The first and by far the famous of the exotic theme bars that appeared in and around Hollywood during the 1930s and '40s was Don the Beachcomber. "Don" was Donn Beach (born Ernest Gantt), a former rum-runner who spent a good deal of his life bumming around the South Pacific and Caribbean Sea areas.

Gantt opened Don's Beachcomber Cafe in 1934 at 1722 N. McCadden Place, and three years later, moved his establishment across the street to 1727 and changed the name to Don the Beachcomber. Authentically decorated with items he'd collected during his travels, Don's was best known for serving potent rum cocktails, including the Maitai which both Donn and Trader Vic (San Francisco) claimed to have invented. In addition to the free-flowing rum, Don's was also known for their "exotic" Cantonese food, particularly the pu-pu platter, which Gantt also claimed as his invention. Stars who frequented Don the Beachcomber included Bing Crosby, the Marx Brothers, and Marlene Dietrich.

When the US entered W.W.II, Gantt enlisted in the Army and served as an operator of officer rest-and-recreation centers. He was awarded the Purple Heart and Bronze Star while setting up rest camps for combat-weary airman of the 12th and 15th Air Forces at the order of his friend, Lieutenant General Jimmy Doolittle.

While Gantt was serving his country, his interests at home were well tended by his wife and business partner, Sunny Sund. During the war years she parlayed their original club into a chain of sixteen restaurants throughout the west. When Gantt returned after the war, he divorced Sunny and she retained ownership of the restaurants. Don the Beachcomber survived at its original Hollywood location until the tiki-bar fad faded in the mid-1960s.