TRIVIA NOTE: Born November 10, 1924, in Ashley, Pennsylvania Russell David "Russ" Johnson joined the Army Air Corps in World War II, and earned the Purple Heart when his B-25 Mitchell twin-engine medium bomber was shot down in the Philippines during a bombing run in March, 1945. He returned stateside and pursued a career in acting where he appeared in a number of westerns and such classic science fiction films as It Came From Other Space (1953) and This Island Earth (1955). The 5' 10'' actor also reprised his role as the Professor on the TV movies Rescue from Gilligan's Island (1978); The Castaways on Gilligan's Island (1979); The Harlem Globetrotter's on Gilligan's Island (1981) and provided the Professor's voice on the spin-off Saturday cartoon series THE NEW ADVENTURES OF GILLIGAN'S ISLAND (1974-77) and GILLIGAN'S PLANET (1982) where the Professor and friends were stranded on a distant planet. In a 1992 comic strip "The New Breed" by Chris Ramras, the Professor is seen writing in his secret diary. "This place is an island paradise! TWO gorgeous women...and I'm the local stud!...The others actually believe I can build a radio, generator, housing but not a boat! LOSERS!" Currently, Russell Johnson lives on Bainbridge Island in Washington State. He maintains his own internet website at http://www.russell-johnson.com/
Side Note: TV Acres initially reported the wrong type of WWII plane in the above summary, but The Professor himself emailed our site on Friday, 20 Jun 2003 09:58:38 and kindly said "Jerome, many thanks for your TV Acres.....very nice....one correction.....my airplane in WW2 was a B25 Mitchell twin engine medium bomber.....NOT a B24 liberator....great job, Jerome......Russell Johnson" TV Fans, I want you to know that as of this moment, I can now die and go to heaven for the Professor has spoken to me...and it was good.
I mean really, was there a need for that.
Explains his appearance on XM Radio's "Sonic Theater" this past week. "Harry Nile" epi, iirc.
Set in Seattle, recorded in from of an audience.