All you have to do is register (no purchase necessary) at any Ramey location in Princeton or Beckley before January 19 to win a limo ride (w/ Sunny Side Up hosts Charlie and Dreama) to the Landau Eugene Murphy concert in Beckley on the 20th, dinner backstage with Landau and the band, 2 GREAT seats at the concert, backstage passes and a personally autographed tour shirt and CD. Our winner will be announced on Little Buddy Radio’s morning show ”Sunny Side Up with Charlie and Dreama” at 7:20 AM on Jan 19th. Be a VIP! You know you deserve it.

The Landau Eugene Murphy, Jr. “Live a Star’s Life” contest being brought to you by:

Breaking news . . . all five passengers and two crew members of the SS Minnow were rescued when Coast Guard helicopters spotted smoke billowing from what looked to be a homemade raft out in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Upon closer inspection, the pilot realized that the 7 people aboard the ‘hutboat’ had to be the missing castaways whose boat, the SS Minnow, failed to return to port back in 1964.

None the worse for their ordeal, the castaways came close to capsizing the already rickety hutboat as they jumped up and down, waving, to attract the attention of the chopper pilot. Finally realizing they had indeed been spotted, all 7 settled down to await the arrival of the fireboats that would escort them back to the marina and civilization.
 
Crowds gathered at the marina today in hopes of catching a glimpse of the sensational seven as they made their way up the gangplank to face the onslaught of media. Hoping to return to their normal lives after the initial flurry dies down, all seven spoke at length of their Robinson Crusoe existence for the last fifteen years. When asked what he most wants to do now that
he’s been rescued, Gilligan the first mate exclaimed, “I’m going
to Disneyland!”

We welcome Gilligan, Jonas Grumby (aka the Skipper), Mr. and Mrs. Thurston Howell III, Ginger Grant (away from the silver screen far too long), Professor Roy Hinkley and adorable Mary Ann Summers back to civilization and into our hearts.

 The Castaways on Gilligan’s Island

The Castaways on Gilligan’s Island was a serious attempt to create a new series that would place six of the original castaways back on TV where many fans felt they belonged. Once again, Tina refused to be part of the reunion movie, so actress Judith Baldwin reprised her role as Ginger for a second time. Fans often ask why Tina didn’t play a part in the reunion movies. Bob couldn’t speak for Tina, but he did say she got far more press by NOT doing the movies than she ever would have gotten had she appeared in all of them.

In the second GI movie, Gilligan finds a World War II plane on the island (how the gang missed it for more than 15 years we’ll never know), and the Professor assures them he can make it fly. Believe it or not, he does manage to get the plane in the air, but an engine quits, forcing  the crew to return to the island. This time, however, their luck changes when the plane is picked up on radar and they’re rescued once again – this time with much less fanfare.

After this rescue, Mr. Howell decides ‘if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em’ and builds a hotel on the island, employing all of the castaways. He even calls the hotel “The Castaways”. During this time in television history, two of the most popular shows on the air were Love Boat and Fantasy Island. The Castaways on Gilligan’s Island was Love Boat, Fantasy Isand and Hotel all rolled into one – the plan was to feature guest stars every week in two or three different plot lines. The guest stars in this pilot movie were Tom Bosley of  Happy Days and Marcia Wallace from The Bob Newhart Show.

 The fate of the show was sealed when the powers-that-be decided to break the movie in two one-hour segments and air them a week apart. The ratings went through the cellar, unlike the Rescue, which broke ratings records. After that, none of the cast or crew had any hope that the show would be picked up as a series. However, it did make way for a third and last GI movie – The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan’s Island.

The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan’s Island

Making this movie was more fun than the law should allow. Not only did it star the castaways along with the original Globetrotters, but also Scatman Crothers and Barbara Bain & Martin Landau of Mission Impossiblefame. It also gave Bob and his wife Dreama their first chance to work together on film after years of working together on stage. Constance Forslund came onboard as the third and final Ginger.

Connie Forslund as Ginger

Even though the Globetrotters weren’t actors and
the cast had no idea about basketball, they all came together, did both and made this TV movie a cult favorite.

Often referred to as the Laurel and Hardy of their day, Bob and Alan had a special relationship that lasted all through the series and beyond. Alan was a gentle giant, who took great care never to hurt Bob during any of their much loved physical schtick, which included hammock gags and numerous whacks at Gilligan with his famous Skipper’s hat!

