Kalai Strode

Woodrow Wilson Kalaeloa Strode (December 16, 1946 – November 27, 2014) was a native Hawaiian assistant director in film and television from the early 1970s to around 2010. In film he worked on North Dallas Forty. In television he worked regularly in the series Diagnosis Murder. He also was an actor, writer and composer.

Background He was born on December 16, 1946, in Hollywood, California. He was of African and self-identified Native American ancestry (Cherokee and Muscogee) from his father's side. On his mother's side he was of Native Hawaiian descent. His father was professional football player and actor, Woody Strode. His mother was princess Luukialuana Kalaeloa who had done some work in films and was a hula dancer. She was also a descendant of Hawaii's last queen. He had a sister Junelehua (a.k.a. June) who was born in 1948. He also had two half-brothers. One was Hawaiian actor and entertainer, Lani Kai. The other was Hawaiian actor Lee Woodd.

Film career

1970s He graduated from the Los Angeles Assistant Directors Training Program.

In 1971 he had a role in The Gatling Gun as the Indian Who Shoots Sneed. He was also in the credits as a stuntman in the film In the mid 1970s he was a co-writer for the western film Winterhawk. Later in the 1970s, he worked under director as second assistant director for the pilot episode of Fantasy Island that aired in January 1977.

1980s In the early 1980s, he was assistant director in the John Schlesinger directed comedy film Honky Tonk Freeway which starred Beverly D'Angelo, Hume Cronyn, Jessica Tandy and Beau Bridges. In 1985, he was assistant director in the made for television drama, Challenge of a Lifetime which was directed by Russ Mayberry, and starred Penny Marshall and Richard Gilliland. In 1988, he worked on the set of the film For Keeps.

1990s In 1991, he was assistant director in three episodes of Tales from the Crypt, Loved to Death, Abra Cadaver and Mournin' Mess. He was assistant director in the Randall M. Miller directed 1992 comedy Class Act which starred Christopher Reid and Christopher Martin. From 1994 to 1998 he worked in five seasons of episodes for television series Diagnosis Murder which starred Dick Van Dyke.

2000s In 2001, having completed his work on Diagnosis Murder, he and his wife Pam moved to Honolulu. He still did some work as assistant director but also worked in transportation for movies. His wife worked in the TV series Lost for six seasons as a stand in actress. In 2010 he worked on the film Deady Honeymoon that starred Summer Glau. In 2011, he had a role as Wali in the Ua Lawe Wale episode of the Hawaii Five-0 series remake. Both of his half brothers, Lani Kai and Lee Woodd had appeared in the original series of Hawaii Five-O. Post 2011, he underwent a physical examination as part of pre-employment for The River, which was shot in Puerto Rico and Hawaii. The examination resulted in a diagnosis of mantle cell lymphoma.

Filmography + Film Title Role Director Year Notes # The Gatling Gun Actor: Indian Who Shoots Sneed, Stunts: stunt archer Robert Gordon 1971 Winterhawk Writer Charles B. Pierce 1975 A Piece of the Action DGA trainee Sidney Poitier 1977 The One and Only Trainee assistant director Carl Reiner 1978 Thank God It's Friday Trainee assistant director Robert Klane 1978 Rainbow Second assistant director Jackie Cooper 1978 TV movie The Immigrants DGA trainee Alan J. Levi 1978 TV movie Suddenly, Love Second assistant director Stuart Margolin 1978 TV movie A Woman Called Moses DGA trainee Paul Wendkos 1978 TV movie Samurai Second assistant director Lee H. Katzin 1979 TV movie North Dallas Forty Second assistant director Ted Kotcheff 1979 TV movie Up the Academy Second assistant director Robert Downey Sr. 1980 Bustin' Loose First assistant director: second unit Oz Scott, Michael Schultz 1981 Honky Tonk Freeway Second assistant director John Schlesinger 1981 When I Am King Second assistant director Wanda Appleton 1981 Challenge of a Lifetime Second assistant director Russ Mayberry 1985 TV movie Gidget's Summer Reunion Second assistant director Bruce Bilson 1985 The Lost Boys Second assistant director: second unit Joel Schumacher 1987 as Woody K. Strode For Keeps? Second assistant director John G. Avildsen 1988 House Party Assistant director Reginald Hudlin 1990 as Kelly St. Rode Phantom Second assistant director 1990 TV movie 4 Faces Second assistant director Ted Post 1999 Tyrannosaurus Azteca Construction driver Brian Trenchard-Smith 2007 Tropic Thunder Driver Ben Stiller 2008 Deadly Honeymoon Second assistant director Paul Shapiro 2010 TV movie

