Magnum P.I. Filming Locations - A Rubber Chicken Guide

[Gorilla Mask]

Let's get rearwards, back to '1.4 – Thank Heaven for Little girls and Big Ones too'.

At 39:45 ; Magnum received a call and heared that the girls are retained in an ammo supply depot at Diamond Head Point.

At 40:30 the team (except for the 'outraged' Higgins ! ) is on location to free the poor overheating girls :

https://ibb.co/1dRzWpV
https://ibb.co/z57HdXx
https://ibb.co/KKKKTfN
https://ibb.co/NCzVnss

The filming location is one of the secondary entrances of Kahala Tunnel, Fort Ruger (Diamond Head Crater)

https://ibb.co/9brCvnP

just like this one:

https://ibb.co/NmyndNj

The exact location seems to be storage tunnel number 1.

You can access to more detail here : http://www.diamondheadhike.org/militaryhistory.html


Here is an extract :

« Storage Tunnels were dug into the outside slope of Diamond Head along the northeast side. These tunnels have been used by a number of agencies over the years. They are numbered 0-6 and two of them are visible from the road up into Diamond Head. Tunnel 0 is/was used for communications, the others are now storage. Most of the storage tunnels have high powered ventilation systems. The design varies somewhat, but none of them go through the crater wall entirely.« 

The scene appears to have been taken inside the storage tunnel itself :

https://ibb.co/dfq9QJq from the episode ;

https://ibb.co/T08wj0k from the reality...

As you can see, the amenities support air venting/cooling system today !

Thanks for reading !

[Gorilla Mask]

One of my favorite ghost story is '2.3 – The Woman on the Beach'.

Around 15:30 : Rick and Magnum had an appointement with the Tycoon/shipowner Henry Ellison.

As seen, his office offers a direct view/plain view to the Harbor Terminal/aloha Tower and The SS Constitution.

https://ibb.co/SNYQw9j
https://ibb.co/tYjPkyd

Also, an important clue in this shot, his office building is just aside these two others skycrappers.

https://ibb.co/25g36My

The most visible is the Hawaii National Bank Bld. While the other, seemingly still in construction in 1980, is today the Pacific Guardian Center.

From Google earth the approximative prespective might be this one

https://ibb.co/hyJg2Lx

The third skyscrapper on sight (barely seen, much closer, left edge of the image) from this angle of view, at the corner of Merchant and Bishop Streets (alongside Hawaii Naional Bank Building) seems to be one of the Bank Of Hawaii Branches : Cash Management and Insurances Services - Merchant Street.

So my best guess i that the filming location was one of the upper floors of Pioneer Plaza Builidng - 900 Fort Street Mall Honolulu, HI 96813 (a 21-story high office building, inaugurated in 1978).

This building is aligned with Aloha Tower. In the following capture, the yellow line is the average angle of the shot above, and the circle the point of origin.

https://ibb.co/605cc0p

Here are some pictures of this structure :

https://ibb.co/zmrnhzp

https://mwgroup.com/property/pioneer-plaza#slideshow-0

The place might be a corner flat with terrace/balcony considering this shot.

https://ibb.co/bXk3hGr

Last clue, this shot on pinterest is shown with a caption noting it was taken from the 20th floor of Pioneer-plaza :

https://ibb.co/YZNr0Zy

...which is quite relevant to one of the shot above from the episode.

Thanks for reading !

[Gorilla Mask]

1.10 – « Least we forget », another time ! (One of my favorite first season opus).

Last scene before epilog : Diane Revealed Bobby Caine that infamous Dutch Mueller (the blackmailer) is actually her … chauffeur ! Getting back to the mooring pier from USS Arizona memorial, Magnum jumped overboard rushed through what seemed to be a brand new building...

https://ibb.co/cJc0kkx
https://ibb.co/Q8q8wjx

... reached the parking lot and yelled after Rick to stop Dutch...

