lei and a corsage to the Kona Inn. Principal Harry Chuck said that these gifts were sent as a token of appreciation to the Arnazes since they were the only “outsiders” who had ever sent a good-luck message to the school prior to a student production. Skip Lambert remembered seeing them when he was 12 at the Kailua pier.

“Lucy had walked from the hotel to the pier to greet Desi after a day of sport fishing, with her two small kids in tow. There was nothing ‘movie star-ish’ about them, but I remember Lucy was the palest Caucasian woman I had ever seen!”

In “Lucy Gets the Bird” (TLS S3;E12) in 1964, the episode opens with Lucy and Viv collecting trading stamps. Viv wonders if they have enough to get to Hawaii. Lucy says they have enough to get as far as Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

Also in 1964, The New York World’s Fair declared August 31st “Lucy Day”. Ball visited the Hawaii Pavilion on her whirlwind tour of the Fair.

Lucy and Vivian eventually go on a cruise to Hawaii in a 1971 episode of “Here’s Lucy.”

The two-parter was titled “Lucy Goes Hawaiian” and featured Gale Gordon, Desi Arnaz, Jr., and Lucie Arnaz.

In both 1954 and 1971, Lucy gets to sing and dance the hula and “A Hawaiian War Chant” is heard. Unlike many television shows of the period, no actual filming was done in Hawaii. Even the cruise ship was created on a soundstage.

In 1977, Lucille Ball appeared on “The Don Ho Show” filmed in Hilo, Hawaii, and aired on ABC TV.

Hawaii was mention several times on the short lived “Life With Lucy” (1987). In the first episode, Curtis had just returned from vacationing there and in the second episode guest star John Ritter says that his wife is in Hawaii with the kids. In an un-aired episode, Leonard plans to use his vacation from M&B Hardware to go to Hawaii and lie on the beach.

Hawaii is for the birds!