Home movies freshen TV special on Reiplinger

A television special recycled for public sale on DVD, "RAP: Hawaii’s Comic Genius" is a welcome retrospective on the life and work of one of Hawaii’s great comedians, Rap Reiplinger.

Producer Phil Arnone includes footage of Reiplinger’s days as a member of Booga Booga and excerpts from his 1981 television special, "Rap’s Hawaii," to interviews with family, friends and folks in the industry.

One highlight is vintage footage of the Booga Booga sketch that has Reiplinger demonstrating endless variations of the basic shaka. From "Rap’s Hawaii" is the ever-popular reworking of "Tell Laura I Love Her," transformed into the local version "Fate Yanagi."

Fresh for fans is footage from Reiplinger family home movies that show the comic as a toddler, a child and a young entertainer.

Vintage photos show Reiplinger on the Punahou School theater stage, at the University of Hawaii at Manoa and as a company actor with Hono­lulu Theatre for Youth in the early ’70s.

Reiplinger’s life and career are discussed by an eclectic collection of "talking heads," including his sisters — Dede Reiplinger Sutherland and Holly Reiplinger — who share their memories in loving and poignant style.

Terence Knapp and Glenn Cannon recall his work as a student actor at UH, and Ed Ka‘a­hea speaks with fondness and insight about Reiplinger’s approach to performing and his role as a founding member of Booga Booga.

Reiplinger’s widow, Leesa Clark Stone, adds an important facet of the story with memories of their marriage.

Henry Kapono Ka‘ai­hue and "Uncle Tom" Moffatt tell the story of "Dreamerboy" — the Hoku Award-winning children’s album Reiplinger recorded with Ka‘ai­hue for Moffatt’s Bluewater label in 1982.

Many of those interviewed echo narrator Dave Lancaster’s assessment of Reiplinger’s influence on local sketch comedy. But none makes the point better than Augie T when he spontaneously re-creates the characters from the classic "Room Service" sketch.

Arnone doesn’t duck the issue of the comic’s deadly involvement with cocaine (Reiplinger died of a cocaine overdose in 1984).

"Bonus features" include the full-length version of the "Orlando Souza" commercial and more interviews.

Some might wish Arnone had included more performance footage, but as Kama­sami Kong points out, much of Reiplinger’s work is accessible on YouTube.

On the Net
www.mountainapplecompany.com