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Christian's Hut, Multiple Locations, CA (restaurant) |
bigbrotiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 11100
From: Tiki Island, above the Silverlake
|  Posted: 2012-04-24 10:09 pm Permalink
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On 2012-04-17 00:11, bigbrotiki wrote:
Hmmm...one would have to go there and explore the side view and what's hidden on top!
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On 2012-04-24 18:27, Phillip Roberts wrote:
...and sadly, that won't be happening since when I went by today it was GONE. there was quite a large gap inside the tree that could have hidden the crown...
The owner wasn't home, I'll swing by and see if he's moved it the next chance I get. I'll have to check back through my files and see if I have a side view somewhere..
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Arrrgh! As it happens so often... how old is your photo of it? Thanks for checking....and for not giving up yet.
The elements are not kind to wood in Hawaii. Doug Mossman kept the Hawaiian Eye office Tiki in his front yard, but by the time I met him (in the 90s) it had disintegrated.
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Phillip Roberts
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Sep 09, 2003
Posts: 1592
From: OAHU/Seattle
| Posted: 2012-04-25 6:48 pm Permalink
Aloha,
Hmmm, That is a good question. It's kind of hard to pin down exactly when I took the photograph. I am in the habit of retaking photographs whenever I am close to the subject. I swear it was there less than 6 months ago. I always stop by on my twice a year visit to Punchbowl Cemetery to visit Donn on his birthday and the anniversary of his death and share a bit of rum.
_________________
Waikiki Tiki; Art, History, and Photographs.
Available now from Bess Press Hawaii.
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Limbo Lizard
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Aug 24, 2006
Posts: 683
From: Aboard the 'Leaky Tiki', Dallas
| Posted: 2012-06-13 09:40 am Permalink
Interesting drawing of Christian's Hut, for auction on eBay, item # 350573516043. The piece belonged to a woman the seller knew, who waitressed at Christian's Hut in the late '40s and '50s: "She has told me some fun stories about her waiting on stars when she worked there. Not all positive encounters."
(Update: It sold for $229.28.)
The drawing is inscribed, "To the Charm Man of Balboa, Franco", signed by the artist, "Jack Lindsley".
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On 2011-12-11 19:02, Dustycajun wrote:
... Marshall, the maitre d', was given the nickname Francois, because he would kiss the hand of every woman coming in the door, starting at her finger tips and working his way up her arm all the way to her head.
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Was "Franco" another nickname for Marshall?
Here's a shot of the sketch  (I saved the pictures, since they'll disappear, after the auction.)
Here's the writing on the back
_________________
"The rum's the thing..."
[ This Message was edited by: Limbo Lizard 2012-06-19 11:25 ]
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Dustycajun
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 16, 2007
Posts: 4247
From: Santa Barbara, CA
| Posted: 2012-08-26 6:20 pm Permalink
This old photo sold on ebay with a nice view of the bar at Balboa.
What a great looking bar!
DC
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LaShelle
Member
Joined: Sep 15, 2012
Posts: 2 | Posted: 2012-09-15 4:15 pm Permalink
This is Isthmus menu
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LaShelle
Member
Joined: Sep 15, 2012
Posts: 2 | Posted: 2012-09-15 4:28 pm Permalink
Picture of Art LaShelle the owner of isthmus and Cristian huts. he is the one with the pipe in his mouth with no shirt. he's with friends at the surf and sand.
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forgotten tikiman
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Aug 18, 2011
Posts: 473
From: Forgotten Tiki Room. Pismo Beach, CA
| Posted: 2012-09-16 9:43 pm Permalink
Wow!! What a great establishment. The photos are awesome. Bummer about the fire  . Interesting to see those images of The Goof and some others I have seen but did not know thier orgin. Another great thread DC  .
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Serious hangover. That damn Tiki-Ti. Must get to Bamboo Ben's house.
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bigbrotiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 11100
From: Tiki Island, above the Silverlake
| Posted: 2012-09-16 11:07 pm Permalink
It is all written and revealed in the pages of The Book.
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Phillip Roberts
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Sep 09, 2003
Posts: 1592
From: OAHU/Seattle
| Posted: 2012-09-16 11:33 pm Permalink
Aloha,
Can you shed any information about this in Honolulu?
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On 2012-09-15 16:28, LaShelle wrote:
Picture of Art LaShelle the owner of isthmus and Cristian huts. he is the one with the pipe in his mouth with no shirt. he's with friends at the surf and sand.
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_________________
Waikiki Tiki; Art, History, and Photographs.
Available now from Bess Press Hawaii.
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Dustycajun
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 16, 2007
Posts: 4247
From: Santa Barbara, CA
| Posted: 2013-06-22 09:23 am Permalink
So great to see those images from LaShelle, would love to see more. Thanks for posting.
A few more photos of the Balboa location when it opened from an ad that sold on ebay.
A photo of Francois.
DC
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Dustycajun
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 16, 2007
Posts: 4247
From: Santa Barbara, CA
| Posted: 2013-07-23 2:04 pm Permalink
A little more digging, inspired by A-Frame's post on the Jamaica Inn Polynesian restaurant connection to the Christian's Hut in Corona del Mar.
Found an photo of an ad from the Hawaiian Christian's Hut on Flickr.
This is the text that accompanied the photo:
"Advertisement in the September 1957 Paradise of the Pacific for Christian’s Hut at 1016 Ala Moana Blvd which was the site of the Kewalo Inn. This is across the street from Fisherman's Wharf at Kewalo Basin. Christian's Hut Honolulu didn't last long because the August 1958 Paradise of the Pacific lists the Sportsmen’s Inn at the same address."
Also found this 1936 photo on-line from the original Christian's Hut on Catalina.
