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Gilligan's Island (1964–1967)

 
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 12, 2022 2:44 pm    Post subject: Gilligan's Island (1964–1967) Reply with quote



This low-brow, nit-wit sitcom still persists in the public consciousness for no logical reason (other than the fact that Dawn Wells is adorable), but IMDB has 96 trivia items, and a few of them are interesting. Very Happy
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~ Alan Hale Jr. was on location in Utah filming a movie when he got a call to come back to Los Angeles to do a test for the series. He rode a horse to a nearby highway, hitchhiked to Las Vegas and flew to L.A. to test with Bob Denver.

Note from me: Good lord, what a story! A TV movie called "Journey to Gilligan's Island" might be fun to write a script for. It would glamorizes Mr. Hale's determined westward trek — against all odds — to reach the mythical island and fulfill his true destiny! Cool

~ Alan Hale Jr. had a tendency to address people as "little buddy". Prior to this series, Hale played a guest role on The Andy Griffith Show (1960) in Season 2 episode 13: The Andy Griffith Show: The Farmer Takes a Wife (1962), in which he refers to Don Knotts' character Barney Fife, as "little buddy" on several occasions. as well.

This trait was written into the series and "little buddy" became the Skipper's signature term of affection for Gilligan. It is now widely used by fans as a nickname for Bob Denver.


Note from me: In the 1997 comedy Back to Beach with Frankie Avalon, Annette Funicello and a surprising good supporting cast , Bob Denver is a bartender (dressed in his "Gilligan" outfit, of course) when customer says, "How 'bout drink, Little Buddy?"

Angrily Bob Denver shouts, "Never called me 'Little Buddy'! I hate that!"

~ The island shown in the opening and closing credits is actually located in Kaneohe Bay, about a mile offshore from the island of Oahu, in Hawaii.

Note from me: I would funny if the the series finale had ended by having the castaways discover that they were just a mile offshore from Oahu . . . . Laughing

~ Raquel Welch auditioned for the role of Mary Ann.

Note from me: Imagine the ego clashes between Tina Louis (walking around in nice evening gowns) and Raquel Welch wearing denim short-shorts and a halter top while pretending to be a sweet young girl from Kansas.






~ In the backstory, The Professor had taken the three-hour tour to relax before he began writing a book, "Fun with Ferns".

Note from me: I assume he changed the topic of the book after the castaways were rescued. It became How to Make Absolutely Anything Out of Bamboo and Coconuts!

~ Jayne Mansfield turned down the role of Ginger.

Note from me: Holy mackerel! That would have been fantastic! p

Miss Mansfield was a Marilyn Monroe wannabe who actually compared well to the blond superstar, whereas Tina Louis just tried to imitate Marilyn's breathy way of speaking without really looking all thaat beautiful (IMHO, since I'm a big believer in the idea that"Mary Ann beats Ginger". Cool






~ As the show progressed, producers planned to introduce a new character — a pet dinosaur — but decided against it because of the cost of special effects. The character, however, was incorporated into the animated Gilligan's Planet (1982).

Note from me: Gosh, I'm sure as heck glad they didn't add a pet dinosaur to the cast! Golly, if they'd done that the show's credibility would have been seriously compromised, and the whole thing would have just seemed downright silly! Shocked

~ There were claims that there were some people who wanted the U.S. military to send out a ship to search for, and rescue, the castaways. Amazingly, it seemed there were people who thought the cast members were real castaways stranded on some unknown island.

Note from me: This inspired the amusing scene in GalaxyQuest when Sigourney Weaver asked the naive aliens if they really believed that all TV shows were "historical documents".

Sigouney: "Surely you don't think that Gilligan's Island is real!"

Alien Leader (sadly): "Those poooor people . . . "

_________________
____________
Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)


Last edited by Bud Brewster on Thu Apr 14, 2022 12:29 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Wed Apr 13, 2022 9:23 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

________________________________

Fans of Gilligan's Island have complained for decades about the way Mary Ann and The Professor are not listed among the characters in the opening theme song during season 1! Shocked

However, if you listen closely to the song in the video below, you'll find that Dawn Well's adorable character was indeed named in the lyrics!

