1. In 1961, Ponce was at the forefront of a growing national interest in martial arts when he opened a karate studio in North Hollywood.
12 Facts About Poncie Ponce
1. 2.
Ponciano Tabac Poncie Ponce was born one of seven children in Maui, Hawaii on April 10,1933, to Maria and Alberto Hernandez.
3.
Poncie Ponce attended Honokaa High School in Honokaa, Hawaii, and pursued a career as a welder at Hawaii Vocational School.
4.
The entertainment bug bit him, and upon return to civilian life, Poncie Ponce made the rounds of Hawaii's local talent contests and television and radio stations.
5.
Poncie Ponce made a series of appearances on the local show in the late 1950s and was working at Ben Blue's Santa Monica night club.
6.
Poncie Ponce came to national attention in 1959 as the wise-cracking cab driver Kazuo Kim on the Warner Bros.
7.
Hawaiian Eye provided opportunities for Poncie Ponce, that continued after the show ended, to perform and make personal appearances around the globe.
8.
In 1963, Poncie Ponce joined the promotional staff of television station HSV 7 in Melbourne, Australia.
9.
In February 1965, Poncie Ponce played the Getsusekai club in Tokyo.
10.
Poncie Ponce, who lived in California, sometimes entertained at events in Las Vegas.
11.
Long after the show ended, Poncie Ponce was booked at nostalgia events.
12.
In 2006, Ponce, who was home on Maui for a high school reunion, gave locals a thrill by performing an impromptu jam with stand-up comic Augie T After retiring, Ponce spent time with Sherry Luke Ponce, his wife of over five decades, as well as his three daughters and his grandchildren.