Back in the late 50s Trader Vic's ran a line of drink mixers and other stuff with a "Polynesian"girl on the label. There were two labels. On one, the girl was topless. On the other she wore a Dorothy Lamour-style sarong, much more modest. My California family bought the topless ones. As a pubescent 11-12-yrar old, I spent a lot of time in front of that cabinet.
Incidentally, possibly the apogee of Tiki style was Disneylsnd's (the Anaheim one) Enchanted Tiki Room. Last I looked, it was still there.
What happens at Trader Vic's stays at Trader Vic's....How was that allowed in 1950s America?
What happens at Trader Vic's stays at Trader Vic's.
On the surface, sure. For a long time America was pretty good at hiding it's seedy underbelly behind a veneer of civility. But I think WWII made a lot of people realize their time on Earth could come to an end at any moment, they decided to live it up while they could, and that veneer got pretty thin unless you lived in a community where Christianity (in some form) was King. I doubt these bottles could be found in supermarkets, but they were probably fair game in bars and liquor stores.I hear ya, but it seems America was much more buttoned-up on the surface than to allow for bottles like this.
I know today drink mixes are sold in supermarkets, I assume, back then, these were only sold at the bars themselves?
I can't image 1950s America letting these bottles sit on its supermarket shelves?
All the better to go unnoticed, i.e. hide from your significant other if you were having a secret rendezvous....The photos you tend to see of The Luau don't do it justice, it was very dark and artistically lit...
As a pubescent 11-12-yrar old, I spent a lot of time in front of that cabinet.
the book was nowhere near as good as "Tales of the South Pacific" View attachment 64854
Tales of the South Pacific is hard to top.