Trip to Hawaii Aboard Liner Ss Lurline (1948)

Synopsis

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…

Uploader's description on archive.org

Details

Running time

7 minutes

Collection

Ephemeral Films

Subjects on the Internet Archive

• Stock Footage