https://peertube.dngr.us/videos/watch/e2eeebd0-ce60-46d9-aba4-f3f050e1163e Support us on Patreon, visit https://www.patreon.com/PeriscopeFilm Visit our website www.PeriscopeFilm.com This is a home movie of a trip to Hawaii some time in the late 1940s or early 1950s, and includes footage of surfing, Diamond Head Beach, and hula dancing. The film; shot by an unknown tourist, also features portions of the 1963 George Tahra travelogue titled “Riding the Big Surf” including performances by a Hawaiian hula dancer known as Lila. Color footage follows the SS Lurline as it delivers Californians to Honolulu Harbor in O’ahu, their arrival on land and later departure from port. It was captured sometime between 1948 and 1963. Hawaii transformed from a strictly controlled military zone into a site of retreat. Surfing was growing from a niche recreational activity into a globally renowned sport. The SS Lurline, of Matson lines became the flagship of the era awarding herself the title “Queen of the Pacific.” She played a major role in the development of Hawaii’s tourism industry. Lurline had a brief rugged past serving as a troopship from 1942 to 1946. It was built by Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation and launched in 1932. Lurline began running passengers between San Francisco and Los Angeles, California to Hawaii in 1933. During the war she boarded the 32nd infantry division at Pier 42 in San Francisco. The convoy; SF-43, traveled to southern Australia in May of 1942. She spent the majority of the war performing similar operations frequently traveling to Australia. Lurline returned to passenger service in 1948. During the 1950’s, Matson was the primary mode of transport for cruises to Hawaii. It still operates a modern fleet of over 20 vessels. Lurline was purchased by Chandris Lines in 1963. Most post war American tourists were traveling to O’ahu as Pearl Harbor became a national monument honoring the 1941 attack. Notable sights include the Aloha Tower, Honolulu Harbor, Waikiki Beach and Diamond Head. 00:00 It opens with a title card; “Lurline arrival” (:07) and shots captured from a Hawaiian beach (:09) as the SS Lurline wades offshore. Close shots (:12) of Lurline and the ship meeting the Aloha Tower (:15) follow. The retired lighthouse on Pier 9 of Honolulu harbor operates similarly to the Statue of Liberty in New York. It is a beacon for arriving ships and travelers. A male in a blue button down watches the ship’s arrival (:20). Close shots of the tower show a visitor at the top sight seeing (:21). Locals swim in Hawaiian waters (:24). Footage captured from the boat (:29) shows Hawaiians and other tourists on land awaiting Lurline’s arrival (:29) at the passenger terminal. Navy sailors guided by a conductor sing for the travelers (:32). Shots switch from the port and the ship (:37). Lifeboats hang above passengers (:38). Hawaiian women in leis pass before the camera (:42). “Surfing Thrills at Waikiki” (:45) captures the quintessential essence of surfing at Waikiki. Surfers prepare to ride the wave as Diamond Head looms in the background (:56). The era saw the rise of the “Waikiki Beach Boys,” the “hot-dogging” surfing style and the evolution of surfing boards. “Hawaiian Hula Show” (1:58) features a hula show guided by female musicians (2:01-3:02). Lila sings the traditional romantic Hawaiian Wedding Song (3:11). Also known as “Ke Kali Nei Au” (Waiting There for Thee); was first composed by Charles E. King as a Hawaiian language duet for his operetta; “The Prince of Hawaii.” Andy Williams’ 1959 and Elvis Presley’s 1961 covers brought the song fame. Lila’s sings at (3:27-4:28). She also performs “Lovely Hula Hands” (Kou Lima Nani e) (4:38-5:46). The song is a classic Hawaiian song written by Robert Alexander Anderson in 1939 inspired by the graceful movement of the dancers as well as their ability to relay stories. A section (5;49) features various plants on the island including the plumeria or frangipani (5:52-6:00), the royal poinciana (6:44), a coconut palm tree (6:52) and a papaya tree (6:58). The film concludes with Lurline’s departure (7:06) as locals toss streamers and bid the travelers farewell (7:10). Shots from port watch the ship leave (7:28). Motion picture films don't last forever; many have already been lost or destroyed. For almost two decades, we've worked to collect, scan and preserve the world as it was captured on 35mm, 16mm and 8mm movies -- including home movies, industrial films, and other non-fiction. If you have endangered films you'd like to have scanned, or wish to donate celluloid to Periscope Film so that we can share them with the world, we'd love to hear from you. Contact us via the weblink below. This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsA8g8BiZgo Mirrored from Periscope Film (https://www.youtube.com/@PeriscopeFilm) Sat, 13 Jun 2026 05:31:37 GMT https://validator.w3.org/feed/docs/rss2.html PeerTube - https://peertube.dngr.us https://peertube.dngr.us/lazy-static/avatars/41a6fee9-7f57-42d0-a5fc-5db4f1af2e31.png https://peertube.dngr.us/videos/watch/e2eeebd0-ce60-46d9-aba4-f3f050e1163e All rights reserved, unless otherwise specified in the terms specified at https://peertube.dngr.us/about and potential licenses granted by each content's rightholder.