The Inside Scoop On Everything ‘Gilligan’s Island’
Can you forget the castaways on Gilligan’s Island from S.S. Minnow? I bet you won’t because the show has been on air for so long that it has really set some records. We’ve seen their escape in three TV movies and in the three seasons of the series! This show on CBS is one of the bests of Sherwood Schwartz’ sitcoms. Thus, we can’t help watch the Castaway reruns every single time. Heard of the The Brady Bunch? Yep, they have the same producer.
Although it looks like it’s an island far, far away, we somehow see some special guests in the episodes. For whatever reason, we accept it. We know that the characters don’t leave the island anytime in the series and that may not be a good thing but we, the fans, enjoy it. Everyone just loves how the characters perform their tricks, making the sitcom a big part of American television. In fact, Gilligan’s Island has indeed become one of the bests series in Television history!
The cast of the sitcom includes Jim Backus, Tina Louise, Bob Denver, Russell Johnson, Natalie Schafer, Alan Hale Jr. and the beautiful Dawn Wells. Even if the show only ran from September 1964 to April 1967, the fans never ceased to watch the reruns of the sitcoms annually. The show’s audience number has grown over the years because it never stopped being a popular sitcom. You can always enjoy the series’ reruns over and over again. The three movies are also available for the fans to watch and there’s an animated version, too!
Fans used to watch the show’s reruns in the afternoon during the 70’s and 80’s. Even if Gilligan’s Island already went off air, its popularity continues to grow just like other past sitcoms. We all know the show’s success is not only because of Gilligan (played by Bob Denver). We should also give credit to the incredible cast who played the shipwrecked characters.
From the main character Gilligan, to characters like Mary Ann, Ginger Grant, all the way up to the professor; the show never ran out of interesting characters. Now, after many years, we are ready to reveal the behind-the-scenes of the incredible sitcom. You will probably be shocked to hear the who’s-supposed-to-play-the-character-of and what the actors do when they are off set. Things are not always how they seem to be. An old series such as this one is very intriguing and we would want to hear what happened during the time the show was on air.
No Outfit Repeats
So, let’s first remember the characters Ginger and Mary Ann. They were only on a 3-hour boat trip but it looks like they were able to bring an entire wardrobe. Notice how they never repeated the same outfit? It looks like they had so many clothes with them that we never seem to see them wear the same thing in the entire series.
No Outfit Repeats
Name That Skipper!
We all thought that Skipper’s name was never revealed. Actually, we do not only know him by his job. He actually revealed his full name in the 1964 pilot episode. He is Jonas Grumby. Do you remember when Alan Hale’s character died and they were scattering his ashes? One of the casts said, “that’s what the Skipper wanted”. That is of course, Jonas.
Name That Skipper!
Breaking The Fourth Wall
The space between the audience (or camera crew) and the actors is called the fourth wall. Skipper would always look past that wall and make a face. Gilligan (Bob Denver’s character) said it started when they all believed that the world is destroyed. “We thought the world was over and began marrying each other. Mary Ann married Gilligan and had one kid, a little boy. Ginger married and had a baby girl with the professor. The blue lagoons sequence is where we see all the kids grow up.
Breaking The Fourth Wall
Influencing His Character
Alan Hale Jr. is often heard calling anyone around him “little buddy”. The series used this as inspiration. That’s why we would hear Skipper call Gilligan ‘little buddy’. It has somehow added some ‘originality’ to Skipper’s character. Don’t you agree?
Influencing His Character
Equal Credit
Dawn Wells (who played Mary Ann Summers’ character) and Russell Johnson (Professor Roy Hinkley) were not named in the credits and were instead listed as ‘the rest’. This really made Bob Denver disappointed and he insisted that their names be listed. Speaking of Bob Denver, his character Gilligan was offered to the actor Jerry Van Dyke but Jerry turned down the offer. He said later on that, “It’s funny I turned down the role for My Mother the Car. It was still a good thing because then I would be forever remembered as Gilligan. I think it worked for everyone’s good”.
