| Aloha and welcome to a new website dedicated to the history and stories about a very unusual, interesting, and popular theatre located in the middle of the Pacific Ocean on the Big Island of Hawaii. This site is under constant construction, so please check back frequently to see newly discovered photos from the 1930s and 1940s of the Palace and other theatres that once entertained the residents of the tropical city of Hilo, Hawaii. We are very grateful to Roger Angell for making the collection of John De Mello available for this website, and to Lynn Manuel, of Lyman Museum, for her valuable knowledge and assistance. Larger views are available for most pictures. Just click on the photo to get the enlargement. Enjoy your visit! |
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| The Palace was built and opened in 1925 at the peak of the heyday for American movie palaces. It was originally part of a small family of theatres owned and operated by Adam C. Baker, a dashing Hawaiian gentleman who was the nephew of the last royal governors of the island of Hawaii. Adam Baker had been involved in the theatre business since the early 1900s and was a well-known showman in Hawaii. |
| Left: ADAM CHARLES BAKER Photo from the collection of Robert Alder courtesy of George Baker |
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| The Palace was built on a scale that had never been seen outside of the capital city of Honolulu, and it was always the grandest theatre on all the neighbor islands. One unusual feature was that the Palace’s structure was entirely of redwood, imported from the Pacific Northwest. Fourteen huge redwood columns supported the wooden roof trusses which span the entire width of the building. The roof, sides and back were sheathed in corrugated sheet metal, a very typical construction style in tropical Hawaii. The building’s façade is an elegant neo-classical design executed in stucco with wood molding accents. |
| The auditorium in the early 1930s. Photo from the collection of John De Mello courtesy of Roger Angell and Lyman Museum. |
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| The Palace was designed to take maximum advantage of its limited property size. The stadium seating arrangement (pre-dating the 'discovery' of stadium seating by modern theatre operators in the 1990s) allowed for unobstructed sight lines, while giving the Palace a very spacious lobby. Designed and built in the days before electronic sound amplification systems, the Palace boasts excellent natural acoustics for live musical groups and drama. One of the most enchanting, nostalgic, and thrilling experiences is the music of the original Robert-Morton pipe organ in concert or before a movie presentation. |
| From the early 1930s through the mid 1950s several generations of Hilo kids grew up attending the Mickey Mouse Club on Saturday mornings at the Palace. Photos below are all from the collection of John De Mello, courtesy of Roger Angell and Lyman Museum |
| Above Left: The stage is set for a 1933 Christmas meeting of the MMC, with host John De Mello by the organ. |
| Above Right: The kids gather in front of the theatre for a group photo in September of 1933. CLICK HERE for a close-up view of the kids. |
| Popular organist Johnny De Mello (seen at left in 1933) performed at the Palace for about ten years beginning in 1932. He had previously been featured at the Kaimuki Theatre, in Honolulu. During his time at the Palace he hosted the Mickey Mouse Club, staged many shows and musical revues, and had a weekly live radio show over KHBC from the Palace. In the 1940s Johnny returned to Honolulu. In 1955 he was appointed house organist at the Waikiki Theatre and played there until his retirement in 1978. |
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| Above: De Mello at the orchestra pit grand piano in 1932. |
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| Above: Johnny De Mello wrote many songs that became popular during the 30s and 40s. He is best remembered for 'HILO AFTER SUNDOWN'. Click here to download a recording made by Johnny in 1956 on the Waikiki Theatre's 4/16 Robert-Morton pipe organ. This recording was digitally remastered from an original LP record by Scott Bosch of Pipe Organs Hawaii. Mp3 file, 3.34Mb Allow several minutes to download on dial-up modem. AOL users: If you have problems downloading the song, click here for helpful hints. |
| Right: In 1935 a stage show entertained audiences before the movies. |
| All contents copyright © 2001 by ROBERT ALDER (except where noted) |