Read Ebook {PDF EPUB} Gillian's Island by Cat Johnson 15 Fateful Facts About Gilligan’s Island. The 98 th —and final—episode of Gilligan’s Island was broadcast on April 17, 1967. Though never a critical favorite, the show was still a solid ratings hit and the cast and crew had every expectation of returning in the fall for a fourth season. But at the last minute CBS needed to find some room on the schedule for Gunsmoke , the favorite show of Babe Paley, wife of network president William Paley. So Gilligan got the axe and, at least as far as viewers know, the cast is still stranded somewhere in the Pacific. Forty-eight years after that final wrap party, however, Gilligan’s Island is still on the air. It was sold into syndication and has been broadcasting reruns continuously in 30 different languages around the world. Just sit right back and you’ll hear some tales of everyone’s favorite castaways. 1. IT WAS INTENDED TO BE A “METAPHORICAL SHAMING OF WORLD POLITICS.” One day in a public speaking class at New York University, the professor had students compose an impromptu one-minute speech on this topic: If you were stranded on a desert island, what one item would you like to have? Sherwood Schwartz was a student in that class, and the question so intrigued him that it remained lodged in the back of his mind for many years. After working for some time as a comedy writer for other shows, Schwartz decided to pitch his own idea for a sitcom. Thinking back to that desert island question, he thought it would make for an interesting dynamic to have a group of very dissimilar individuals stranded together and have to learn to live and work together. The island would be “a social microcosm and a metaphorical shaming of world politics in the sense that when necessary for survival, yes we can all get along,” Schwartz explained in Inside Gilligan's Island: From Creation to Syndication . Schwartz quickly discovered after his first few pitch meetings that words like “microcosm” and “metaphor” were not very helpful when trying to sell a comedy. 2. GILLIGAN’S FIRST NAME IS WILLY. After getting a green light from CBS for the pilot, Schwartz went about assembling his cast. He chose the name of the bumbling first mate—Gilligan —from the Los Angeles telephone directory. Gilligan’s first name was never mentioned during the series, but according to Schwartz’s original notes, it was intended to be “Willy.” Yet Bob Denver always insisted that “Gilligan” was the character’s first name. “Almost every time I see Bob Denver we still argue,” Schwartz once admitted. “He thinks Gilligan is his first name, and I think it's his last name. Because in the original presentation, it's Willy Gilligan. But he doesn't believe it, and he doesn't want to discuss it. He insists the name is Gilligan.” 3. SCHWARTZ WANTED JERRY VAN DYKE TO PLAY GILLIGAN. Jerry Van Dyke was Schwartz’s first choice to play the lead, but Van Dyke said that the pilot script was “the worst thing I’d ever read.” On the advice of his agent, Van Dyke accepted the lead in the short-lived (and critically panned) My Mother The Car instead. “I had a lot of problems with the agency, because they were trying to push me into taking [ Gilligan’s Island ],” Van Dyke recalled in an interview. “But that’s the joke: I turned it down and took My Mother the Car . But, again, it was really good, because I’d [have] been forever known as Gilligan. So that worked out, too!” 4. ALAN HALE GOT TO HIS AUDITION VIA HORSEBACK. The Skipper was the toughest, and last, character to be cast. Schwartz auditioned dozens of actors (including Carroll O’Connor), but no one was quite right; he wanted someone strong and commanding, sometimes blustery and short-tempered, but able to show a genuine affection for Gilligan even when smacking him over the head with his hat. Alan Hale was filming Bullet for a Bad Man in St. George, Utah when he got the casting call for Gilligan and was unable to get time off for a screen test. So he had to sneak off set after a day of filming, which was no easy task. In Surviving Gilligan's Island: The Incredibly True Story of the Longest Three-Hour Tour in History , it was revealed that Hale made his way to Los Angeles to read a scene with Bob Denver via horseback, hitchhiking, airplane, and taxi cab. He reversed the process after the audition and made it back to Utah just in time to resume filming his western the next day. 5. THE ASSASSINATION OF JFK DELAYED PRODUCTION ON THE SERIES. The pilot for the series was filmed over several days in November of 1963 on the island of Kauai in Hawaii. The last day of shooting was scheduled for November 23, 1963 in Honolulu Harbor for the scenes showing the S.S. Minnow embarking on its fateful three-hour tour. Late in the morning on November 22, a crew member ran to the set and announced that he’d just heard on the radio that President John F. Kennedy had been shot. As Lyndon Johnson was sworn in as President, it was announced that all military installations (including Honolulu Harbor) would be closed for the next two days as a period of mourning. Filming was delayed by several days as a result, and in the opening credits—as the Minnow cruises the harbor—the American flag can be seen flying at half-mast in the background. 