Courtesy of “The Donn of Tiki”
Audio By Carbonatix
If you’ve ever enjoyed a mai tai at UnderTow or a zombie at Hula’s Modern Tiki, you can thank Donn Beach.
The late cocktail legend, born Ernest Gantt, is the father of the tiki bar and the subject of “The Donn of Tiki,” a new documentary that’s getting two screenings in the Valley this week.
Directed by Alex Lamb and Max Well, the 100-minute film is an engaging, inventive look at the mysterious Beach, a man who created his own biography, and the culture he helped popularize when he opened Don the Beachcomber in Los Angeles in the 1930s. It includes interviews with historians, mixologists and other figures of tiki culture. Segments devoted to Beach’s adventures are animated in a variety of styles.
The project began as a COVID-era docuseries about Los Angeles tiki bars, Lamb said in the press notes.
Support local news on #GivingNewsDay
Today is #GivingTuesday. We in the news business like to think of it as #GivingNewsDay. We’re aiming to raise $30,000 by December 31, so we can continue covering what matters most to this community. If you value our work, we hope you’ll consider making a contribution to our newsroom today.
“Max and I set out to film a couple bars and everyone’s interview started out the same: ‘Well, none of this would have happened if it wasn’t for Don the Beachcomber.’ From there, we decided, even if only half of these stories are true, Donn’s story would be an amazing documentary in its own right,” he said.
Lamb and Well will be on hand for post-screening Q&As after both Valley screenings:
• 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 11: Majestic Gilbert 8, 5478 S. Power Road, Gilbert. Cost is $20, or for $50, a VIP ticket includes preferred seating at the theater, as well as entrance to a private preshow “hard hat” reception at Surf City Tiki Hut, starting at 5 p.m. VIP guests can check out the progress of the build before Surf City Tiki Hut officially opens to the public, enjoy pu-pu platters and tiki drink samples and chat with the filmmakers.
• 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 12: Harkins Theatres Camelview at Fashion Square 14, 7014 E. Camelback Road, Scottsdale. Cost is $20. From 3 to 6:30 p.m., a sold-out pre-screening party at UnderTow at Century Grand will feature Donn the Beachcomber cocktails, exotic vibes and expertly crafted drinks.
For more information about the film, visit the official “The Donn of Tiki” website.
