Gilligan's Island

[Snarky Oracle!]

Not sure if mentioned , but Tina Louise is the only survivor of the original cast now following Dawn Wells's passing.

So it was her show after all. I guess we'll have Victoria around for another 75 years, bless her.

 

[Crimson]

Last call to give Tina what she expected 57 years ago: GINGER'S ISLAND.

 

[Seaviewer]

the third movie was just horrifically awful in plot. Like cartoonishly bad. The show was offbeat and absurd at times but evil master and robot was just too much.

I thought the third one was a slight improvement over the second. It still had the Love Boat-style resort setting but the return of mad scientists with absurd schemes was welcome in my eyes.

 

[Miss Texas 1967]

I thought the third one was a slight improvement over the second. It still had the Love Boat-style resort setting but the return of mad scientists with absurd schemes was welcome in my eyes.

I can see that, I just really didn't enjoy it. I didn't like the overall atmosphere of the film or that the characters weren't really given plots of their own. Usually on the show we got guest characters in scenes with the main cast, not for scenes and scenes alone. If it wasn't the scientist/robot combo then it was the annoying Thurston Howell IV or the Howell's PA taking up time. 25 min episodes might have been a better format for the stories too, they didn't have the luxury of lingering too long on other things. I missed having the 7 characters being forefront of the story.

 

[ClassyCo]

I was watching an episode of WHAT'S MY LINE? one night last week with Suzy Parker as the celebrity mystery guest, and something popped in my head: What if Suzy Parker had played Ginger? While it may be hard to envision GILLIGAN'S ISLAND without Tina Louise as Ginger, it's often interesting to ponder who could've filled their spot had they not been cast.

Whatcha think?

 

[Jock Ewing Fan]

I was watching an episode of WHAT'S MY LINE? one night last week with Suzy Parker as the celebrity mystery guest, and something popped in my head: What if Suzy Parker had played Ginger? While it may be hard to envision GILLIGAN'S ISLAND without Tina Louise as Ginger, it's often interesting to ponder who could've filled their spot had they not been cast.

Whatcha think?

View attachment 33499​

The original choice for the role was Jayne Mansfield, I believe

 

[ClassyCo]

The original choice for the role was Jayne Mansfield, I believe

Yeah, that's what I've heard for years that Jayne Mansfield was the original choice. And apparently Mansfield declined because Ginger represented the stereotype she wished to rid herself of.​

 

[DallasFanForever]

I was watching an episode of WHAT'S MY LINE? one night last week with Suzy Parker as the celebrity mystery guest, and something popped in my head: What if Suzy Parker had played Ginger? While it may be hard to envision GILLIGAN'S ISLAND without Tina Louise as Ginger, it's often interesting to ponder who could've filled their spot had they not been cast.

Whatcha think?

View attachment 33499​

I can definitely see her as Ginger, at least from the physical standpoint as she was quite striking. I don’t think I’ve seen her in much though so I’m not sure if she would’ve made a good Ginger as far as having the same natural charisma and charm that Tina brought to the role.

 

[ClassyCo]

As a knockout redhead, Suzy Parker physically fits the bill. I've seen little of her as an actress. KISS THEM FOR ME (1957) was her mainstream debut to movies, where she portrays a sleek and demure woman who swipes leading man Cary Grant away from blonde bombshell Jayne Mansfield. That movie received negative reviews and poor box office returns. And I must admit, Parker's performance in that movie wasn't very good. She seemed stiff, uninspired, and amateurish. The only other thing I've seen Parker in is a 1964 episode of THE TWILIGHT ZONE called "Number 12 Looks Just Like You", where she plays a mother of a homely-looking teenager in a futuristic society so obsessed with beauty that they've invented a machine/surgery where people can pick how they look from a catalog of "good looking" choices.

Outside of those two pieces, I'm unfamiliar with Parker as an actress. Random House publisher Bennett Cerf complimented her performance in TEN NORTH FREDERICK (1958) during her guest spot on WHAT'S MY LINE? And I know she got good notices for THE BEST OF EVERYTHING (1959). She didn't seem to do a lot of comedy, or any for that matter, which leaves it difficult to determine whether or not she could've held her own in a sitcom such as GILLIGAN'S ISLAND. Her stature as a model probably left her too unattainable as well for such an assignment.

But, visually, she was stunning. The perfect "look" for what we know to be movie star Ginger Grant.

 

[rayray]

As Ginger Grant required a conventionally-beautiful actress with excellent comedy instincts and timing, they really couldn't have done better than Jayne or Tina, IMHO... Suzy Parker was beautiful and projected "class", but lacked comedic chops.

 

[ClassyCo]

As Ginger Grant required a conventionally-beautiful actress with excellent comedy instincts and timing, they really couldn't have done better than Jayne or Tina, IMHO... Suzy Parker was beautiful and projected "class", but lacked comedic chops.

Yes, for the comedic aspects of the show, Tina or Jayne were well-suited for it. But Suzy wasn't a comedy actress.​

 

[Miss Texas 1967]

For almost no reason Gilligan and Mr Howell are dressed alike in this scene. Made me laugh.

