Post #362876 by bigbrotiki on Fri, Feb 22, 2008 11:15 AM

Cool! There has been quite a bit of research done, but there is always more to do. There are a couple of posts on TC if you search under Mayfair Beachcomber. Here is one:

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=528&forum=1

Here is a nice collection of Marquesan Toggle Tikis:

...and here its use as the Beachcomber menu cover logo Tiki:

Interior of the restaurant:

The logo Tiki appeared on the plates and other dishware, and --which is absolutely unique--also on the backs of the restaurant's CHAIRS!:

Here is another postcard view of the restaurant:

You should talk to Jamie, who has done a lot of research. I believe it was him who for a while had a lead on the chairs and other fixtures being in storage somewhere, but it never materialized.

Here is the historical part of the Tiki News article about it:

The fact that it was built by Americans is priceless, by film producers, even better. What is interesting about the May Fair Beachcomber is that not a lot of photo evidence of it exists, but quite a bit of FILM on it. The Pathe News screen grabs that Tangaroa once posted here have expired unfortunately, and some 80s Britpop band shot a music video there.

But, also, the most elaborate Tiki Temple scenes ever found in a British (or American) film were shot there...or so I assumed...for the 1963 Charlie Drake vehicle "The Cracksman". The end credits state that it was filmed at Elstree Studios, which was at that time owned by the Danziger Brothers, owners and creators of the Beachcomber. So I naturally assumed that they shot it in their own restaurant. But the more I look at the footage and compare it to the postcards, the more it looks like they actually RECREATED their own club in their studios! I only have it on VHS, so here are some snap shots:

A grotto-style downstairs entrance (two flights of stairs) opens up into a large room:

...with waterfeatures...

...dioramas...

...and lotsa (colorfully lit) Tiki masks!

There also is a very cool owner's office that has a view of the club!:

Experience tells me that the amazing exterior entrance was just propped onto the May Fair Hotel and named "TIKI" for the film only:

...but now I am not sure so anymore. So this is were some urban archeology could help: I took some more screen shots of the CORNER building and the street past it. IF yo can recognize this street anywhere in front or back of the May Fair Hotel, my intitial guess guess of it being the whole location is supported, if not, it means the exterior was shot somewhere else completely, and the sound stage theory is more likely. Here are the pics:

I doubt those "medallions" will still be on that building in the B.G.
You could check for the iron railing on the right:

Now here's a sequence that shows the whole corner building and street nicely:

So, is this anywhere around the May Fair?

[ Edited by: bigbrotiki 2008-02-22 11:23 ]