The best show on TV ever no one got killed no violence no hate just great comedy as Russell stated it made my childhood in the 60' s and 70' s such a memorible time thanks to all the cast God bless them all , each were interesting, and amazing people
Hi Rick. Love the review about Gilligans island. Most interesting fact for me was the fact that Natalie Schaeffer and Dawn Wells were such good friends and that Dawn looked after Natalie during her illness. I had the distinct pleasure of meeting Dawn around 1994 in Michigan when she was in town near Detroit for a book signing of her recipe book. She was delightful to talk to and I was thrilled to meet her.She was fascinated at the time about the O.J. Simpson trial so that pin points around the time of when we met. Interesting fact, I met her the night she arrived in from LA at the hotel she was staying at near Royal Oak Michigan and John F. Kennedy Junior was also staying at the hotel that night and walked by us while we were chatting with her in the hotel lobby. Dawn went to the front desk to leave a note for John John to see if he would be available for a drink later that night. Unfortunately he wasn’t available as I found out the next day from Dawn.
The Island they show as Gilligan's island is just off a few miles from Oahu, Hawaii I was in the Navy and my 2nd ship changed ho.e ports to Pearl harbor, that's why i know that. The intro from the harbor of the SS Minnow was filmed in California, not Hawaii.
I remember meeting Alan Hale Jr. many years after Gilligan's Island ended, when I was in Jr. High. My friends and I went up to him to say hello and he couldn't have been sweeter. He even went into character while joking around with us. I've been a huge fan of this man and the show ever since.
Russell Johnson ( The Professor ) was a navigator in the Air Force during WW2. His B-25 plane was shot down while bombing Japanese targets in the Philippine Islands, and he broke both of his ankles when the plane crashed into the sea. He received the Purple Heart for his injuries, and was honorably discharged from the Air Force in 1945.
@@dwaynefarnsworth3615 yes it did. Check your facts. Edit: Even if it was technically part of the army, the original commenters story is unchanged by the technicality
@@thesilverprincess Strictly speaking, he's right. Technically, it was the US Army Air Forces at the time. If memory serves, between 1926 and 1941 (or '42), the branch of the Army responsible for aerial warfare was known as the US Army Air Corps, which was subsequently renamed the US Army Air Forces (as mentioned, sometime around '41 or '42). It was not known officially as the "Air Force" until the Defense Act of 1947 created a separate service (the Department of the Air Force). Its interesting to note the the CIA was created by virtue of the same legislative act.
@@thesilverprincess Agree - my favorite uncle (passed on in 2008) served in the Air Force during WWII - he never mentioned seeing Russell there but that doesn't mean he didn't.
Dawn Wells was such a natural beauty. No silicone, no botox, no plastic surgery. And it's a shame that none of the cast really did anything after the show ended.
a lot of fans really did like dawn, she was nice, and kind, getting a lot of fan mail Is crazy to see, deppending how many she got during the show, witch Is crazy, Dawn was the best and loved by many fans, and she will be missed, She was AMAZING.
I got to meet Dawn Wells about 1980 - she'd been a student with a dear friend at the University of Washington Drama School, and came thru Seattle with the National Tour of "They're Playing Our Song"... Got to meet her in the dressing room, and later we all adjourned to her hotel room for a lively bit of reminiscing and beverages. Sweet, sweet lady.
OK, that was from the pilot episode. I’d like to see the episode where he built a radio out of a coconut. He did not do that. In fact, they had a radio which they regularly used and kept up with its maintenance. Season one episode eight the professor was trying to make nails to be able to put boards on the boat. The nails never worked. So, they took a Rubber-like material and boarded up the entire boat, however this made the boat completely rip itself apart board by board.
And if you're really going to be pedantic, which hole on the boat are you referring to? If you look at the background for the later seasons' title card, with the color photo of the boat on the beach, besides that so-called "two foot hole" on the starboard side towards the front, it's revealed that there is a second, much larger hole on the starboard side towards the rear of the boat, which is at least 6 or 7 feet long and two feet high. This damage is especially obvious if you look in between the credits for Russel Johnson and Dawn Wells. So, the damage to the Minnow was not insubstantial.