The subject in the photo is Gustaf Tenngren, a Disney animator who was hired by Walt in 1936 for the Snow White movie. He also worked on Pinochio and Bambi.
DC
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Limbo Lizard
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Aug 24, 2006
Posts: 683
From: Aboard the 'Leaky Tiki', Dallas
| Posted: 2013-08-12 12:18 pm Permalink
Posting these pics from a Christian's Hut menu auction on eBay (ends Aug 18, 2013 18:01:21 PDT).
It's apparently a mailer, like the one Dustycajun posted from the Balboa location, at the beginning of this thread. I notice this is for the Shelter Island location, and it is not (yet?) called "The Hut". Dustycajun posted a menu from 'The Hut', on 2012-3-6. The Hut menu lacks the wine selections, but includes 5 additional drinks.
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On 2011-12-11 19:02, Dustycajun wrote:
This info from the Bali Hai website:
Bali Hai was the first Tiki temple erected on Shelter Island and was originally called “The Hut”, a subsidiary of Christian’s Hut in Newport Beach, California. Only two years after it’s opening in 1953, the Hut’s manager, Tom Ham, took over the ailing business, gave it a new name (after the movie Bali Hai was released) and transformed it into the most happening place in San Diego.
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Hmm, "after the movie Bali Hai was released"? The Bali Hai website has now corrected the origin of the name, but sort of smoothed over the pre-Bali Hai history:
"The landmark restaurant ... is a chic, sleek Polynesian paradise opened in 1955 by San Diego restaurateur Tom Ham. Bali Hai was the island’s first “tiki temple,” named after the song popularized by the musical “South Pacific”..."
I think it must have first been Christian's Hut, then briefly renamed The Hut, when Tom Ham first took it over, before he decided on Bali Hai.
_________________
"The rum's the thing..."
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TikiTacky
Grand Member (first year) 
Joined: Nov 23, 2010
Posts: 1286 | Posted: 2013-08-12 12:31 pm Permalink
Oh no! You mentioned an eBay auction! Now every TCer who was watching that auction hoping no be else saw it is pissed! 
I'm always excited when I see an item come up for sale at a low price, only to have my hopes dashed when every TCer starts bidding at the last minute (literally). Those last few seconds get frantic, and I've gotten carried away on a matchbook I sorely wanted (burned one might say, but I'm avoiding the pun), but it all works out in the end.
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"You can't eat real Polynesian food. It's the most horrible junk I've ever tasted." —Trader Vic Bergeron
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Atomic Tiki Punk
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 19, 2009
Posts: 5880
From: Costa Misery
| Posted: 2013-10-07 03:56 am Permalink
Found this postcard for Christian's Hut, Balboa Island, Calif. circa 1950s
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aquarj
Grand Member (8 years) 
Joined: Apr 02, 2002
Posts: 1074
From: SF bay area, CA
| Posted: 2013-10-26 10:54 pm Permalink
Quote:
| On 2012-01-05 19:23, Dustycajun wrote:
Bongofury had posted that the Christian's Hut in Balboa was used to film the movie The Breaking Point which was released in 1950 starring John Garfield and Patricia Neal.
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Thought I'd post some screencaps from the movie, especially the scenes outside and (purportedly) inside the Balboa Christian's Hut. Not sure, but the interior scenes might just be a set, considering that the door opens the wrong way, and maybe a few other cues. So actually I went a little overboard on the images, added with narrative below. My version may have some slight variations from the actual dialog in the movie. But first, for a refresher, a look back at one of the exteriors DC posted on page 1.
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| On 2011-12-11 19:02, Dustycajun wrote:
And this great photo of the Goof on the Roof from Critiki.
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So here's where the scene starts in the movie. John Garfield as hard luck charter boat captain Harry Morgan, coming up the steps.
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You can just make out the little platform for the goof on the roof.
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Interior view, either using a different door, or somehow the hinge has switched to the other side. All the following images MAY be a set.
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As Harry makes a beeline for the bar, we pan across this funny tiki with hula skirt.
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Panning some more, hey there's Patricia Neal as the predatory and slightly crazy Leona Charles.
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Leona just happened to be singing a little hipshaking number at the jukebox.
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Transitioning into a dance with an onlooker, with a nice tropical wall in the back.
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"Oh, I need to ditch this guy, that's Harry at the bar!"
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That's precisely where Harry is camped out.
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As Harry puts one back, the chromed cash register reflects a shady character's entrance.
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Shady pat on the back.
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Shady guy leaves, again via the cash register.
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Harry moves to a table, while Leona on the prowl spots him in another mirror shot.
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"Well, hello!"
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"I like your hat!"
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"Whenever I rub a table lamp, I sense what I should do next. I feel that I must squish someone's hat."
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"I'll try it on yours!"
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"Don't touch my hat!"
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"Oh sorry, the lamp told me to"
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"How about I lean back in this dramatic light, and you have another drink?"
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"Good, huh?"
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"Terrific!"
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"Hey look, my wife Lucy is here!"
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Yep, that's Phyllis Thaxter as Lucy.
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"Hiya hon, have a seat!"
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"Leona and I were just talking about hats and drinking."
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"Perfect, because I know I'm ready to start drinking too!"
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"How about you, what are you having?"
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"Scotch? Whiskey? Gin? Bourbon? Brandy?"
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"Vodka? Cognac? Wine? Beer? Aquavit?"
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"Amaretto? Schnapps? Galliano? Ouzo? Fernet Branca?"
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"Well actually, I just remembered I have a dentist appointment"
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"What's up with that, did I scare her off?"
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"Well somebody better give me a drink!"
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"Keep em coming pal!"
And so on, that's roughly how the scene goes, and that's it for Christian's Hut.
-Randy
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