MAGNUM PI…. what can I say, if you weren’t there you cant even begin to imagine what was and will always be one of the greatest shows you could have worked on. The locations, the crew, the actors, the money! The stuff Dreams are made of! Every show I do after this has to be compared to it and none stand as tall. I get calls and email from folks all over the globe who somehow found out I was on that show and want to ask me for my experiences on it, some were writing books! Who knew….

This was one of my first episodes on Magnum, awesome! That is real not a set behind me! This is a series of waterfalls and pools just off the “Pali” highway. Bill Witthans (Dolly grip / me!) Pat McGinnis (1st AC) Greg Navvee (Boom man) and operator Phil Kaplan behind him.

Our AD staff (?) Bobby Williams (2nd 2nd AD) and Skip Burnham (2nd AD at the time) this was taken during the Circus episode that we did outside during a Hurricane! It shut us down for several days!

The Beautiful women in the middle is MY wife and she gets in just because! Magnum was a lot of fun on set and in the off times! Here Me, Genie, Andy Agular (BB Grip) Sylvia (my wife) Skip Burnham (1st AD) and his wife (?) our out in Waikiki sampling local beverages!

DP John Flynn III now Directing this episode laughs with Guest DP Lloyd Ahern. 1300 feet up on a cliff caused us all to find our seldom used jackets!

Herbie (local electrician) Pat McGinnis, and me behind Dolly. This shot shows you how close we were to the 1200 foot cliff that went virtually straight down to the pacific ocean. You are looking towards Kaneohe area. This right next to the spot the hang gliders jump off! That’s Tom Selleck on the ground.

Another Shot from the same scene and dolly track. Me looking butch at the back of the dolly, next to me is DP/Director John Flynn III, Guest Director of Photography for this episode is Loyd Ahern (extreme left) I believe this shot has Tom Sellecks stand in John on the ground. John also stood in for Jack Lord on “Hawaii 50”

Out near Paradise cove Denny Hall (AC) and Pat McGinnis are in the center right of Camera. Rob McCarthy (BB electric) to the left of camera sorta hidden, and Mark Kuromoto (grip) on the shiny board. I think this was one of first time mark was with us. At left is Rick DiNiri (Propman) Greg (B-Camera, 1st AC) Bobby Williams (2nd AD). Leaning on the ladder is Bobby Chaldu (gaffer) Tom’s Stand in John? can be seen at extreme left. There are few places better to work than this, there were no radios, no cell phones, and no 20 chairs full of producers.

Tom Selleck goofs around with me on the Camera. I really liked working with him and he was always great to the crew.

Phil Kaplan (Camera Op) takes a spin in the Ferrari with I think Tom Lupo a Stunt double for Tom. We had 3 Ferrari’s a Close up picture car, one to drive fast in long shots, and a VW with a fiberglass “Ferrari” body to do “stunt” work!

From the same day we did a low flying plane shot for the episode. This on the North Shore of the Island of Ohau were we did most of our filming. This spot is remote and about 5-6 miles as the crow flies from Wiemia Bay were the the famous big waves break in the Winter.

Another early episode that had scenes done in Sealife park. That’s Phil Kaplan (op) and the first years Key Grip Tommy Thompson up with a hand held camera in the rigging. Rabbit Island is the big mountain in background.

My lovely wife learned to dive and bring home the lobster!

Ronny Nip, Mel Kuromoto, David Ahuna, (Grips) Rob McCarthy (BB electric) Pat MacGinnis (op bent over camera) Denny Hall kneeling (1st AC) John Flynn III ( DP) and a impish looking Mark Kuromoto! (grip) This was the day we landed a helicopter on this street and needed to move a truck for the shot only to find that all the “Teamsters” had left the show to go back to town for a special meeting!!! Strange stuff on the Island sometimes…..

While this one is actually from the “Jake and the Fatman” show I put it in here since outside of John Lubin (BB Grip) in the blue shirt the crew was the same as Magnum. That’s Denny Hall with his back to us and John Flynn III looking at mount. Magnums sound mixer Stan Gordon is in white short just behind car… possibly wondering where I hid his donuts today! David Ahuna and Jimmy Lusk stand in back between Stan the camera with his back to us

Lots more pictures but they are film and need to get scanned in….check back!