Johnson & Welles were on an infotainment show, of which I was a regular. They were both kind & gracious people. Dawn told me that her & Russ had become like father/daughter. Russel reminded me of Santa Claus. He sported a white beard and was as jolly as old St. Nick. Spending the morning with them is something I will never forget. I had told Dawn, that being a young teen at the time, that I preffered Ginger, and that I hope she'd understand. She simply replied, "Oh that's ok ... I want to give you a big hug, anyway ... and she did. Both could not have been any sweeter.
@@dallasbrubaker6054 So do I but thought turning this into a masturbation thread , would be off color..lol Now that you opened the door though...Who else dumped a load to Mary ann ....haha
Also, Russel Johnson flew 44 missions in the Pacific as a B-25 bombardier before being shot down in the Philippines and breaking both his ankles. Great actor and greatest generation badass.
I really like the tidbit that Alan Hale, Jr so admired and loved his dad that he always wore his dad’s pinky ring. Sad they never did make that movie together. Thanks. Great job.
At 63 years old, I've seen a lot of tv. I suppose Gilligan's Island is my favorite show of all time. I've seen every episode dozens of times and still find them delightful.
The ridiculousness of the plot was what made the show so fun to watch. The actors obviously had fun portraying their parts. Thank you for showing us this side of them.
Ginger and the professor had an affair. It came out in a book. Howard Stern grilled Tina Louise about it in an interview, she giggled but didn't deny it.
Great stuff Rick! I met Dawn last year and got to spend a few minutes with her. She was super cool!! I said "You are still so dang pretty." She said "There is a lot of paint on this face baby."
I still love the show and watch it. In fact it's now airing 3 straight hrs. on Sun. in my area and yes I watch the full 3 hr. tour. Oh, and I'm 55 too. 😘
Surprised that Natalie was 64 at the time of the show. Not surprised that "Maryann" got the most fan mail w. a sweet demeanor, seemed very friendly. As you mentioned she was also compassionate and cared for Natalie as she became ill. Great video!
There was a TV movie about the behind the scene making of the TV show that was on a long time back and it shows the close relationship of Dawn and Natalie in it.
Alana, look up on google and youtube about these 2. dawn wells kept a lot of this secret for a long time out of respect and love for natalie. its a truly beautiful story that needs told.
I love this Gilligan's Island trivia and background information! I remember reading somewhere that Bob Denver always wanted to have his buddy Dwayne Hickman appear in one the episodes, but it never happened. I wasn't aware Denver was a teacher!
Nice to know that Dawn Wells is as much a sweetie in real life as Mary-Ann was on the show. Of course most of us knew that, but it's worth hearing again. But some of this stuff I did *not* already know. You actually managed to teach me new things about this show. Well done.
You know Sailor Barsooom, you are absolutely right. In my heart , i knew she was an especially kind person and thoughtful. But nice to have it confirmed.
Every Friday night with fish and chips ( catholic background) we all of us kids (9) would sit down and watch our favourite show Gillian’s island. I know the opening song by heart ❤️ even after all these years.
How refreshing it is to see a video on a classic TV show that *Is not* a "tell all" scandal filled hatchet job. A wonderful tribute to a TV show that was apart of my childhood Thank you
I'm not surprised that Dawn had a friendship and so much compassion for Natalie-- you can tell she's that kind of person from her various TV interviews. And Natalie seemed like a sweetheart too. Dawn is also totally gorgeous, and was Miss Nevada in 1959 I think it was. You can certainly count me as one of her fans.
Schaffer left her estate to Wells, which if I recall, allowed Wells to open an acting school. Wells was once arrested for getting pot for Denver's glaucoma when he was old and sick. I think the judge gave her probation or the lightest sentence possible. Can you imagine sentencing Mary Ann for an act of compassion. She is a very good person according to every account I've ever heard, and is still quite beautiful. One of the prettiest older retired actresses.