The place is the Pearl Harbor Memorial Theater, inaugurated in 1980 (so brand new at that time) and dedicated to the memory of the fallen sailors during the 'Day of Infamy'.

https://ibb.co/pXLd9sh

The place had knew lot of change though, as you can see between these two satellite views. One today :

https://ibb.co/QKVgXcw

And another before 2000 (don't know for sure exactly the date) :

https://ibb.co/4VpSdr2

The modern sculpture behind Selleck in this shot

https://ibb.co/Sc14GL3

is the 'Tree of Life', a well known piece of art designed by by modernist architect Alfred Preis. Preis was the designer of the Arizona Memorial by itself.

https://ibb.co/cLqpGQ1
https://ibb.co/YBD6zvg

This explains why in the Memorial above Arizona, you could admire a couple a similar piece of art flanking the sailors stele in the shrining room.

https://ibb.co/zFsWbzq

i've never been here but i had a strong feeling while staring at that sculpture. I seemed to be similar to a broken/fractured tree (such as war could harm by violence) and evokes sadness and sorrow. In the other hand, it is an open window on tomorrow, distilling hope and confidence in the future.

Pries had a personal story deeply (and probably painfully) associated to WWII, since, a an Austrian of Jewish origin, he had to flee Europe in 1939 (so, just after Anschluss). He reached US and, ironically, was interned in Honolulu camp, as part of the internment policy of Japanese and German Americans, for three months after December 7 1941 (!).

Pries designed the actual memorial in 1962.

In 2010, a major overhaul of the site was initiated. At the place where the parking lot is (allegedly) seen in Magnum Pi is now Aloha Court, part of a new visitors complex – WWII Pacific Valor in the Pacific Monument.

For administrative anf financial reasons, since 2019, the complex is now under the administration of the National Park System of the United States on the island of Oahu

Again thanks for reading (and for your support !

Edit of previous Post scriptum : concerning the parking lot where the limousine chase begun, we had a very enlightening discussion with K Hale Under the episode topic, here: http://magnum-mania.com/Forum/viewtopic ... &start=101

[Gorilla Mask]

'2.17 - One more Summer' plot is not of great interest but the establishing shot puzzled me a little:

https://ibb.co/HXwXNJk

It seems to be a 'Palladianism Renewal' (Greek antique to be precise) style wealthy manor (that is a special thought for you Panohu !)... Somewhere in Hawaii ? It was suprising because that architectural style is more often encountered on the West coast...

Then i checked it out the 'MagnumMania' website just to be sure... And it appears that Master Rubber Chicken went by already ! He did not list it in his amazing guide however, that is why i take the liberty to notice it there with full credits to him.

This Manor is the Casa Encantada (Enchanted House or... Haunted house in Spanish), one of the wealthiest and most famous Mansions of... Beverly Hills, LA ! Sot that confirms it was 'stock footage'...

https://ibb.co/59nW0zK
https://ibb.co/dQgK6Q7

Here is an extensive background i found about it:

"On March 22, 1934, Hilda Weber purchased what would become Casa Encantada for $100,000—an astonishing sum in the Depression. Some of the greatest estates of the 1920s—like twenty-two-acre Dias Dorados and Frances Marion and Fred Thomson’s twenty-two-acre Enchanted Hill—had languished for years on the market at that price.

In 1935, Hilda hired Benjamin Morton Purdy as landscape architect. A year later, his crews started grading the property, planting full-grown trees and preparing the gardens, which would stretch for hundreds of feet behind the mansion.

On March 17, 1936, Hilda hired James E. Dolena as architect. He started working drawings on April 29, 1936, in a Moderne-influenced Georgian style, or what he described to his client as “modern Georgian with Grecian influences.”

Next, Hilda hired Peterson Studios of Santa Barbara and T. H. Robsjohn- Gibbings to design and manufacture custom-made furniture, carpets, and fabrics. Many of Los Angeles’s “best families” purchased pricey reproduction furniture from department stores for their homes. Not Hilda Weber.

