User:Jack R. Law

Jack Law

Jack Law is the owner of Hulas Bar and Lei Stand in Waikiki. With a long standing business history in Hawaii; Jack has been coined one of the most influential advocates for gay culture in Honolulu. While he has helped to create two of Waikiki's famous nightclubs and bars: The Wave Waikiki and Hulas Bar and Lei Stand, he has also founded the Life Foundation and the Honolulu Rainbow Film Festival, providing the publicized start of Honolulu's Gay and Lesbian culture. He has previously been appointed by Governors Waihee and Cayetano to the State of Hawaii Civil Rights Commission where he served for 8 years. On July 15, 2011 Governor Abercrombie proclaimed “Jack Law Day” giving the bar owner his own day in Hawaii.

Jack's Early Years

Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Jack spent his early years in Detroit, Michigan. He got his first taste of the tropical weather at the age of seven when his family moved to Florida. Unfortunately, the military life style of his parents sent the family back to the harsh winters of Detroit where he yearned for warmer weather. Jack found himself working at a record company in downtown Detroit as a young man. At the time when Motown Records was in its heyday, it was then Jack got that taste of show business that would later play a prominent role in his life.

Seeking refuge from the depressing Michigan winters, Law and two of his buddies packed their bags and moved to Honolulu, Hawaii. Although the third member of their trio lasted only a year before returning to Michigan, to Law and his buddy, John Dovoban, Hawaii became home. “I can’t imagine what my life would have been like if I hadn’t come to Hawaii. I strongly feel that we have a choice and there’s a dichotomy of being predestined for certain things. I really feel like I was predestined to come to Hawaii.”

Jack Law and “Bob” Magoon Junior

Shortly after arriving in Hawaii, he met a man by the name of Eaton “Bob” Magoon Junior. A local boy whose family owned one of the small estates on the island, the Magoon Estate. It was Bob Magoon, who introduced Jack to Hawaiian culture, songwriting, producing and even Broadway. But, more importantly to the mindset that anything can be done and always making the best of things. Bob Magoon was a songwriter and playwright while managing his family’s real estate in Honolulu. He soon recruited Law to assist in his musical comedy, “Thank Him for the Heathen” which was produced at Dillingham Hall at Punahou. And in typical Bob Magoon style, Law was thrown into the role as the chairman of Public Relations and Advertising. “I was a kid and didn’t know anything. Especially about promotion. But I sort of learned on the job.” Law soon found himself and the show on Broadway, an amazing experience for anybody, but especially for him. Suddenly, the show business bug was rekindled.

East West Productions- Entry Into the Music Business

While assisting Bob Magoon with his musical production, Law also started a record company called East West Productions. He and Bob Magoon put together a band, The Potted Palm” lead by Tina Santiago. Jack produced their record written by Bob Magoon, titled “House of Grass. Eventually he began managing the group. During a time when the liquor laws required a live band to serve liquor and allow dancing in an establishment, live bands were playing on every block down Kalakaua and Kuhio Avenues. The Potted Palm was a regular act at the Diamond Head Restaurant which was located in the Colony Surf West (now the the Lotus Hotel). Later the owner of the Colony Surf Hotel and Michel’s Restaurant, Rainee Barkhorn wanted to start the first real disco tech in Hawaii called “Pavillon (French Pronunciation) de Michel.” Needing a live band to satisfy the liquor laws for dancing, the Potted Palm auditioned and found a home for the next three years.

During this time Law found himself managing other artists and bands, among them were Lopaka, Ed Kenny (who was performing at the Monarch Room at the Royal Hawaiian), and the Sunday Manoa Trio. It was while watching the Sunday Manoa Trio perform at the Outrigger Canoe Club that he was asked to leave because his shoulder length hair was in violation of the club’s hair policy. “This was a time when the country was split and one of the things that was important at the time was hair”, Law recounts. “The Vietnam war was going on and Hawaii found itself split between the Doves and the Hawks”.