The confusion, folks, stems from the unfortunate fact that the song writers were given the wrong name for Miss Well's character! The song clearly states that the list of characters who were stranded on this uncharted desert isle were as follows.
______________________________

Gilligan . . .

the Skipper, too . . .

The millionaire and his wife . . .

the movie star . . .

Ann Therest!

Here on Gilligan's Ilse! Very Happy
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And so, this decades-old dilemma is finally resolved!

Originally, Dawn Wells character was NOT named "Mary Ann Summers", as stated in the Wikipedia article — she was actually named . . . Ann Therest!

Furthermore, rumors exists today which state that Miss Ann Therest was in a Witness Protection Program which required her to hide amoung the passengers of the Minnow for three hours prior to the trial at which she would offer testimony against a powerful mob boss, concerning his nefarious activities in the international white slave market! Shocked

We also never knew that Russel Johnson's character was actually a U.S. Martial assigned to protect Miss Therest during the cruise. His code name was "The Professor" — which explains why we never hear him referred to any other way on the show! Shocked

This also clarifies why this highly trained agent was so adept at devising methods to insure that the castaways survived, and why he created ways for them to communicate with the outside world — despite the fact that his attempts did not often succeed.

As for "the millionaire and his wife", along with "the movie star", they were also scheduled to testify at the trial concerning the mob's financial matters and their connection with the Hollywood elite.

This was because the U.S. Marshals Service wanted to protect these invaluable witnesses in the hours before the trial so that the Department of Justice could use their testimony and bring the people involved in organized crime to justice for trafficking in the sale of white slaves!

But how did their plan fail? Was it actually caused by a storm which marooned the Minnow on that "uncharted isle"?

No. It was not . . .

A clever "plant" among the crew by organized crime managed to sabotage the Minnow and create that gaping hole in the hull of the boat that we see in the opening credits, stranding the castaways on the island and preventing them from appearing in Federal court!

Furthermore, this henchmen of the organized crime lords cleverly hid among the castaways and constantly thwarted their attempts to be rescued . . . repeatedly sabotaging their efforts under the guise of his bogus portrayal as a bumbling idiot! Rolling Eyes

Well all know how these saboteur is . . .

Gentlemen, I hope these revelations have given you a new appreciation for this tragically misunderstood TV series! Shocked

In view of the complete facts, it seems obvious that a reboot of this series might prove to be very interesting to the viewing public of today's TV series!

_________________
____________
Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)


Last edited by Bud Brewster on Tue Jun 13, 2023 9:47 pm; edited 1 time in total
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PostPosted: Wed Apr 13, 2022 3:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

________________________________

Just for fun, I made a list of the four major problems with Gilligan's Island that have bugged people for decades.

Please understand that I'm not trying to take the sitcom too seriously, and I'm not attempting to make it realistic. I just thought it would be fun to devise ways to deal with some of the more unrealistic aspects of Gilligan's Island.

So, here's a list of the wacky stuff in Gilligan's Island which didn't really add to the humor, they just flaunted the fact that the show was shallow and blatantly fictional.
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Problem #1 - The "three hour cruise" of a small boat couldn't possibly reach a remote Pacific island after leaving Honolulu! The fact that they weren't still in the Hawaiian islands needs a explanation.

Solution: Let's face it, there's no way to solve this problem without introduction some serious science fiction!
If an aircraft carrier can be transported to 1941 in Final Countdown, why not have the Minnow go through a vortex and end up in Philippines! Shocked

After all The Twilight Zone was big in 1963, so folks will love the idea! Cool

Problem #2 - The passengers wouldn't have taken along any luggage just for a short cruise. Therefore, an imaginative explanation is required to explain how the castaways acquired so many clothing changes, along with all the food and other necessities.

Solution: Suppose the island the castaways land on is the exit point for micro-wormhole while the entrance point wanders around the Pacific, appearing and disappearing. Since it deposited the boat there, it could also periodically dump objects (both large and small) on the beach after if sucked them up from cargo ships, etc.

