Voices of Hawai`i • Oral History Project

GOODSILL: Frankie, tell me how your family got to Hawaii and about the changes you’ve seen in Hawaii over the years.

ANDERSON: I am probably the oldest licensed realtor in the state. I got licensed in Real Estate 1955 then my Broker’s license one year later.

My mother, Marion Blair, came to Hawaii in 1938 and was a business phenom. I was raised here. I boarded at Punahou School and was in the Class of 1948. We lived in Nu’uanu on Dowset Ave. I went to Finch College.

My first job was writing for Betty Wilder for Honolulu Society Page. I had a lot of fun doing that. Then I worked in the film industry for people who came to Hawaii from the mainland. I befriended Peter Lawford and Richard Boone and eventually went to Australia to work on the film Kangaroo. In 1950-1953 I worked at MGM in LA as a publicist. I supervised interviews of some of the big stars and protected them from pushy press.

For Life Magazine I wrote articles on anhydrous ammonia and Curtis Lemay’s Strategic Air Command. I also worked for Sports Illustrated answering letters to the editor. I did fashion show commentary for Carol and Mary at the Royal for some years too.

I met my husband, Robert Alexander Anderson, Jr., on the beach at the Outrigger Canoe Club in 1953! We married in 1955. Bob is the son of Peggy and Alex Anderson who was a businessman with Hawaii Corp, Von Ham Young and also the composer of Haole Hula, Lovely Hula Hands and Mele Kalikimaka. Their family goes back many generations in Hawaii. ‘Dad’ Center was Peggy Anderson’s brother. He coached Duke Kahanamoku. Alexander Young was my father’s great-grandfather. He built the Young Hotel. I adopted Bob’s children, Gay and Robbie Anderson when we married and later we had Wendy.

GOODSILL: Tell us about your mom, Marion Blair.

ANDERSON: My mother was not just a realtor. She had design talent. She guided a lot of condominium developers in their floor plans and their markets. (Cooperative ownership is other-than-fee-simple. It has restrictions, it is run by a board; it is not your preferred ownership today.) She did about 7 properties on the Goal Coast including The Banyon, The Ambassador Hotel, the Kainalu, The Sea Breeze, The Tahitian, The Castle Surf on MacNamara land, 3003 Kalakaua and the Rosalee Apartments. She always bought into every project she worked on.

She was with Rudy Tong’s right hand person and worked with George Wimberley and Fred Daily at the Tahitians and Mokuleia Beach Properties. My mother sold Henry Kaiser his first Waikiki property on Juanita Road, I think. I have tons of material on real estate in Hawaii, not sure what to do with it. It is a treasure trove.

She worked with Charley Pietsch and he probably brought her in on the listing for the Kahala Regency. I helped her sell this building. When this building came up I was late to work because I was Kona Coast with Richard Burton. I got to the building by10:30 and it had sold out between 8 am and 10:30. People were lined up on the sidewalk to buy. They had looked at the pre-build schematics and wanted in.

The Diamond Head Ambassador was an interesting project. It was three separate buildings. People always ask, “Why does that building have funny little Japanese bridges between them?” There were 3 separate lots and first and third were owned by the same party, but the middle lot was not. The middle lot had an elevator in it. They figured out after 15 years when the lease ran out they would knock out the bridges and each would have their own individual building. Of course that did not happen. They consolidated and went to fee simple ownership eventually.

GOODSILL: In your career did you sell mostly residential properties?

ANDERSON: Yes, in Kahala, Black Point, Portlock, tons on the Gold Coast. The one thing I tell everyone, if you want to be secure in your old age buy real estate. My mother was one of the first people who bought at 1350 Ala Moana. I had prominent medical people who bought there at $115,000 and went out at $410,000.

My most interesting real estate transaction ever was on the ocean where Kahala Beach meets Black Point at Royal Place. There was a great big triangular place on the ocean, which had belonged to members of the Shingle family, Butter and Alice. Randy Gault wanted it sold. The current owner wanted to sell it. It was leasehold and had to be sold on an agreement of sale because it was held by a family trust.

The actor, Lee Majors, wanted it. Majors’ attorney David Flynn, came to town with his actress wife, Jane Seymour, and said: “We can’t possibly buy this. Do you think I am a fool? It is leasehold, Lee would not even OWN it.” They would not touch it. Shortly after that I saw Jimmy Reynolds driving up Black Point Drive and asked, “Do you know anyone who would like to buy Royal Place?” “I have wanted that all my life! Is it for sale?” “Yes.” “I’ll buy it. My attorney, Mitch D’Olier, will call you tomorrow morning.” They bought it on an agreement of sale for $1.2 million, I don’t remember exactly. He bought it on a handshake basically. Everyone was thrilled. He kept a good part of the old house but added to it. He sold it about 4 years ago.

I did a tremendous amount of business with the Japanese in the 1980s. Alan Haida was Pinky Cooke’s yard boy when he was a young man. He eventually married a wealth Japanese woman. Her family had a big Japanese real estate company. I sold Doc Hills’ house to them without ever going in it. I had a reputation for being honest. I always told the truth. I could understand the gist of what was going on though I did not speak Japanese. I came to understand what their concerns were. Lawyer Henry Shigekane was very helpful to me.

I never tried to pretend I knew something I didn’t. Never sell something you don’t love and appreciate; simply don’t take the listing. My career has been mostly as a listing agent, with the exception of Glen Larson and the Japanese buyers. At one time Glen A. Larson, creator of BG and the Bears and Magnum P.I. was my best client. He was brilliant. He would buy based on location.

GOODSILL: Are there any trends you might want to comment on?

ANDERSON: I came across a contract for Richard and Claire Boone on Black Point Road. It was ONE piece of paper. Nowadays the contracts are 17+ pages with 5 or 6 addendums in each contract. What a monster we have created.

GOODSILL: Thank you for sharing your memories with us, Frankie.

ANDERSON: Of course, happy to.