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How GILLIGAN’S ISLAND Brought People Together Across the Decades

Image by Elias from Pixabay

How GILLIGAN’S ISLAND Brought People Together Across the Decades

By Movieguide® Contributor 

GILLIGAN’S ISLAND premiered over 60 years ago, and despite its short run — 1964 to 1967 — its popularity has only grown through the years.

It followed crew members Gilligan and Skipper, along with five other people, who attempted to tour the Hawaiian Islands aboard the S.S. Minnow but ended up shipwrecked and living on a desert island.

PEOPLE reported that its “popularity skyrocketed when it ran in syndication, often after school in the ’70s and ’80s.” The love it felt from fans resulted in two animated spinoffs and several TV movies.

The show starred Bob Denver as Gilligan, Alan Hale Jr. as Jonas Grumby, Jim Backus as Thurston Howell III, Natalie Schafer as Eunice Lovey Howell, Tina Louise as Ginger Grant, Russell Johnson as Roy Hinkley and Dawn Wells as Mary Ann Summers. Today, Louise is the only one of the seven stars still alive.

Wells died from COVID-19 complications on Dec. 30, 2020, in Los Angeles at the age of 82.

READ MORE: GILLIGAN’S ISLAND STAR DAWN WELLS DIES AT THE AGE OF 82

Before Wells died, she spoke of the impact of GILLIGAN’S ISLAND.

“I’ve had soldiers tell me, ‘I carried your picture in my helmet,’” she recalled. “I had families say, ‘The only way we ever got along was when we were watching your show.’ It had an impact that was far more than just 30 minutes.”

She also expressed her gratitude for her life and for her country

“At a time when it feels like everything is bad news, the good still outweighs the bad,” she told Fox News at the height of the pandemic. “So even in tough times, we can and should be grateful for everything around us. I wake up and I am grateful to have another day. I am grateful to feel a seasonal cool morning through my patio door. I am grateful for those who take the time to say ‘hi’ if to simply show that you matter.”

Louise recalled Wells’ friendship after her death.

“I will always remember Dawn’s kindness to me,” she said in a tribute to the actress. “We shared in creating a cultural landmark that has continued to bring comfort and smiles to people during this difficult time. I hope that people will remember her the way that I do — always with a smile on her face.”

READ MORE: TV PRODUCER AND FRIEND REMEMBERS GILLIGAN’S ISLAND DAWN WELLS: ‘SHE WAS EXTREMELY GRACIOUS’


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