6. THE MILLIONAIRE’S WIFE REALLY WAS A MILLIONAIRE. Natalie Schafer, who played Mrs. Lovey Howell—and allegedly only accepted the invitation to play Mrs. Howell because it meant a free trip to Hawaii to film the pilot—was a real-life millionaire. During her marriage to actor Louis Calhern, the couple had invested heavily in Beverly Hills real estate at a time when a house on Rodeo Drive could be purchased for $50,000. When she died in 1991, Schafer bequeathed a large chunk of her fortune to her favorite teacup poodle (she had no children), with instructions for that money to be donated to the Motion Picture and Television Hospital after the pooch’s passing. Said hospital now has a "Natalie Schafer Wing." Rumor has it that Schafer also left a tidy sum to Gilligan’s Island co-star Dawn Wells (Mary Ann), who lived with and helped care for Natalie as she battled breast cancer. 7. DAWN WELLS STILL GETS PAID FOR GILLIGAN’S ISLAND . All of the actors signed contracts that guaranteed them a certain amount of money per original episode plus a residual payment for the first five repeats of each episode. This was a pretty standard contract in 1965, when as a rule most TV shows were only rerun during the summer months as a placeholder between seasons. Even though the word “syndication” wasn’t yet a standard term in the TV production glossary, Dawn Wells’ then-husband, talent agent Larry Rosen, advised her to ask for an amendment to that residual clause in her contract, and the producers granted it, never thinking the series would be on the air nearly 50 years later. As a result, the estate of the late Sherwood Schwartz (who reportedly pocketed around $90 million during his lifetime from his little microcosm-on-an-island show) and Dawn Wells are the only two folks connected to the show who still receive money from it. 8. RAQUEL WELCH AUDITIONED FOR MARY ANN. The programming executives at CBS were underwhelmed by the pilot, but it managed to impress three different test audiences enough that they put the series on the fall schedule. But before filming for the first episode began, they had a few caveats—the first of which was replacing three cast members who had tested the “lowest” with audiences: John Gabriel, who played The Professor, a high school science teacher; Kit Smythe, who played Ginger as a secretary, not a movie star; and Nancy McCarthy, who played Bunny, yet another secretary. It was decided to make Ginger an actress, and Bunny was replaced by wholesome farm girl Mary Ann. One actress who auditioned for Mary Ann’s part was a young Raquel Welch, though something about her just didn’t scream “girl next door.” 9. THE SHOW’S STARS FOUND FANS IN THE STRANGEST PLACES. Years after the show stopped filming (it’s never really been “off the air”), the cast members found fans in the most unusual places. For example, in 2001 Russell Johnson was asked to speak at a biochemical conference in San Francisco. “There were four or five hundred PhDs there, and every one of them was a Gilligan’s Island fan,” he recalled. Bob Denver took his wife to dinner at Chicago’s elegant Pump Room once and the trio of musicians immediately switched from playing their semi-classical chamber music to “The Ballad of Gilligan’s Island.” Dawn Wells was vacationing in the Solomon Islands in 1990 when she and some friends canoed to a remote island in the area that had no running water or electricity. The visitors were ushered to a hut to meet the village chief, and Wells was stunned when “The chief's wife said, ‘I know you. In 1979, I was going to nursing school in Honiara, the capital of the Solomon Islands, and I used to come home and watch you in black-and-white!’” 10. THE SKIPPER BROKE HIS ARM FALLING OUT OF A COCONUT TREE. Alan Hale was an old-school “the show must go on” kind of actor. In Inside Gilligan’s Island , Schwartz recalled chatting with Hale at the season one wrap party when the actor, as jolly and convivial as always, happened to comment that now that shooting was completed, he could take care of his arm. When Schwartz asked what was wrong with his arm, Hale nonchalantly replied: “Oh, I broke it a few weeks ago.” He went on to explain that three weeks prior he had missed the crash pads slightly when he fell out of a coconut tree for a scene and had smashed his right arm on the stage. He hadn’t sought medical treatment because he didn’t want to disrupt the filming schedule. Schwartz was dumbfounded; “How did you manage to haul coconuts and lift Bob Denver with a broken arm?” “It wasn’t easy,” Hale admitted. 11. NATALIE SCHAFER DID HER OWN STUNTS. Even though Natalie Schafer was in her mid-60s when Gilligan’s Island was filmed, she insisted on doing the majority of her own stunts—and never complained about jumping into the lagoon or sinking in fake quicksand. In 1965, she told “Let’s Be Beautiful” columnist Arlene Dahl that she kept in shape by swimming in her backyard pool—in the nude—and by periodically following her special “ice cream diet,” which consisted of eating nothing but one quart of ice cream (spread out over three meals) daily. She would lose three pounds in five days following that regime. 