Equal Credit
Reason For Half Mast
If you notice during the opening of the series, you might have seen the American flags right on the half of the pole. The real reason is because before the filming began, JFK was assassinated. They finished the filming of the pilot episode on November 22, 1963 which was exactly the day President John F. Kennedy was shot.
Reason For Half Mast
Inside Joke
Back then, while the show was running, Newton Minow was the head of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Sherwood Schwartz, the creator of Gilligan’s Island (and The Brady Bunch), disliked him. So, if you can remember, the wrecked ship was called S.S. Minnow. Perhaps Newton didn’t notice.
Inside Joke
Not So Practical
During the first season, we saw how the characters used coconut cups when drinking. They realized then that it was not going to work because the cups were ruined easily, therefore they used ceramic cups that looked like coconuts. Has it ever crossed your mind were they got the coconut milk? They must have kept a lot!
Not So Practical
Ginger’s Bottomless Bag
Remember we mentioned that the characters never seem to repeat an outfit? Notice Ginger’s clothing and how she seemed not to run out of clothes considering that she only packed for a 3-hour cruise. It always looked like she was so prepared! Did you notice the gowns, dresses, workout clothes and everything else?
Ginger’s Bottomless Bag
Custom Outfit
Speaking of what the female characters were wearing, it seemed that Dawn Wells had put so much thought into her outfits. She knew that she would be compared to Tina Louise every time, and so she opted to show off her legs most of the time. She also made sure to cover her belly button. Her outfits caused some stir because it was the first time that someone on TV actually wore short pants!
Custom Outfit
Aging Cast
Many of the series’ characters have passed away since the start of the show, Gilligan’s Island. Tina Louise and Dawn Wells are still alive and we are looking forward to more years with them!
Aging Cast
She Didn’t Tell A Soul
Here’s one of the best kept secrets in the show that fans enjoyed. Natalie Shafer who played the character of Mrs. Lovey Howell hid her true age to everyone – cast, crew and production team. She never told anyone her real age but it was eventually discovered that she was 13 years Jim Backus’ senior. She was 13 years older than the actor who played her husband on the show!
She Didn’t Tell A Soul
Special Mention In Her Contract
There’s more! It was stated in Shafer’s contract that she should not have any close-up shots. That’s because she never wanted any wrinkles in her face to be seen by the audience. It was also a special clause in the contract so that everyone would believe that there was no age gap between the husband and wife character. No one ever knew!
Special Mention In Her Contract
Radio Transmissions
Perhaps you remembered that the characters were receiving messages in a Packard Bell AM radio. To make the scenes realistic, they added an antenna because it would make you believe that they were receiving distant radio transmissions. That radio in reality did not have any antenna, nor a handle.
Radio Transmissions
Inventive Prop Team
We saw in the series that the characters have made technology from the scraps that they found. This was a real challenge for the show’s prop team. They often needed to come up with something new from the random scraps that the characters found. Imagine macgyvering, but way before that.
Inventive Prop Team
Next Big Idea
The producers of the show tried to bring a new character to remedy the decline of the series just before it ended. They were hoping that this character would change the direction and heat things up. They thought of a friendly dinosaur but it was too expensive. Sherwood Schwartz remembered what Hunt Stromberg Jr., the TV programming executive of CBS TV said, “Gilligan and his pet dinosaur will be our answer.”
Next Big Idea
A Wild Ride
The audition of Alan Hale Jr. for his character in “Gilligan’s Island” is something worth looking at. It started with hopping on a horse in Utah followed by a hitchhike to Las Vegas and then a flight to Los Angeles. This was all done so that he could audition for Jonas ‘The Skipper’ Grumby. That long trip is something we have to thank him for because he makes a great ‘Skipper’ character.
A Wild Ride
First or Last Name?
Do you ever wonder why the character Gilligan didn’t have a first name? We heard people calling him that name since the start of the show and it was only until Gilligan’s Island ended that we learned about his first name. Sherwood said, “Bob Denver thought that his first name was Gilligan. Although in the original presentation, he was really Willy Gilligan, but Bob insisted that his first name be Gilligan and would not discuss any of it anymore.”
