Waikiki 3
2284 Kalakaua Avenue,
Honolulu,
HI
96815
2284 Kalakaua Avenue,
Honolulu,
HI
96815
5 people
favorited this theater
What is now the Waikiki 3 Theatre opened in 1936 as a single screen atmospheric theater. It was complete with (among other things) an artificial rainbow, tropical vegetation and coconut trees. Artificial clouds were also projected on a midnight-blue curved ceiling. The theatre was originally named the Waikiki Theatre with the change in name (to Waikiki Theatre 3) occurring in 1969 when the Waikiki Theatres 1 and 2 opened.
There has never been any physical connection between the buildings. The Waikiki 3 remained a single screen facility.
This theater closed in November 2002, and its grand organ was removed. Sadly, the Waikiki was demolished in April of 2005.
Contributed by
Richard Peterson, March Warner
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Recent comments (view all 66 comments)
What a delight seeing that clip. I had the pleasure and honor of running the spotlight for Johnny D at the Waikiki #3. Johnny would usually end his set with “Blue moon†at which time I would light him with a blue spot. I hope Scott B saw this clip, he also worked the spot at #3 between shows and I am sure is as sad as I am to know that it is all gone now.
Johnny also worked as a relief manager at the theatre, and often would fire up the organ during a slow matinee to entertain the audience with an impromptu performance. I can still hear him on the intercom, “Hey Vito, I’m going to play, light me up will youâ€
That always made my day.
Hallo,
I have just added another 5 photo’s from the 1940’s .
View link
These are the last 5 in my set on the Waikiki : they are lo res at the moment as I have to scan them in at higher res and replace as time permits.
I hope to have more soon…!
Enjoy
Kev P
I had the pleasure to visit this theatre in March of 1991, when I was out there on my honeymoon with my first wife. It is really a shame that this beauty is gone. What became of the organ?
1981 photo of the Waikiki Thesatre. Waikiki, Hi.
View link
The Opening date for the Waikiki Theatre was Aug. 20, 1936, seating at opening was listed at 1,300.
Was there another Waikiki theater? According to this article the space occupied by a Waikiki 1 & 2 theater on Seaside Avenue is going to be converted to a Ross clothing store: View link
This might have been the downtown theatre shown in the end credits on HAWAII 5-0 on season one dvd. Any local help out there in the Pacific.
Nice looking theatre Chuck.
Carl, there was only one Waikiki Theatre, the original was on Seaside and the spin off 1 & 2 was on Kalakaua. They had two seperate entrances. The 1 & 2 was at the entrance to the shopping center. I am surprised they are putting a Ross in that location since there is a large Ross Clothing right in downtown Honolulu. Guess they figure to grab more of the tourist trade.
This is the theatre the marquee of which you can very briefly see at the end of HAWAII 5-0’s first season’s end credits, filmed in 1968. It comes into view just as the credit reads “Filmed Entirely on Location in Hawaii.” I’ve freeze-framed it on DVD and can make out that the movie playing was PLANET OF THE APES.