| "The Producer" | |
|---|---|
| Season 3, Episode 4 | |
| |
| A movie producer lands on the Island, and Ginger wants his help to save the others and further her career. | |
| Basic Info | |
| Air Date: | October 3, 1966 |
| Written By: | Gerald Gardner and Dee Caruso |
| Directed By: | Ida Lupino and George M. Cahan |
| Guest Cast: | Phil Silvers as Harold Hecuba |
| Episode guide | |
| Previous | Next |
| Pass the Vegetables, Please | Voodoo |
The Producer is the 70th episode of Gilligan's Island and the fourth episode of the third season. It first aired October 3, 1966.
Synopsis[]
The Skipper and Gilligan see a plane and rush to light the signal fire, but it turns out to be in distress and it crashes off shore. Egocentric movie producer, Harold Hecuba survives the crash and comes ashore in a personal raft with a spare for his luggage, ordering the Castaways around and taking over the Howells' hut, making them his personal servants, and promising to rescue them when his employees come looking for him. Ginger, meanwhile, tries auditioning for him, but gets insulted for her effort. She refuses to go home even when they are rescued. Everyone then decides to put on a musical featuring Hamlet to showcase her talent, but Hecuba discovers it and takes over the production, eventually playing all the roles himself to show everyone how it should be done. The next morning, Gilligan and the Skipper discover Hecuba has vanished. The Professor learns from the radio that Hecuba has stolen their play to develop it without them. That night, Gilligan is still singing the songs, annoying the Skipper who knocks him out of his hammock.
Message[]
- "As Shakespeare himself said, "Love all, trust a few."
"Mr. Howell, why are you serving us?"
"Oh-no, it's become force of habit!!"
Highlights[]
- Phil Silvers' performance as Harold Hecuba.
- The Howells acting like servants.
- Ginger does impressions of Marilyn Monroe and Sophia Loren.
- Mr. Howell acting as a servant even to the Professor, the Skipper and Gilligan
- The Castaways performing Hamlet.
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
Trivia[]
- Phil Silvers guest starred in this episode as the title character, Producer Harold Hecuba. Phil Silvers' production company, Gladasya (named after his catchphrase "Gladdaseeya!"), produced Gilligan's Island.
- This is the only episode in the series to credit the guest star in the opening credits.
- On arrival, Gilligan takes Hecuba past the Girl's Hut and stops before the Howell's Hut; this lay-out is identical to that seen in Feed the Kitty and Love Me, Love My Skipper.
- Both the Girl's Hut and the Boy's Hut exteriors are used as exteriors for the Supply Hut.
- The communal table has been moved into the Supply Hut. The thatched basket from New Neighbor Sam can be seen behind the Professor.
- Ginger imitates well-known actresses Sophia Loren and Marilyn Monroe.
- Mary Ann plays the role of Laertes, Polonius' son, in the castaway's performance. This is a rare instance of one of the females cross-dressing and taking the role of a male.
- Ginger gets offended when Hecuba insults her acting. She is also offended in The Sweepstakes (Gilligan) and in Take a Dare (Charles Barkley).
- Ginger cries when Hecuba insults her acting. She also cries in Angel on the Island, The Return of Wrongway Feldman, It's Magic, in Gilligan Gets Bugged (along with Mary Ann), Meet the Meteor and in All About Eva.
- The costumes for the play possibly come from the movie crate in Castaways Pictures Presents.
- Some of the music from the play is based on the "Toreador's Song" from Georges Bizet's famous opera Carmen.
- This is the first appearance of the redesigned Season 3 record player. It has changed substantially since Season 2.
- Two of the songs in the play are written from music straight out of the classic opera Carmen by Georges Bizet. "To Be or Not to Be" is sung to the melody of the "Habanera" aria. The song sung by Polonius, "Neither a Borrower nor a Lender Be," was sung to the melody of the "Toreador Song." The third piece, "Hamlet, Do Be a Lamb," was set to the melody of Offenbach's "Belle Nuit, O Nuit D'Amour" ("Beautiful Night, O Night of Love," from the opera The Tales of Hoffmann.
- During Hecuba's second attempt to perform "To Be or Not to Be," the back door he enters clearly falls off its hinges just before a quick cut to the Castaways, but in the cut-back, it is already repaired.
- It's not exactly revealed how Hecuba's crew failed to notice the hut area when they rescued Hecuba since he couldn't have manufactured it all alone during his short time on the Island. They would have to be completely incompetent and short-sighted to have failed to question their existence.
- Syndicated versions of the episode delete the end scene with the Skipper knocking Gilligan out of his hammock.
- This is the only Gilligan's Island episode with two directors. During taping, Ida Lupino injured her foot on set in the middle of the shoot, and George M. Cahan was brought in to finish the episode on schedule.
- This episode is ranked as the #1 most liked episode, according to the E! Network
Quotes[]
- Professor - "Mr. Howell, why are you serving us?"
Mr. Howell - "Oh-no, it's become force of habit!! What has happened to me?!"
- Harold Hecuba - "You call yourselves actors!?"
Gilligan - "I don't call myself an actor."
Harold Hecuba - "Quiet! If I say you're an actor you're an actor!"
Gilligan - "Ok! I'm an actor!"
Harold Hecuba - "Believe me, you are no actor!"
- Harold Hecuba - "Up to now, there's really been something rotten in Denmark."
- Harold Hecuba - "Silence!"
Gilligan - "I didn't say anything."
Harold Hecuba - "If I know you, you will."
- Mr. Howell - "What a modest unassuming chap..." (about Hecuba)