First Or Last Name?
A $20K Skirt
Now for Mary Ann Summers, every young man fell in love with her character, and women adored her. But, it really wasn’t her character that people will always remember. One time Mary Ann wore a skirt with an outrageous price tag, of guess what… $20,000! Can you deal with that?
A $20K Skirt
Too Memorable
Next to Mary Ann, is the memorable Ginger. Tina Louise played the character so well that no one could ever think of Ginger being played by another actress. This perhaps is one of the reasons why Tina Louis couldn’t land on any new role after Ginger. She later said that Gilligan’s Island ended her career in television.
Too Memorable
All 99 Episodes
When Gilligan’s Island fans reminisce about the show, they always remember how much they can relate to the characters and the story. Most of the characters are in every single episode because they were so committed to the show. In all the 99 episodes you could find Gilligan, Skipper and the Howells in it. Ginger, Mary Ann and the professor were in 98 episodes, respectively.
All 99 Episodes
Everyone’s Least Favorite Thing
Now everyone knows the traffic conditions in LA and the noise that comes with it. To avoid all of the noise from the highway, the crew would shoot the Lagoon Scenes in LA so fast to avoid capturing the noise on the streets.
Everyone’s Least Favorite Thing
Free Vacation
Now let’s talk about the perks of the show. Natalie Shafer was said to have been give a free trip to Hawaii to shoot the Gilligan’s Island pilot episode. Once the show was picking up, the cast was disappointed to learn that they would just be filming in LA.
Free Vacation
Tone Deaf
Dawn Wells cannot sing, therefore during the scene when she needed to sing, she had to make some improvisations. She had to lip sync so that everything would sound okay in the sequences. Why didn’t she try voice lessons instead?
Tone Deaf
Everything But That
The Professor was so brilliant in the show that he could transform scraps of garbage into some handy objects for them to use. But, if he fixed the boat during the series then the show would be over. Did the fans notice that too?
Everything But That
Choice For Gilligan
There was a rumor circulating that Gilligan’s character was supposed to be given by the show’s producers to Alan Young. Young played ‘Wilbur Post’ on Mister Ed. Sherwood answered all the questions some few years after. He said he is not sure where the rumor was coming from because they never considered Young to play Gilligan.
Choice For Gilligan
No Need For Kids
The show’s production considered adding a new character to the show: the Professor’s nephew. They decided against it because they felt there was no need for a child actor since Gilligan’s character is a child at heart.
No Need For Kids
Marriage
All of the main actresses on the show were married for under 10 years in real life…probably because of their insane schedules! Or, maybe because there were so many young men waiting to take their hand in marriage!
Marriage
A True Hero
Gilligan proved to be a huge liability for the show because he always messes things up. Sometimes we wonder why Skipper is still keeping him on. True, Gilligan is very annoying but let us go back to the two sailors in the navy during WWII. Gilligan saved skipper at the time, and so Skipper stays on the storyline for a few more years.
A True Hero
Money On And Off-Set
Mrs. Howell (Natalie Schafer) was married to a millionaire— Thurston Howell III. In real life, Natalie is actually very rich. She bought Rodeo Drive properties back when houses were as cheap as cars and sold them when the price skyrocketed. Schafer made so much money and became a millionaire.
Money On And Off-Set
Worldwide Acclaim
Gilligan’s Island only ran for a total of three seasons, but it has gained worldwide popularity during its time on air. Dawn Wells once visited a far-flung community called Solomon Islands in the South Pacific, she chanced upon a tribe with no modern gadgets and no electricity. When she was introduced to the tribal chieftain, he recognized her from the show and got so excited.
Worldwide Acclaim
Alf Crossover
It is clear that people will never forget the show. Remember the alien Alf who dreamed he was stuck on Gilligan’s Island? He was on the island with the entire team! The cameo of the entire cast was so good for the audiences. Bob Denver, Dawn Wells, Russell Johnson and Alan Hale Jr. were all there!
