On Monday night, Hawaii Five-O opened with a pictorial tribute to James MacArthur, the original Danno. MacArthur, born in 1937, passed away at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida on October 28, 2010 due to natural causes. However, like his former co-star Jack Lord, who died in 1998 in Hawaii, he continued to visit and owned a home in the tropical paradise.
I remember watching Hawaii Five-O as a kid on Saturdays. I don’t really remember Kono or Chin Ho save that a couple male actors seemingly indigenous to the area typically appeared towards the show’s end. Honestly, McGarrett’s hair-flip pretty much dominated the show. However, I do remember Danno, his wavy curls, and his stalwart support of McGarrett’s pursuit of justice.
However, the actor behind Danno had a multi-faceted career in the field. As the adopted son of playwright Charles MacArthur and Helen Hayes, he dropped out of Harvard to pursue drama more thoroughly. Prior to garnering the role of Danno, his television roles included Bonanza, Tarzan, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, and the Untouchables. According to MacArthur, the Danno nickname happened by accident. While shooting, Lord accidentally called the character “Danno,” after his childhood friend. However, they decided to continue to use the name. He eventually left the show in 1979, before its final season, because he wanted more of a challenge. However, he lists “Retire in Sunny Hawaii Forever” as his favorite episode because they cast his mother as Aunt Clara. At least 3 episodes featured insight into Danno’s life including his apartment, his love life (including an engagement to a woman who dies), and his social life (he dates an actress targeted by criminals). After Hawaii Five-0 his television roles included guest spots on Fantasy Island and the Love Boat. However, he also had a healthy film and theatre career.
In the 1980s-onward, he continued to remain, covertly, on the celebrity radar. A 1980 interview with Boxoffice magazine included a quote where he stated in response to a question on the relationship between Hollywood and politics, “Anyone who votes for a candidate solely on the advice of his favorite actor isn’t too bright in my book.” In 1997, the producers of the un-released Hawaii Five-0 re-boot, introduced Danno as the governor of Hawaii who required the Five-O’s services. In 2000 MacArthur received a “sidewalk star” in Palm Springs. In 2003, he returned to Hawaii to perform in Dirty Laundry. When he passed away, CBS had remained in talks to have him appear on the show.
His official site includes a Henry Scott-Holland poem as a tribute.
Clacked by An Nicholson 
on Nov 03, 2010 @ 11:00 EST5EDT