12. THE MILLIONAIRE WAS A CHEAPSKATE. Jim Backus, who played Mr. Howell, was beloved by his castmates. In addition to being the source of endless ribald jokes and a willing coach to the less experienced actors on how to ad-lib or deliver a punch line, he was also notoriously cheap. In What Would Mary Ann Do? A Guide to Life , Dawn Wells recalled how during the show’s first season he would often invite her and Natalie Schafer out to lunch … only to realize that he had left his wallet back at the studio when the check came. Before the cast departed for summer hiatus after the wrap party, Schafer presented Backus with a bill for a little over $300—the total he owed for all those meals. 13. THE PROFESSOR AND MARY ANN WEREN’T IN THE ORIGINAL OPENING CREDITS. In the first season of Gilligan’s Island , the opening credits ended with a picture of Ginger as the singers crooned “the moo-vie star” followed by a hastily added “and the rest.” The text accompanying the photo proclaimed: “and also starring Tina Louise as ‘Ginger.’” (The only other cast member whose character name was listed in the credits was Jim Backus, a show business veteran and very recognizable character actor whose resume was longer than Ginger’s evening gown.) Louise had had it written into her contract that, along with the “also starring” billing, no one would follow her name in the credits. Once the show was renewed for a second season, champion-for-the-underdog Bob Denver approached the producers and asked that Russell Johnson and Dawn Wells be added to the opening credits, stating that their characters were just as vital to the dynamic as any of the others. When the producers mentioned the clause in Louise’s contract, Denver countered by referring to a clause in his own contract which stated that he could have his name placed anywhere in the credits he liked. He threatened to have his name moved to last place, so an agreement was hammered out with Louise, a revised theme song was recorded, and Johnson and Wells took their rightful place in the opening montage. 14. THE LAGOON WAS LOCATED IN STUDIO CITY, CALIFORNIA. The lagoon set was specially built for the show by CBS on their Studio City lot in 1964. They’d originally tried filming two episodes in Malibu, but they had a lot of downtime due to fog. Of course, filming at the studio had its own set of problems; sometimes filming had to be halted when traffic noise could be heard from the nearby Ventura Freeway. And the water temperature would hover around 40 degrees during the winter months, forcing Bob Denver to wear a wetsuit under his Gilligan costume. In 1995, the lagoon was turned into an employee parking lot. 15. THE MOVIE STAR WANTED TO BE THE TELEVISION STAR. In the January 23, 1965 edition of TV Guide , an article about Bob Denver mentioned the on-set tension between Tina Louise and the rest of the castaways: “Denver will not say why he and the glamorous Tina [Louise] do not get along, nor will any of the castaways–they just ignore her, and she ignores them. Between scenes, while the other six principals chat and tell jokes together, she sits off by herself. And recently when Denver was asked to pose for pictures with her, he adamantly refused. Part of Louise’s dissatisfaction with the series was that she had expected to be the star of the show. (Her agent had allegedly pitched it to her as the story of an actress stranded on an island with six other people.) Bob Denver eventually capitulated to network pressure and agreed to do a photo shoot with Louise for a TV Guide cover in May of 1965—but only if Dawn Wells was included. To his chagrin, Wells was cropped out of the final image. The Friendly Physician. The Friendly Physician is the 29th episode of the second season of the CBS-TV series Gilligan's Island and the 65th overall episode in the series. It first aired April 7, 1966. "I'm going to cry!" Contents. Synopsis [ edit | edit source ] A scientist named Dr. Boris Balinkoff living on an island nearby spots The Castaways' smoke signal and rescues the castaways by taking them back to his island. Both Gilligan and the Skipper are spooked by the spooky décor of his home and start having reservations about what his motives really are. They explore the dungeon and find a dog that sounds like a cat and a cat that sounds like a dog in the dining room. When Balinkoff describes his mind-exchange experiments to the boys and his plan to use them in his experiments, he has his manservant Igor take them hostage. The others meanwhile have no idea what is happening, and after Balinkoff tries to indict Mr. Howell as his partner and accomplice, they're all taken captive. Gilligan and Mr. Howell are swapped for each others' bodies as are the Skipper and Mrs. Howell and the Professor with Mary Ann. However, behind Balinkoff's back, Igor swaps bodies with Ginger, and she uses his incredible strength to free the others. The Professor restores everyone's true identities, but by now, Balinkoff shows back up and realizes what has happened. The Skipper jumps Balinkoff and holds him as the Professor restores Ginger to normal. The castaways then trap Balinkoff and Igor in the machine as Gilligan puckishly flips the switch. As they're leaving, Balinkoff as the cat leads Igor as the dog out of the castle while Dog-Igor chases Cat-Balinkoff through the house. Back at the Island, the Professor realizes they can use the rowboat to reach the shipping lanes, and the Castaways rush off to gather supplies. Gilligan meanwhile confesses he thinks Balinkoff's boat has seen better days; he's just not confident of its