 

[ClassyCo]

GILLIGAN'S ISLAND might've had a premature cancellation, but it exploded in popular culture, especially in the 1970s and '80s, when new generations were attracted to the show through early evening reruns. The show's 98 half-hour episodes have been in almost constant circulation, and its few rivals on the syndication market have been I LOVE LUCY, THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW, and THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES.

The first season consisted of 36 B&W episodes (which DVD releases have beautifully restored and possess an atmosphere the rest of the series lacked) have often been shown "colorized" in syndication. I've yet to see a good colorization of GILLIGAN'S first season, but I am not entirely against it, even if they just colorized the first broadcast episode -- not the original pilot, but the episode called "Two on a Raft", which is often mistaken for the pilot. It is the first episode filmed after Tina Louise, Russell Johnson, and Dawn Wells had taken over the roles Kit Smythe, John Gabriel, and Nancy McCarthy had played in the unaired CBS pilot.

A fraction of GILLIGAN'S continuing hold inside popular culture has been the ever-relevant "Ginger or Mary Ann?" debate. No one seems to know just where this debate originated, but I'd be likely to guess it has its roots in the generations that have fallen in love with the show and its characters in the years since its original cancellation back in 1967. I just don't see people having this debate watching a weekly, silly sitcom back in the mid-to-late 1960s.

Yet the question endures -- Ginger or Mary Ann?

The question itself can leave a lot up for debate. What are we judging these two ladies off of -- their looks, their personalities, their character in the show, or a possible combination of everything? The two characters blur in the sense that they're both "nice" and have a good relationship with the rest of the castaways, and they do share a lot of regular island chores, such as cooking, cleaning, and handling the wash.

But that's about where the comparisons stop. Ginger is an actress at heart, a full-fledged glamour puss, with an eye always peeled for the right opportunity to make it big. Her red hair is stylish, and she is frequently draped in glittering and form-fitting gowns -- although, in the first B&W season, she was frequently shown wearing a dress that was seemingly made from a blanket snagged from the S.S. Minnow. Ginger is sexy, can be vain, and sometimes a little snobbish, which is referenced in her siding with the Howells in various disputes that occur on the island.

Mary Ann, on the other hand, is the exact opposite. She is a down-home farm girl (backstory proves she's from Kansas, just like Dorothy Gale) and likes the simple things in life. She dresses simpler, but often in outfits that highlight her tanned skin and petite figure. Her dark hair is generally in pigtails. Mary Ann gets all the glory for the upkeep of the island, and she is the resident cook, her specialty being coconut creme pies.

So, the glamour puss or the girl-next-door?

I've had a difficult relationship with this question myself, with my answer varying over my years as a GILLIGAN'S ISLAND fan. I once did a 4H project in middle school (a very "Mary Ann" thing of me to do) on the show. As part of my project, I polled several people on the "Ginger or Mary Ann?" question. Mary Ann out-ranked Ginger, practically three-to-one.

Most polls taken generally favor Mary Ann. It's almost common knowledge among fans of the show that Dawn Wells got the most fan mail during the series' original network run.

Here's where I am -- Ginger is beautiful, but Mary Ann is quite simply prettier. For me, there's no two ways about it. On the other hand, I find Ginger the funnier character, and Tina Louise a stronger actress than Dawn Wells. My wife was the first person to echo this sentiment to me while watching the show. We thumbed through a few episodes when she said, "You know, Mary Ann is a lot prettier, but Ginger is way funnier."

Here we have two entirely different ladies (both on and off-the-screen) that were pretty, funny, and warmed our hearts as two of seven stranded castaways in one of the most influential TV shows ever.

Where are you -- Ginger or Mary Ann?

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

I watched a couple of episodes yesterday, and you guys are right: Tina Louise had a twinkle in her eye and real charisma as Ginger that her successors didn’t have.

Also, Ginger was an homage of sorts to Marilyn Monroe, still fresh in the mind of the culture in the mid-'60s. Fifteen years later, it would have made less sense. Yes, Monroe is still remembered even today, but satirizing her would read as well as it did in 1964, I'm guessing.

Sometimes actors can channel their resentments into an excellent performance.

Like Elizabeth Taylor's Oscar-winning role in BUTTERFIELD 8 -- a terrific performance in a tawdry sudser she never wanted to do and reviled the rest of her life.

I'm ambivalent to the idea of the first season being colorized well, but putting color on it wouldn't make it feel closer to seasons two and three. The later seasons have a different vibe than the first. Personally, I don't like the tone of that first season; I find it vaguely disconcerting and out-of-sync. Color would be a superficial change.

I'm solidly against colorizing anything from the 64/65 season. But not the 65/66 season.

 

[ClassyCo]

Also, Ginger was an homage of sorts to Marilyn Monroe,

E! THE TRUE HOLLYWOOD STORY literally says Sherwood Schwartz changed Ginger from a secretary into "television's version of Marilyn Monroe," after the pilot.

