[Copied from Kerry Pere’s article in PCC’s UPDATE newsletter of November 15, 1985; reprinted in pcc50.com on September 28, 2012; photo by Mike Foley]
While some bystanders thought they were looking at the “Colonel” from Kentucky Fried Chicken™, other more literate onlookers knew what they saw was the image of one of America’s most celebrated novelists, namely Mark Twain.
The man behind the make-up was actually an actor by the name of Walker Edmiston. He was the narrator for a promotional film produced by Pleasant Hawaiian Holidays tour company.
The promotional is an important part of the company’s marketing strategy. It is to be shown at
briefings, conventions, and to tourists in general as part of the Don Ho Show. The presentation highlights various main attractions in the islands — the Polynesian Cultural Center being a main one.
Now residing in Hollywood with his wife Evelyn, Edmiston began his acting career in 1950 in such shows as Big Valley, Mission Impossible, and The Wild, Wild West.
He’s what they call in the movie business a “voice man.” His job is to match his voice exactly to the characters he’s portraying or to actors who have died or are out of town. He had just finished doing Orson Welles for a television special…
Also, he has portrayed Mark
Twain in the NBC Sunclassic Mark Twain’s America.
It’s always comforting to know we have a seasoned veteran plugging for us here at the Polynesian Cultural Center.
