A Visit to the House Without a Key

The very first Charlie Chan mystery published by Earl Derr Biggers in 1925, "The House Without a Key," is centered around a beautiful mansion fronting on Kalia Road in Waikiki Beach. While the events of the story are, of course, fictional, the House Without a Key itself was not. It actually existed, that lovingly-described and very beautiful mansion of an old sea captain, perched on Waikiki Beach.

And it is not forgotten.

There is a luxury hotel now, the Halekulana, on that same spot, along Kalia Road. And, in tribute to Charlie Chan and to his author, there is a restaurant/bar opening out onto the beach, which calls itself "The House Without a Key." Visitors sit on the terrace every night, between about 5:30 and 8:30, under a century-old kiawe tree, sipping very potent drinks and enjoying live Hawaiian music, accompanied by a marvelous Hula Dancer.

The Halekulana has a short handout used on its menu which explains the significance of the place and its name. I must admit I had no idea it existed until I stumbled over it online. My wife and I spent a delightful evening there last week. (warning: it is VERY expensive - $22 cheeseburgers? $12 rum drinks?), but you are paying for the atmosphere, the music, the dance, the beach, the kiawe tree. Not to mention the doubtless forlorn expectation that Charlie Chan himself or a descendant might still put in an appearance.

Comments

[Daniel Horgan]

Unless I missed it during the reading of the story, it is difficult to understand the objective meaning of the title. I don't believe the words from the title appear anywhere within the story. If the title informs about the fact that the access to the house was unrestricted, and thus allowed the murderer freedom to enter at will, wouldn't the title "House Without a Door" or "HWa Lock" have been more appropriate? Possibly the original house had HWaK as a moniker or name (maybe a translation) referred to by the locals.

Unless someone can set me straight, I will think of the title as a metaphor for the investgation (house) and its solution (key). Thank goodness CC found it.

[Les Blatt]

Daniel, according to Yunte Huang's excellent book, "Charlie Chan: the Untold Story of the Honorable Detective and His Rendezvous with American History," when Earl Derr Biggers first arrived in Hawaii, he stayed for three months in a beachfront cottage. "When he first checked in, Biggers asked for the key to the cottage. 'What key?' retorted Mrs. Gray. In those days, no one in Waikiki would lock their doors. That brief exchange - culture shock for a Bostonian - would eventually inspire the title of the first Chan book." I don't know if that really answers your objection...but at least it's an explanation!