On May 15, 1937, Hilda Weber—and her architect, landscape architect, and contractor—laid the cornerstone for the mansion.

Construction proceeded quickly on the 40,000-square-foot residence and its outbuildings. On December 17, 1938, the mansion was finished, and all furnishings were installed. A few days later, the Webers moved into their estate, which had cost more than $2 million, a significant portion of Hilda’s net worth.

Unfortunately, like so many who become suddenly wealthy, Hilda Weber was always careless about money. First, she had spent $2 million building and furnishing Casa Encantada. Then, she gave away one of Santa Barbara’s prized estates. Her day-to-day living expenses were enormous. Her household staff reportedly totaled twenty-one, and she employed another twenty-one full-time groundskeepers and gardeners.

In 1948, she reluctantly put Casa Encantada up for sale. The original asking price was $1.5 million—less than the estate and its furniture had cost ten years earlier. No takers.

Finally, in 1950, hotel magnate Conrad Hilton purchased the estate— including its furniture, art, and silver—for $225,000.

For Conrad Hilton, Casa Encantada lived up to its name, and he lived there in grand style until his death in 1979. In those four decades, Hilton made almost no changes to the mansion, its furnishing and art, or its grounds. The mansion was an extraordinary time capsule of high-style 1940s taste.

After Hilton’s death, the family sold the estate for $12.4 million—the highest price for any single-family home in the United States at the time. The new owners redecorated the mansion with the finest antiques.
In 2000, Casa Encantada was sold to its current owner for $94 million—setting another record for the most expensive home in the country.

"

[Pahonu]

'2.17 - One more Summer' plot is not of great interest but the establishing shot puzzled me a little:

https://ibb.co/HXwXNJk

It seems to be a 'Palladianism Renewal' (Greek antique to be precise) style wealthy manor (that is a special thought for you Panohu !)... Somewhere in Hawaii ? It was suprising because that architectural style is more often encountered on the West coast...

Then i checked it out the 'MagnumMania' website just to be sure... And it appears that Master Rubber Chicken went by already ! He did not list it in his amazing guide however, that is why i take the liberty to notice it there with full credits to him.

This Manor is the Casa Encantada (Enchanted House or... Haunted house in Spanish), one of the wealthiest and most famous Mansions of... Beverly Hills, LA ! Sot that confirms it was 'stock footage'...

https://ibb.co/59nW0zK
https://ibb.co/dQgK6Q7

Here is an extensive background i found about it:

"On March 22, 1934, Hilda Weber purchased what would become Casa Encantada for $100,000—an astonishing sum in the Depression. Some of the greatest estates of the 1920s—like twenty-two-acre Dias Dorados and Frances Marion and Fred Thomson’s twenty-two-acre Enchanted Hill—had languished for years on the market at that price.

In 1935, Hilda hired Benjamin Morton Purdy as landscape architect. A year later, his crews started grading the property, planting full-grown trees and preparing the gardens, which would stretch for hundreds of feet behind the mansion.

On March 17, 1936, Hilda hired James E. Dolena as architect. He started working drawings on April 29, 1936, in a Moderne-influenced Georgian style, or what he described to his client as “modern Georgian with Grecian influences.”

Next, Hilda hired Peterson Studios of Santa Barbara and T. H. Robsjohn- Gibbings to design and manufacture custom-made furniture, carpets, and fabrics. Many of Los Angeles’s “best families” purchased pricey reproduction furniture from department stores for their homes. Not Hilda Weber.

On May 15, 1937, Hilda Weber—and her architect, landscape architect, and contractor—laid the cornerstone for the mansion.

Construction proceeded quickly on the 40,000-square-foot residence and its outbuildings. On December 17, 1938, the mansion was finished, and all furnishings were installed. A few days later, the Webers moved into their estate, which had cost more than $2 million, a significant portion of Hilda’s net worth.

