The Friendly Physician

The Friendly Physician is the 29th episode of the Second Season of the CBS-TV series "Gilligan's Island" and the 65th overall episode in the series. It aired April 7, 1966.



Synopsis
A scientist named Dr. Boris Balinkoff living on an island nearby spots The Castaways smoke signal and rescues the castaways by taking them back to his island. Both Gilligan and the Skipper are spooked by the spooky décor of his home and start having reservations about what his motives really are. They explore the dungeon and find a dog that sounds like a cat and a cat that sounds like a dog in the dining room. When Balinkoff describes his mind-exchange experiments to the boys and his plan to use them in his experiments, he has his manservant Igor take them hostage. The others meanwhile have no idea what is happening, and after Balinkoff tries to indict Mr. Howell as his partner and accomplice, they're all taken captive. Gilligan and Mr. Howell are swapped for each others bodies as are the Skipper and Mrs. Howell and the Professor with Mary Ann. However, behind Balingkoff's back, Igor swaps bodies with Ginger, and she uses his incredible strength to free the others. The Professor restores everyone's true identities, but by now, Balingkoff shows back up and realizes what has happened. The Skipper jumps Balingkoff and holds him as the Professor restores Ginger to normal. The castaways then trap Balingkoff and Igor in the machine as Gilligan puckishly flips the switch. As they're leaving, Balingkoff as the cat runs from Igor as the dog as Dog-Igor chases Cat-Balingkoff through the house.

Back at the Island, the Professor realizes they can use the rowboat to reach the shipping lanes, but as the others gather supplies, the Skipper and Gilligan try tying it off, only to watch the tired and worn craft sink exhaustedly into The Lagoon.

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
 * Vito Scotti as Dr. Boris Balinkoff
 * Mike Mazurki as Igor

Trivia

 * The haunted house set used as Balinkoff's home is reused in Gilligan's vampire dream in Up At Bat. It superficially resembles the interior of Collinwood with a foyer, passageway under the top landing and adjacent room on the 60s series, "Dark Shadows." The exterior film shot of it is from the movie, "The Raven," with Vincent Price and reused in "The Terror" with Boris Karloff and Jack Nicholson.
 * This is the only time in the series that the Castaways successfully leave the island.
 * According to the device, Balinkoff can transfer the minds and personalities of separate individuals into their opposing bodies, as evident by the experiments on the Castaways and his and Igor's experiences with the dog and cat. However, it is quite obvious at Gilligan and the Skipper's initial arrival to Balinkoff's Island that the "meowing" dog is still acting like a dog and the "barking" cat still acts like a cat.
 * Dr. Balingkoff's mind experiments have Gilligan and Mr. Howell switch bodies as well as the Skipper and Mrs. Howell and Mary Ann and the Professor. A continuity error results when Igor changes with Ginger. Balingkoff obviously has no knowledge of this switch, and yet, how did Igor trap Ginger long enough to switch bodies with her, and for what reason. (Was he tired of being large and homely and switched with Ginger behind the doctor's back?) Likewise, when Balingkoff and Igor changed minds with the cat and dog, who let the cages open seconds after the transference? Could the glass cages have an auto-unlock mechanism?
 * If you watch closely, the subtle mannerisms of the "Gilligan" and "Mr. Howell" characters are missing when Bob Denver and Jim Backus play each other characters; thereby detracting from what could have been much more credible scenes. However, being shot on a television schedule, the actors would not have had the time to watch each others performances to better hone their acting skills.
 * It's never explained why Gilligan as Mr. Howell or Mr. Howell as Gilligan just casually wander back to the dungeon when they could have escaped the castle. The only reason for them to go alone would be to stage the fight which would not have happened had Igor had brought them down to the dungeon by force.
 * After the castaways get their bodies back, they put Ginger in the machine to restore her to normal. She starts shaking as if an electrical current is going through her body, but she also tosses her hang back as if knocking the hair out of her eyes.
 * When Dr. Balinkoff later comes back to the Island in Ring Around Gilligan, he returns with a small monkey named Igor, but there is no indication it's his original manservant in the monkey's body.
 * Syndicated versions of this episode cut the scene with the rowboat at the end. Other scenes removed from syndication include Balinkoff's attempted proposal to Mr. Howell and the scene where Igor captures Gilligan and the Skipper. In the latter, when Gilligan offends the Skipper, he slides his chain to better hit Gilligan with his cap!
 * Character actor Vito Scotti would end up guest starring on Gilligan's Island four times - twice as the Japanese Sailor and twice as Dr. Boris Balinkoff!
 * The boat is again seen in Ghost a Go-Go in which it is booby trapped to blow up-with dummies of the castaways aboard!
 * Vito Scotti commented in an interview that the parrot in this episode had a habit of relieving itself on his shoulder.
 * This episode ranks high as one of the most remembered episodes in the series.

Quotes

 * Dr. Boris Balinkoff - “Bah! Bah on money!” Mr. Howell - “Bah on money!? What are you? Some kind of an atheist!? A Yale man!?” (hidden wall starts moving) "When does this thing get to Albuquerque?"


 * Gilligan/Mr. Howell - "Hey, Mr. Howell, what are you doing in that mirror?" Mr. Howell/Gilligan - "Wait a minute, let me see that... Good grief! I've been short changed! I'm in Gilligan's body!"


 * Mr. Howell - "Lovey, are you you?" Mrs. Howell - "Of course I am..." Mr. Howell - "It's just that.. well, if you were still the Captain, you could go with me into the steam room at the athletic club."


 * Mrs. Howell - "You must be one of those silly doctors who voted for Medicare."