HIGHWAY TO HAWAII

[Music] To achieve theater quality projection, be sure your picture is prefocused before it goes on the screen. First, focus your lens carefully on this chart. Many lenses will not give a sharp image all over the screen. Can you see any fuzzy areas? If so, then make sure the central area of the screen is sharp by refocusing on this chart. Now, adjust sound volume and tone for the best possible quality. If the room is empty, keep the volume a shade high to compensate for the deadening effect of the audience's clothing. That's all. Leave the speaker power on but shut off the projector until the audience is seated. Thank you. [Music] Far out across the Blue Pacific lie Hawaii's enchanted Isles, a land of green valleys sheltered by friendly hills and black sand beaches washed with creamy surf where flowers paint the landscape in a rainbow of color and the trade winds play soft music in the palm branches. Hawaii. The very name suggests fun and gay activity. But it is also America's most important outpost, Crossroads of the Pacific, Port of Call for ships and airliners of all nations. Once too remote for all but a handful of visitors, today there's a new highway to Hawaii. United Airlines mainline Airway, which brings these magic islands as close as your next door neighbor. From 75 mainland cities, United's DC6 mainliners converge on California. The real starting point of your Hawaiian holiday. Here, poised for flight is United's DC6 Mainliner 300, manned by crews who are veterans of thousands of Pacific crossings. The all clear signal is given and the mainliner comes to life. You wave goodbye to your less fortunate stay-at-home friends and settle back into your deeply cushioned seat as the plane takes off, lifting its 45ton weight into the air with effortless ease. [Music] Below is the Golden Gate with a toy steam ship passing under a toy bridge. [Music] Ahead are the blue waters of the Pacific whose long swells become mere ripples below as the United mainliner climbs to its 18,000 ft cruising altitude and levels off at a steady speed of 5 m a minute. Inside the plane, the air is pressurized to low altitude comfort and a fresh supply circulated through the cabin every few seconds. In such surroundings, appetites are sharpened for the delicious mainliner meal being prepared by the stewardist at the compact galley. Sizzling entre and hot vegetables from the warming oven, crisp salads and frozen desserts from the cold chest and piping hot coffee. An individual table is set up to receive your tray. And soon you're enjoying a delicious lunchon such as this menu of shrimp cocktail with French dressing, roast young squab and fresh vegetables, California fruit salad, ice cream and crisp wafers. and after dinner mints and coffee. [Music] The hours speed by while passengers discuss business, play games, or just relax and rest. Forward in the control cabin is the United Captain and his capable first officer. The navigator, aided by precision instruments, pinpoints the ship's position every few moments, while the radio operator maintains constant communication with stations on the shore. The captain over the interphone gives his estimated landing time to the stewardist who is busy preparing another delightful mainliner meal with the passengers helping themselves buffet style to an appetizing spread of cold meats, continental salads of all kinds, crisp celery and olives, hot or cold liquids, and a choice of desserts. Back from the control cabin comes word that land has been cited. usually the summit of Mokai. Our destination is Oahu, third largest in the chain of eight islands, but containing over 2/3 of the territo's population. The excited passengers with delight as Diamond Head comes into view, [Music] followed by Wiki Beach lined with hotels and resorts and the city of Honolulu itself sloping back from the waterfront to the shelter of protecting hills. Honolulu, meaning fair haven, is a fair sight indeed. As your United mainliner glides to a graceful landing just 9 hours from California, your first breath of the balmy Hawaiian air seems to carry a welcome as warm and friendly as the alohas, the lathes, and the kiss of friendship which are a part of the traditional Hawaiian greeting. In the sparkling sunshine of your first Hawaiian morning, Wiki Beach is just as you've always pictured it. There's the Royal Hawaiian Hotel and the famous Outrigger Canoe Club, where a crew of stalwart beach boys takes us for a sightseeing trip along this crescent of white sand curved like a pleasant smile between Diamond Head and downtown Honolulu. Passing the royal and equally famous Alukulani hotels, we cruise along to the sound of native voices lifted in a war chant of old Hawaii. Back on shore, you stop to admire the handiwork of Coconut Willie, who weaves gay and attractive hats, which are eagerly purchased by mainland Malahinis and worn by this young lady with charm and grace. Far out to sea, great rollers are forming and poised on their snowy crests are the surf riders. The beach boys cry kynado dewy big wave and the beach springs into a whirl of activity. Surfboards and canoes are launched. Some by noviceses at this ancient art, others manned by crews of professional beach boys. Smooth teamwork enables them to keep the heavy canoe poised on the wave crest as it leaps toward shore in a cloud of flying spray. [Music] A big wave approaches and the surf riders paddle madly. Then caught up by the waves motion, they mount their plunging boards, shifting and treading as lightly as a ballet dancer. Look, there's a couple doing a shoulder mount and another riding double. All the while plunging through boiling surf at 30 m an hour. [Music] Hotel life at Wiki is luxurious and gay. You lunch informally on the terrace or stroll out on the lawn to admire the grace and beauty of the hoola, exotic native dance of old