Unfortunately, like so many who become suddenly wealthy, Hilda Weber was always careless about money. First, she had spent $2 million building and furnishing Casa Encantada. Then, she gave away one of Santa Barbara’s prized estates. Her day-to-day living expenses were enormous. Her household staff reportedly totaled twenty-one, and she employed another twenty-one full-time groundskeepers and gardeners.

In 1948, she reluctantly put Casa Encantada up for sale. The original asking price was $1.5 million—less than the estate and its furniture had cost ten years earlier. No takers.

Finally, in 1950, hotel magnate Conrad Hilton purchased the estate— including its furniture, art, and silver—for $225,000.

For Conrad Hilton, Casa Encantada lived up to its name, and he lived there in grand style until his death in 1979. In those four decades, Hilton made almost no changes to the mansion, its furnishing and art, or its grounds. The mansion was an extraordinary time capsule of high-style 1940s taste.

After Hilton’s death, the family sold the estate for $12.4 million—the highest price for any single-family home in the United States at the time. The new owners redecorated the mansion with the finest antiques.
In 2000, Casa Encantada was sold to its current owner for $94 million—setting another record for the most expensive home in the country.

"

Great stuff GM! I actually remember reading in the LA Times about the record setting sale price 20 years ago.

[Gorilla Mask]

Bonjour Panohu, that is your fault since you gave me the taste to learn a bit more about american architectural styles !

[Pahonu]

Bonjour Panohu, that is your fault since you gave me the taste to learn a bit more about american architectural styles !

Glad to hear it’s my fault. As a teacher, that’s my whole goal! I guess it’s hard to turn off.

Did you happen to notice the Citroën DS in the image from the show? They’re not very common around here at all. I’ve only seen a handful over the years and they’re hard to miss as they’re so distinct, like the 2CV. I’ve seen more Ferrari 308’s over the years than Citroëns, no exaggeration.

[Gorilla Mask]

Bonjour Panohu, that is your fault since you gave me the taste to learn a bit more about american architectural styles !

Glad to hear it’s my fault. As a teacher, that’s my whole goal! I guess it’s hard to turn off.

Did you happen to notice the Citroën DS in the image from the show? They’re not very common around here at all. I’ve only seen a handful over the years and they’re hard to miss as they’re so distinct, like the 2CV. I’ve seen more Ferrari 308’s over the years than Citroëns, no exaggeration.

Yes, i saw our iconic DS int that footage . I know that this model (standard upper class car in France from the late 50's to 70's) was quite appreciated in the US because it was so comfortable and smooth to drive for its days and very innovative (hydropneumatic suspension, power steering, hydraulic powered shift (gearbox), disc brakes, Electronic Injection as early as 1969...). From the model (probably a DS 21 or 23 for the US market with 115 or 130 HP) i guess the footage was taken after 1973.

Do you know that DS in french is pronunciated 'Déesse'. the translation is 'goddess' in english !!

[Pahonu]

Bonjour Panohu, that is your fault since you gave me the taste to learn a bit more about american architectural styles !

Glad to hear it’s my fault. As a teacher, that’s my whole goal! I guess it’s hard to turn off.

Did you happen to notice the Citroën DS in the image from the show? They’re not very common around here at all. I’ve only seen a handful over the years and they’re hard to miss as they’re so distinct, like the 2CV. I’ve seen more Ferrari 308’s over the years than Citroëns, no exaggeration.

Yes, i saw our iconic DS int that footage . I know that this model (standard upper class car in France from the late 50's to 70's) was quite appreciated in the US because it was so comfortable and smooth to drive for its days and very innovative (hydropneumatic suspension, power steering, hydraulic powered shift (gearbox), disc brakes, Electronic Injection as early as 1969...). From the model (probably a DS 21 or 23 for the US market with 115 or 130 HP) i guess the footage was taken after 1973.