Alf Crossover
Tough Guy
Alan Hale was a former military guy and he was really tough on set. During an episode where he had to climb a tree, he fell of and entirely missed the soft landing setup by the crew, thus bringing him down to the hard concrete floor. He broke an arm but didn’t tell anyone about it for weeks. When asked how he managed, he just replied “It wasn’t easy”.
Tough Guy
Dramatically Different Pilot
The original plot of Gilligan’s Island is very different from what we ended up seeing on TV. There were many different characters and the female leads were mainly secretaries and high school teachers. It was only in 1992 when producers saw that the fans could handle the confusion so they broadcasted the ‘different plot’.
Dramatically Different Pilot
Two Cartoons
To make sure that things remained relevant, many shows were transformed in cartoon spin-offs during the 60’s and 70’s. Gilligan’s Island tried this trend and made 2 cartoons. The classic form was named Gilligan’s Island and the other cartoon had a slightly different set in outer space, thus, called Gilligan’s Planet.
Two Cartoons
So Many Gingers
Although Tina Louise played Ginger in the original Gilligan’s Island, her character was played by 6 other actresses for the succeeding television and animated series. Dawn Wells was actually the voice over for both Mary Ann and Ginger’s characters for Gilligan’s Planet, one of Gilligan’s Island cartoon series.
So Many Gingers
Pushing For The Show
Sherwood Schwartz was a huge name as the producer of the show employed by United Artists Television. He spoke to CBS’s president Jim Aubrey to pitch Gilligan’s Island. Jim Aubrey had some second thoughts because he believed that if fans saw that the characters never leave they island, they would become bored with it. With Schwartz persistence, the show got a chance.
Pushing For The Show
Stunt Woman
Even though Natalie Schafer is a real-life millionaire, she did all of her stunts. Surprised? Isn’t it great that at that age she did all her stunts herself? Think about her falling into the lagoon and quicksand!
Stunt Woman
Contract Clause
Dawn Wells was the one who benefited most from the show financially. Dawn Wells’ husband is a TV show agent and he told her that she needed to add a clause in her contract. That clause was her receiving royalties from Gilligan’s Island syndication earnings. Since Gilligan’s Island still runs on daytime TV sometimes, she is still getting paychecks!
Contract Clause
Original Mary Ann
We have to celebrate Dawn Wells though because she was not chosen as Mary Ann for the show originally. It was supposed to be 1960’s sensation, Raquel Welch, but she turned down the offer and saved her career. Why? Well, none of the Gilligan’s Island actors and actresses landed huge roles after the series ended.
Original Mary Ann
Reference
Jim Backus (playing Thurston Howell III) did get another chance though. If you have seen The Alan Young Show, you will recognize Backus playing Hubert Updyke III. Schwartz explained that when he pitched Gilligan’s Island, he said, the island would be a social microcosm and a metaphorical shaming of world politics in the sense that when necessary for survival.
Reference
Cheapskate
In the show, Jim Backus’ character was a big-spending millionaire. In real-life, he was actually a frugal person and many stories of the crew involved Backus “forgetting his wallet” when it was time to pay for a meal. This forced other Gilligan’s actors to pay for his order. He did this repeatedly and the whole cast and crew keep on reminding him by teasing him all the time.
Cheapskate
On-Set Diva
During the entire period of filming, there were many exceptions that had to be arranged for Tina Louise. She felt she was misled of her role in the show, thus everyone had to adjust. She was told by her agent that the role is of a movie star on the castaway island. She had no idea that the show would revolve around her character.
On-Set Diva
Representing America
Every character in the show, except the goofy but lovable Gilligan, was meant to stand for different eras of American society. Ever wonder why they called the men by their professions and not their names? Well, that was so each character could represent that part of society.
Representing America
Dawn Wells’ Memoir
After her iconic role as Mary Ann in Gilligan’s Island, she made a memoir and the title was What Would Mary Ann Do? There are many help sections in the book as well as stories that happened on set while they were filming. This was written in Mary Ann’s point of view instead of Wells’. There are many pieces of advice from this star-eyed woman from Kansas on how to deal with the troubles of a modern society.