seaworthiness. The Skipper tells Gilligan the boat is fine because he said so. Just then, the worn craft sinks quickly into The Lagoon, only the pole at the bow visible over the water. The Skipper becomes upset with Gilligan, but he restrains himself since he made a bad call about the boat. ‘Gilligan’s Island’ star Tina Louise shares how the show 'represented this great escape' Fox News Flash top entertainment and celebrity headlines for Sept. 27 are here. Check out what's clicking today in entertainment. Tina Louise, one of the last surviving members of “Gilligan’s Island,” is speaking out about the show’s 55th anniversary. The actress famously played Ginger Grant, also known as “The Movie Star.” The only other living cast member is Dawn Wells, who played Mary Ann Summers. In a recent interview with Closer Weekly, the 85-year-old actress said she’s proud of the show’s lasting legacy. Russell Johnson (as the Professor, in white shirt), Alan Hale Jr. (1918 - 1990) (as the Skipper, in blue shirt), Bob Denver (1935 - 2005) (as Gilligan, in red shirt), Dawn Wells (as Mary Ann, hand on chin), Tina Louise (as Ginger, standing), Jim Backus (1913 - 1989) (as Thurston Howell III, holding radio), and Natalie Schafer (1900 - 1991) (as Mrs. Howell). (CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images) “On this 55th anniversary of ‘Gilligan’s Island’ I want to say how wonderful it is that our show is still on the air after all these years,” Louise told Closer Weekly. “I honestly feel like I have so many friends out there who just love what we did and what we shared and the joy we brought. I’m so happy to have been part of something that was so special to American television.” The beloved “Gilligan’s Island” explored how seven men and women are stranded on an uncharted island following a storm. It also starred Bob Denver, Alan Hale Jr., Jim Backus, Natalie Schafer and Russell Johnson. The sitcom aired from 1964 until 1967. “When we first aired, our country was in turmoil,” Louise reflected. “We were just past the Cuban Missile Crisis and the tragic assassination of President John F. Kennedy. The Vietnam War was escalating and I think people really needed an escape. Then we lost our beloved Martin Luther King and in a time of uncertainty, ‘Gilligan’s Island represented this great escape.” Tina Louise (left), Dawn Wells and Natalie Schaefer on "Gilligan's Island." (Getty) “This sweet, silly show provided its fans with calm and joy in a frightening time and has continued to do so,” Louise continued. “Well done television transports people into a fantasy and no matter what turmoil exists in the world, ‘Gilligan’s Island’ has provided that escape in an enduring way. Considering the state of everything these days, we should all be happy it’s still in reruns!” The magazine shared Louise originally pursued a modeling career before finding fame in Hollywood. At age 2, she appeared in an ad for her father’s candy store. By age 17, she was studying acting, singing and dancing at the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York City. Louise would go on to make her acting debut in 1952’s “Two’s Company” on stage, which led to several other Broadway productions. She appeared in film with 1958’s “God’s Little Acre.” She is still active in front of the big screen and most recently appeared in 2019’s “Tapestry” opposite Stephen Baldwin and Burt Young. Back in 2013, Louise told Esquire that being a redhead wasn’t always easy. “A lot of men are afraid of redheads,” she told the outlet at the time. “There’s not that many — and we’re different.” “… Most men are most comfortable with brunettes,” she continued. “Brunettes aren’t gonna run away from them; they’re not gonna leave. Men worry that a redhead will. Which is ridiculous! ‘Cause if I’m with you, I’m with you for a darn good reason, and I’m staying there.” Tina Louise circa 1960. (Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images) Louise also admitted that appearing on “Gilligan’s Island” was completely different from what she learned as an actress over the years. “[Teacher] Lee Strasberg was important,” she shared. “He’d pick up your arm and see if – and how – it would drop to determine the level of relaxation in your body and spirit. He’d say, ‘Make a sound.’ Some people would start to laugh and that would sometimes turn to tears. You didn’t have to be sad — it all came from deep relaxation. I learned a lot from Lee about deep relaxation to get at something you were working toward. And then I found myself on ‘Gilligan’s Island,’ where somebody’s telling you, ‘Go to the right. Go to the left.’ That was an adjustment. ‘Gilligan’s Island is what it is, and I am who I am.” Louise also told the outlet that aside from work, she’s been happily volunteering since 1996 and is a proud member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Tina Louise attends The New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children's 2018 Spring Luncheon at The Pierre Hotel on April 17, 2018, in New York City. (Photo by Jared Siskin/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images) “I love being part of the Academy,” she said. “I try to see everything on the big screen. I see about two films a week. I don’t eat popcorn. I loathe it when people are eating popcorn in a movie house. I’m used to concentrating on a film in very quiet places.” “Age is not a number,” Louise added. “Some people are way older than others who are the same numerical age because of the way they carry themselves, because of the way they don’t stand up straight, or the way their bellies stick out. I don’t think you should label people with numbers.” 