Hawaii. [Music] [Music] He Fore. [Music] Amen. One of the highlights of your visit is the 90-mile motor tour around Aahu in a comfortable grreyline limousine, stopping frequently at various points of interest on route, such as the upside down falls whose waters are blown upwards by the wind. Climbing through a notch in the mountains, we come suddenly to the famous Nuanu Pali, over whose 12,200 ft precipice, King Kamehameha drove thousands of warriors to complete his conquest of the island. Far below are broad cultivated areas in rich shades of green. And in the distance is the deep blue of the Pacific and the white line of breakers along the reef. descending [Music] the steep poly road by a series of switchbacks brings us to a region of lush tropical growth. Honolulu on the other side of the mountains seems far away as you enter a new world of quiet beauty. A land of small farms and quaint villages where every acre is richly productive. [Music] Tropical fruits grow here such as bananas and papayas which soon become your favorite breakfast delicacy. And always in view is the restless ocean lapping gently against sheltered beaches. are crashing down in booming thunder on the shore. Honolulu is rich in history. Here is the Yolani Palace and the judicial building dating from the time of the monarchy with its bronze statue of Kamehameha the Great, who unified the islands and founded the Hawaiian Kingdom. The glory of these ancient days is commemorated during the colorful ceremonies of Aloha week held in October each year. Highlight of these ceremonies is a stately makahiki pageant reenacting the ancient Hawaiian festival of thanksgiving and blessing of the crop. The beautiful costumes are faithful reproductions of the priceless originals which are preserved in the bishop museum. The makahiki was a 23-day celebration given over to feasting and dancing. [Music] to the rhythmic sound of the paipu or hollow calabash. The ancient hoolas are performed, the elily in which the dancers click smooth stones like castanet and the kao or stick hoola. Another [Music] feature of Aloha week is an exhibit of lay making using fresh flowers in beautiful combinations or tiny feathers sewn together to form lovely iridescent patterns handed down from ancient Polynesia. [Music] Many Hawaiian luau or native feasts are given during this celebration. A young pig is ceremoniously laid in its bed of red hot stones and roasted to tender perfection. Fingers take the place of forks even in the poi bowl. Poi made from taro root is an acquired taste and greatly relished by natives and the real kamahinas or old-timers. [Music] Honolulu is a modern American city. This is Bishop Street Financial and Business Center. And this is the imposing city hall. The modern trolley buses bear strange signs. And even the theaters have Hawaiian names. But occasionally, a familiar sign reminds you that you're still in the USA. Honolulu has many fine restaurants. At Lao Yi Chai, Davy Chinese serving maids load your table with exotic dishes. If you're brave, you may try to master the art of eating with chopsticks, but a shrimp can be surprisingly stubborn at times. Oops, dropped it again. Once more. Ah, he made it. Honolulu homes are perched on the many hills rising from the bayshore. The shaded lai or veronda is the center of Hawaiian home life. Even at the hotels such as the Palms, you can enjoy this informal type of living at all seasons of the year. But the outstanding difference between Honolulu and other American cities is its racial blending. Twothirds of its citizens are non-Caucasian. These races and the Hawaiians also have freely intermarried, producing a happy brood of brown-faced children who nevertheless are thoroughly American in speech, dress, and mode of living. But the ancient ways of Hawaii are also part of their inheritance, finding expression in graceful native dances. [Music] The Glee Club girls at Roosevelt High know the latest hit tunes, but they also know and love Hawaiian music. [Music] In the heart of Honolulu is the University of Hawaii. With its fine buildings, excellent laboratory facilities, and its rabbid crowd of football fans, these Husky lads have played the game from childhood, usually in their bare feet. [Music] And the girls are adept in leading a long cheer for the boys in green. Over 90% of the world's pineapples are grown and packed in Hawaii. Pineapple slips are planted in double rows through long strips of tar paper which conserve moisture and cut down weeds. Two years later, the crop is harvested by automatic machinery and trucked to the canery. This is the Hawaiian Pineapple Company's canery in Honolulu, where the pineapples are conveyed to intricate machines which peel, core, and slice the ripe fruit. Trained workers then pack the perfect slices into cans which are quickly sealed and boxed for shipment to the markets of the world. [Music] Landmark of Honolulu Harbor is the beautiful Aloha Tower. Its familiar outline welcomes the ships of all nations which tie up along the waterfront. A few miles to the west is Pearl Harbor, nerve center of our extensive naval operations in the Pacific and home port for the proud carriers, destroyers, and submarines of the Pacific Fleet. Nearby is Hickham Field, one of the world's finest and most modern air bases, headquarters for the Pacific Air Command and a vital link in the nation's air defense. But the most interesting site along the waterfront is the departure of the steamer to the mainland. The streets are lined with lay sellers offering their fragile wares which are presented to departing friends with many alohas of farewell. As the ship passes Diamond Head on its 4 and 1/2 day journey to the mainland, we turn eagerly to the next stage of our island adventure. No vacation in Hawaii is complete without a visit to the other islands. The comfortable planes of Hawaiian Airlines provide