Get my book about the history of the Mai-Kai

1963 Mai-Kai Calendar

January 1963 with Donna and a Black Magic

February 1963 Mystery Girl Dondi

March 1963 Mireille - Tahitian Dancer and became wife of original owner Bob Thornton in 1974. She became the choreographer in 1962, and still serves that role today.

April 1963 - Mimi

May 1963 Andre - Lead Tahitian dancer and married to Heitapu, another performer there. Sister to Leila and cousin to Liva. Her aunt Anna Chevalier was a movie star in Tahiti and was in Tabu, The Hurricane and The Black Pearl.

June 1963 - Lita - Oriental Mystery Girl

July 1963 - Jean

August 1963 - Diane

September 1963 - Sallye - In our Samoan Room, which is the room sort of behind the stage, and notably is built over water. Check it out next time you visit! Sallye was a former Vegas showgirl and daughter of baseball great Rip Sewell. She is said to have the most dramatic blue eyes imaginable. Here is an image of her from the cover of Baseball Digest in 1959. Another here describes her as a Dunes showgirl. She is also famous for being on the TOnight Show presenting Johnny Carson with the Mystery Ceremony.

October 1963 - Jean "By our giant Easter Island head"

November 1963 - Ellen "In our Fijian dining room" started in 1958 after all the waitresses had been fired for coming in drunk.

December 1963 - Charmaine - "On lanai of our Japanese Tea Room"

Dondi again, in a tree which was in the garden area of the Mai-Kai. Yes, there were palm trees and gardens inside the Mai-Kai!