'Gilligan's Island': Where are they now? Five passengers (and one skipper and one first mate) set sail that day for a three-hour tour, but where are they now? With the passing of "Professor" Russell Johnson Thursday, there are now two living cast members remaining of Gilligan's Island 's original crew of seven — 75-year-old Dawn Wells, who played Mary Ann Summers, and 79-year-old Tina Louise, who played Ginger Grant. Here's a look at what the cast did after the wildly popular 1960s show ended: Bob Denver (Gilligan): The actor, who played the show's titular character, died in 2005 at 70 in Winston-Salem, N.C., where he was being treated for cancer at Wake Forest University Baptist Hospital. After leaving the island, he was in the film comedy Who's Minding the Mint? and did more TV work, starring in The Good Guys ; Love, American Style and Dusty's Trail. He reprised his role with his voice as Gilligan in TV movies and the animated series New Adventures of Gilligan and Gilligan's Planet (along with much of the original cast). He later moved to Princeton, W.Va., and worked as a radio personality alongside his wife. Alan Hale, Jr. (The Skipper): Hale died in 1990 at 68 after a battle with thymus cancer. After Gilligan's , the Los Angeles native stayed in Hollywood, where he owned a restaurant, Alan Hale's Lobster Barrel. He also teamed up with Denver briefly in The Good Guys , which had a short run on CBS, and guest-starred on a slew of other TV shows. He also had numerous film roles in the years that followed. Jim Backus (Thurston Howell III): The actor, who had an extensive acting career before getting stuck on the island, died in 1989 at 76 of pneumonia in Santa Monica, Calif. He was well-known for his voice work for the cartoon Mr. Magoo . Natalie Schafer (Eunice Lovelle Wentworth Howell): Schafer died at 90 in 1991 of cancer in Los Angeles. The actress guest-starred on many TV shows afterward, including Mayberry RFD , The Brady Bunch and Phyllis . She was also a regular on CBS' Search for Tomorrow . Tina Louise attends the world premiere of 'War Horse,' in New York in December 2011. (Photo: Charles Sykes, AP) Russell Johnson (Professor Roy Hinkley): Johnson died Thursday at 89 of kidney failure. After starring on the show as the Professor, he continued to act in movie and TV roles, including the TV movie Vanished and in two episodes of Dynasty on ABC. Tina Louise (Ginger Grant): Louise is 79. After Gilligan's Island , she didn't join her castmates in reprising their roles in spin-offs and sequels, instead opting to take on more serious roles. She's still active in the industry, currently working on a Ken Kushner film, Tapestry , alongside Stephen Baldwin and Burt Young. Dawn Wells (Mary Ann Summers): Wells is currently 75, and has gone on to a successful theater career. ""I didn't want to be famous. I didn't want to be one of these celebrities that don't do anything," she told Nashville Scene in May last year. "I wanted to act. So I went back on the road playing in national theatrical tours to hone my craft." She's currently living in Driggs, Idaho, where she's taught acting classes. In 2007, she was busted for marijuana when police pulled her over for reckless driving (to which she eventually pled guilty). Wells runs Wishing Wells Collections, a clothing line for disabled people. Things You Get Wrong About Gilligan's Island. "Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale, a tale of a fateful trip, that started from this tropic port, aboard this tiny ship." Oh come on. You knew you were going to hum the theme song from Gilligan's Island the minute you started reading this. Whether or not we want to admit it, we've been fans of this show forever—even those who weren't yet alive when it premiered in 1964, or was unexpectedly canceled in 1967. But Gilligan's Island remains an iconic piece of modern Americana even in reruns, which have aired continuously in the 50-something years since the show ended after just three seasons. And did you know a fourth season was actually planned for production? Thought not. Truth be told, there's a lot of hidden trivia about Gilligan and his fellow castaways that you won't learn by just watching the show. Like the board game that came out in 1965, and bunches of other fun memorabilia that are on the hot list for collectors today. Then there is the show itself: Over Sixty reveals that actress Natalie Schafer (Mrs. Howell) really was a millionaire before she even signed on for Gilligan's Island . And Greenfield Reporter says the show's song, "The Ballad of Gilligan's Isle," was not the show's first theme song. Read on for more surprising facts about Gilligan's Island . Gilligan's Island was spawned by a moral message. It is true that Gilligan's Island was considered a "family show" according to sites like Reel Good, while other sites like Fox News enjoy commenting on the show's "unbridled sexual tension." In reality however, Mental Floss says creator Sherwood Schwartz was inspired by his college class