fast and frequent service which has been universally adopted by the travelloving islanders. [Music] Leaving Honolulu Airport, the plane heads northwestward for the 50-minute flight to Kawaii, the Garden Isle. [Music] Kawaii, fourth in size among the islands, is the site of Captain Cook's first landing in 1778. Its chief town and county seat is Lihooie, and its harbor bears the delightful name of Naiili. Clothed in rich shades of green from shoreline to summit. There is no fairer sight in the world than Kawaii. A gem of beauty rising from the sea. Its rugged coastline is backed by broad areas of cultivation broken here and there by tiny sugar mill towns and culminating in the mountain mass of Wali Ali over 5,000 ft high. [Music] Following our cruise along the coast, we cross the shoreline to land at Barking Sands Airport on the west side of the island, where a comfortable limousine waits to take us to Himea Canyon, Hawaii's tropical Grand Canyon. [Music] Along flower bordered roads, we climb to the canyon's brink and look down into a 3,000 ft gorge whose walls are covered with lush vegetation broken by streams and waterfalls leaping into the depths below. The descending highway winds through vast fields of sugar cane, Hawaii's principal industry, whose annual output exceeds 1 million tons. Short lengths of cane are planted by highly specialized machines. The crop is irrigated and fertilized by scientific methods. At harvest time, the dry leaves are burned off. The succulent cane is harvested by giant push rakes and loaded into huge trucks which carry it to the grinding mill. Here the juice is made into raw sugar and loaded aboard ships for further refinement on the mainland. [Music] In sharp contrast is the beautiful Hanlay section on the island's opposite side where primitive native agriculture still flourishes and human wants are few. Rice for the storehouse which is protected by an ingenious mechanical scarecrow system. A tarot patch for the daily poi. And from the ocean, an inexhaustible supply of fish is there for the taking. Our island hopping tour continues with a visit to Maui, the Valley Isle. Maui, the ancient capital of the islands, is a land of high mountains, rugged cliffs, and deep valleys. Its beauty is unspoiled and its hospitality is famous throughout the territory. [Music] On the east side of the island is Hotel Hanamawi, where guests arrive by plane at the hotel's private airport or by car over a spectacular scenic road. Here we are ushered into a little private world of peace and relaxation. Every luxury is provided in a setting of tropical beauty and good living is of prime consideration. Time at Hana slips by in an easy cycle of riding to the native village and long drives around the island to such beauty spots as Yao Valley and its famous Needle. [Music] For the energetic, there are games of all kinds. Or you can spend lazy hours on the private beach watching surf riders skim the waves to shore. Most famous of Maui's many attractions is the 10,000 ft summit of Halakala. This great dormant crater, largest in the world, is 21 mi in circumference. Sure-footed horses carry visitors to the floor of this great pit where they explore the lava formation, the volcanic caves, and the giant cinder cones. Sunrise or sunset from the crater rim is one of nature's grandest spectacles. Hawaii, referred to locally as the big islands, is nearly twice as large as all the other islands put together. The approach to Hawaii is along the beautiful Hamakua coast. Hilo, its principal city, is about 200 miles from Honolulu. Deflaining at Hilo's modern airport. You stop to purchase lays of native orchids before boarding a deluxe limousine for a tour of this fascinating island. Stopping to admire the view of Hilo Harbor and Luffy Monacaya in this bloom everywhere. Gardens of native orchids higher than your head and rare cultivated varieties as well. Antheriums whose waxy blossoms are highly prized. Bird of paradise flowers and a spectacular torch ginger, a flame with color. Near the entrance of Hawaii National Park is the giant fern forest. [Music] Only a short distance from the barren desolation of Kilawea Crater, home of the fire goddess Madame Ple. The entire area is scarred with old lava flows, leaving mysterious caves and tunnels in many places. Now inactive except for a few steam vents on the crater rim, the volcano bursts into violent eruptions at times. Flaming rivers rush down the mountain side and gushing lava fountains do a weird fire dance across a lake of flames. Descending the mountain, we enter another region of primitive natural beauty, the lovely Kona Coast. Here, a tropical setting looking out to the sea is Kona Inn, which soon captures your heart with its atmosphere of luxurious ease and contentment. Everywhere you look, there are flowers masked in hedges along the roads and hanging in graceful sprays from the tree branches. Here too grows the famous Kona coffee, providing an industry operated almost entirely by the native population. The simplest methods are employed in harvesting, drying, and shipping the fragrant beans which are favored by connoisseurs for their distinctive flavor. [Music] A short distance from the inn is Honau, ancient city of refuge behind whose lava wall fugitives found sanctuary even from the wrath of the king. [Music] Life in this peaceful village has changed little from the ancient days. [Music] The land is fertile, the climate is mild, and there are always plenty of fish for the net. Let the Howie, the white man, worry about the troubled world. Here, all is peace. And here at Lovely Kona, we come to the end of our Hawaiian holiday. A holiday filled with memories of new scenes and new adventures in this paradise of the Pacific. Thanks to the speed of the modern airliner, Hawaii is only hours away from any for an unforgettable mainliner vacation. Amen. [Music]