He was picked on Howie Carr’s death pool 2 days ago.
Mary Ann.
Damn and they just showed the episode yesterday where they first got stranded and the Skipper thought the island was infested with head hunters..RIP Professor
RIP. The professor could make a nuclear reactor out of a coconut. Why couldn’t he fix the hole in the Minnow? Why did the Howells bring such a large wardrobe with them a a three hour cruise?
Not too many left now. Dawn Wells yes. I think Tina Louise is still around.
Just checked his bio on imdb, what an interesting life he led!
I loved that show. RIP.
He was 89 and a decorated WWII veteran.
They’d better stop dyeing (sic) until we get this trio count straightened out!
RIP, he was my fave!
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
He was also in at least one episode of the Twilight Zone. Anyone remember which?
How sweet she is...
She was 73, I think, when that was taken.
After high school, in the midst of World War II, Johnson joined the United States Army Air Forces as an aviation cadet and was commissioned as a second lieutenant. He flew 44 combat missions as a bombardier in B-25 bombers. While flying as a navigator in a B-25 with the 100th Bombardment Squadron, 42nd Bombardment Group, 13th Air Force, his plane and two other B-25s were shot down in the Philippines in March 1945 during a low level bombing and strafing run against Japanese targets. The planes were hit by intense flak and had to ditch in the waters off the port of Zamboanga. During the ditching, he broke both his ankles and the radioman next to him was killed. Johnson earned a Purple Heart for this mission.
He was also awarded the Air Medal, the Good Conduct Medal, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with three service stars, the Philippine Liberation Ribbon with one service star, and the World War II Victory Medal. He was honorably discharged with the rank of first lieutenant on November 22, 1945. He then joined the Army Reserve and used the GI Bill to fund his acting studies at the Actors Lab in Hollywood. At acting school he met actress Kay Levey, and they married on July 23, 1949.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russell_Johnson#Military_career
RIP Professor. I always liked his character, he was one of the few useful people on the island. It is interesting that the actors kept in touch after all these years.
There is a picture of Dawn with Sandra Bullock and a coconut cream pie if you look far enough on the facebook page. Lots of neat pictures. She sure has aged wonderfully.
