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Aku Aku, Toledo, OH (restaurant) |
Mo-Eye
Tiki Socialite
Joined: May 17, 2006
Posts: 625
From: Costa Mesa, CA
|  Posted: 2009-07-24 03:41 am Permalink
Here's a 1963 ad I found 
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bdzmusicprod
Tiki Centralite
Joined: Jan 16, 2007
Posts: 19 | Posted: 2010-09-14 05:21 am Permalink
Here are some photos I was able to take of a menu that dates to around 1963.
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bdzmusicprod
Tiki Centralite
Joined: Jan 16, 2007
Posts: 19 | Posted: 2011-02-19 11:04 am Permalink
Graciously provided by James Steeber who's father managed the hotel after Irv Shapiro left.
 Layout of the Aku Aku.
[ This Message was edited by: bdzmusicprod 2011-08-01 04:35 ]
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bdzmusicprod
Tiki Centralite
Joined: Jan 16, 2007
Posts: 19 | Posted: 2011-07-29 04:45 am Permalink
The following are reprints from a brochure advertising the Town House Motel and the Aku Aku Polynesian Room. The brochure must have come from around 1965 as it shows the third floor addition and advertises 132 room capacity. A big thank you goes out to James Steeber who provided this from his collection. His father managed the hotel after Irv Shapiro left.
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bigbrotiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 11097
From: Tiki Island, above the Silverlake
| Posted: 2011-08-09 4:14 pm Permalink
Thank you bdzmusicprod for your continued, devoted research into this fascinating place. While it is certainly good to see interiors, it's hard to tell anything about the decor in that size of photos. The little I can make out, it doesn't look too overwhelming. The ceiling looks barren, and I can't see anything else reminiscent of the style. The entrance shows no signs of Tiki either. Almost like the pics are from another place. Maybe they renovated and slicked it up by '65?
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bdzmusicprod
Tiki Centralite
Joined: Jan 16, 2007
Posts: 19 | Posted: 2011-09-08 12:53 pm Permalink
The hotel complex was built in the early 1960's and reflected the architecture of the day which has come to be known as "googie" architecture a style which used a lot of glass, angled roof lines and other modernistic styles. The interior of the club which is not reflected well in these magazine quality black and white photos shows a simpler design without the typical tiki touches. For those that went to the place the descriptions given of it's interior are nothing less than spectacular. It was described as a jewel of a place. It had tiki touches but they were more reserved which also served to prevent fire hazards. It's too bad that no color photos exist (that we know of). Perhaps something will turn up. For now we have a glimpse of what the interior looked like. One individual said that there was a lot of red on the walls and that the tropical diorama was very colorful.
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Dustycajun
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 16, 2007
Posts: 4245
From: Santa Barbara, CA
| Posted: 2011-12-26 9:31 pm Permalink
A few matchbooks styles from the Aku Aku as seen on ebay.
Clearly borrowed from the Luau 400 design in New York.
Or was that vice-versa?
DC
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bdzmusicprod
Tiki Centralite
Joined: Jan 16, 2007
Posts: 19 | Posted: 2012-08-30 07:58 am Permalink
8-30-2012 update. The rest of the property is being developed where the Town House Motel once stood 23 years ago. A Dollar General Store is being built on the site next to Rally's. I found a chunk of the swimming pool wall dug up from the excavation...the blue paint still intact. I also found pieces of the decorative brick that adorned the outside walls of the Aku Aku and hotel lobby. Little else to be found...most of the debris was scraped away during demolition.
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bdzmusicprod
Tiki Centralite
Joined: Jan 16, 2007
Posts: 19 | Posted: 2012-09-07 6:39 pm Permalink
 Another picture of the original concept drawing from 1960.
 Article accompanying picture.
 Toni Carrol. Also announcing Jack E. Leonard. I received a note from a guy who worked there in the 1960's and carried Jack E. Leonard's luggage to the third floor...it took three trips and Mr. Leonard tipped him a quarter. The guy said he gave it back to him.
[ This Message was edited by: bdzmusicprod 2012-10-26 16:30 ]
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bdzmusicprod
Tiki Centralite
Joined: Jan 16, 2007
Posts: 19 | Posted: 2012-10-26 4:36 pm Permalink
This comment was made by a guy who worked as a houseboy at the Aku Aku Town House Motel.
September 2, 2012, 5:24 PM
I worked at the motel from 1965-1968. I was a House Boy. I was thirteen when I started. My Mom also worked there as the Assistant House Keeper.
And I remember Ed Johnson with his gruff voice and Dock Worker style hat. He was the maintenance man and he taught me a lot.
If I remember right the owners name was Richard Schear.
I remember Irv Shapiro. It was wise to stay on his good side. And that's all that I will say about that.
I remember them bringing in the gambling equipment once a year.
I can still remember Rusty Warren running around the 3rd floor nude. She was there doing her Knockers Up gig.
I also remember Frank Sinatra Jr. he looked down on everybody.
I had to take Jack E. Leonard'S luggage up to the 3rd floor while he was appearing at the Aku Aku Room. It took me three trips. He gave me a quarter tip. (I gave it back)
I got to meet Johnny Weissmuller. He was at the Toledo Zoo as Jungle Jim. He was very nice to me.
I have a Aku Aku room coin that they use to hand out.
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bdzmusicprod
Tiki Centralite
Joined: Jan 16, 2007
Posts: 19 | Posted: 2012-10-29 04:40 am Permalink
Here is a postcard in color of the Town House Motel and the interior of the Aku Aku.
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bigbrotiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 11097
From: Tiki Island, above the Silverlake
| Posted: 2012-10-29 12:00 pm Permalink
Wow, finally....that looks like the same angle than the B&W photo in the brochure...and just like with the brochure pic, on cannot tell anything because it is so small. Is there anyway to zoom into that photo and blow it up?
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Dustycajun
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 16, 2007
Posts: 4245
From: Santa Barbara, CA
| Posted: 2012-10-29 5:23 pm Permalink
Bigbro,
Still not much to see in the way of Tiki or Poly Pop attributes>
DC
[ This Message was edited by: Dustycajun 2012-10-29 17:25 ]
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bigbrotiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 11097
From: Tiki Island, above the Silverlake
| Posted: 2012-10-29 10:52 pm Permalink
Thanks. Looks like a cool Calypso band though. That must be the stage where all those (semi-)celebrities performed.
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Swanky
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Apr 03, 2002
Posts: 5011
From: Hapa Haole Hideaway, TN
| Posted: 2012-10-30 07:20 am Permalink
All those smokers! Look at everyone with their elbow on the table and smokes in the air. If we went back in time, we'd be freaked out by the smoke first of all...
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