IT’S NO SURPRISE to longtime readers that one of my oldest and dearest friends was Glen A. Larson,
famed television producer and part-time Honolulu resident. Upon
receiving word that he was in intensive care at a Los Angeles hospital, I
rushed to see him … and was at his side when he died …
The list of shows to which he lent his writing and producing talents — Knight Rider, The Six Million Dollar Man, Quincy, McCloud, Switch, To Catch A
Thief, Alias Smith & Jones, The Hardy Boys Mysteries, Manimal, Night
Man, The Highwayman, The Fall Guy, Battlestar Galactica … and Magnum, P.I.,
which he developed out of his love for Hawaii, dominated prime time for
decades and continues to delight audiences around the world in
syndication…
We first met July 19, 1958, when I introduced Glen with The Four Preps at
the “Show of Stars” at the old Civic Auditorium. Just before going on,
Glen asked me to sustain the applause as long as possible before
bringing them back for an encore, which I did, after their last song, 26 Miles … They returned dressed in colorful muumuu, and the audience went wild! …
Glen’s love affair with Hawaii was evident throughout his career,
with special episodes or whole series created specifically for our
Islands and talent. He wrote an episode of McCloud set in Waikiki, casting Don Ho in a nightclub scene. I had trouble keeping a straight face while introducing him as “Al Moana” … There also was a TV movie, The Islander, filmed mostly at the Halekulani with stars Dennis Weaver, Bernadette Peters and Sharon Gless, in which Dick Jensen went by the name “Al Kahala” …
I was elated when Glen got his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame,
and shortly thereafter, was privileged to serve as associate producer of
his CBS series, One West Waikiki, starring Cheryl Ladd and Richard Burgi. Along the way, we shared great conversations, great wines and much, much laughter. I bid you warm aloha, my friend …
-- Tom Moffatt, Midweek, November 26, 2014
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