Aloha, Oy!

Jimmy Barclay and Lawrence Hodges visit the Electric Palace to buy fuses for George Barclay’s latest repair project. Lawrence pauses to play with the automatic doors, so Jimmy walks through first. Bart Rathbone immediately announces that Jimmy is the store’s ten-thousandth customer. The Banzai Corporation is awarding him a first-class, all-expenses-paid trip to Hawaii for himself and four guests.

George verifies that the prize is genuine. Jimmy, his parents George and Mary, and his sister Donna can all go, leaving one extra ticket. The family teases Lawrence before inviting him as Jimmy’s guest, provided his mother approves. Soon the five travelers are waiting at the airport and eagerly discussing beaches, sights, and adventures.

Their excitement changes when Bart arrives with his wife, Doris, and their son Rodney. Bart explains that because the Electric Palace is an important Banzai dealer, he has arranged for all three Rathbones to join the promotion. He has even booked seats with the Barclays. George and Mary try to welcome the surprise, though the vacation is already becoming much busier than the peaceful escape they imagined.

On the flight, Lawrence becomes unusually quiet. His father, Joe, serves in the Navy and has visited Hawaii many times, but his work in special communications keeps his location uncertain. Lawrence has not seen him for a long time and privately hopes Joe might be waiting in Honolulu. Jimmy cheers him by turning their pilot’s wings into another imaginary emergency flight.

Doris starts collecting anything she mistakes for a free souvenir, including the airline’s blanket, pillow, dishes, coffee pot, and flotation device. The flight attendant makes her return everything, even the bag in which she has hidden it. Doris remains confident that Hawaii will provide many more things to collect.

Across the aisle, a flight attendant assumes that Donna and Rodney are a couple. Donna rejects the idea so strongly that she calls Rodney rude, obnoxious, unappealing, and unromantic. Rodney’s pride is wounded. He boasts that he could make her fall for him if he chose, while Donna insists that such a thing is impossible.

Bart has also brought a guidebook called *The Essential Hawaii*. He tells George that the official sightseeing schedule will be too ordinary and proposes exploring away from the usual tourist destinations. George would rather relax and let the Banzai Corporation’s guide handle the trip, but Bart promises to devise his own plan of action.

At the Honolulu airport, Rodney mistakes the man placing a welcoming lei around Donna’s neck for someone bothering her. The family explains the Hawaiian greeting, while Doris begins collecting everyone’s leis for future Christmas presents. Their official guide introduces himself as Don Ioe. He is blond, originally from Iowa, and far less Hawaiian than his name and sayings first suggest, but he now lives on the islands and enthusiastically promises them a wonderful visit.

Don plans to take the group to Waikiki Beach, followed by a Banzai luau where they will be guests of honor. At baggage claim, Rodney tries to impress Donna by carrying what he thinks is her suitcase. The heavy bag belongs to someone else, and its angry owner chases him away.

On Waikiki Beach, Don describes King Kamehameha’s unification of the islands and Hawaii’s history as a royal kingdom. Lawrence happily pretends to be the king. Meanwhile, George and Mary are delayed at the hotel because Bart borrows George’s shorts and Doris tries to take the Barclays’ towels and toiletries as souvenirs.

Rodney has picked flowers from a hotel display in another attempt to impress Donna, but she is annoyed instead. Don guesses that Rodney wants to win her heart and tells him an old island idea: words do not impress a young woman as much as brave or athletic deeds. Rodney seizes on the suggestion and goes looking for a daring feat.

When the adults finally reach the beach, Bart dismisses Don’s schedule - which includes Diamond Head, Pearl Harbor, and the USS *Arizona* Memorial - as dull tourist activity. Before the argument can go farther, Don notices that Rodney is one of the surfers Donna is watching. Rodney barely knows how to swim, yet he has climbed onto a board to prove himself. He manages to ride a wave on his hands and knees until it carries him toward the pier. Don rushes to help as Rodney crashes, and Bart proudly shouts about his son’s success even while everyone fears for Rodney’s safety.