Eventually, time went on. The war ended and the liquor laws evolved. Bands were no longer needed and Law began looking for other opportunities. He once again found himself in new territory thrown into the real estate business through his good friend, Bob Magoon. The Magoon’s real estate business was just about to start on a building called 1717 Ala Wai – a little shopping center at a space called, Eaton Square named after Eaton Magoon Senior (Bob Magoon’s father). Being in the middle of a major real estate development in Honolulu, meeting with real estate lawyers, accountants and developers, Law quickly learned the real estate business inside and out. He obtained his real estate salesman’s license then soon after, his real estate broker’s license.

The start of Hulas Bar and Lei Stand

Law continued to work in real estate when a piece of property belonging to the Magoon Estate became available. Sitting across from the Kuhio movie theater on the corner of Kuhio Avenue and Kalaimoku Street sat what used to be a house and more recently a laundromat and small restaurant. The ever confident, Bob Magoon brought up the idea of opening up a bar. And although Jack tried to ration that they knew nothing about running a bar, Bob’s “anything is possible” attitude eventually won out. With no more than $10,000 they put up a lattice fence turned the broken down house/restaurant/laundromat/parking lot into Hula’s Bar and Lei Stand. There, under the iconic big banyan tree began what would become a legendary establishment. Being 1974, it was a time of liberation and freedom but gay bars were typically delegated to the side streets. Hula’s Bar and Lei Stand sat on a prominent corner and after a few years of struggle it became a landmark. Halloween parties evolved into Hula-ween and New Years Eve parties became the go to spot for New Years Eve in Waikiki. “Hula’s became a place where it didn’t matter if you were gay or straight. If you were a celebrity and happened to be in Waikiki you were in Hula’s during your stay sometime.” Says Law. Elton John, Dolly Parton, Barry Manilow, all at one point passed through the lattice fence. Hula’s soon found itself as somewhat of an anchor tenant in what would be known as the “Kuhio District” named after the “Castro District” in San Francisco. Eventually, the area surrounding Hula’s became the gay mecca in Waikiki.

The Wave

In 1979 Law set his eyes on a vacant building which would soon become, The Wave Waikiki. It opened its doors in November of 1980 and Law eventually found himself in a dilemma with two competing businesses. The solution was to create an identity for The Wave that would allow it to stand on its own. The newly emerging genre of punk music was entering the scene and Law hired his first band, The Squids. Soon, The Wave became an entity in itself and eventually became the go to venue for live rock and roll entertainment in Waikiki until its close in 2006.

The End of Hulas/ The Start of “View Hulas”

Meanwhile in 1996 the Magoon Estate sold their development rights to the property where Hula’s Bar and Lei Stand was located. Law was forced to find a new location. After two years of looking, he finally found an abandoned restaurant with an unparalleled view on the second floor of the Waikiki Grand Hotel which he would later dub “View Hula’s.” Despite some animosity from the old customers, the “View Hula’s” has proved to continue the Hula’s legacy and has been successfully operating since its doors opened in 1998.

Malia's Cantina

Aside from the prominent Hula’s Bar and Lei Stand and The Wave Waikiki, for a short period, Law took over Malia’s Cantina, a Mexican restaurant on Lewers Street. By now Bob Magoon’s “can do” attitude had thoroughly rubbed off on Law. He quickly transformed the restaurant into the hub for Hawaiian entertainment in Waikiki featuring acts such as Kapena, Patricia Bright and Willie K. Eventually the economy began its decline and Jack sold the restaurant.

Civil Rights Commission/Life Foundation

He was also appointed by Governors Waihee and Cayetano to the State of Hawaii Civil Rights Commission where he served for 8 years. At a time when AIDS was still a “mainland problem” he was asked by Dr. David McEwen to become a founding board member of the Life Foundation, and held the first board meeting at Law’s dining room table.

Honolulu Rainbow Film Festival

More notably, he founded the Honolulu Adam Baran Gay Film Festival in honor of his close friend who was one of the first people he knew to fall victim to the AIDS epidemic. Inspired by Adam Baran’s video editing talents, what started as a few video tapes shown at Hula’s has grown to become the Honolulu Rainbow Film Festival in Honor of Adam Baran and the Gay and Lesbian Cultural Foundation. In 2009 [check date] Law stepped down from serving as president and handed the baton over to the next generation. It continues to prosper and has been recognized as one of the most important gay film festivals of the world.