'Gilligan's' Professor, Russell Johnson, dies at 89

WCBV.com ^ | January 16, 2014 | Unattributed

[WXRGina]

Actor Russell Johnson, best known as "the professor" in the 1960s TV sitcom "Gilligan's Island," died Thursday, his agent said. Johnson was 89.

Johnson played the iconic role of Professor Roy Hinkley, whose scientific schemes to get the castaways rescued were always foiled by Gilligan's bumbling.

[staytrue]

“You mean its not possible to hang on to a palm tree in a typhoon, be blown horizontal but not lose your hat?”

Actually, I think from classical fluid dynamics, if you are in a horizontal position and there is a strong zonal flow around your head, it may be impossible to lose your hat.

I remember there were occassional demostrations of this principle by putting a plastic ball under a vertical zonal flow and it would remains suspended in a stationary spot even when you tried to punch it.

[Charles Martel]

I always love a guy who can make a radio out of coconuts.

I always think of the Professer when the "oceans are rising" gang spews their rhetoric. Doesn't everyone know by now that the oceans are *not* rising? It's just Gilligan moving the Professor's depth gauge stick to tie off a lobster trap in deeper water!

[lurk]

Wait. Gilligan’s Island is fiction?

I thought it was the first reality show.

Man.

[A_Former_Democrat]

I’ve been watching alot of pilots and “first episodes” of several TV classics. Funny, creative, likeable actors.

[Sacajaweau]

Of course the westerns are the best!!

But have been enjoying Beaver....reminds me of all the little messes my brother and I got into.

[A_Former_Democrat]

HA! That was one of the series. Teacher sends note home, Beav panics, Wally helps him alibi. Hilarious

[TwelveOfTwenty]

RIP, and thanks for your service.

[ETL]

[ETL]

“Gilligan’s last name was Gilligan. No where on any of the episodes is his first name found or used, though producer Sherwood Schwartz said the character was to be named “Willie Gilligan.” “

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/On_Gilligan%27s_Island_what_was_Gilligan%27s_last_name
__________________________

“In the pilot, his full name is given as Willy Gilligan.”
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=A0oG7mpSU9hSOz8ABGVXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTEzc3ZjMjdrBHNlYwNzcgRwb3MDNQRjb2xvA2FjMgR2dGlkA1NNRTM0Nl8x?qid=20080221061303AAHMIkt

[skeeter]

I’ll buy that. But I swear its not possible to run a radio on batteries made of coconut shells and seawater

[Mikey_1962]

I just heard about it on this coconut radio I built.

[Kirkwood]

The coconut shells are used to hold mango or papaya juice (the electrolyte). A piece of copper wire and a zinc coated nail can be used as electrodes.

[ETL]

Check out these short teasers from the unaired pilot episode. This was before Russell Johnson, Tina Louise and Dawn Wells got the roles. Way different theme song too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpimVRP3EW4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBq4KMkH8ug

[heye2monn]

Fiction? Gosh, I’m heartbroken.

[Interesting Times]

Fiction? Gosh, I’m heartbroken.

"Those poor people...."

[skeeter]

That tears it.

I'm ordering the complete series collection in Blu Ray.

The whole saga obviously deserves more serious consideration than I've heretofore been willing to give it.

[yarddog]

Actually the battery charger made from a row of cocoanut shells and wires and whatever was in them was one of the few things the professor made which could conceivably be done in real life.

Now making a geiger counter out of cocoanuts and bamboo was a bit much even for a show in which you had to suspend reality.

[Nik Naym]

"Actually, I think from classical fluid dynamics, if you are in a horizontal position and there is a strong zonal flow around your head, it may be impossible to lose your hat."

You got stuffed in lockers when you were in junior high school, didn't you?

[SampleMan]

You mean its not possible to hang on to a palm tree in a typhoon, be blown horizontal but not lose your hat?

No that's possible. But taking that many changes of clothes on a 3 hour tour? Come on.

[ETL]