The Donn of Tiki
Texas-born tiki legend shines in new documentary with Houston screening
The Donn of Tiki uncovers tiki culture's origins through one influential bar owner.
It seems like the 20th century phenomenon of tiki bars would have emerged organically, with no sole progenitor, but a quick online search always turns up the late, supposedly Texas-born bar owner Donn Beach. A new documentary called The Donn of Tiki follows the history of "tiki culture" from this influential origin, aiming to "separate fact from fiction," according to a press release.
The James Beard Media Award-nominated film will screen in Houston at the River Oaks Theatre on Tuesday, October 14. Austin can catch it at the Regal Westgate Stadium 11 on October 15.
In the film's first moments, it defines tiki as "Cantonese food, Caribbean mixology, and South Pacific decor combined to create an aesthetic that was exotic, yet undeniably American." It also wastes no time in characterizing Beach, portrayed in this film as a whimsical claymation figure, as an unreliable narrator.
Although Ernest Raymond Gantt, a.k.a. Donn Beach, was based in Hollywood when he opened his bar Don the Beachcomber in 1934, he was born in Mexia, Texas — or at least that's what the film settles on, using census records. The current website for the Don the Beachcomber brand, which was purchased by 23 Restaurant Services in 2022, repeats Beach's claim that his birthplace was New Orleans, Louisiana.
The film goes on to detail the escapism of tiki culture, the surprising subtly of the mixology despite the aesthetic overkill, and the business intricacies of bootlegging and commercializing indigenous practices in Hawai'i. As it'd be a crime to film a bland documentary about tiki culture, all the interviewees pull these historical threads while wearing vivid Pacific island prints.
Even taking into account Beach's penchant for yarn-spinning and legendary contribution to cultural appropriation, the film's official description calls him "a champion for authenticity, both in his work, and within himself."
Audience members at the Houston screening will be able to learn more from co-director Max Well during a post-screening Q&A. For now, local screenings offer the only opportunities the general public will have to see the film. However, an FAQ page on the documentary's website says the team is working on a Blu-Ray release with more content, including recipes, and they expect the film to eventually be available on demand on platforms such as Amazon Video and Apple TV.
The River Oaks Theater will host two screenings at 7:15 pm and 8:45 pm. Tickets ($21) are available here.
