Music Hath Charms

Music Hath Charms is the 26th episode of the first season of Gilligan's Island. It first aired March 27, 1965.

Synopsis
Gilligan makes a drum and Mrs. Howell hears him pounding on it. After complimenting him, she decides the Island needs more culture and thinks the island should start a musical orchestra. Meanwhile, natives on another island hear Gilligan's drumming from afar and think it's enemy war drums, stirring themselves up to attack first. On the island, Mr. Howell and the Skipper feud over who will be the conductor, and Gilligan shows Mary Ann how to use a saw and a screwdriver to make music. The Professor carves a flute out of bamboo. Mrs. Howell makes herself the conductor with Ginger on a xylophone, Mr. Howell on the triangle and the Skipper utilizing shells and the foghorn off the S.S. Minnow for wind instruments. As they play "Blue Danube," the natives land at the lagoon and make their way inland. One of them is noticed by the Professor and captured by the Skipper. They try to communicate with him, but aren't successful. Meanwhile, the rest of the natives surround them, and the castaways flee through the island trying to hide from them before taking refuge in a cave. The scout they captured meanwhile escapes and describes them back to the other natives. The Professor has by now realized the natives may be cannibals and that their primitive beliefs may be the way to scare them off the island. He may be able to scare them with radio, a plan that works well until Gilligan drops it and breaks it. The Professor gets captured, so the Skipper tries the plan again with their flashlight, but Gilligan forgot to put the batteries in it. The Skipper is captured as well as Mr. Howell when Gilligan tries using the fire extinguisher to scare the natives. Running out of men, Mrs. Howell and the girls head out to investigate and hear music. The Natives have calmed down to enjoy the captured Castaways music, seemingly making peace between their "tribes." However, as they head off back to home, the castaways try to explain to them that they are stranded and need help home. Gilligan on the other hand starts drumming to send them off, but yet, another island of natives overhear the drumming and think its a prelude to war, springing to attack first.

Credits
Main Cast
 * Bob Denver as Gilligan
 * Alan Hale, Jr. as The Skipper
 * Jim Backus as Mr. Howell
 * Natalie Schafer as Mrs. Howell
 * Tina Louise as Ginger
 * Dawn Wells as Mary Ann
 * Russell Johnson as The Professor

Guest Cast
 * Russ Grieve as Native Chief #1
 * Paul Daniel as Native Chief #2
 * Frank Corsentino as Native Scout

Trivia

 * Russ Grieve returns from How to Be a Hero. He later appears as a native chief in Gilligan's Mother-in-Law.
 * In this episode, the Professor seems unable to communicate with the tribe, but he must have figured out their language while tied up or did research from a book he had on the island because he turns into the Castaways primary translator in later episodes.
 * As the Castaways are running across the island from the natives, there are several shots (mostly stock footage) which seem to indicate that the island isn't as small as it seems to be. In fact, it could range anywhere in size from Governor's island in New York at 172 acres to Staten Island at 103 square miles.
 * In the band, Mrs. Howell is the conductor, the Professor plays a clarinet, the Skipper blows couch shells, Gilligan plays the drums. Ginger plays a xylophone, Mary Ann plays a saw and Mr. Howell plays the triangle.
 * When Mrs. Howell starts the music, she says, "And a One-a and a Two-a and a Three-a." This reference is taken from Lawrence Welk on his popular 1960s and 1970s musical series. It has appeared in numerous films and movies, such as the 1964 Rankin-Bass special, "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer." Mr. Howell also says the phrase again in Where There's a Will.
 * At the conclusion of the charades game Mr. Howell and the women are playing, Mrs. Howell asks him, "What was that charade we were trying to guess?" to which he replies, "The natives are restless tonight!" This may be a reference to song by the same title on the album, "Songs For My Father," released by Horace Silver in October 1964.
 * It is kind of far-fetched that natives on distant islands could hear Gilligan's drumming from a distance.
 * The stock footage of the natives in their war outriggers at the end is simply reversed film shown in the beginning of the episode.

Quotes
Skipper - "Yeah, especially for you with all that hot air." Mr. Howell - "Heavens to Toscanini! I've been insulted!"
 * Mr. Howell - "This is a very difficult instrument. It's easy to play a wind instrument."

Ginger - "You mean goose-bumps" Mr. Howell - "On a Howell?!?"
 * Mr. Howell - "I'm frozen, I've got peacock-bumps!"