In discussions of Sherwood Schwartz’s 1964 sitcom “Gilligan’s Island,” one can often detect a note of ambivalence from the speaker. On the one hand, “Gilligan’s Island” may be one of the most important American texts, providing the nation with their own updated version of Commedia dell’Arte archetypes; even those who haven’t seen “Gilligan’s Island” might know each of the seven central figures by name, and what their personalities are. Thanks to eternal reruns, multiple generations grew up watching “Gilligan’s Island,” allowing it to seep deeply into the American subconscious.
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At the same time, however, most people acknowledge that “Gilligan’s Island” is supremely stupid. The gags are lightweight, kid-friendly, and don’t require much intellectual engagement from an audience. The jokes are, by Schwartz’s own admission, silly and dumb. The seven stranded castaways are ostensibly fighting for survival, but they never face any serious issues of scarcity or starvation. Everyone typically wears the same outfits, their clothes are always clean, and they all get along in a preschool kind of way.
When the stars of “Gilligan’s Island” talk about the show, they have to admit that it’s not the most intelligent show. Most defenses mounted for the sitcom are along the lines of how it provided a friendly, non-threatening salve during a time of American political upheaval; JFK was assassinated while the show’s pilot was being filmed. The actors admit, though, that they weren’t always impressed with the scripts or the premise. (Natalie Schafer, who played Mrs. Howell, once admitted she only took the job for a free Hawaiian vacation.)
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Russell Johnson, who played the Professor, admitted in an interview with Press and Sun-Bulletin (transcribed by MeTV) that he was reluctant to accept the role. Too many people had already auditions, Johnson explained, and it made the role seem less attractive. He only agreed after CBS essentially begged.
Russell Johnson didn’t feel the Professor was a good role
Johnson has said — correctly — that the Professor was vital to “Gilligan’s Island” because he was the straight man. Most of the other characters were broad, comedic characters, and someone like the Professor was required to keep the series at least a little bit in reality. Sadly, this also meant that the Professor never had slapstick scenes or plotlines of his own; he would only stabilize others. Johnson sensed this early in the show’s audition process, and didn’t necessarily want to take on that kind of role. He was already a long-working actor, and had plenty of other jobs he could have taken at the time. As Johnson recalled:
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“I got the part from a connection with CBS. […] I had narrated 13 of the Great Adventure shows. I co-starred in The Westerners, playing the role of a United States marshal. Previously, I had appeared in 14 motion pictures for Universal during the 1950s. […] They called and asked if I wanted to run a test for the part of the Professor, and I said no. They called me three times, and I finally said yes.”
These days, one can’t picture anyone else in the role. Russell Johnson is the Professor. Indeed, Johnson returned to reprise the role for all of the follow-up “Gilligan’s Island” projects after the show was canceled, including three TV movies, two animated shows, and several guest spots on other sitcoms. It became Johnson’s best-known role, and allowed him to become one of the above-mentioned archetypes. He is likely not the least bit upset about his fame.
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