FAQ

Bob Denver (Gilligan), Alan Hale Jr. (The Skipper), Jim Backus (Mr. Howell) and Natalie Schafer (Mrs. Howell) all appeared in the unaired pilot "Marooned" in the roles they continued to play throughout the series.

John Gabriel played the Professor in "Marooned." Russell Johnson played him in every episode thereafter.

Kit Smythe and Nancy McCarthy played two secretaries named Ginger and Bunny. They were replaced by Tina Louise as Ginger, a movie star, and Dawn Wells as Mary Ann, a Kansas farm girl.

The eternal question, but the answer is often overlooked.

In the season 1 episode 'Good-Bye Island', following multiple failed efforts by the Professor to make useable nails from an iron ore deposit he had found, Gilligan discovers several trees that produce glue. The Professor uses it as solution to patch up the Minnow, and escape the island. Unfortunately, the glue turns out to be only temporary, the castaways find this out all too late, and the Minnow breaks apart into a thousand pieces.

In episode 1, Two on a Raft, we hear Skipper's real name, which is Jonas Grumby. We also hear Professor's real name, which is Roy Hinkley.

What many people don't know is that Gilligan IS his last name. His first name is Willy. Although never specifically mentioned on any episode, this is found in the series' original treatment (outline) document, as noted in one of the Bonus Features on the Season 1, Disk 1, Side A, DVD.

Lovelle Eunice Wentworth; Mr. Howell refers to her as ''Lovey''.

Dawn Wells ("Mary Ann") would often answer this question while touring with Bob Denver ("Gilligan"). She basically said that the Howells were responsible for the seemingly endless amount of outfits that the castaways would wear; for example, both Natalie Schafer ("Mrs. Howell") and Tina Louise ("Ginger") wore nurse's outfits when other cast members were sick or if they were assisting the Professor (Russell Johnson).

The entire opening sequence of the first pilot shows Bob Denver ("Gilligan") struggling to carry a large number of suitcases on board the ship (the "SS Minnow"). Supposedly the Howells, being rich and eccentric, chose to travel with a great deal of their belongings, which included many changes of clothes.

It should be noted, however, that during the episode "Lights, Camera, Action!" (Season 2, Episode 7) that Gilligan (Bob Denver) and Skipper (Alan Hale Jr.) are able to salvage two massive trunks from a sunken yacht.

One of the trunks contains a movie projector, screen, and blank film (it belonged to the late Fifi LaFrance and her husband Ricardo Laughingwell, both silent film stars.) The other trunk, however, contained a bevy of old costumes, all of which the castaways presumably used for clothing.

There was also recycling of materials on hand and found material into clothes. The women are seen sewing in first season episodes. Mary Ann and Ginger are shown sewing by hand, while in "The Matchmaker" (Season 1, Episode 25) Mrs. Howell is shown using a pedal powered bamboo sewing machine. Ginger sometimes wears a dress with "SS Minnow" stenciled on it, which she explains she made from Gilligan's duffle bag. In another episode, a weather balloon which landed on the island is cut up for use as fabric.

Ginger and Mrs. Howell most likely brought some cosmetics with them, however, in the pilot episode, Ginger shows Mary Ann a compact-case she made from a clamshell. Further she confesses to using different color berries for mascara, eye shadow, and lipstick.

Yes, in fact, there were. Mrs. Howell, bored and wanting something to do, decides to play match-maker and fix up Gilligan and Mary Ann. Unfortunately, her machinations only result in a huge fight with her husband, and Gilligan and Mary Ann remain unattached.

As a matter of fact, yes. The castaways encounter any number of threats to their lives. In one episode, a deadly bug first bites Gilligan, then the others. In another, the Professor is convinced the island is sinking into the ocean. In still another, there is an active volcano that threatens to destroy them (the Professor prevents this from happening by exploding a home-made bomb at the base of the volcano.)

There is a missile, launched by the military, that lands on the island (luckily the warhead was removed.) Finally, one episode features the Skipper in failing health; feeling extremely weak. Tests (performed by the Professor course) reveal that there is a lack of vitamin C in the castaway's diet, as a result of the lack of citrus fruits.

This episode feature an amazing dream sequence, in which Gilligan fancies himself Jack from Jack and the Beanstalk. Bob Denver's own son has an appearance in the dream.

Another episode, with guest stars Rory Calhoun and Harold Sakata, sees Calhoun's Jonathan Kincaid take advantage of the castaway's position, in a nod to "The Most Dangerous Game." In the episode, bored with hunting everything else, Kincaid decides to hunt one of the castaways for 24 hours, and selects Gilligan as his prey. While he is unsuccessful, for obvious reasons, it's still a fairly dark-themed episode with Kincaid stalking around the island shooting at Gilligan with his rifle.