On Feb. 15, 1957, the first television series shot on location in Hawaii made its debut on island television. The series was called "Captain David Grief." This month we look back on the series and get some behind-the-scenes information on the show.
Famed author Jack London created the character of Capt. David Grief for his 1912 book, "A Son of the Sun." Guild Films adapted the book into a television series pilot that was produced by Duke Goldstone. Filming began on Oct. 15, 1956.
The star of the series was Maxwell Reed, who played Capt. David Grief, and was known for his work in British films. The series revolved around Grief, a South Seas trader who with his crew had adventures on both land and sea.
Other stars on the series were Tudor Owen, who played first mate Elihu Snow; Mickey Simpson, who played Boley; and Honolulu-born actor Melvin Prestidge, who played Jackie-Jackie. Prestidge would later appear as a regular in the ABC series "Hawaiian Eye" as Lt. Danny Quon. Prestidge died in 2011 and was the last surviving star linked to the series.
The series primarily took place on the three-masted barkentine California, but it was called The Rattler on the show.
The series used many extras — one local boy who acted as an extra on the show was 1953 Punahou graduate Ian Birnie.
"I originally signed on the California because they were slated to go to Tahiti, but they opted to film in Hawaii instead, starting on Kauai, but doing most of the filming on Maui. It was great fun, and I got paid for what I probably would have done for nothing," said Birnie, a retired Hilo harbor master.
"We kids were used as extras in group scenes, doubles when someone had to go in the water," he said. For example, when the hero rips off his shirt to save the damsel in distress, then the next scene shows someone diving into the water, that’s one of us.
Birnie said the show also used extras as lifeguards to assist cast members who had to be filmed in the water but weren’t strong swimmers.
The pilot was not picked up by any of the networks, but received a 39-episode first-run syndication deal and was sponsored by Chevron. Because Honolulu had no syndicated station at the time, KGMB picked up the series and aired it on Friday nights. The series ran until 1960.
Some guest stars on the series were Lucky Luck, Poncie Ponce, actor Hans Conried, boxer Rocky Marciano and actress Ruta Lee.
When the series took place on land, the Pioneer Inn in Lahaina was used for filming, but it also played an important role for some of the 41 crew members of the ship. "We slept on the barkentine, but took our showers and ate meals in the Pioneer. They also prepared box lunches for us on days that we’d be out at sea," Birnie said.
Because it was expensive to shoot in the islands, the production was moved to Mexico during the second season. "We were told at the time that it was the most expensive series in production," Birnie said.
The ship remained in Hawaii and made news again when it ran aground on the Ala Wai reef. During the 1960s and 1970s the vessel was used for charters, dinner cruises and weddings. After the ship left Hawaii, it ran aground for a final time on the rocks off Point Loma, near San Diego, in 1981.
Four episodes of the "Captain David Grief" series were released on DVD in 2007 by Alpha Video. It is available for $7.98 on amazon.com.
A.J. McWhorter, a collector of film and videotape cataloging Hawaii’s TV history, has worked as a producer, writer and researcher for both local and national media. Email him at flashback@hawaii.rr.com.
