RIP Russell Johnson (the professor on Gilligan's Island)

dawn wells facebook page ^ | january 16, 2014 | dawn wells

[lowbridge]

Dawn Wells has posted on her facebook page that Russell Johnson passed away this morning.

[GeronL]

bump

[wally_bert]

He certainly was. That is the only other thing I really remember him in.

[Steely Tom]

He was 89 and a decorated WWII veteran.

Yeah, sorry.

RIP Professor. You were a good guy, and will never be forgotten.

[jocon307]

RIP, he was my fave!

[utahagen]

In just the past year, I’ve seen Tina Louise alive and very skinny in a Barnes and Noble in NYC.

[jocon307]

“Dawn Wells yes.”

Hubby and I saw her on a celebrity “Chopped” just a few weeks ago.

[EveningStar]

He also appeared in important roles in the classic 1950s science fiction films, It Came from Outer Space and This Island Earth.

[Cletus.D.Yokel]

:: Why did the Howells bring such a large wardrobe with them a a three hour cruise? ::

That’s a clown-question bro!
They’z rich white folk.

[DManA]

One of these days I’m gonna have to have a looong talk with that boy.

[TexasCajun]

I don't think I missed one episode.

[Hugin]

Interesting bit of trivia...

In the original song, the Professor and Mary Ann, originally considered “second-billed co-stars”, were referred to as “and the rest,” but with the growing popularity of those characters (played by Russell Johnson and Dawn Wells), their names were inserted into the lyrics. The “Gilligan” theme song underwent this one major change thanks to star Bob Denver (Gilligan), who personally went to the studio and asked that Johnson and Wells be added to the theme song’s opening credits. When the studio at first refused saying it’d be too expensive to reshoot, Denver insisted, even saying that if Johnson and Wells weren’t included, he wanted his name out of the song as well. The studio caved in, and “the Professor and Mary Ann” were shoehorned in at the very end of the theme for Seasons 2 and 3.[7][8][9] Wells elaborated that star Bob Denver went to the studio executives to get her and Johnson added to the opening credits.[10] Denver pointed out that his contract stated he could have his name anywhere he wanted in the credits, so they could move it to the end credits along with Johnson and Wells. Wells said Denver never mentioned this to anyone in the cast, and she did not find out about it until years after the show ended.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gilligan’s_Island

[ETL]

He was also in at least one episode of the Twilight Zone. Anyone remember which?

[MarineBrat]

>>Ginger? Or Mary Ann?

All my life it was Mary Ann. And now that I’m aging into my “dirty old man years” I think I’ve changed my mind. I’ve watched Gilligan’s Island a few times lately on MeTV (Or is it AntanaTV) and I must say that Ginger is incredibly hot. Mary Ann is certainly no bowser either, but Ginger has a statuesque beauty to her.

Now if I had to marry one of them then yes, it would be Mary Ann and we’d live in a farm house in Nebraska or Kansas, and have a house full of younguns. But for the sake of playing dirty old man-games with a beautiful young girl, my opinion has changed. It’s Ginger.

[Steely Tom]

In the original song, the Professor and Mary Ann, originally considered “second-billed co-stars”, were referred to as “and the rest,” but with the growing popularity of those characters (played by Russell Johnson and Dawn Wells), their names were inserted into the lyrics.

I remember that change. As a ten- or eleven-year-old, I just figured "hmm, I must have remembered it wrong."

[Political Junkie Too]

Betty or Veronica?

-PJ

[Steely Tom]

[Mary Ann] == [Fun]

[Ginger] == [High maintenance, divorce court, alimony out the wazoo]

[Calvin Locke]

Wasn’t he doing radio drama a few years ago?

[Steely Tom]

Betty or Veronica?

Oh man. That's a tough one.

[Rebelbase]

RE: Gilligan’s Island theme song

One of the many melodies that Amazing Grace can be sung to.

Go ahead, try it.

[Disambiguator]

From what I’ve heard about Bob Denver, he seemed like a decent guy.