In April 1965, a young man from Sawana Village in Lomaloma, Lau was offered a role in a Hollywood film based on James Michener’s famous novel ‘Hawaii’.
He was Manu Tupou Taunaolo — a Fijian who made a name for himself as a film star.
Manu as he was known in the American film industry had his feet set on the road to film fame.
His pay was an equivalent of more than 260 Fijian pounds a week (tax free).
Manu, whose father was Wilisoni Fatafehi, was formerly a member of the Public Relations Office at Suva and was at the time with BBC in London.
Manu who acted in films like Hawaii, the Extraordinary Seaman, Love Affair, Payback, Hurricane, Chief Zabu and Circuitry Man, also made a name for himself on stage and on television.
Manu according to an article published in this newspaper on Saturday, April 3, 1965 broke the news of his film offer in a letter which the public relations officer in Suva, Jack Hackett received.
“Hold on to your hat! I have been offered a major role in a film which is to be made at Hollywood based on James Michener’s story about Polynesians, “Hawaii” I received the offer of a contract in a cable from Hollywood sent by Raymond Kurtzman of the Mirisch Corporation,” Manu wrote in the letter.
“Confirming our agreement your services in the role of Prince Keoki Kanakoa in the film Hawaii will start on a date we will designate between April 29 and May 6,” Mr Kurtzman cabled Manu.
“We guarantee 12 weeks work at 500 dollars a week, plus 150 dollars a week living expenses. We will give you the usual tax indemnification regarding United States taxes.
“The contract will be forwarded shortly, I must talk to you about your arrival date in Los Angeles. As I am unable to reach you by telephone, will you please call me collect in Hollywood?”
Manu added in his letter that the shooting of the film was to be in the eastern United States, Hawaii and Hollywood.
“My role is that of a Prince from Hawaii who goes to Yale University and graduates with a degree in theology. He returns to Hawaii after having been disappointed by his failure to see the Christian God and practices what anthropologists call “nativism” or a return to his own no-called “primitive” tradition.
“The offer of this part follows a screen test which I had in Hollywood at the end of January when I was on my way from Honolulu to London.
“I did not think anything would come of it so I did not mention it in my last letter to you.
“I am truly excited about the opportunity. Perhaps it will help to build up my character and enrich my mind so that I may become more useful to my own people – to Fiji and the Fijians”.
At the beginning of this year Manu left the East-West Centre of the University of Hawaii to take an appointment with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in the Overseas Transcription Department.
“The film offer means that I have to leave London again by April 21. I shall travel by way of New York.
“I will spend four days with Mr and Mrs Sullivan in the small town of Brownwood in Texas. They are the parents of my former roommate at the East-West Centre in Hawaii.
“This will give me the opportunity to see some of the things I have read about Texas. Then I shall go to San Francisco to spend a few days with Mr and Mrs Robinson, who was friends of Mrs Norma Ferrier-Watson, of Nadi. After that I will go to Hollywood to do my film work.
“The BBC have co-operated more than 100 per cent in this unexpected surprise because they are even saving my job for me till I have finished my film assignment – that is in case I want to go back to it at the end of the filming.
“I have always longed to return to my home village in the Lau Group before carrying on with my education, but I have not been able to afford it.
“Now there is a distinct possibility that I shall be home in my own village by the end of August or early September.
“Then I propose to return to London, where I will take up my job with the BBC again and pursue my studies at the London School of Economics at the University of London.”
Manu began work with the Public Relations Office nearly eight years ago.
Hawaii was his big break into the filming world.
