Something very modern looking about Kelli, Miss December 1974.
Mai Kai, Fort Lauderdale, FL
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Hi Tim, It has been a lot of fun to see myself over and over on not only your sites but several others as well. As said before, thank you for the nice memories. I see that the # 4 1964 Miss March pix is used a good bit but also the color headshot as Miss January 1966. Perhaps this Mai Kai shot and one more in Black and white, not Mai Kai have been my most famous pix to date. I was also on the 1965 calendar as Miss February. At the same time I was at the Mai Kai I was also with Florida Talent Agency and was lucky enough to participate in a few rare promotional films with the New York Yankees. Also I played in a fun Yankees game and was teamed with TomTresh. The Yankees were very much a part of our everyday life at the Mai Kai and we never paid much attention to them. Without exception all of them were just great with all of us and it was indeed a unique time in our lives that all of us were able to interact and still be good friends. All of the Yankees and Joe Namamth as well as so many celebrities of those days, Jackie Gleason, his pals and so many more very famous folks. I even have a note signed by Brooks Hatch from the then well known group The Serendipity Singers asking me as the Mai Kai mystery Dancer to please tell him I could sing!!! Sadly, I could not sing! I must have served hundreds of drinks as well as the famous mystery drink to famous people and all treated me so very well. As said before, working at the Mai Kai with so many terrific and talented performers I feel fortunate to have been a part of it. From my work there I went on to an international contract as a rare for its day, female scuba diver and traveled all over the world doing exciting underwater excavation work in many countries with many films, commercials and still photography. It all started at the Mai Kai and I credit them with the wonderful work I have done in over 50 international commerciales as well as many films on recovering rare submerged artifacts and being trained to identify shipwrecks by the cannons and on and on. Locally I was luckey to become well known as a model who would get wet and sandy and dive and fish as well as waterski and windsurf and fly my own plane as well as do all my own stunts on my own horses. I have A nice album of my work and a few more Mai Kai pix. If you would care for any hard copies I will be happy to send you some. I will need your adress or I will give you mine and we can then correspond. I do not yet have a fax or would send them to you. Now, all these years later you would be surprised to know at age 66 ,that every so often a stranger will ask-Weren’t you at the Mai Kai or where do I know you from–Yes it still happens. I have enjoyed all of this-makes me feel young! Merry Christmas to you and your family Tim–wille in touch- Ann Campbell Melley Russell
Annie – What a pleasure to hear your stories of your days at the Mai-Kai! Thanks for sharing them. The Mai-Kai is very special place for me and I visit often. I can only imagine what it must have been like back in the 50s-60s when everything was still so new and everyone dressed up! I (and many others) would love to hear any stories you might have of your Mai-Kai days and any pictures you might have to share. A great place to share them is at http://www.tikicentral.com, where you will find me (GatorRob), Tim (Swanky) and many others. Just create a new message there in the “General” category and share some stories and you’ll get responses from a lot of grateful people. Hope to here from you!
Rob
PS – That’s an amazing hairdo and eyeliner you’re sporting in the Jan 66 calendar photo!!
HI Rob-Nice to hear from you! I am in touch with Tim and will have a few pix and old clippings copied for him. We just moved up to central Fl. and still unpacking. Lived right by the Mai kai all these years. I was stunned to discover another color shot of me and the big red wig on tikicentral forum-topic Mai Kai 50th anniv. A look back-page 3-The eyeliner was so folks could see your eyes in the dark rooms of the Mai Kai! On yet another site is a postcard picture in black and white and on another site its in color-Found another of myself serving the mystery drink and another hugging a big tiki-I am sure there are many more but these are enough to remind me of a wonderful few years of my life, working with a just terrific group of gals as nice as they were beautiful. Annie Russell-will stay in touch
Aloha,
Kellie is the sister of Mai Kai Calendar a Day #48 (Susan)
Larry