The Skipper of TV's 'Gillian's Island' Actor Alan Hale, Jr. - A Look Back 50 Years Later

Photo byPinterest.com

Beloved actor Alan Hale, Jr., who died of cancer in 1990, became best known to millions of TV viewers as simply "The Skipper" from the iconic 1960s series, Gilligan's Island. The show originally ran on CBS from 1964 to 1967 before going into syndication, and this year marks its 50th Anniversary.

A Closer Look

After the demise of Alan Hale, Jr. was a relatively unknown character actor until Gilligan's Island came along.

Hale appeared in 65 movies. But as Hale's Gilligan co-star and TV "Little Buddy" first mate Bob Denver recalled in an interview, it was Gilligan's Island that Hale loved working on the most. "He could do great comedy," Denver said. "He was a professional. He really worked at his craft."

"Years after Gilligan," Denver continued, "...he really enjoyed being the skipper for all the kids. He had a good life."

"He enjoyed every bit of it," said Denver, who died from throat cancer in 2008. Denver had made personal appearances with Hale (who was married with four children), a mere six months before Hale died.

Gilligan's Island was about the ill-fated voyage of the SS Minnow, shipwrecked on an uncharted South Pacific isle after a freak storm during what was supposed to be only a three-hour tour.

Born in Los Angeles, Hale came from a show business family; his father was a matinee idol in silent movies and his mother was an actress. The younger Hale bore a strong resemblance to his father, who also played sidekick roles with Errol Flynn in such classics as The Sea Hawk and Robin Hood.

But then came Gilligan’s Island. The show's cast also included Dawn Wells, Russell Johnson, Jim Backus, Natalie Schafer, and Tina Louise. Along with Denver, and except Louise, that original group reteamed in 1978 for a Gilligan’s Island TV-movie in which the castaways were finally rescued, only to be shipwrecked again. Two more such sequels followed in 1979 and 1981. As it turned out, Louise not only was the only hold-out for the movies, but five decades later she is the sole remaining surviving member of the original cast.

Conclusion

Classic TV fans will forever cherish Gilligan's Island and its cast, including Alan Hale, Jr. who, at his request, had his ashes scattered at sea Saturday by the Neptune Society.