This oral history interview is a project of the Historical Committee of the Outrigger Canoe Club. The legal rights of this material remain with the Outrigger Canoe Club. Anyone wishing to reproduce it or quote at length from it should contact the Historical Committee of the Outrigger Canoe Club. The reader should be aware that an oral history document portrays information as recalled by the interviewee. Because of the spontaneous nature of this kind of document, it may contain statements and impressions that are not factual. A full transcript is available below the video.
Interview by Barbara del Piano
May 15, 2014
BDP: Good Morning. This is Thursday the 15th of May 2014. And we are here in the Board Room of the Outrigger Canoe Club. I am Barbara del Piano (BDP) of the Historical Committee. One of our projects is to do oral histories of old time members, and it is my great pleasure today to be interviewing M.L. O’Brien (MLO).
MLO: Thank you.
BDP: ML, I have known you for a very long time, since the old Club, but I never knew what ML stands for.
MLO: It stands for Mary Louise, which sounds so formal. Because of that I have received many nicknames over my lifetime, but the one that is most used is “ML”.
BDP: So I’ll just keep calling you “ML”. First, a little bit about your background. Where were you born, and where did you grow up?
MLO: I was born on Maui. I grew up over there until it was time to start high school and my parents decided it was time to come here. So I boarded at Punahou for four years. Just before I graduated, my Mother passed away. My Father and I moved here to Honolulu. That was during the war. And there were no places to rent — very little housing. Alex Anderson’s family had left for the mainland and he said: “Why don’t you move in with me.” Which was very nice — for all of us, really. It was an easy walk to the Club, and a great place for all of us.
BDP: So when did you join the Outrigger and how did come about?
MLO: Right after I graduated from high school. Being from Maui and being a boarder at Punahou, I did not know anybody locally. I did not have the opportunity to be out and about on Oahu. So I was really kind of for a loss for friends — it was just my Dad and I. Anna Morris, Bill Morris’ sister, called me one day and asked me to go to Makapuu. I talked to her about the Club and I decided to join. I got to know so many people through the Club.
BDP: Yes, I am sure. And where did you meet your future husband, Tommy?
MLO: I met him when I was at Punahou. He was ahead of me, but he was a “big man on campus” — everybody knew Tommy. I knew him first then, but I got to know him better after I joined the Club since he was very active in the water.
BDP: Certainly! And I understand you also knew Duke. What were your impressions of him?
MLO: Duke as you know was a very quiet man, a very reserved man, and I think a very shy man. People thought perhaps he was aloof or uninterested, but I think he did not want to put himself forward when there was no reason to, when he did not feel comfortable doing it. The members of “Duke’s Boys” were: Tommy, Tommy Arnott, Thad Ekstrand, Jim Fernie, Carlos Rivas, and John Beaumont. They all thought so highly of Duke. They just adored him. He was kind of a Father figure to them. So with them he was very open. He took command, and he wanted them to be the best, and they were. They never lost a race. And their canoe, of course, was the Leilani. And that was their baby. Duke was a hard taskmaster. They’d paddle for four miles and then he’d take them out to the Blue Water. And he’d say “do a little more”. And then finally he’d say “ok, we can go home”. So I guess that’s why they never lost a race … they worked hard. But Duke was a very kind man. In addition he was great as a greeter, which he did a lot of the time for people who opened night clubs. He would be there greeting people. And of course, his image was very strong. But he never bluffed his way through anything — vocally.
BDP: I understand that you also were acquainted with our founder, Alexander Hume Ford. Could you tell us a few things about him?
MLO: By the time I knew A. H. Ford, he was pretty old. He would wander around the Club sort of in a fog in a way. I think that all the people who worked at the Club were very careful, taking care of him … making sure he had his shirt buttoned … and other places buttoned. He would walk out on the beach, and his shoes would get full of sand. Walking up to the dining room, he’d sit on the stairs and take his shoes off to empty the sand. And then he’d go up to the dining room. He called me Sarah Bernhart for some reason. He would always call me Sarah. But he was a sweet old man … kind of grumpy … things were difficult for him at that age.
BDP: Now, tell us about your social life at the Club. Who did you and Tommy hang out with?
MLO: You know the Club in those days was just one big happy family. A very cohesive family . . . everybody knew everybody. If you were wandering about and saw folks at a table, they would always invite you to join them. The Beach Boys would always be there at the Club and they added a really colorful element. They always had something to say, were always teasing each other, and always were very friendly.
The people we knew were, of course, the people that Tommy paddled with and the people who we both went to school with . . . or those that Tommy grew up with. He grew up in Manoa. So he knew a lot of local kids. A lot of us were of the same age at that time. Most of us were pretty much the same age. There were not so many older people in the Club as there are now. Now it’s great having the older people to support the Club so that we can have the sports events that the Club was really founded for.
BDP: Who in particular did you socialize with?
MLO: Well, the Ekstrands, the Arnotts, the Bushes (Bob and Jeannie), the Parkers (Bill and Mary Fay Parker), and the Fernies.
BDP: All of Duke’s Boys! And where did you live before you got married?