She was America's "girlfriend". The girl everyone wanted to be with. The fact that she was so sweet in real life came through in the character on screen. And Ginger was the same way. She was very narcissistic and that also bled into the character on screen. MEN picked that up.
I've seen dozens of facts videos and documentaries about Gilligan's Island. Most of them are just rehashing the same thing over over again. But you presented some NEW things I never knew before, such as the ring to honor his father. Thank you for the good research and a entertaining video!
This was pretty cool to watch 🙂 Mr Denver became friend of mine in later years, I worked in hotels and he would often spend as much time as I could talking with him, he was the nicest guy. Another fun fact about him, he wore the same style of boat shoes from the show for the rest of his life, he told me they where just comfortable. Anyway great peace you wrote, thanks for keeping the memories alive. Eric 😊🙂
Such a great show. I watched it as a child when it was originally aired & it has never stopped being rerun, so I've watched it ever since. Thank you for such a positive video about the cast.
I thought I knew every fact about Gilligan's Island and even background information, but I had no idea that: Natalie Schafer didn't allow for close-ups and questions about her age or that she was married only once; that Alan Hale, Jr. wore that pinkie ring and why; and that Russell Johnson wasn't a great student in real life. Truly enjoyed this. Thank you so much!
Rick Great vlog! I started my day with prayer as i prepare for surgery today. This vlog was a treat to start my day! Natalie Schaefer like me had breast cancer back in the day when the surgical process was more painful. I think she revealed that to Dawn. I remember that from a Gilligans Island documentary Dawn Wells did. Anyway nice job!
We pray for your surgery and your speedy recovery! I am so happy to see the Rick Nineg family sending their well wishes. What a great group of people here!
@@erictroxell2298 Hi Eric! Surgery went well! I'm at stage 1 but no cancer in the lymphnodes! I still have radiation and possible chemo ahead but I'm feeling good! God Bless and Happy Easter!!
Both Alan Hale Jr and Russell Johnson were big time western movie actors long before Gillian’s Island. Most of the information you provided I knew but I still like hearing it again, I grew up with this show. Look up the atoll of Kiribati, it’s the original opening scene where they’re on a beach, no lagoon and they’re looking out to the “ocean”. I was on that beach and it actually looks out into the “crater” of the atoll and you can walk a quarter mile out before getting waste deep. It was really cool to be there where it all started.
I grew up watching Gilligan and still have some favorite episodes even though I haven’t seen any in decades. I knew some of these facts but definitely not all. Thanks! My Dad called him Gilligump. 😂
Paul how can you not miss Alan Hale wearing his father's pinky ring on his right ✋ the ring itself did indeed belong to his father before his father passed away.totally an Easter egg to you pal ,annonomus
It's easy enough to miss. You likely missed Larry Hovis (Carter of Hogan's Heroes) wearing his wedding ring, even though his character was unmarried. Most of the time you don't see it because he usually wears gloves, but sometimes the gloves are off and you can spot it. He _never_ removed that ring!
@@timmoran2339 A lot of good comedy shows came from the 60s. Shows that went from BW to color during their run. But Green Acres? I mean I watched it along with those other reruns in the 70s but I think it was a terrible show.
I love Gilligan's Island and The Beverly Hillbillies, but no show beats out Andy Griffith with Don Knotts being the funniest man to ever live. There was no sexual exploitation or cussing and the show always had a message. Barney and Andy were a good team together. And these shows you didn't have to worry about seeing crossdressers and gay crap like you do today... wholesome...MAGA
Paramount studios should send you a monthly check for getting people interested in this show again. I have the DVDs and lots of great info on them too. Great job Rick!
Yes they were reruns as a 70s kid we would come home after school and watch these shows and many other's. I don't know how the shows theses days stay on as long as they do.