Dawn Wells’ Memoir
Arrest
Back in 2007, Dawn Wells was pulled over by a sheriff’s deputy when she was seen swerving the vehicle slightly while driving. She came from the mayor’s birthday party. When her vehicle was searched, three smoked cigarettes were found to contain controlled substances. She was therefore placed in lockup. Even when a friend came to testify that he left it in the car earlier, the reputation of the actress was already stained with controversy.
Arrest
Wrong About Reruns
The reruns of Gilligan’s Island have made fans remain obsessed with the show. The reruns are the reason why we have enjoyed Gilligan’s Island for more than 50 years now. Back when the show was still running, the producers did not expect that the reruns would have a chance of airing on television. How wrong they were!
Wrong About Reruns
Miss Nevada
Back in the year 1959, Dawn Wells was actually Miss Nevada. Her crown secured her a scholarship in theater at the University of Washington. She then moved to L.A. after her studies to get into acting. She was determined to show everyone that she was not just some pretty face in Los Angeles but a hard-working actress. She reached fame because of her determination and focus.
Miss Nevada
Starstruck
A lot of people would debate between Ginger and Mary Ann. Despite the ongoing comparisons of the fans, Dawn Wells and Tina Louise were and are very good friends. Dawn Wells was actually intimated initially by the stardom of Tina Louise because Dawn was not well known at that time. After she got past the star-struck feeling, their friendship grew. On social media, Dawn is friends with Louise’s daughter.
Starstruck
Tina The Teacher
These days, you will find Tina perform on Broadway. She moved to New York to perform on Broadway and when not on the stage, she volunteers as a teacher in a public school. The New York Public schools are so lucky to have her and the students always recognize her as Ginger in Gilligan’s Island based on the reruns. The reruns have made Gilligan’s Island really popular and alive.
Tina The Teacher
Favorite Episode
Tina said that her favorite part of the show was “All About Eva”. In one of the episodes, a young red head named Eva was washed up on the island. Ginger gave her a makeover, but in the end she went away and escaped the island to go back to Hollywood and pretend to be Ginger. Both characters were played by Tina herself and she loved filming every bit of it.
Favorite Episode
Sunday By Tina Louise
Tina Louise also wrote a memoir, just like what Dawn Wells did. But, the Sunday is a collection of her memoirs instead. The book was meant to help young girls, teenagers and teenage moms. She shared in Sunday that when she was between age six and eight, she was sent to study in boarding school.
Sunday By Tina Louise
Not A Dime
Most of the cast, including lead actor Bob Denver who played Gilligan, did not get rich with the show. Most of the cast only had residual rights until 1968. They thought that the show would not last and therefore did not give it too much care, except for Dawn Wells of course. As mentioned above, Wells had a special clause on the reruns in her contract.
Not A Dime
Tina Didn’t Hang
Tina Louise didn’t like hanging out with her fellow cast members and you won’t find her included in group interviews with other members of the cast. One of the reasons perhaps is that she really didn’t like her role as Ginger.
Tina Didn’t Hang
Love Interest?
A lot of fans wanted some romance between Mary Ann and the Professor. Millions speculated and waited for a love story to happen between the two characters. However, the show’s producer Sherwood Schwartz wanted to keep the sitcom family-friendly. Therefore, he never allowed any romance to develop between the two characters.
Love Interest?
Final Cut
So why did the show end in only three seasons? The reason is CBS changed their lineup of shows that year and removed Gilligan’s Island. They figured that Gilligan’s Island had low ratings and decided to transfer it to a less expensive time slot. But, CBS executives had other things in mind. They totally removed the show because they already had Gunsmoke coming for those slots.
Final Cut
In Memory Of
When David Bowie died in early 2016, a hashtag began trending. It looks like #RipBobDenver made it to the headlines, causing many fans to react and pay tribute to the Gilligan’s Island main character actor Bob Denver. The strange thing is, Bob Denver had already been dead 10 years earlier. Still, the fans continued to pay their respects to the actor even if it seemed that the news was false.
In Memory Of
What’s Up Doc?