The castaways get so much stuff this way that they stay well supplied! Very Happy

Problem #3 - A remarkable number of people showed up briefly on the island and then left. These guest stars were necessary to add some fresh faces to the cast. But the idea that people just showed up and then left this allegedly remote Pacific island makes it hard to explain why the castaways can't get rescued! Confused

Solution: The wormhole sometimes brings people from passenger ships and other islands. It can even bring people from past time periods, like the 1940s!

But The Professor explains that (in most cases) the people the wormhole brings are "out of phase with our reality", so after a brief visit, they sort of "bounce back" to the time-and-place from which they came.

Problem #4 - The Professor is famous for cobbling together remarkable inventions using the very sparse materials and parts at his disposal. Considering how remarkable these inventions were, the source of his materials (and tools) needs to be be specified.

Solution: The inanimate objects which the wormhole brings include a wealth of objects, component parts, tools, and raw material for the professor to work with.

Here's 11 examples of The Professor's inventions which I could on the MeTV's website.

Please note that two of the stories which introduced inventions had a significant science fiction element!

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1. Roulette wheel



Instead of fixing the ship, the Professor decides to build an entirely new device to get off the island. In "Gilligan Meets Jungle Boy," the Professor constructs a hot air balloon so someone can get help. But his plans are thwarted by a young Kurt Russell, who is the only one to make it off the island in the balloon.

2. Geiger counter



When a meteor crashes onto the island in season two, the Professor whips up a bamboo Geiger counter. To the dismay of everyone on the island, he concludes the meteor's cosmic rays will make everyone age quickly and die within a week.

3. Electric generator



This is the invention that allowed many more to be created. To generate the energy needed for some of his more impressive inventions, the Professor creates a pedal-powered generator by using a bike, wires, and the generator from the ship.

4. Sewing machine



Thanks to the Professor, everyone on the island had stylish clothes that fit properly.

5. Washing machine



Speaking of clothes, everyone on the island had clean ones because the Professor took the time to build a washing machine. And it must have been a good one. How else can you explain everyone's vibrant clothing?

6. Telegraph



Perhaps one of the Professor's biggest engineering feats, the telegraph required four people to pedal on a bike to generate the energy needed to send a signal.

7 Hot air balloon



Instead of fixing the ship, the Professor decides to build an entirely new device to get off the island. In "Gilligan Meets Jungle Boy," the Professor constructs a hot air balloon so someone can get help. But his plans are thwarted by a young Kurt Russell, who is the only one to make it off the island in the balloon.

8. Jetpack fuel



If the hot air balloon didn't work to get the castaways off the island, then surely a jetpack will. When the mysterious jetpack washes ashore, the Professor tries to create fuel so they can use it to their advantage.

~ Note from me: Ah-HA! The wormhole brought a jetpack from the future, but the pilot fell out of he harness and didn't arrive. Cool


9. Battery charger



When you put coconut shells and saltwater together, you get . . . well . . . saltwater inside of a coconut shell.

But if you're the Professor, you get a batter charger. By utilizing those two items, along with pennies and hairpins, he constructed a battery charger for the island's radio.


10. Bomb



When a volcanic eruption looms over the island, the Professor does what anyone would do... build a bomb to relieve the pressure. The Professor somehow finds nitroglycerin to build the bomb, which Gilligan thinks he accidentally drank.

11. Lie Detector



In the episode "Lovey's Secret Admirer," Mrs. Howell keeps receiving love notes. To find out who is sending them, the Professor puts together a lie detector out of the ship's horn and batteries from the radio.
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____________
Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)
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PostPosted: Wed Apr 13, 2022 11:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

One of my favorite lines about GI was from none other than talk show host Dick Cavett: "They're planning on making a new Gilligan's Island TV show, but this time they want to make it a comedy."
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 13, 2023 10:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

______________________________________________

Enjoy this well-made and fast-paced tribute to Gillian's Island. It has more interesting facts about the series than all the coconuts on you-know-where!



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_____ The Scene That Took Gilligan's Island Off Air


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____________
Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)
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