I couldn't get over how the professor could build every modern day equipment, cars, fans, radios, air plane, CB's, batteries because the radio that survive the shipwreck lasted 30 years and never was plugged in, they had everything, even a washing machine but they couldn't get off the island, lot's of people came to the island, left the island but they couldn't get off, it supposed to been a 5 hr tour but Ginger and the Howell's had on a different outfit everyday of the show, Ginger sometimes changed 2 or 3 times a day, they had enough clothes, shoes and makeup for 30 years that survived the shipwreck and the Howell's had trunks of money with them for a 5 hr tour.🤣😂
My addition to your video. I directed and choreographed a musical review in Hollywood in the early 80's. Kimberly Johnson was a cast member of mine (Russell Johnson was her father obviously). He came and saw his daughter perform, and we had a very nice conversation after the show sharing a drink. Around that same time I used to work for fun (about 8 hours a week) at this clothing store named Pure Sweat (they sold sweats, of course). Natalie Schafer came in now and then to buy a few things. I used to call her "Lovey" in my best Thurston Howell accent and she loved it. In fact, even though I was only at the store 1 day a week, she would ask for me so much that the staff called her my girlfriend. She told me once that there would be no more reunion shows because Jim Backus had Parkinson's, and he was unable to perform, so the cast decided to quit doing new productions.
I was a fan of his since his Maynard G. Krebs beatnik character. He'd often rattle on about watching a movie, "the monster that ate Cleveland" or some variation. My earliest TV memories are of Dobie Gillis and Jackie Gleason and the Honeymooners.
What a delight you are, young man. So cool to see younger people love the show as much as us older people. And very* cool facts! I knew some of them, but there were many things you brought up that I'd never heard. I loved Russell Johnson as the Professor and there did not seem to be many facts about him out there, but I LOVE how exhaustive you are about every little fact of the show. Most interesting fact? That the 'Professor' flunked some classes in High School (in real life).
That was one of my all time favorite shows. Thank you. I have to add that Curt Russell came out as the jungle boy in one of the episodes that is often overlooked.
I remember in the very early 60’s seeing the commercials advertising Gilligan’s Island, due to come on TV. Couldn’t wait. When they began to come out in color I couldn’t wait to see the next show. Watched them on reruns all through elementary school. Wish I could of met the Skipper. Reminded me of my grandfather. A good way to escape reality for just a little while.
So back in the day, the question always was, "Ginger, or MaryAnn?" I always answered, "Both!" Outstanding and informative video. Thanks for taking the time!
Very interesting stuff, as always. Did not know most of these facts, so I appreciate the information. Dawn Wells was supremely beautiful, inside and out.
This was an excellent video Rick! Chock full of interesting facts! Many I did not know. It’s heartwarming to hear of Dawn Wells being such a kind, compassionate woman taking care of Natalie Schafer, who I loved in I Love Lucy when Lucy and Ethel went to charm school! Thanks for sharing all this fun stuff! It’s great to see your channel growing so quickly! Be hopeful!
I have a grad degree mechanical engineering. I think the Professor influanced me. I'm a tech nerd, I work on for fun cars, motorcycles, airplanes, restore old electronics.
I talked to Bob Denver years ago, and his intelligence shined through. We talked about what made "Gilligan's Island" collectibles so rare and sought after. He explained that the show aired in the days before the mass merchandising we see with today's programs, so you didn't get that mass of toys, coffee cups, posters, etc. that you would see now. To be best of his knowledge, only a "Gilligan's Island" board game was sold while the show was being produced.
I worked with Bob Denver in a production of "Play it again, Sam," and he was a jerk. Threw a cigarette butt at me. Of course he was going through a bad divorce at the time, but still . . .
There was also a toy called "Gilligan's Floating Island". I think it was a bath toy. I always thought I would love to get one and put it in my bathroom as part of a tropical theme.