“What can I say about Jim? When Alan didn’t have me laughing, Jim did. When he arrived on theset, the jokes started, and they were good ones. One of the things I liked about him was that he was always up. Full of energy. One of his favorite things to do involved the soundman. When he exited a hut, he did what he called ‘mumble-offs’. With his back to the camera, he would mumble a bunch of words in a low voice. The content was sometimes rated triple X. I’d tell him, “C’mon Jim, this is a family show.” He’d just laugh!”

“Natalie was a hoot. She was another actor who was always prepared. This was no surprise because she had 25 years of appearing on Broadway, plus numerous film credits. The Time of Your Life, The Snake Pit, 40 Carats to name a few. We’d rehearse a scene a couple of times, then shoot it.

For Natalie it was all the same. Many times, after the scene was filmed, she would ask, “Was that a take?” We would tell her, yes, and she would say, “Oh, good.” She had a great sense of humor, proven by the fact that she picked out all of the clothes that Lovey Howell wore.”

Excerpts from Bob’s book, “Gilligan, Maynard and Me”. To read more about Bob’s memories of “Gilligan’s Island” and
the gang, order a copy of his book in Gilligan’s Gift Gallery.

This is the Original Minnow, the first of four. It was in a shipyard in Honolulu and the only thing wrong with it was a broken engine. Every worker in the shipyard wanted to buy it because it was in such good shape. So, there they were, working one day, when two men dressed in suits and one man dressed like them, carrying a sledgehammer, walked into the boatyard. The men walked to the Minnow and around it a few times – finally, one of the suits pointed toward the bow, and the man with the sledgehammer walked over and banged a huge hole in it, then, much to the disbelief of the onlookers, he walked to the stern, lifted the hammer and did the very same thing!

All the workers in the yard dropped their tools, stopped in their tracks and just stared. Then a crane came, lifted the Minnow onto a barge, and a tugboat towed it out of sight. There was no more work in the yard that day, believe me. Everyone ran to the nearest bar to tell everyone what they had seen. As far as they were concerned, “Those crazy haoles (mainlanders) had done it again !”

The second Minnow was the one we used in the opening credits, the one that took the passengers on their three-hour tour. About 10 years ago, it was out on the ocean and started sinking. The Coast Guard had to rescue the fisherman owner.

The third Minnow was used for the color shows in the opening credits, which were shot in Marina Del Ray in LA, California.

The fourth Minnow is the one you see in the episode where the Castaways tried to glue it back together again.
We did our usual very bad job! ~  as told by Bob

The Pilot Episode

‘Unseen’ for almost 30 years, the original GI pilot was finally aired by Turner Broadcasting on October 16th, 1992. Filmed at Moloaa Bay on the island of Kauai, the pilot was the only episode of the show filmed on a real, honest-to-goodness island . . . . and what an island it was. Bob loved Kauai like no other place on earth and the picture on your right shows you why. Yes, that’s Moloaa Bay in the photo. No matter what gags were filmed on any given day, no matter how many hours he spent fully clothed in the water, working in paradise stayed with Bob his entire life. When the going got tough, and after his son’s diagnosis, it did, Bob and Dreama always had Kauai.

The Original Cast

Once upon a time on an island in the south pacific, there were seven stranded castaways . . .

Gilligan  . . . the Skipper too . . . the Millioniare and his wife . . . the Secretary . . . the Professor and Bunny too  . . .

Bob’s words ~ John Gabriel was a hunky Hollywood leading man type, who originally landed the role of the Professor. He was a nice man, great to work with. All three actors were very good in their parts. After all, their work helped sell the pilot. This might make you wonder why they were let go.

John Gabriel & Kit Smythe

Nancy McCarthy and Kit

Meddlesome interference from the networks is the answer to that one – always trying to ‘fix’ things. Their reasons for wanting changes were lame, but the producers were forced into the recasting process anyway.

You’ve gotta remember, these were the same network people who thought it would be a really good idea if Gilligan had a pet dinosaur. Somehow Sherwood managed to sidestep that one!

?

Click the ‘Little Buddy Radio’ link above to listen to Little Buddy Radio.

Charlie and Dreama with New York Times best selling author Homer Hickam

Little Buddy Radio’s new morning show “Sunny Side Up with Charlie and Dreama” is all about good music, fun and, just as the name suggests, focusing on the positive. Life can be tough enough, so why not start your morning on the sunny side? Dreama’s co-host Charlie Thomas is a 35-year veteran in the world of broadcasting and his laid back, easy going style makes him a perfect fit for Little Buddy Radio.
 