Many fans probably didn’t understand some parts in the series like the Gilligan’s Island episode “You have been disconnected”. We saw in that episode Mr. Howell giving his wife’s diamond necklaces to Gilligan so he could cut the encased wires. Mr. Howell said to Gilligan. “You’ll have more carrots than Bugs Bunny.” Jim Backus said this line because he once voiced over for Looney Tunes character in “A-Lad-In His Lamp.” He was the voice behind Smokey the Genie together with Bugs Bunny.
What’s Up Doc?
Archie Bunker As The Skipper?
We also know Carroll O’Connor who was a popular racist in All in the Family where he prejudged Archie Bunker. O’Connor actually tried for Skipper’s character but Sherwood didn’t see him as fit for the role.
Archie Bunker As The Skipper?
Family Role
The dream sequences on the show became really famous. Do you remember the “V’ for vitamins dream? It was Bob Denver’s little boy Patrick who voiced for the small Gilligan. Isn’t that a wonderful gig to have for the lead actor’s son?
Family Role
A Life Changing Dinner
Do you know how Alan Hale Jr. got his role? He actually went out to dinner dressed as a civil war soldier in a Hollywood restaurant. Sherwood Schwartz noticed him and his costume and because the producer really liked what he saw, he decided to cast Hale as the Skipper.
A Life Changing Dinner
What Could Have Been
Although we all know that Gilligan’s Island only ran for three season and had three films, Schwartz had envisioned what the fourth movie would be like. He wanted the story to be set during a nuclear war and hoped the castaways would discover that they were the only humans left alive. Gilligan and Mary Ann would get married and Ginger and the Professor would marry too. Gilligan’s son would then sail away when he turns 20 years old and would come to discover that the world still exists. The characters themselves heard it on the radio, but Gilligan broke the radio “accidentally” just when the disclaimer part came on.
What Could Have Been
Dream Sequences
Let’s go back to the dreams. You think only the audiences loved the sequences? The characters also had the dream scenes as their favorite! It meant they could go outside the island and just be “anywhere”.
Dream Sequences
Requests For Rescue
Here is a funny story. It may seem ridiculous and strange when the Coast Guard received some letters from people asking them to rescue the castaways that were trapped on the island. This happened when the show started airing. When Schwartz was interviewed for the Archive of American Television, he said that those viewers were delusional. “Now who did they think was laughing at what was happening to these people? Where did they think the music came from, and the commercials?” he said.
Requests For Rescue
Same Place, Different Look
The lagoons may seem familiar to fans not just because they have seen it in the reruns of the show’s episodes. You probably have seen the location in the classic Monster film, The Creature From the Black Lagoon. That’s right, that lagoon is also the one that you see in some episodes of Gilligan’s Island.
Same Place, Different Look
The Real Lagoon
That lagoon was actually constructed in the CBS studio lot in 1964 for Gilligan’s Island. They first thought of filming in Malibu twice because of fog. During the winter, the water in the lagoon actually got down to 40 degrees. Bob Denver had to wear a wet-suit under his costume because of the cold. During summer, the water in the lagoon become smelly because it was stagnant. The water was finally drained and the space was made into a parking lot in 1995 for the employees.
The Real Lagoon
Skipper During Hospice
Alan Hale Jr. battled with cancer and he made a special friend when he was in the hospital. A huge fan of Gilligan’s Island was also a cancer patient. Alan Hale Jr. then went on putting his Skipper costume on to provide some comfort for the terminally ill kid.
Skipper In Hospice
Well, That’s Rude
Now go back to the opening theme song of the show. We can hear that Mary Ann and the professor were referred to as “the rest”. It was changed in the next two seasons. They now mentioned Mary Ann and the professor on the new and updated theme song.
Well, That’s Rude
Professor’s Backstory
Now it might be important to know the history of the characters, especially how they all ended up on the island and became a castaways. The professor was supposed to just be on a three-hour cruise to relax. This trip was part of his vacation before he actually planned on writing the book. The book’s title is Fun with Ferns.
Professor’s Backstory