at New York University to create a show about "dissimilar individuals" who must get along in order to survive. Do You Remember quotes Schwartz as saying the show was intended as "a metaphorical shaming of world politics" to show that when the tough gets going, we can somehow band together. Presumably most of us were too busy laughing to get that message. But it gets even deeper. According to Ninja Journalist, certain fans of Gilligan's Island have theorized that the seven castaways actually represent the Seven Deadly Sins. Ginger Grant (Tina Louise) represents lust, followed by Mrs. Howell with gluttony, her husband Mr. Howell (Jim Backus) with greed, goofy Gilligan (Bob Denver) with sloth, the temperamental Skipper (Alan Hale) with wrath, Mary Ann (Dawn Wells) with envy towards Ginger's sex appeal, and the sometimes snooty Professor (Russell Johnson) with pride. Wow, that's way wilder than Schwartz's simple appeal for "democracy in America," which author Paul Cantor opined was fueled by the Cold War of the late 1950's and early 1960's. The hidden politics behind Gilligan's Island. When Sherwood Schwartz told CBS's William Paley that Gilligan's Island would be "a social microcosm," says Cheat Sheet, it went over the broadcaster's head. Schwartz reassured Paley the show would indeed be a comedy, and wisely "never used that phrase again." But the show's "metaphorical shaming" and Biblical references aside, Gilligan's Island 's other brush with politics was pure, sad coincidence. In 1963, the first episode was almost finished filming in Hawaii when the crew learned of the tragic assassination of President John F. Kennedy on November 22. Kennedy's murder took place in Dallas, just before the last day of shooting in Hawaii, says Mental Floss. When a member of the film crew heard about Kennedy's assassination on the radio on the morning of the 22nd, he hurried to the set with the news. The government announced the immediate closure of "all military installations," including Honolulu Harbor, as Vice President Lyndon Johnson was sworn in as president. Shooting the first episode was naturally delayed for many days, but in the opening credits, MeTV points out that the American flag can clearly be seen flying at half-mast as the S.S. Minnow leaves Honolulu Harbor. On the lighter side, Ninja Journalist says the ill-fated boat was named for Federal Communications Commission president Newton Minow, whom Schwartz disliked intensely. The 'Ballad of Gilligan's Isle' was not the original theme song. If you are still humming the theme song to Gilligan's Island at this point, hang onto your bucket hat (the name of the "floppy-brimmed" hat Gilligan wore). The "Ballad of Gilligan's Isle" was not the original theme song for the show. Click Americana explains that the 1963 pilot featured a different tune which is nothing like the song we know and love. In his book, Inside Gilligan's Island , Sherwood Schwartz said the song was penned by "Sir Lancelot" Victor Pinard. When he pitched the series to CBS, Schwartz even sang Pinard's song to the executives himself. If you've ever heard the first Gilligan's Island theme song used for the pilot, you're probably glad that the second song was used in the series. So who wrote it? The writer was none other than noted composer John Williams, whose impressive accolades include two Emmy awards, three Golden Globe awards, over 20 Gold and Platinum records, 25 Grammys, and an amazing 52 Oscar nominations. Credited as "Johnny Williams" in 1964, the songwriter would later compose more theme songs for such films as Jaws, The Poseidon Adventure and more, and conducted the Boston Pops Orchestra for over a dozen years. If you didn't know this, it's because the original song and pilot didn't air on television until 1992, says Do You Remember. Where exactly was Gilligan's Island? Finding favorite film locations is a fun and exciting hobby for many. Finding the filming location of Gilligan's Island can be tricky however, especially since the island doesn't really exist (it was, after all, "uncharted" according to the song). MeTV recounts that one episode gives a position of "approximately 140º latitude by 10º longitude," a coordinate that doesn't exist within the law of physics. Another episode says the castaways are "250 miles south of Hawaii." As for the iconic lagoon, Mental Floss says that was a set built in 1964 at Studio City in Los Angeles, but is now an employee parking lot. There are, however, filming locations to see from the original pilot. To the delight of fans everywhere, the fan site Gilligan's Island studiously recorded the known shooting locations of that first long-hidden pilot. The list includes Zuma Beach near Malibu, California and Hanalei Plantation Resort and Moloaa Bay in Hawaii. The producers procured the first of four S.S. Minnows at Honolulu Harbor, where the cast was filmed sailing out to sea. Islands in the opening credits are identified as Coconut Island (pictured) in Hawaii, Sandy Cay in the Bahamas and the landscape at Marina Del Rey, California. Notably, Sherwood Schwartz once confirmed that a Coast Guard colonel once contacted him regarding some legitimate letters from Gilligan's Island viewers who wanted the castaways rescued. The castaways' endless wardrobes and other goofs. Seeing as Gilligan's Island was a goofy