High schools have proms in the spring, and some hold “mistletoe” dances in the winter as well. Proms have changed a lot since many readers of this column went to high school.
Proms always seem to have some sort of enchanting theme. Here are some I found:
>> Moments to Remember: Roosevelt High School, 1970
>> Once Upon a Dream: Baldwin High, 1969
>> Stairway to the Stars: Farrington High, 1965
>> The Shadow of Your Smile: Leilehua High, 1968
>> Drifting and Dreaming: Honokaa High, 1959
>> Bella Notte (“Beautiful Night”): St. Joseph School, Hilo, 1959
>> Ports of Paradise: Kauai High, 1963
>> Mistletoe Ball: Roosevelt High’s annual December dance
I asked readers what they remembered about their proms. Here is some of what they recalled.
Limos to proms?
Chuck Nakagawa said: “Earlier this year, my two granddaughters went to their school’s senior prom. Curious, I asked them many questions.
“They said that most go to proms in groups, usually in limos. Most, if not all, of the dances are ‘group dancing.’ I saw some photos, and no one in their group wore a lei; just one had flowers on her wrist, and one boutonniere was visible on a suit.
“Two generations ago (1961) a guy rented a tuxedo, bought a $5 double carnation lei for his prom date and received a tiny boutonniere.
“Some couples went on double dates. I didn’t know of any limos at public school proms back in the 1960s.”
Ala Wai Clubhouse
“Back in the 1950s, proms and other fancy dances were mainly held at the Ala Wai Clubhouse,” Lillian Lee remembered. “I would be in my ball gown, wearing a red carnation lei.
“Afterwards we’d walk over to the McCully Bridge to rent a putt-putt (electric) boat. While cruising the Ala Wai Canal and talking about what the future held for us, we would gaze up at the stars in the black sky.
“On one of those adventures, the boat’s motor died midway to the Kapahulu end of the canal. My date said to me, ‘I don’t know how to swim! Jump in and pull us back.’
“‘No way!’ I replied. ‘Not in a ballgown.’ Fortunately, a couple in another boat got help to tow us back.”
Shangri-la
Jerry Takesono said: “In 1961 we were finally freed from having our proms on campus, so our class of 1962, as juniors, had our Shangri-la prom at the Princess Kaiulani Hotel’s ballroom in Waikiki.
“We would buy triple carnation leis for our dates, and we, in turn, received boutonnieres matching our date’s dress. Our cummerbund usually matched her dress, too.
“We rented white sports coats from Sato’s Clothier on Nuuanu Avenue. They even sold previously and gently used white sports coats for $5! It was cheaper than renting!”
Mongoose music
The Ala Wai Boat House was a common venue for proms back in the 1950s. During World War II the Navy had used it as an officers club.
Gere Ome Best, Roosevelt class of 1958, remembers that “they called slow songs ‘mongoose music,’ which meant it was time to make out. A nice kiss with mongoose music would have been a tantalizing experience for any one of us to enjoy.
“The lei of choice was a big red carnation lei (clumsy to wear) for the gals. The prom dresses were ridiculously full, round skirts with underwire hoops to hold the skirts outward.
“Going to the toilet was out of the question in those prom dresses. We could not fit in the stall, for starters. Trying to lift the skirts and the hoops in the very tiny stalls along with keeping your carnation lei on your shoulders was impossible.
“It’s a good thing we were young with firmer bladders. For those that had to, at least two of us had to accompany a friend to assist without ruining the very expensive gown.
“Eating places after the prom found us at KC Drive Inn, owned by the Asato family. Our gowns made it really hard to sit gracefully in the cars while dining.
“Because most of us females had a midnight curfew, it was order, eat and get the hell home. Otherwise, groundings were the order of the day. Fathers were not kind to boys who brought their dates home after curfew. I know my dad was very strict about curfew enforcement.
“Besides, I wondered if my parents changed my name to ‘Grounded,’ since it happened so often.”
Roosevelt 1951
Mal Chan said: “I graduated in 1951 from Roosevelt High School. We always wore gowns, double carnation lei and sometimes had two gardenias with the petals opened up, and pinned to one side, close to the ear. I thought it looked ‘glamorous.’
“I was picked up by my date. We did not go to dinner. We went directly to the prom, and afterwards we all went to a drive-in for milk shakes, then straight home. And that was an exciting evening for us then!”
Mistletoe Ball
Roosevelt’s annual Mistletoe Ball started about 1935. It was held at the Waialae Golf Club on Dec. 12.
Other groups had mistletoe balls, including at the University of Hawaii and the YWCA. Mistletoe balls were held in the U.S. as early as the 1870s.
Martin “Mac” McMorrow said: “Roosevelt’s No. 1 dance of the year was the Mistletoe Ball. It was famous in the 1950s, and girls from the other schools vied for Roosevelt boys so they could be part of that night of nights.
“Dancing was under the stars while the lights of Waikiki sparkled down on the waters of the Ala Wai. We danced to a band made up of about eight or 10 musicians, all from our own school.
“They dressed smartly in sports coats, and they sounded like the Tommy Dorsey band. They played smooth, easy-listening music while we boys did our best to impress the girls with our foxtrot moves.
“I don’t think the school authorities allowed rock ’n’ roll, but that was OK. ‘Moon River’ and ‘Catch a Falling Star’ were good enough. I remember chaperones monitoring the lawn behind the bandstand closely, (lest) the stars get in our eyes and cloud our vision.
“Those of us that were there are in our 80s now, and we might need a walker to keep from falling into the Ala Wai. But we can still see the moon rise over it, just like the one we saw that night of the Mistletoe Ball.”
Bob Sigall is the author of the five “The Companies We Keep” books. Contact him at Sigall@Yahoo.com or sign up for his free email newsletter at RearviewMirrorInsider.com.