Hey Rick, thanks for the look into Gilligan's Island, I enjoy hearing all the facts you uncover! Your channel is on fire, congratulations on hitting 28,000! It's obvious that you work very hard to bring us such quality content & I'm very glad that you do. Stay positive 😆
@@user-cy5yg8te8l as you are typing, in the top right corner of your keyboard there should be an emoji button or a smiley face button, try pressing that & see what you get. Good luck 😃
@@christopherkraft1327 I try this and it works : I click on answer then right click on the ligne where to start writting and it shows a window , left click on the emoj ligne and it shows a new window with a lot of simboles to use thank you very much 😃👌🎉👍
I thought that I was a Gilligan's Island 'expert'....but I learned a few things (never knew about Johnny Williams!) Thanks so much, it was very informative.
Gilligan's island was always my favorite t.v. show. Watched it everyday after school It and Leave it to Beaver But i found this video very interesting Some facts I never knew. Thank you
It was said the show was an escape from the troubles of the world at the time. Here you have 7 castaways on an island surviving, trying to get rescued, and dealing with whatever other problem they may have but you never hear of the problems of the outside world. Same with The Andy Griffith Show.
Rick I did not know that Mary Ann lived and took care of Natalie when her cancer got so bad,this is very heartwarming but not surprising about Dawn, I was surprised by many facts but the one that really caught me off guard was that Russel Johnson actually was not that great of a student. A true testament of how great of an actor he really was. I saw him many times in westerns prior and after Gilligan's Island.......Thanks For All The Great Info Rick. EXCELLENT JOB!!
On the tv movie called Surviving Gilligan`s Island Dawn Wells visited a primitive island for vacation and a native woman came out of her hut saying, "Mary Ann! Mary Ann!" And Dawn said, "Yes, how did you know?" It turned out the native woman went to school on another island and watched reruns of Gilligan`s Island there.
I didn't know a lot of it. However, your motivation in being hopeful is insightful. God bless you. I was raised watching all of these shows. The background of each character makes it a little more personal. Thank you Rick.
That was a lovely video- one of my all time favorite shows! There were 2 facts I was unaware of, both the mother/daughter type relationship between Dawn and Natalie, and that Dawn cared for Natalie when she became ill. Btw, there's a great book written by the show's creator, Sherwood Schwartz, titled "Inside Gilligan's Island," (but you probably already knew that.)
My father found out that he had an older half sister when he was in his mid 50s. She found out where he lived and basically presented herself to the family. My father's other sister, also older than him, didn't know she existed either. My parents would visit her and she would visit us several more times over the next 25 years....but no one ever really knew how old she was. We would meet her daughter after her death, and her daughter never knew her age. My aunt worked "odd jobs" like waitressing to support herself and did not want to miss out on a job due to age discrimination so she kept everyone in the dark as much as possible in order to work as long as possible. BTW, my father died in his early 90s, his 1 older sister is nearly 100, so we suspect his half sister was also in her late 90s when she passed....but no one knew her exact age. However, in the meantime we have seen the institution of the internet/Google, so I suppose it could be found out with "some digging".
I guess it could make her look jerky, but somehow deep down, I think it probably was a bit of a running joke with them. He probably knew and respected that she would never divulge it, and she of course had to play her part to the hilt.
its a ridiculous vanity! i liked her, etc but thats just sad that she wouldnt tell her husband. i am proud of every year i am here. and while it wont get you the best jobs, i'm happy to tell others.
What an angel Dawn Wells is. People with discernment picked up on that. It’s what made her the most beautiful woman on that show...because of her kindness an inner beauty.
Thank you for the cool facts Rick. It’s interesting to know John Williams composed the original theme to the show. I know he did various TV themes and music early in his career, but I didn’t know he composed the original theme for the original pilot. You doing these types of videos always makes me more interested in whatever show you talk about even more than I was before. Thank you for doing what you do Rick and I hope you keep up the great work.
FYI. Several years after Gilligans island Bob Denver was in a short-lived TV sitcom called dusty’s trail, which was basically Gilligans island set in the Old West
The ring Alan Hale Jr. wore was an interesting fact, but the rest of the video was just as entertaining. It’s nice that you took the time to research this topic to put together a video, it’s a lot more work than people realize.
