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"The Postman Cometh"
Season 2, Episode 18
G24
The Professor, Skipper and Gilligan all try to romance Mary Ann to console her after hearing on the radio her boyfriend proposed to another girl.
Basic Info
Air Date: January 20, 1966
Written By: Herbert Finn and Alan Dinehart
Directed By: Leslie Goodwins
Guest Cast: None
Episode guide
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The Postman Cometh is the 18th episode of the Second Season. It aired January 20, 1966.

Synopsis

Since she's been on the island, Mary Ann has been sending messages in bottles to her boyfriend, Horace Higgenbottom, back in Kansas, but the Skipper and Gilligan hear over the radio that Horace has since married and they struggle to tell her the news. In passing, the Professor nonchalantly tells Mary Ann to be careful with the poisonous mushrooms on the island. In turn, the men try to romance her by acting as various actors. The Skipper is John Wayne, the Professor is Cary Grant and Gilligan is Charles Boyer. Instead, she runs terrified into the night. On her return, she over hears them saying they have to be nice to her, and she rationalizes she might have eaten poisonous mushrooms. that night, she dreams she's on her favorite radio program, Old Doctor Young, with Ginger and Mrs. Howell as nurses and the men as the doctor versions of the actors they were impersonating. Mr. Howell is also present as Dr. Zorba, but they're too distracted to listen or help her. When Mary Ann wakes, she learns Horace is married and is not fazed by the news. She had only used his name to make the others think she had someone in her life.

Credits

Main Cast

Guest Cast

Message

  • "Love is an irresistible desire to be irresistibly desired."

Highlights

  • Coming up

Trivia

  • The episode title is a spoof on the 1946 play, "The Iceman Cometh", by Eugene O'Neill.
  • This episode runs contrary to Rescue from Gilligan's Island where Mary Ann returns home to discover her old boyfriend Herbert is still waiting to marry her.
  • The Skipper recharges the batteries in the radio with the Generator; they were last recharged in X Marks The Spot.
  • No one seems to recall that Mrs. Howell in a previous episode tried to fix up Mary Ann and Gilligan.
  • Gilligan mentions that he has a sister in this episode.
  • In the dream, Mrs. Howell plays Nurse Blabbermouth.
  • Alan Hale imitates actor John Wayne in this episode, who was a close friend of his father, Alan Hale Sr.

Quotes

  • Gilligan - "If that's the Democratic thing, I'm going to turn Republican!"

  • Skipper - "Well, I always found myself as sort of the Western type."
    Mr. Howell - "Well, you are built like the Ponderosa."

  • Skipper - "I always thought I should be a cowboy."
    Mr. Howell - "Somewhere there breathes a horse that is glad you are not."

  • Professor - "Oh, that wasn't much like Cary Grant, was it?"
    Ginger - "That wasn't even much like General Grant!"

  • Cary Grant - "Stick out your tongue. Ahh... yes, I think we'll have to operate!"
    Mary Ann - "Operate! What have I got?
    Cary Grant - "You have a severe case of roomisigloomis."
    Charles Boyer - "Zat is what she has alright."
    Mary Ann - "What is roomisigloomis?"
    Cary Grant - "It's a medical term, my dear, no concern of yours."

  • John Wayne - "Please, when I make a diagnosis, it's final!"


  • Professor - '"We haven't got time for tomfoolery."
    Ginger - "Oh, yes, we do. I've got time for tomfoolery. Dick and Harry Foolery, too."

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