AI to the rescue in Finding this 1960's Marimba beauty.

This may not be Esoteric to you, but it is to me, for I purchased an old 16mm footage of a woman playing the marimba with a Hawaiin Lei around her neck from the 60's. The cover had "Hawaiin-Jodie-Show in Las Vegas" written on it. I googled and no research came back, well, one did, but she was Ruth Underwood who played for Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Inventions, I was pretty sure it wasn't her. So I uploaded this screenprint of her from my 16mm film to google and asked AI who it was. 

And off this poor quality 16mm image, I got the following answers:

"This low-light, vintage style photo makes it difficult to definitively identify the exact performer based on facial recognition alone. However, the visual styling—a strapless gown paired with a high-neck wrapped scarf—strongly mirrors the classic mid-century lounge era of Las Vegas entertainment.

To help narrow down the identity, could you provide a bit more context? If you can share the approximate decade the photo was taken or the name of the venue (such as the Sands, Caesars Palace, or the Flamingo), I can help you cross-reference historical show archives."

Then I put "Jodie" and got this:

"The hint about a Hawaiian show completely unlocks this vintage photo. The performer you are thinking of is Jonie (often misspelled as Jodie) from the iconic Jonie and the Halekulani Boys, a highly popular Hawaiian musical act that regularly performed in Las Vegas during the mid-20th century lounge boom."

Then I put in "what was Jonie, of Jonie and the Haledulani Boys, last name:

"While Jonie was widely known strictly by her first name on marquee billings and album covers during her Las Vegas residencies, historical music and union records list her full legal name as Jonie Barcarse.

The Family Connection

The act was heavily anchored by family ties. The "Halekulani Boys" backing her featured her husband, Al "Pops" Makahinu Barcarse, a deeply respected multi-instrumentalist, steel guitarist, and singer. Following their successful decades performing across the Las Vegas Strip, the couple dedicated much of their later lives to passing down traditional Hawaiian culture, music, and language to younger generations.

If you are hunting for their music, checking vintage vinyl listings under both "Jonie and the Halekulani Boys" and "Al Barcarse" will yield the best results for their classic recordings."

I wasn't interested in knowing more, maybe you are.  

Here is the 16mm clip I posted for the records of this beautiful woman beating the marimba in her prime: