Five-O lineup: Zulu out, 2 new regulars added

By WAYNE HARADA
Advertiser Entertainment Editor
From Honolulu Advertiser,
December 16, 1971

Zulu, who plays Detective Kono on the top-rated island-based "Hawaii Five-O," will not be returning to the CBS-TV series next season.

Replacing him on a regular basis will be Al Harrington, veteran Polynesian performer in Waikiki, who will play a new character, Benjamin "Ben" Kokua.

And when the show begins its fifth season, another regular — State Rep. Herman Wedemeyer as Duke — will be added

The announcement was made by Paul King, CBS vice president of program production, climaxing several weeks of behind-the-scene drama revolving around Zulu.

Zulu's manager and business partner. Liza Chong. said that the nonrenewal of contract — in essence, a firing — was expected.

"I would rather Zulu get out, and we expected this to happen." she said. "We tried to get a release from CBS be­fore, and were turned down.

"Then there was a run-in with Zulu and Len Weissman (publicist for the series here), and that just made it a hardship between Zulu and Jack Lord (star of the series)."

Although neither party has publicly acknowledged the nature of the Zulu-Weissman hassle that led to Zulu's sus­pension from the series, both have privately talked about the matter.

Zulu has acknowledged he denounced Weissman on the set of "Five-O," and that he did voice racial slurs against Weissman. Apparently they were loud enough for members of the cast — and onlookers — to hear. When Lord, who was not on the set, heard what happened, he is reported to have told the producers that Zulu's racial attack was unac­ceptable on "Five-O" or anywhere else.

Following the Zulu-Weissman hassle, Zulu was suspended for the two remaining episodes of the series, leading insiders to believe that his days as a regular were numbered.

Harrington, who performs in the luaus at the Hilton Ha­waiian Village, has appeared in more than half-dozen ma­jor roles on "Five-O." Wedemeyer also has guested, and his role will be the liaison officer between the special unit (Five-O) and the Honolulu Police Department.

Both have been active in football: Harrington, at Punahou School, where he is on leave from a teaching post, and “Wedey" at St. Mary's, where he was an All-America half­back in 1945.

Leonard Freeman, executive producer of the show, is in town, and he indicated that "Five-O" will begin its fifth season here Monday, April 10. "We are looking forward to a happy and productive fifth year in Hawaii," he said.

The cast, the exception of Zulu, will remain the same: Lord, James McArthur, Kam Fong, Richard Den­ning, Peggy Ryan, Harry Endo and Al Eban.

(The latter three were added at the beginning of the past season.)

Zulu's manager had mixed reactions yesterday.

"I'm sure Zulu would be happier out, and that's what we wanted, out. But not the manner of dismissal," she said.

She said that sometime back she approached CBS to release Zulu so that he could concentrate on an ABC-TV special that had been in the works.

"We had a project where we'd do one special, and 13 ep­isodes, all filmed in Hawaii with a variety show format."

She said this kind of a show would better display Zulu's talents as a comic and singer.

She said her main reason for wanting Zulu to exit is the "yes boss, no boss, will do boss" kind of a role around which Kono is built.

Since joining "Five-O" in the premiere pilot and the subsequent seasons, Zulu — whose real name is Gilbert Kauhi — has become a leading entertainment figure in Waikiki, playing to packed audiences at C'est Si Bon, the Pagoda Hotel's nightclub.