Angel on the Island

Angel on the Island is the 11th episode of the First Season. It first aired on December 12, 1964.

Synopsis
Gilligan and the Skipper are testing out the Professor's newest invention, a coconut phone to communicate across the island when Mary Ann says that she's worried about Ginger. No one has seen her because she wasn't at breakfast, and a search party is sent to find her. Gilligan finds her crying in the clearing and learns that the shipwreck ruined her big chance. She was supposed to appear as Cleopatra in a play called A Pyramid Built For Two that would have established her career, but because of the wreck, it never happened. When Gilligan reads the play aloud, Mr. Howell comes running thinking Gilligan is planning a mutiny, but Gilligan encourages him to finance the play once they're rescued. Ginger gets excited again when she hears the news as the castaways pitch in to audition it to Mr. Howell, and Gilligan comes running out excitedly several times when her scene involving a ship is announced. Mrs. Howell, however, is not happy playing the servant even in a staged setting under Ginger. She convinces her husband to let her have the lead role which sends Ginger distraught and upset running to her hut crying. The following day, Gilligan tries to cheer her up but fails so he heads to the Skipper for advice. Busy with playing the Marc Antony role opposite Mrs. Howell as Cleopatra, the Skipper keeps shooing Gilligan off, annoying Mrs. Howell by consistently missing his cue and lines. That night, Gilligan goes to Mrs. Howell and reminds her of everything that she has and of her generosity and the fact that the play is the only thing Ginger really had. Realizing how much she hurt Ginger, Mrs. Howell tries to respond but can't talk. Mr. Howell discovers she has laryngitis, and Gilligan suggests to him that he use Ginger in Mrs. Howell's place. That night, Gilligan plays the ticket agent and all the minor roles in the play to the Howells as the only audience. With Mary Ann and the Professor speeding him through costumes backstage, all he is doing is advancing the scene and getting exhausted with the changes, trying to improv his way through to a quicker conclusion. When the Skipper makes his entrance to his scene, Gilligan closes the set door on his toga which gets ripped off, leaving him in his underwear. In the audience, Mrs. Howell calls bravo at Ginger for not breaking from the scene, and Mr. Howell realizes she didn't lose her voice after all. He realizes she gave up the play to make Ginger happy and they kiss each other. The next morning, the Skipper looks up Gilligan for an opinion of his acting, nearly getting strangled in the clothesline. He's wants Gilligan's honest opinion about his acting, but as Gilligan hedges his response, a nearby parrot answers "terrible, terrible." Gilligan then adds the parrot only repeats what he hears.

Highlights

 * The Castaways putting on a play to lift Ginger's spirits.
 * Gilligan's backstage antics and tomfoolery
 * Mrs. Howell finding her conscience and faking laryngitis for Ginger's sake.

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 Professor

Guest Cast
 * Mel Blanc as The Parrot (uncredited)

Trivia

 * Syndicated versions of the episode omit the end scene with the parrot.
 * If the Castaways can build a stage, they should be able to build a replacement raft to help get them rescued. The stage gets reused in Music Hath Charms, Beauty Is as Beauty Does, Don't Bug the Mosquitoes and The Producer.
 * Ginger runs away cyring when Mr. Howell gives her play to Mrs. Howell out of vanity. She also breaks down crying in The Return of Wrongway Feldman, It's Magic, Gilligan Gets Bugged (side by side with Mary Ann), The Producer and in All About Eva.
 * Ginger compares Mrs. Howell's acting to "Mister Ed." "Mister Ed" was a TV sitcom that aired on CBS from 1961 to 1966, starring the late Alan Young and a talking horse named Mister Ed.
 * The Professor builds a phonograph out of the wheel of the S.S. Minnow suggesting that someone brought enough records to play on the island. It shows up again in The Producer.
 * It is unrevealed where the wigs in the play come from unless Mrs. Howell brought them with her.
 * Voice Actor Mel Blanc does the voice for the parrot in the tag. He returns to voice Froggy in Water Water Everywhere and Sam The Parrot in New Neighbor Sam.
 * It is uncertain if Mr. Howell lived up to his promise to produce Ginger's play when they were rescued. If he did, it happened behind the scenes of Rescue from Gilligan's Island.

Quotes

 * Mr. Howell - "There's one thing I can't stand, it's a mutiny before lunch."

Mr. Howell - "Me?" Gilligan - "Sure, Mr. Howell, we can try it out here and if it's good we can take it to Broadway." Mr. Howell - "Well I don't know." Skipper - "Why don't you do it, Mr. Howell? It'll be a lot of prestige." Mr. Howell - "I've got prestige." Gilligan - "If it's a hit, you can make a million dollars." Mr. Howell - "I've got a million dollars." Gilligan - "If it's a flop, you can deduct it from your income tax." Mr. Howell - "Now you're talking!"
 * Gilligan - "Mr. Howell, maybe you could back this play."

The Professor - "Thanks, Gilligan. These jungle berries mixed with water make excellent paint." Gilligan - "In case the play's a flop, we can always eat the scenery."
 * Gilligan - "Gee Professor, you're doing a real neat job."

Mr. Howell - "Oh good." Mrs. Howell - "By the way, who is Mr. Ed?" Mr. Howell - "I haven't any idea. I wonder why she didn't compare you to Mrs. Ed."
 * Mrs. Howell - "Even Ginger, whom I replaced in the part, paid me a compliment. She compared me to a famous television personality."