comedy, it is no surprise that there were several "goofs" in the filming of the show right out of the gate—or harbor as it were. MeTV explains that the opening credits who the S.S. Minnow sailing out to sea with eight, not seven, people aboard. In an early episode, says Gilligan's Island fan site, Ginger and Mary Ann inexplicably smell fudge burning in their hut, but when it falls down the structure is completely empty. In another episode, the Professor tries to glue the Minnow together. It falls apart, only to be seen completely intact in two later episodes. Early on too, Gilligan is seen wearing Bob Denver's wedding band. The most obvious blunder on Gilligan's Island is the amazing amount of clothing (and makeup) Mary Ann, Ginger, and the Howells have seeing as they only went on a "three hour tour." Yet Ginger and Mary Ann especially, notes Eternal Lifestyle, never appear in the same outfit twice. And what about all of those gadgets the Professor rigs up? Kiwi Report notes the castaways' radio was a Packard Bell AM radio, the original which did not come with a "telescoping antenna" or even a handle. One of the weirdest incidents regarding the show was when rocker David Bowie died in January 2016. Journalistate reports somebody began circulating the hashtag #RipBobDenver at that time as well—but Denver actually died back in 2005. The characters on Gilligan's Island had real names. We all know the names of Thurston Howell III and Ginger Grant, but aside from these two characters, everybody else on Gilligan's Island went by a nickname or had no last name. Ah, but they did! Sherwood Schwartz, says Ninja Journalist, picked Gilligan's name from a Los Angeles phone book. He also pitched Gilligan's first name as Willy, according to Mental Floss. That didn't go over well with Bob Denver, who refused to call his character anything but Gilligan. Then there is Mrs. Howell, whose nickname "Lovey" was used so often that folks think it was her first name. It wasn't; according to the Internet Movie Database, her actual name was Eunice Wentworth Howell. What about Mary Ann and the Professor (who, if you think about it, would have made a great romantic couple)? Fandom confirms that Mary Ann's last name was Summers and she hailed from Winfield, Kansas. And the Professor's real name, according to Greenfield Reporter, was Roy Hinkley. Last but not least is the Skipper whose real name, Jonas Grumby, was not revealed until the original pilot aired in 1992, says MeTV. According to the site, the name is mentioned on the radio and calls the Skipper "an old salt." Gilligan's Bob Denver was a great guy. Interestingly, comedian Jerry Van Dyke was Sherwood Schwartz's first choice for the character of Gilligan. But Van Dyke declined the offer, later quipping, "That's the joke: I turned it down and took My Mother the Car . But, again, it was really good, because I'd [have] been forever known as Gilligan. So that worked out, too!" (per Mental Floss). Bob Denver was cast instead, and it is notable that he was indeed the great-great- grandson of James William Denver for whom the city of Denver, Colorado was named (per The Famous People). And no, he was no relation at all to singer John Denver, says 104 Star, whose given name was really Henry John Deutschendorf, Jr. It also turned out that Denver was a hard bargainer. For one thing, he felt it was unfair that actress Tina Louise's contract stipulated that "no one would follow her name in the credits," meaning that Russell Johnson and Mary Ann Dawn Wells would receive no billing and were simply referred to as "the rest." Denver (who had previously starred with Louise in the beach romp movie For Those Who Think Young , according to MeTV) negotiated during the second season that if Johnson and Wells didn't appear in the credits, his own name could be "placed anywhere in the credits he liked." Denver won, with Johnson and Wells receiving onscreen credit, says HuffPost. Ginger Grant slept in the nude! In the pilot episode of Gilligan's Island , the character of Ginger was actually a teacher portrayed by actress Kit Smythe. Later, Smythe was replaced by Tina Louise, whose Ginger was reintroduced as a sultry Hollywood actress. But Fandom says Louise's agent allegedly led her to believe that she would be the star of the show, resulting in "a great deal of tension" on the set, says Cheat Sheet. Louise, who preferred movie acting to television acting, often sat away from the rest of the cast. But although polls actually showed viewers preferred Dawn Wells' character to hers (per Forbes), the two actresses were "actually quite close friends," says Kiwi Report. Notably, Gilligan's Island premiered just two years after the death of Marilyn Monroe. Several fan sites, including AV Club, enjoy comparing Monroe to Ginger. One thing wholesome Gilligan's Island censors missed, for instance, was the second episode which MeTV points out has Ginger wearing nothing but a sheet when the castaways are rousted out of bed in the night. The Monroe similarities appeared lost to Louise, who feared being typecast and later claimed the show ruined her movie career. MeTV reports the actress declined to appear in subsequent shows about Gilligan's Island after the series ended. The Howells had a son? Diehard fans of Gilligan's Island will remember the show where Gilligan