MLO: Well, my Dad and I lived with Andy Anderson for a while and then we moved to the Halekulani. So I lived there with my Dad for two years until I got married. And there again I would walk to the Club in the mornings. It was so beautiful, the air was clear, it was so fresh, it was a wonderful walk!
BDP: And you could look up at the mountains and not see any high rises?
MLO: Yes, you could swim out and look back and you have the most beautiful world in front of you: the mountains, the sea and the sky.
BDP: Did you participate in any sports at the Club?
MLO: I played volleyball. I played tennis, but not here at the Club. I wasn’t a paddler . . . I would have loved to be a paddler, but I did not know that you could go up to Bob Fischer and say: “I want to paddle!” I thought you had to be asked. I didn’t paddle, but I knew all the girls and I was the one that gave the party after the races. I got involved in that way.
BDP: And you did play volleyball. And when did you get married?
MLO: 1945.
BDP: And when did Tommy become one of “Duke’s Boys”?
MLO: I guess it had to be when he first joined the Club and started paddling in the early 1940s. He was one of the initial people on Duke’s crew.
BDP: And now, what was your overall impression of the Old Club?
MLO: Oh, I loved it! As a newcomer I was very shy, and that’s why I didn’t ask if I could paddle. But it did not take long to make friends there. People were so welcoming. So easy to talk to, and they would invite you to participate in whatever they were doing. It was very different from now where people have their own groups that they stay with and have cocktails with. . . there it was just one big happy group that had one focus . . . on the ocean, the canoes, and volleyball and the Club itself.
In the old days they didn’t have cell phones like they do now, everyone had one phone at home. So at the Club they had a PA system that they would use to call people to the phone. It would go on all day. It was fun to know who was getting a phone call. But the one that everyone liked was: “Phone call for Ensign Jensen Benson”. He got plenty of calls.
During the war there was a curfew so no one could get out . . . no one could drive at night. At first it was 6 o’clock and then 8 o’clock. So people just stayed . . . the parties went on and on. I worked at Bishop Bank downtown, as did many of the girls who belonged to the Club and paddled. So I decided to have a “hen” party one night over at Andy’s. We were having a fine time, and one of the neighbors came over . . . a man. When the phone rang it was the boyfriend of one of the ladies . . . he heard a man’s voice in the background. All the guys had gone to the Moana. In those days you had to carry gas masks. Instead of having chemicals in the canister of the mask, they would put in beer and liquor in the gas mask. So they would walk along . . .clank, clank, clank . . . rattle . . .rattle . . . rattle. They all went to the Moana with their gas masks and their stash of booze. They were having a fine time, but when they heard a man’s voice at the hen party, they all came from the Moana over to Andy’s house. And so the party went on most of the night. People just sort of flopped wherever they were. There was a lot of drinking in those days in spite of how athletic they all were. We all enjoyed our Jack Daniels and beer. It was always a big group . . . and anyone that was around that wanted to could participate. I can’t remember ever worrying too much about food . . . as long as we had enough ice. We were always just at somebody’s home.
The Outrigger had dances up on the upper deck in the old Club. Maxie was the head of the dining room then. And Maxie would go out fishing and he’d catch reef fish, and cook them . . . oh, he cooked them so beautifully. If you were a friend of Maxie’s and went for dinner, he’d say: “I got fish, you want fish?” Oh, yeah! So he’d bring you the fish that he caught and cooked. And it was always so good.
“Splash” Lyons and his group were there playing music at the Outrigger for dances. It was before everyone got so professional with music as they are now . . . and all the members would be harmonizing. But there was still music you could dance to. Those gatherings at the Club were always well attended and so much fun.
BDP: On Friday nights at the Hau Terrace, wasn’t there something going on?
MLO: I think so, and also up in the bar . . . the bar was upstairs. The Beach Boys were always on the Hau Terrace. I don’t remember them having barbecues like they do now . . . but maybe they did. I think it was just Friday night . . .time to party.
BDP: And how about Aunty Eva?
MLO: Oh, Aunty Eva. She was lovely . . . at the front desk. She was gentle. She knew everybody. You’d never know if she’d give someone a message or not, but you didn’t care because she was so sweet about it. And I am so glad that she got to name, and to bless some of the canoes. All the water guys just loved her, ’cause she was just a nice person.
BDP: And do you remember Sunshine?
MLO: Oh yes, with his ukulele in the parking lot! You could never get out without hearing a song from Sunshine. It was always a fast cheerful song. He knew many songs. I don’t know if he really parked cars, but nobody cared, as he was such a colorful character.
BDP: And Richard?
MLO: Richard! He was delightful. People teased him terribly. The young boys particularly teased him a lot. He would just take it. Behind the counter at the Snack Bar, he would do his dances . . . his exotic dances, and everybody wou. . . . wish he’d come back and dance for us at the Old Timers Parties. It’d be great to have him. I wonder if he’s still around. I don’t even know his last name. But everybody knew Richard.
I also remember that a lot of movie stars came to the Club . . . I guess it was after the war, and they were making movies. They just sort of blended in like regular members.