 

[Jock Ewing Fan]

GILLIGAN'S ISLAND might've had a premature cancellation, but it exploded in popular culture, especially in the 1970s and '80s, when new generations were attracted to the show through early evening reruns. The show's 98 half-hour episodes have been in almost constant circulation, and its few rivals on the syndication market have been I LOVE LUCY, THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW, and THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES.

The first season consisted of 36 B&W episodes (which DVD releases have beautifully restored and possess an atmosphere the rest of the series lacked) have often been shown "colorized" in syndication. I've yet to see a good colorization of GILLIGAN'S first season, but I am not entirely against it, even if they just colorized the first broadcast episode -- not the original pilot, but the episode called "Two on a Raft", which is often mistaken for the pilot. It is the first episode filmed after Tina Louise, Russell Johnson, and Dawn Wells had taken over the roles Kit Smythe, John Gabriel, and Nancy McCarthy had played in the unaired CBS pilot.

A fraction of GILLIGAN'S continuing hold inside popular culture has been the ever-relevant "Ginger or Mary Ann?" debate. No one seems to know just where this debate originated, but I'd be likely to guess it has its roots in the generations that have fallen in love with the show and its characters in the years since its original cancellation back in 1967. I just don't see people having this debate watching a weekly, silly sitcom back in the mid-to-late 1960s.

Yet the question endures -- Ginger or Mary Ann?

The question itself can leave a lot up for debate. What are we judging these two ladies off of -- their looks, their personalities, their character in the show, or a possible combination of everything? The two characters blur in the sense that they're both "nice" and have a good relationship with the rest of the castaways, and they do share a lot of regular island chores, such as cooking, cleaning, and handling the wash.

But that's about where the comparisons stop. Ginger is an actress at heart, a full-fledged glamour puss, with an eye always peeled for the right opportunity to make it big. Her red hair is stylish, and she is frequently draped in glittering and form-fitting gowns -- although, in the first B&W season, she was frequently shown wearing a dress that was seemingly made from a blanket snagged from the S.S. Minnow. Ginger is sexy, can be vain, and sometimes a little snobbish, which is referenced in her siding with the Howells in various disputes that occur on the island.

Mary Ann, on the other hand, is the exact opposite. She is a down-home farm girl (backstory proves she's from Kansas, just like Dorothy Gale) and likes the simple things in life. She dresses simpler, but often in outfits that highlight her tanned skin and petite figure. Her dark hair is generally in pigtails. Mary Ann gets all the glory for the upkeep of the island, and she is the resident cook, her specialty being coconut creme pies.

So, the glamour puss or the girl-next-door?

I've had a difficult relationship with this question myself, with my answer varying over my years as a GILLIGAN'S ISLAND fan. I once did a 4H project in middle school (a very "Mary Ann" thing of me to do) on the show. As part of my project, I polled several people on the "Ginger or Mary Ann?" question. Mary Ann out-ranked Ginger, practically three-to-one.

Most polls taken generally favor Mary Ann. It's almost common knowledge among fans of the show that Dawn Wells got the most fan mail during the series' original network run.

Here's where I am -- Ginger is beautiful, but Mary Ann is quite simply prettier. For me, there's no two ways about it. On the other hand, I find Ginger the funnier character, and Tina Louise a stronger actress than Dawn Wells. My wife was the first person to echo this sentiment to me while watching the show. We thumbed through a few episodes when she said, "You know, Mary Ann is a lot prettier, but Ginger is way funnier."

Here we have two entirely different ladies (both on and off-the-screen) that were pretty, funny, and warmed our hearts as two of seven stranded castaways in one of the most influential TV shows ever.

Where are you -- Ginger or Mary Ann?

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View attachment 49975
View attachment 49976

Ginger or Mary Anne?

Both are remarkable women.

It was dissappointing that Tina Louise didn't return for the TV movies.

Dawn Wells has passed, but she will always be well remembered (Pun LOL!)

 

[DallasFanForever]

Where are you -- Ginger or Mary Ann?

If you asked me this back in the 80s when I was a teenager and first found reruns of the show my answer would’ve been Ginger. She was fun, she was provocative and loaded with charisma. If it were a concert she’d be the one selling the tickets, the one everyone came to see. The main event.

As I matured Mary Ann became much more appealing to me. The sweet, innocent girl next door type. The girl with not just looks but the girl you can have the deep, meaningful conversation with. She lacked Ginger’s aura and mystique but she more than made up for it in personality.

 

[ClassyCo]

 

[Chris2]

I loved the beautiful, sweet Mary Ann. But boy, Tina Louise sure had comic chops. The original five top billed cast members all did. ”The rest,” i.e. the Professor and Maryann, were the straight men.

 

[ClassyCo]

The original five top billed cast members all did.

Originally, the movie star was to be apart of "the rest" too, as I understand. It was the savviness of Tina Louise's agent that got her the "and also starring Tina Louise as Ginger" billing for the first season, leaving Russell Johnson and Dawn Wells as a rather lonesome "rest" in the credits as it was originally sang.