The Donn of Tiki Will Screen at the Hollywood Theatre in Portland

A film called “The Donn of Tiki” is coming to Portland. Nominated for a James Beard Media Award earlier this year (among other honors), it is in the middle of a 2025 roadshow theatrical release. And you can watch it at the Hollywood Theatre, right here in Portland, later this month.

What’s The Donn of Tiki About, Exactly?

Well, it’s about what is considered “the unbelievable life story” of Ernest Raymond Beaumont Gantt—you might know him better as Donn Beach—the man who opened the first Tiki bar not long after the end of prohibition. Its original name was “Don’s Beachcomber,” later changed to “Don the Beachcomber.” Fun fact: Gantt legally changed his name to Donn Beach; it wasn’t just a pseudonym.

This documentary film is made of stop-motion animated sections, archival footage and photographs, and expert interview commentary with authors, researchers, and cocktail experts. You’ll also hear audio from a 1986 interview with Donn—all bringing him to life, giving you a chance to hear him tell his story in his own words.

More on Donn Beach

He was known for telling entertaining stories about himself and his life, but many of them were unverifiable. Stories you’ll hear in the movie that illustrate his drive and influence:

• His travels through The South Seas.
• Bootlegging in 1920s Hollywood.
• Scavenging for liquor in Europe during WWII.
• Creating authentic travel experiences in Hawaii in the 1950s.

After multiple marriages, unfortunate run-ins with the Chicago mob, and victim to what we’d call IP theft today, he settled down with his true love and led a quiet life of simplicity. Unfortunately for him, he also saw Tiki recede in popularity by the early 80s (Donn died in 1989), and missed its revival on the west coast in the 1990s.

The Donn of Tiki Filmmakers

“The Donn of Tiki” is a film by Alex Lamb (Director/Editor) and Max Well (Director/Cinematographer), along with Tim Glazner (Associate Producer/Writer). They connected on this film during COVID (Alex was working on mastering his mixology skills while in quarantine). and a mutual interest in Tiki.

They originally met at the Dodge College at Chapman University in Orange County (other notable alumni are the Duffer Brothers and Justin Simien), collaborated on films there, and went on do music videos and commercials together. They founded Surf Monkey Films together, as well.

Alex has worked in post production for many NBC/Universal shows including “The Magicians,” “The Bold Type,” and most recently edited on Season 3 of “Chucky.” Max has filmed hundreds of interviews, including those with Pearl Harbor survivors and Tuskegee Airmen. Recent work includes content for “Ask the Storybots” on Netflix, and commercials for national brands.

Max expands on how Donn of Tiki came to be:

“We got lucky in some ways—during COVID lockdown, we set out to create a couple of shorts about the old Tiki bars in LA. They are visually interesting, and we were genuinely interested in the history.

“As we started doing research and talking with folks in the Tiki community, we kept hearing about Donn Beach. He’s revered as this kind of legendary figure by a lot of people—his life hasn’t been very well documented, and there are a lot of stories that are hard to believe. The more we learned, the more we were intrigued, and then all of a sudden we were making a movie about Donn Beach.”

You can read a longer interview with the filmmakers, here.

Portland’s Tiki Scene

There are three Portland Tiki bars worth mentioning: Hale Pele (one of the best), The Alibi (one of the oldest), and Da’Hui (one of the lesser-known).

Hale Pele

Portland is known for having one of the best tiki bars in the country, Hale Pele. Opend in 2012, it appears on pretty much every list of notable tiki bars; I’d say it’s a destination tiki bar. It’s dark, atmospheric, and has an extensive tiki drink menu including the classics: Mai Tai, Scorpion, Volcano Bowl, Piña Colada, and Zombie. They also have some NA cocktail options (“virgins”).

They do offer food (full menu here), which is not as extensive as the drinks. Things on the menu include housemade Hawaiian Bread, Crab Rangoon dip, Kalua Pork, a Cuban Sandwich, and Mac Salad.

It’s really an experience going there. 2733 NE Broadway, Portland

The Alibi

While some say Hale Pele is a great tiki bar, other say that The Alibi is a tiki-themed bar. They opened in 1947—making them one of the oldest Tiki bars in the country—and identify as a “Tiki lounge.” But whatever you want to call it, it shares some things with Hale Pele: It’s a dark bar (they refreshed their historic relief mural earlier this year) and they have those requisite Tiki drinks mentioned above.

Their food menu is bar food with a Tiki twist (burgers, wings), but also Kalua Pork, Crab Dip, and a PuPu Platter. 4024 N Interstate Avenue, Portland

Da’Hui

This only recently appeared on my radar. Located in Southeast Portland, it opened in 2011 after being a food cart. It’s often referred to as a “Tiki dive bar.” This guy said, “The place seemed to really want to be Tiki.” They’ve got a few Tiki bar drinks: Mai Tai, Zombie, Piña Colada, and a lot of Hawaiian food. The atmosphere has more of an island vibe than a Tiki vibe.

Their food options are more extensive that the others and is really a menu of Hawaiian food, including Loco Moco, musubi, Kalua Pork, and plate lunch and breakfast, among others. 6506 SE Foster Road, Portland

Hawaiian Restaurants

Here in Portland there are a number of restaurants serving Hawaiian food. We are fortunate enough to have them and they give us an opportunity to compare food and drink from this region with that at the local Tiki bars. Places worth checking out are

• Ohana Hawaiian Cafe, 6320 NE Sandy Blvd, Portland
• 808 Grinds, Multiple locations (details)
• Kau Kau (recent review on The Oregonian), 2026 NE Alberta Street, Portland
• GrindWitTryz, 4318 NE Cully Blvd, Portland
• Wailua Shave Ice, 1022 W Burnside Street, Unit O, Portland
• Ō and Kō (malasadas and snacks), 465 NE Burnside Road, Gresham

Tiki Is Also Controversial

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that there is controversy when it comes to Tiki. While it is beloved by many, not everyone is sympathetic to it; there are some assertions of colonialism and appropriation in Tiki culture.

And while Don the Beachcomber opened in 1934, influenced by Donn’s travels in the South Pacific, it also took off around the time of World War II when U.S. soldiers served in the Pacific theater. They found the region “exotic” and brought back their love of the tropical, which then was filtered through an American lens, kitschified, and integrated into the Tiki bar. Food influenced by Hawaii, China, and Polynesia also became popular.

Overall, authenticity was not a concern (though that term, “authentic” is up for debate). To get a full idea of the way Tiki is viewed, it’s worth understanding the POV of those with origins in Hawaii and the South Pacific. There are a few articles worth reading about the controversy surrounding Tiki and its culture:

• Rethinking Tiki: How to Do Tropical Escapism Better [Liquor dot com]
• How to Enjoy a Tiki Bar Without Guilt [Aesthetics for Birds]
• Let’s Talk Tiki Bars: Harmless Fun Or Exploitation? [NPR]

The Screening of “The Donn of Tiki” in Portland

As I mentioned at the start of this article, Donn of Tiki will screen at the Hollywood Theatre, on Sunday, November 30 at 3pm. There will be an introduction to the film, then the screening, and a Q&A with the filmmakers afterward. You can purchase your tickets on “The Donn of Tiki” website for $20. (Note: You cannot buy them on the Hollywood Theatre website.)

I think this film is going to be interesting, entertaining, and thought-provoking. Perhaps I’ll see you there!

“The Donn of Tiki” screening
Sunday, November 30, 2025
3pm
Hollywood Theatre, 4122 NE Sandy Blvd, Portland
Tickets: $20, purchase here
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