Sun, sand, surf and movies
Hawaii long on history as film location
(CNN) -- With exquisite coastlines and lush foliage, the Hawaiian islands have long been Hollywood's tropical backlot and the stage for more than 200 major feature films.
"There's no place like Hawaii," said Dave Chevalier, who owns a company that provides aerial shots of the islands for film production. "[There are] valleys in the heart of the mountains, waterfalls, beautiful beaches and different plant species like no other place on earth."
Most famously, the iconic scene in 1953's "From Here to Eternity" -- with Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr lying on the sand in passionate embrace as the surf rolls in -- was shot on a beach on Oahu. And Elvis Presley traveled to Kauai to play a soldier-turned-beach bum in 1961's "Blue Hawaii." More recently, Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore teamed up in Hawaii to make this year's "50 First Dates."
But feature film production started in Hawaii long before that. About 17 Hollywood films were shot on the islands between 1913 and 1932, according to the Hawaii Film Office. And in the 1930s, production really stepped up, beginning with 1932's hit "Bird of Paradise" and the Bing Crosby vehicle "Waikiki Wedding" in 1937.
Back then, getting to the islands was no easy task, explained Luis Reyes, author of "Made in Paradise," a history of filmmaking in Hawaii.
"It was a five-day journey by ship. You would have to take all of your equipment with you," Reyes said. "And most of the films were only partially shot in Hawaii and the rest would be done in Los Angeles or on a sound stage."
But the location does have advantages, often able to double for international venues. Hawaii was transformed into Africa in "Tears of the Sun" and Costa Rica in "Jurassic Park."
Hawaii can also star as itself, as it did for 12 years in the TV show "Hawaii Five-O," beginning in 1968. As the first series to be entirely shot on location, "Hawaii Five-0" became a bonanza that led to visits by Hollywood filmmakers -- and tourists.
"Every week people were treated to different images of Hawaii, and that made people want to go and visit Hawaii," Reyes said. "So consequently, it was a boom for Hawaiian tourism."
That boom and its benefits were not lost on the state government. Since 1998, the state has been offering financial incentives to bring shoots to the islands.
"We are existing now in a highly competitive environment," said Donnie Dawson, Hawaii state film commissioner. "So we're working very hard as a state to try to elevate our existing incentives in order to attract more production and help to build our industry."
The lush and exotic islands are not just a draw for the big screen, either. Coming this fall, Hawaii will be a popular place when channel surfing on TV, too, with Fox, NBC and ABC in production on location with new series.
"Working in Hawaii is pretty much like hitting the jackpot," said actor Jorge Garcia, star of the upcoming ABC drama, "Lost."
"It's like, this is the beach, this is the gorgeous mountain and this is my office."
