Hundreds of actors auditioned for the part of the Skipper, but no one made a greater effort to get to the audition than the man who was destined to become Bob's comic partner. Imagine being on location, filming a western in the wilds of Utah. Then imagine grabbing a horse and riding with your friend to the nearest highway, where you leave him holding the reins while you hitchike to Vegas. Once in Vegas, you catch a flight to LA, then grab a cab to the studio, where you audition with Bob Denver for a part in something called 'Gilligan's Island'. Then imagine going back to Utah the same way. That's exactly what Alan did!