Do you know that DS in french is pronunciated 'Déesse'. the translation is 'goddess' in english !!

I don’t know enough about them to guess a year but I just read that Citroëns haven’t been imported to the US since 1974. No wonder I never see them! I remember seeing lots of Peugeots and some Renaults over the years. None of them are currently in the American market.

Goddess isn’t a horrible name.

[Gorilla Mask]

1974 ? sot a 1974-1979 year span is not a bad estimation...

Well, french cars are obviously underrated on the anglo-saxon market. It is a pity since they often offer good middle mark between cost and quality.

[Gorilla Mask]

Salutations to everyone !

Today, one ot the most unusal MPI filming locations, from my point of view.

Do you remember episode 2.18 – Texas Lightning ? If you answer no, i would'nt be upset. The opus classed it self in the middle of the pack : not bad but not one of the best...

Nevertheless, it brought the opportunity to re-visit one onf the most well known places of Oahu... Yes, no kidding …

That is the set : in the middle of the night, ath the end of a freaky Texas Hold'em Poker gamble, Magnum and a so called poker champion Texas rich widow left in a hurry Thomson' yacht in open ocean... The couple had to leave 300 000 bucks on the table and to make their way out, gun drawn... The big villain Matt Thompson was not inclined to let them go : the griny, bad tempered poor player !

So, the motor boat went short of gasoline and the couple of castaways, paddling and catfighting each other, reached what seemed to a a remote desert volcanic island, somewhere, far away from Oahu... Where the stranded souls are finally picked up by Terry's Chopper.

https://ibb.co/rZwbhPj
https://ibb.co/bLsC15c
https://ibb.co/9ryWLBn
https://ibb.co/Nt8Q87V
https://ibb.co/vj0wCwZ

At first i thought it was Kaohikaipu Island (nor far from Rabbit Island) off Waimanalo coast :

https://ibb.co/MRCBK6r

But, as you may notice, the cliff and geological rocks/rumble details just don't fit.

https://ibb.co/hDNZtDt

Wandering around, and from the premise that TV producer are always realistic people in a hurry, i aimed my little inquiries to Oahu South coast.

Here is my best guess :

https://ibb.co/FbtD828
https://ibb.co/HTkNRBv
https://ibb.co/0VVxWt3

I am sure most people here have already watched 'From Here to Eternity' with Burt Lancaster

https://ibb.co/JCmpmQc

Yes, that is it, it might be Halona Beach, one of the most famous Beach coves in Cinema history !

For the anecdote, the Cove is off Kalaniana'ole Hwy from … 75 yards, i would say...

https://ibb.co/GdgFKQG

Really a perfect desert island ! That is MPI magic !

Thanks for reading !

[Gorilla Mask]

Greetings to Everyone !

These days, i spent lot of time attempting to locate some hard to find filming locations, especially from the early seasons... With no joy !

So i went back to some others i've noticed but not plotted at first.

That time, getting back to the Pilot «1.1 Don't Eat the Snow In Hawaii » i read with interest that Kalai-pahoa stated that the Hitmen Dodge Challenger accident scene was taken between Hanauma Bay and the Lanai Lookout : Kalanianaole Highway.

So, in addition, here is my little contribution with the precise (within a 30 yards margin) car crash location.

https://ibb.co/stXXXJX
https://ibb.co/S3sXsKP

That is the same perspective as it could be observed behind TS:

https://ibb.co/fQyM494

As you may see, the road junction visible on the background left side is Koko Head Riffle Road.

https://ibb.co/9nTPqCh

Thanks for reading !

[Gorilla Mask]

«1.1 Don't Eat the Snow In Hawaii »

What more pleasant than a little beer shared at the Marina with Ensign Healy ?

Of course our favorite World Class Detective left this appointement with a little bitterness and frustration...

Frustration, that was the word ,when i tried to precisely locate that scene !

So i left it aside until now.

Of course it was shot at Ala Wai Yacht Harbor, but exactly where ?

