Ghost Producer
Hawaii Five-O is one of the most beloved series by crime-television fans. But even the most dedicated fans will be surprised by these secrets that went on behind the scenes and beyond of this original series.
Check out our gallery and see these surprising secrets that producers from Hawaii Five-O hid from its fans.
After 'Hawaii Five-O' producer Leonard Freeman passed away in 1974, Jack Lord, who played Detective Steve McGarrett in the series, took the reins and handled the production for the rest of the series.
Dancer Revealed
Unfortunately, Jack Lord wasn’t given credit as a screen producer.
In case you were wondering who the talented hula dancer in the opening montage was, her name is Helen Torc, and she's uncredited in the entire series. She later became a professor at a local community college.
Who Played The Chief?
It's too bad her career behind the silver screen never took off.
Throughout the entire original series, six different actors played the role of Government intelligence chief, Jonathan Kaye.
Actual Police
These actors are Joseph Sirola, James Gregory, Lyle Bettger, Tim O’Connor, Robert Dixon, and Bill Edwards.
Actor Kam Fong played Detective Chin Ho Kelley, which was not far from his previous real-life job. He was an actual Honolulu police officer.
Five-"O", Not Five-"0"
He served on the force from 1946 to 1962 and retired to pursue a career in real estate and acting.
The reason for the “Five-O” in the title of the series is because Hawaii was the 50th state in the union.
Casting At The Last Minute
One easy way to differenciate the orignal series to the remake is that the “O” in the original title is not the number zero, but it is in the remake of the series Hawaii Five “0”.
At the last minute, Jack Lord auditioned for the role of McGarrett for Hawaii Five-O. That Wednesday, he read the script in California, on Friday he flew to Hawaii, and the following Monday, he was shooting for the new series.
Living on the Edge
Pretty efficient, if you ask us.
The character Danny Williams was the only cast member that was ever shown smoking cigarettes in the entire series.
Don't Keep Your Enemies Close
You can also see he’s held a smoking gun, too!
Forever In Hawaii
Although Khigh Dhiegh may have played the ultimate arch enemies Wo Fat, he and Jack Lord only appeared together on screen a measly four times.
Jack Lord loved where they filmed so much that after the show he decided to become a full-time resident, and eventually, he became a prominent social and political figure as well.
Early Exit
After he passed away, a statue of him was built in his honor.
Zulu, who played Detective Kono Kalakaua, was the first of the main characters to leave the show permanently. He called it quits to Hawaii Five-O in its 4th season.
Setting Records
Fans missed him for the rest of the show.
Until the series Law & Order hit it's 13th season, Hawaii Five-O was the longest-running crime show in television history. But who knows?
Veteran On The Cast
Maybe the new revamp of the show can break some records of its own.
Jack Lord, who played Detective Steve McGarrett in the series was an actual Vietnam War Veteran.
Royal Palace
It really added to the character of Steve McGarrett.
McGarrett’s office at the Iolani Palace was the actual palace which the last king and queen of Hawaii lived in.
Drama With The Cast
That's one fancy set if you ask us.
Characters Danny, Steve, Duke, and Chin were all suspended at one point during the series due to various reason on the script.
Difficulty With The Title
Additionally, Steve and Danny were the only two characters to ever be charged with murder during the show.
Before the title name of “Hawaii Five-O” was finally settled upon as the oficial title of the show, producer Leonard Freeman considered the title “The Man”, and it almost became the actual title of the show.
A Change In The Studio
Luckily, Hawaii Five-O stuck, and it's what we know it as today.
During the ninth season, the Hawaii Five-O offices relocated from the original Iolani Palace to a different building nearby.
Gang Name
The change in location was due to renovations to the Iolani Palace and also because of CBS’s new building’s construction not being completed in time for shooting.
Tony Alika was the head mobster of a very exclusive gang in the show.
Navy Man
It was so exclusive that nobody truley knew the name until it was revealed that the name of it was “Kumu”.
According to the script, before McGarret became the head honcho of Five-O, he was an intelligence officer in the Navy. Not only that, he was also a ranked Lieutenant.
Secret On The Set
This is interesting because Jack Lord, the man who played McGarret, was actually in the military prior to becoming an actor.
Contrary to popular belief, not all the office scenes were shot in the Iolani Palace.
Multiple Jobs, One Show
The office interiors were actually sets on a soundstage.
Peggy Ryan played McGarrett’s secretary, Jenny Sherman.
Who Played The Chief?
Also, Ryan played the secretary of the Governor, Mildred, in two episodes of the first season.
Throughout the entire original series, six different actors played the role of Government intelligence chief, Jonathan Kaye.
These actors are Joseph Sirola, James Gregory, Lyle Bettger, Tim O’Connor, Robert Dixon, and Bill Edwards.