Hawaiian Eye

Basically an attempt to spin off 77 Sunset Strip, Hawaiian Eye started off as an ensemble cast, but slowly became a vehicle for Warners to show off Robert Conrad's remarkable face and body, as he manages to take his shirt off in almost every episode (as he also did in the Wild Wild West). And, Warners tried to launch Connie Stevens as well, both as an actress and a singer, but Stevens, who actually did a pretty good job in the show, didn't have the charisma to compete with the Sandra Dees and other cute-but-not-beautiful stars of the time. All in all, Hawaiian Eye is great if you like the visuals of Hawaii, Conrad, and Stevens -- but it's not much if you like plot or story.

I always enjoyed "Hawaiian Eye" as a kid--I think I wanted to be a white-suited private eye based in Honolulu. My favorite character was Anthony Eisely and I was always a little ticked off that he was replaced by girl throb Troy Donahue in the last year of the series. There seemed to be a good camaraderie between the "Eye" gang with Connie Stevens as the cutesy little nightclub singer/ gift shop operator and taxi cab driver Poncie Ponce and the private eyes. Also interesting were the "crossover" shows when "77 Sunset Strip" characters hooked up with the "Eye."

This was the debut of the brash confidence that made Robert Conrad such a great choice for the James West role in the "Wild Wild West" TV series. The first time you saw the "unique gadgets" and level of action fighting in a TV series that transferred back and forth between both rugged and refined western settings. Conrad's "James West" character bolstered by fellow agent "Artemus Gordon" displays that same type of confident attitude portrayal that made Clint Eastwood famous in his cult Westerns. The Hawaiian Eye cast was young & vibrant with Connie Stevens displaying her trademark girlish sexuality that became evident in her films and in real life. Conrad, handsome and muscular would probably have also been a good choice for the Eastwood type westerns.

Before Hawaii Five-0... before Magnum P.I., there was... Hawaiian Eye!

The stars really did surf during the forward credits (I think)! I thought that was so cool! I was only around 5 when this show appeared.

What I remember about the show is, Tracy Steele had a really cool name and a pencil thin mustache. I loved pencil-thin mustaches back then. Paladin (Richard Boone) in "Have Gun Will Travel" had one too. I always thought, "When I grow up, I'm going to grow a pencil-thin mustache like those guys. But, I never did.

Tom Lopaka. By his name, were we being asked to believe pretty boy, Robert Conrad, was Hawaiian? Puh-LEEZE! There's a link on a website called Whirlygig that offers a portion of the episode called "The Comics." It guest stars Mary Tyler Moore. In it, Tracy Steele has arranged for Lopaka to be asked to the stage in a nightclub they are enjoying for the evening, to sing a song. With a little coaxing, Lopaka goes to the stage and sings the cheesiest lounge lizard style song called, "I Want You, Pretty Baby." Holy cow, is it hokey! Was that really Robert Conrad's voice or was it a dub-in?

All that aside, this was a fun detective show. I remember thinking Cricket Blake was pretty cute! Connie Stevens became an early sixties blonde female icon in this series.

The series made us think of Hawaii and its tropical enticements. The theme song still haunts my memory.

Was a big fan of this show when it first came on. "Cricket Blake" was my first "true Love" and Tom Lopaka could do no wrong!! The story lines were good and this show featured some great guest stars. Loved the music and could always count on a good fight or two. I have 15 episodes of this show and still thoroughly enjoy watching it. Anthony Eisley, Grant Williams and Troy Donahue were way too cool. I always thought that this series was better than 77 Sunset Strip. I know that Grant Williams died in 1985, however the rest of these guys are still around. Would be nice to update this and have the sons and daughters of my heroes now run the detective agency. By the way, Bob Conrad should still be working.