As always, the area changed so much in 40 years, as the harbor apparatus/facilities.

However, I was fortunate enough to locate some spots :

In this shot, two buildings visible at that time, were much more scattered than today :

https://ibb.co/CnWvhFk

Then here another very distinctive building ;

https://ibb.co/Tw8RwYy

in this shot you have three distinctive rows of mooring.

https://ibb.co/5WJGTmD

So in this spot we could allegate reasonably the precise location :

https://ibb.co/1Z0MpFB
https://ibb.co/zb6vk9t

Drink safely, keep the sea free of beer bottles, and until next time !

Edit: reviewing again the scene, more obviously, the location and path followed are confirmed by the establishing shot taken, probably at the Yacht club :

https://ibb.co/VCGMpHd
https://ibb.co/hX67yNx

[Gorilla Mask]

It seems to me that MPI Directors used to place many scenes within Chinatown, the art district, Honolulu. Sometimes the shots were taken, in the context of different stories, only meters away from each others. Hotel Street (South or North) is often elected in scenarios.

Obvioulsy, as previously stated, today's Chinatown differs radically from 1980, at least, through MPI cameras !

In the Episode 2.20 : « The Last Page », TM is on the trail of a Vietnam Vet's Girslfriend. The girl hold a job in an infamous striptease bar called « The Wild Zebra club »...

https://ibb.co/MZYBJQ3

… But where is exactly located this shallow place of perdition ??

In this shot, i noticed some clues :

https://ibb.co/zGVZtx4
https://ibb.co/hcb35s1

I had to be cautious since, these shots perspective is often altered by a narrow angle/ high depth of field camera effect...

Wandering a bit reading some articles about Chinatown old buildings of historical interest, i found this one :

https://ibb.co/Bwr1txG

So, that was a match for our corner gable... This bricks and concrete old buildng is registered as the Siu Building (1926) at 1104 Maunakea Street designed by E. W. Ellis...

Yes, Pahonu, before you ask for it, here is a special link about Chinatown historical achitecture assets  : https://sah-archipedia.org/buildings/HI-01-OA16

Yes, that was Hotel Street ! Here is a near point of view, similar from the episode shot :

https://ibb.co/Q6T04Wy

Google map compass indicate '35 south Hotel Street'.

Well, today, there is a very classy, opulent bar there !

It is merely named the « 35 » (and it is quite famous, from i saw)

https://ibb.co/fkW9TJz

Not convinced ? Let's make your own opinion :

a/ the episode shot :

https://ibb.co/KyW0JwB

… and the 35, on february 2020 :
https://ibb.co/CPqQmhw

Of course, decoration has changed over the years, but the main layout seems similar.

Let's summarize :

https://ibb.co/D5wnHyn

So this verifiable hypothesis it that the shot was taken at 35 N Hotel St, Honolulu, HI 96817.

https://ibb.co/ct4tqSh

Again, thanks for reading !

Important edit: My apologies since, afterwards, i found out that the place was already identified on the forum ... ten years ago ! here is the link : http://magnum-mania.com/Forum/viewtopic ... 9&start=16. It appears that , in 1981, the place was the Swing Club. However, these two independant searches led to the same result: encouraging.

[Gorilla Mask]

Here i add a little example to illustrate what i wrote above concerning very short distance between filming shots in Chinatown district.

At the beginning of 2.20- the Last Page" Magnum was investigating about the whereabouts of a nighclub dancing girl at the "Wild Zebra Club"... He learned that she was now living with a chinese/vietnamese mafia mogul.

So, later, our world first class investigator found trace of the couple at address "1010 Manakea Street 'East Winds Import &Export":

as assessed below, the two addresses are only...120 meters away from each others !

https://ibb.co/GphyRRd

futhermore, you could notice that the area is in the midst of many others filming locations over the seasons (Only, for those identified on Rubber Chicken Google Earth script)...