When you came into the Club, passed the front desk and the locker rooms and then there was a long sidewalk to the main building where the canoes were kept downstairs and the dining room was upstairs and the hau terrace was on the right side. And the volleyball courts were along the right side of the sidewalk, so there were always a lot of comments from the volleyball guys. “Hey Joe, your wife says bring some milk home.” Which was interesting especially if Joe was with a new date. It was just . . . so open . . . anyone could play volleyball that wanted . . . I remember Kalakaua pounding balls over the net. I used to have long nails in those days and they would not last long with Kalakaua on the other side of the net. The Beach Boys would play and everybody would play. And they all had their unique personalities. One of the guys always had to go to the men’s room when the bill came, and so they ganged up on him and all left and so he could catch the bill when he got back.
BDP: Do you remember Chick Daniels?
MLO: I do remember Chick. I remember him mostly on the water. Of course, nicknames were all over the place . . . Steamboat had a son they called Rowboat. I remember once when Tommy decided we should go canoeing with our dog. It was “First Break” and I thought . . . this is no time to go canoeing. So we got a two man canoe, and the first wave that hit us broke the ama. And so there we were. We couldn’t go in, couldn’t go out, the waves just kept crashing over us. And then there was this poor little dog. So Jack Patterson came paddling out, bless his heart. He took me and the dog into shore, and then he went out and helped Tommy bring the canoe in, which was broken. I don’t know why we went out then, but they let us go.
I don’t think there was as much oversight then as there is now as to the equipment that was being used. And Sally Hale was always out there with his hat and his tank top — looking very much the Captain of the ship. Mostly, I remember Kalakaua, he was a nice kind man.
BDP: Wasn’t he also the door man at the Niumalu hotel?
MLO: Yes, he was at the Ilikai too — later on. He played music. He might have played with Elmer Lee. Elmer Lee had a very good orchestra in those days and he sometimes played at the Outrigger. He played at our wedding so I am sure we must have known him from here.
BDP: Was Tommy one of the guys that went out on Duke’s Birthday?
MLO: Oh yes that’s right. Tommy and Bob Bush and Tom Arnott and Thad Ekstrand took the canoe out with Duke’s ashes when he died and they carried them out and the whole bit. And then every year on Duke’s Birthday the guys would get together and take a canoe out to where they dropped Duke off.
And every year something would happen like an Ewa bird would come by and swoop around or some dolphins would come up and frolic among the flowers. There was always some event that happened every year that they went out there. They went out until they were not able to do it anymore — in their 70s or 80s. Some of them had dropped off and were not even here anymore. They did it every year on his birthday, August 24th . . . And Duke’s seat was always empty. They tried to take out the Leilani if they could.
BDP: That was Duke’s favorite canoe, wasn’t it?
MLO: And theirs too — the crew. They would take flowers out for him. In those days, I suppose they took leis. They all had a tremendous regard, appreciation and love for Duke. With them, he was very easy, very open. He felt comfortable with them. He worked them hard, but they appreciated it. They did well because of it.
BDP: It paid off!
MLO: Yeah, and I think they all learned a lot from Duke as a father figure. I think they got a lot of good qualities from him. His inner strength that he had, which you would have to watch very carefully to find, but they were there. He kept everything very quiet inside.
BDP: How about managers of the Club?
MLO: Henry de Gorog . . . he was the one that w. . . you have to wear a shirt with a collar . . . you can’t have a shirt without a collar . . . or tonight you gotta wear a jacket.” He kept order at the Club. Tommy and I were in San Francisco once. We went to Sausalito to stay at Sally Sanford’s place and we were standing in the doorway of a restaurant, waiting for a table and someone came up: “Tommy, ML …” We were so surprised to see him. He was so friendly and so different than we had remembered him. There he was. I can’t think of the other managers . . . he is the one that stands out. I remember Maxie the head of the dining room.
BDP: And Anzai?
MLO: Anzai, yes, he was there for a long time, wasn’t he? He was in the bar . . . probably remembered everybody’s favorite drink.
BDP: So how did you feel about the move to Diamond Head?
MLO: I was very reluctant, I was one of those heel draggers . . . foot draggers. The old place was home and we could not see moving to this upper class place. I guess a lot of us just don’t like change, but we came along and eventually were very happy with it. But it was different from being in the Old Club because the Old Club was old and the friends were old . . . good old time friends, I should say, they weren’t that old then. But here it was all new and you had to sort of step into a new venue and it was a new venture.
BDP: In retrospect, you’re happy with it?
MLO: Oh, this is a beautiful Club and I really feel very proud to bring people here that are traveling or my friends that live here for meals. It’s a beautiful Club and I think they do a nice job with it. And I’m glad that they have such an active athletic program, too . . . that they are able to keep that up despite our expenses.
BDP: Do you have anything else you would like to talk about?
MLO: Well, thank you for asking me to do this. I can’t think of anything at the moment to add to it.
BDP: Thank you so much ML, this has really been a great interview. It will be a wonderful addition to our archives.
MLO: Well, you are kind to say that, thank you.