Original film title in Malay and English: Aloha
Chinese title: 花島香衾

Directed by B. S. Rajhans
Written by A.R. Iyer (story)
Songs by Osman Ahmad
Produced by Malay Film Productions (Shaw Brothers)
In Malay
Cast: Mariam, Osman Gumanti, Roseminah, Daeng Idris, P. Ramlee

Released December 1950 (in Singapore)

Film Locations:
Punggol Point Beach (?)
Serangoon River (?)
Kangkar (‘港脚’) Village and Fishing Port (Upper Serangoon Road End) (?)
Swimming pool (unidentified location)

In this film musical, the all-Malay cast are dressed with leis and Hawaiian shirts, and the coastlines of Singapore masquerades as Waikiki Beach. Aloha is a pretty dame (whose name also doubles as the title of the film) and enjoys the loving attention of Mariyo, a handsome lad who whiles away his free time partying to hybrid Hawaiian music and dancing the ‘hula’. The spoiler to all the idyllic fun appears in the form of a vicious merchant Magoya. He takes a liking to Aloha too, and comes up with a plot to bring harm to Mariyo.

“Although set in Hawaii, everyone is a Malay-speaking Malay. This shows that ‘Hawaii’ becomes a state of mind that be accessed by anyone, even those who’d never been there. This might seem presumptuous, even rude. After all, how would we react if someone were to make, say, a movie about our country without even setting foot in it? We’d point out all the mistakes! Perhaps this film subtly critiques itself because the villain is a visiting merchant rather than a native islander. The merchant wants to get at Aloha. But she is already happily cavorting with [Mariyo], who is even liked by her father. The merchant has a blackmail plan involving a tattoo.” (Amir Muhammad, ‘120 Malay Movies’, 2010, p.35-37)

Filming locations of Aloha (in Singapore):
Punggol Point Beach (?) [2:22, 31:59, 40:33]
Serangoon River (Sungei Serangoon) (?) [1:14:44]
Kangkar Village and Fishing Port (Upper Serangoon Road End) (?) [33:59, 1:16:42, 1:58:38]

Further Reading:
1. Bruce Fraser, ‘’Aloha’ is bogus but good fun’. The Straits Times, 1 December 1950, p. 9.
2. Review of ‘Aloha’ by Maureen Mallal. Singapore Free Press, 2 December 1950, p. 2.
3. Augustine Low, ‘Kangkar, once noted for fresh fish and Teochews’. The Straits Times, 30 September 1986, p. 16.
4. Audrey Perera, ‘Kangkar village draws fond ex-residents back’. The Straits Times, 21 December 1986, p. 22.

Film Images:
© 1950 Malay Film Productions
© 2002 Music Valley

Digital Map Source:
1. Federated Malay States. Survey Department, Singapore and Johore, National Library of Australia, MAP G8040 1935. [http://nla.gov.au/nla.map-vn382576]
2. Great Britain. Ordnance Survey, Singapore Island, National Library of Australia, MAP G8040 1941. [http://nla.gov.au/nla.map-vn1900708]

Photographs:
© 2014 Toh Hun Ping