+ Television Title Episode # Role Director Year Notes # Emergency! unknown Dga trainee various 1972 Unknown Police Story unknown Second assistant director various 1973 Unknown Fantasy Island Pilot episode Second assistant director 1977 Season 1, Episode 1 Lou Grant Unknown Second assistant director Various 1977 Unknown The White Shadow Here's Mud in Your Eye Second assistant director Bruce Paltrow 1978 Season 1, Episode 2 The White Shadow Bonus Baby Second assistant director Jackie Cooper 1978 Season 1, Episode 4 The White Shadow Pregnant Pause Second assistant director Jackie Cooper 1978 Season 1, Episode 5 ABC Afterschool Specials A Special Gift Second assistant director Arthur Allan Seidelman 1979 Season 8, Episode 3 CBS Afternoon Playhouse Think I'm Having a Baby Second assistant director Arthur Allan Seidelman 1981 Season 3, Episode 2 Matt Houston X-22 Second assistant director Richard Lang 1982 Season 1, Episode 1 Lottery unknown Second assistant director various 1983 Crazy Like a Fox unknown Second assistant director various 1984 Stir Crazy unknown Second assistant director Christian I. Nyby II or Peter H. Hunt 1985 Amerika unknown Second assistant director Donald Wrye 1987 Buck James unknown Second assistant director 1987 Sonny Spoon unknown first assistant director various 1988 Down Home unknown Second assistant director various 1990 Sunset Beat unknown Second assistant director 1990 Broken Badges unknown First assistant director various 1990 Human Target unknown Second assistant director various 1992 Diagnosis Murder Many Happy Returns Second assistant director Lou Antonio 1994 Season 2, Episode 1 Diagnosis Murder A Very Fatal Funeral second assistant director Alan Myerson 1994 Season 2, episode 2 Diagnosis Murder Woman Trouble Second assistant director Roy Campanella II 1994 Season 2, Episode 3 Diagnosis Murder The Busy Body Second assistant director Vincent McEveety 1994 Season 2, Episode 4 Diagnosis Murder My Four Husbands second assistant director Christian I. Nyby II 1998 Season 2, Episode 5 Diagnosis Murder Witness to Murder second assistant director Paris Barclay 1995 Season 3, Episode 2 Diagnosis Murder The Pressure to Murder, second assistant director Christopher Hibler 1996 Season 3, Episode 9 Diagnosis Murder The ABC's of Murder second assistant director Christian I. Nyby II 1996 Season 4, Episode 11 Diagnosis Murder Murder in the Family second assistant director Vincent McEveety 1998 Season 4, Episode 12 Diagnosis Murder Deadly Games second assistant director Christopher Hibler 1997 Season 5, Episode 4 Diagnosis Murder Slam Dunk Dead second assistant director Vincent McEveety 1997 Season 5, Episode 5 Diagnosis Murder A Mime Is a Terrible Thing to Waste second assistant director Christopher Hibler 1997 Season 5, Episode 11 Diagnosis Murder Down and Dirty Dead second assistant director Ron Satlof 1997 Season 5, Episode 12 Diagnosis Murder An Education in Murder second assistant director Frank Thackery 1998 Season 5, Episode 19 Diagnosis Murder Murder at the Finish Line second assistant director Christopher Hibler 1998 Season 5, Episode 20 Hawaii Five-0 Ua Lawe Wale actor: Wali Duane Clark 2011 Season 2, Episode 2

Writing He had been a writer. Around or prior to the early 1970s, Strode had composed some songs. They included "Blood Red Moon", "Childling Sun" "Oh Mellow Day", "America Is My Home", "Love Has Its Stormy Seasons", "Me And My Magic Guitar", "Nani's Way", "A Thousand Ways", and "The Truth Is You", Another composition of his, possibly written a few years later was "Coco".

Later years By 2010 at the age of 63, he ran as an independent candidate for the United States House of Representatives. While he was interviewed about his candidacy by Lee Cataluña of the Honolulu Advertiser, he was working for Teamsters Local 996, driving an electrical rigging truck on a movie set of The Descendants. In the 2010 Special, he came 5th in a list of 14 candidates.

In 2014, he was interviewed for the documentary The Forgotten Four, which he and his wife attended the premiere for on September 9, 2014, in Westwood, California.

Illness and death During a medical examination as part of a pre-employment physical for a movie, Strode was diagnosed with Mantle cell lymphoma, a type of blood cancer. He took five months of chemotherapy and appeared to be in remission. In 2013, as a result of a routine PET scan, it was determined that his cancer had returned. He then relocated to Grand Forks for easier access to the Mayo Clinic.

After a three-year battle with the disease, Strode died on November 27, 2014. At the time of his passing, he was helping to care for his mother-in-law.