saves Mrs. Howell's life and is adopted by the millionaires. Seeing as they've been married for between 19 and 22 years (Mr. Howell states both in that same episode, according to the Gilligan's Island fan site), the couple were obviously beyond child-bearing years. Yet in a later reunion movie, The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan's Island , MeTV points out that the Howells did have a son, Thurston Howell IV. And there is more: in real life, Natalie Schafer was 13 years older than Jim Backus, a fact the actress kept very secret, even in her contract, says Kiwi Report. Other interesting facts about Schafer include that she really was a millionaire even before taking the role of Mrs. Howell. Schafer and her husband invested in property in Beverly Hills and made a fortune, according to Mental Floss. As for Jim Backus, the actor was known as the voice of the Mr. Magoo cartoons and other shows before landing his role on Gilligan's Island . And although the cast loved him, he was known as a bit of a cheapskate who sometimes "forgot" his wallet when dining out with Schafer. She got even, once billing Backus $300 for those meals. When she died, says Over Sixty, she left her fortune to her poodle. How much did the Gilligan's Island cast make? Not as much as one would think. Snopes quotes Dawn Wells as guessing her weekly salary was around $750 a week, or $6,300 dollars by today's calculations. She also said that actors like Tina Louise and Jim Backus made more. And when the show ended, says Over Sixty, the cast received $7,000 apiece for subsequent syndication. Considering that other stars, like Dick Van Dyke (brother of Jerry Van Dyke), made $1,550 per episode back in 1961 (per Parade), that's pretty low. Back then, reruns were practically non-existent, although The Take credits Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz as being the first to contract for possible reruns of I Love Lucy . Nobody could know that Gilligan's Island would become such a popular rerun, but by some miracle, it did. For years, says Mental Floss, a rumor persisted that Wells' husband, Larry Rosen, made sure that a "residual clause" in her contract meant she got paid for reruns. Wrong. Wells herself (who died in 2020) debunked that rumor but said that Sherwood Schwartz made $90 million from the show including its reruns. Schwartz's daughter, Hope Juber, said that is also untrue. "If there is $90 million, it must be buried in a chest on the island somewhere because we've never seen it," she said, according to Market Watch. Some of the cast did their own stunts. Although there were plenty of stuntmen on Gilligan's Island (Janos Prohaska played the ape who stole Mrs. Howell's brooch in one episode, for instance), many cast members did their own stunts on the show. Even Natalie Schafer, who was 64-years-old when the show premiered, declined a stunt double. Mental Floss says the actress claimed she stayed fit by regularly swimming in her pool, and naked at that! The Gilligan's Island fan site points out several scenes where actors can be seen "falling" onto mats that are clearly visible. Occasionally, the stars did hurt themselves. Neatorama recalls one episode where Alan Hale fell out of a palm tree and broke his right wrist, but heroically didn't mention it "because he didn't want to hold up production." The most dangerous stunt? That would be the time Bob Denver's Gilligan was locked in the Howell's hut with a real lion, says HuffPost. Dawn Wells happened to be filming the scene with her own 8mm camera, in which Gilligan sees the lion standing on the twin beds in the hut and tries to run. The lion suddenly "lunged" at Denver, which Wells said the actor responded to by making a "karate chop" a la Barney Fife as the big cat's trainer tackled it. Denver later said of the incident, "my hair stood on end." The end of Gilligan's Island. You would think that Gilligan's Island would end with the castaways getting rescued, but no. The producers, according to Kiwi Report, were "feeling" the ratings slipping in 1967 when they toyed with adding a dinosaur character "to freshen things up." Ninja Journalist adds that CBS President Jim Aubrey and Sherwood Schwartz had agreed that the castaways would eventually be rescued, bringing a natural end to the series. But neither idea happened, nor did the renewal for a fourth season, says Mental Floss. Instead, the series was suddenly replaced by Gunsmoke , which had been cancelled but was brought back after William Paley and his wife voiced their disapproval. According to Do You Remember, the 98th and final episode, "Gilligan the Goddess," aired on April 17, 1967. But reruns began as fans received a few bonus movies in the coming years: Rescue from Gilligan's Island in 1978, The Castaways on Gilligan's Island in 1979, and The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan's Island in 1981. There was also a cartoon that aired between 1974 and 1977, a video game in 1990, and even a reality show, The Real Gilligan's Island , in 2004. There has been talk of making Gilligan's Island into a movie since 2009, says TV Series Finale, but nothing has come of it yet. Which leaves only one more question: How come the song is about "Gilligan's Isle," but the show is titled Gilligan's Island ? Nobody seems to know the answer to that one.