HOME MOVIES: 1930s HONOLULU, HAWAII TRIP

Genre: home movie

Year Published: 1937

Format: 16mm

Description: This untitled black-and-white home-style travelog film depicts the family vacation of an upper class family in Hawaii. The film is part of a series, and likely dates to around 1937. The filmmaker sailed on the S.S. Matsonia from San Francisco to Honolulu, a former World War I troopship that returned to its prior commercial function with the Matson Navigation Company in 1937. Other films in this series (showing the same trip that begins in the Grand Canyon, Arizona and ending in Honolulu) can be seen on our channel. While the filmmaker behind this film remains unknown, it appears his family came to visit other family members stationed at Fort Shafter and turned it into a vacation. More generally, the films offer interesting insights into the development of tourism in Hawaii which rapidly expanded during the 1920s and 30s. At this time there were a few hotels in Waikiki - the Royal Hawaiian, Moana Surfrider, and Halekulani Hotel - and Hawaiian music had piqued the interests of those on the "mainland" through popular radio shows such as Hawaii Calls. This particular installment features footage from the the S.S. Matsonia’s departure from Honolulu Harbor with happy vacationers returning to the mainland. Additionally, the film shows more of the water activities that happen at Waikiki Beach as well as some other popular pastimes like tennis. Text page that reads "Departure of Matsonia" overlaid silhouette of palm trees framing ocean, swimmers standing by the Honolulu harbor as the SS Matsonia, and its lei-decked passengers, awaits departure (0:08). Passengers stand on upper deck of S.S. Matsonia wearing sun hats and stacks of traditional floral leis, camera zooms out to reveal other details of the ship before it pulls away from the dock (0:12-2:50). Smoke billows as fire consumes what is perhaps a sugarcane field (2:53). Scenes of water along Waikiki Beach: crews of young men in Hawaiian outrigger canoes (wa’a), father surfs with young son, families sunbathe on beach, local fisherman cast nets into water from small rowboat (3:21-9:38). Tall palm trees tower over outdoor tennis courts of Royal Hawaiian Hotel; Men play on courts wearing traditional "tennis whites" of the times - white trousers paired with white button up shirt (9:40-12:06). Perhaps mother of videographer walks through garden area with lush plants, tall palm trees, before stopping to look at citrus tree before film ends (12:07).

Complete Record: This untitled black-and-white home-style travelog film depicts the family vacation of an upper class family in Hawaii. The film is part of a series, and likely dates to around 1937. The filmmaker sailed on the S.S. Matsonia from San Francisco to Honolulu, a former World War I troopship that returned to its prior commercial function with the Matson Navigation Company in 1937. Other films in this series (showing the same trip that begins in the Grand Canyon, Arizona and ending in Honolulu) can be seen on our channel. While the filmmaker behind this film remains unknown, it appears his family came to visit other family members stationed at Fort Shafter and turned it into a vacation. More generally, the films offer interesting insights into the development of tourism in Hawaii which rapidly expanded during the 1920s and 30s. At this time there were a few hotels in Waikiki - the Royal Hawaiian, Moana Surfrider, and Halekulani Hotel - and Hawaiian music had piqued the interests of those on the "mainland" through popular radio shows such as Hawaii Calls. This particular installment features footage from the the S.S. Matsonia’s departure from Honolulu Harbor with happy vacationers returning to the mainland. Additionally, the film shows more of the water activities that happen at Waikiki Beach as well as some other popular pastimes like tennis. Text page that reads "Departure of Matsonia" overlaid silhouette of palm trees framing ocean, swimmers standing by the Honolulu harbor as the SS Matsonia, and its lei-decked passengers, awaits departure (0:08). Passengers stand on upper deck of S.S. Matsonia wearing sun hats and stacks of traditional floral leis, camera zooms out to reveal other details of the ship before it pulls away from the dock (0:12-2:50). Smoke billows as fire consumes what is perhaps a sugarcane field (2:53). Scenes of water along Waikiki Beach: crews of young men in Hawaiian outrigger canoes (wa’a), father surfs with young son, families sunbathe on beach, local fisherman cast nets into water from small rowboat (3:21-9:38). Tall palm trees tower over outdoor tennis courts of Royal Hawaiian Hotel; Men play on courts wearing traditional "tennis whites" of the times - white trousers paired with white button up shirt (9:40-12:06). Perhaps mother of videographer walks through garden area with lush plants, tall palm trees, before stopping to look at citrus tree before film ends (12:07).