“Charlie interviewed me on his morning show in Sedalia, MO three years ago and I was struck by two things – his smooth-as-silk voice and the ease with which he conducted an interview, making it conversational and really enjoyable. Even then, I thought he’d be perfect for LBR. As we became friends and began to reminisce about radio ‘the way it used to be’, we realized that LBR could give us the perfect venue to do the kind of radio we remembered – radio that’s personal and geared to the needs and wants of the community it covers.

Dreama with West Virginia's First Lady, Joanne Tomblin

As I told Charlie more about the Denver Foundation and its mission, he decided he believed strongly in what I was doing on behalf of autism and that together, we could carry on Bob’s dreams for the foundation. When Charlie made the move to West Virginia, he brought with him his passion for the men and women who serve this country, preserving our freedoms and I found that I believed in what he was doing. I researched autism in the military and discovered that 1 in every 88 children of military families is diagnosed on the autism sprectrum. A wonderful working relationship was born.”
 

Dreama with Landau Eugene Murphy, Jr (America's Got Talent winner)

Adjutant General James A. Hoyer with Charlie and Dreama

Dreama with Broadway director/star Carl Anthony Tramon

Mercer County Grade Schoolers Record the Pledge of Allegiance for Sunny Side Up

Honor Flight Network is a non-profit organization created solely to honor America’s veterans for all their sacrifices. We transport our heroes to Washington, D.C. to visit and reflect at their memorials. Top priority is given to the senior veterans – World War II survivors, along with those other veterans who may be terminally ill.

Of all of the wars in recent memory, it was World War II that truly threatened our very existence as a nation—and as a culturally diverse, free society. Now, with over one thousand World War II veterans dying each day, our time to express our thanks to these brave men and women is running out. (from honorflight.org)

The Denver Foundation is proud to have been sanctioned as the first and ONLY Honor Flight Hub in the state of West Virginia. Always Free Honor Flight salutes our nation’s heroes.

If you’d like to make a charitable donation to this worthy cause, use the button below!

Our Honor Flight Team – President, Charlie Thomas; Vice President, Dreama Denver; Co-ordinator, Pam Coulbourne

#1 Could you tell us the characters’ full names on the show?

Sure can. Here they are:

1) Gilligan – Willy Gilligan

(Never used. Bob would have argued NOT to use Willy, preferring JUST Gilligan)

2) The Skipper – Jonas Grumby

3) Thurston Howell III – Thurston Howell III

4) Mrs. Howell – Eunice Wentworth (Lovey) Howell

5) Ginger – Ginger Grant

6) The Professor – Roy Hinkley

7) Mary Ann – Mary Ann Summers

 #2 What was your favorite episode of Gilligan’s Island?

Choosing one favorite episode would be really hard because I honestly enjoyed all of them, but if I had to pick a fave, it would have to be the dream sequences, which the whole cast enjoyed. I particularly remember the Gunsmoke take-off because we filmed it on the Gunsmoke set, which was different and fun after being on the island for so long.

 #3) Did you ever get hurt doing the stunts on the show?

Came pretty close with a lion once in the episode where I’m stuck in the Howell’s hut, piling furniture up at the door to keep him out. Of course, he’s right there on the bed (even though I’m not supposed to know it) and as I scurried around in front of him, I must have looked like a little mouse because I heard the roar and my hair stood on end. The only thing that saved me was the twin beds splitting part when he tried to push off, then I turned to see the trainer in mid-air as he tackled the lion to keep him away from me. Other than that, none of us had any close calls. Believe me, that was close enough!

 #4 Did it hurt when the Skipper hit you with his hat?

Since I was getting whacked with his hat every time I turned around, it’s a good thing Alan and I liked each other so much. He really was a gentle giant and made a big effort never to hurt me in any of the gags we did. Even the hammock gags, where he’d fall on me or vice versa, never injured either of us.

Remember Alan, Natalie and Jim with me by clicking here.

 #5 Were the castaways close in real life?

Yes, our cast was very close. During the run of the series, we saw each other so much during the day we became like family. Then after the series ended, we stayed close, doing personal appearances together and seeing each other whenever we were close geographically.  Dreama and I maintain very close friendships with Dawn, as well as Russell and his wife Connie to this very day.

 #6 How many episodes of Gilligan’s Island did you do?

We filmed 98 episodes in three years.

 #7 Who were some of your favorite guest stars on GI?

We had lots of great guest stars over the years – Kurt Russell when he was a kid, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Vito Scotti (a wonderful character actor), Rory Calhoun, Sterling Holloway, Don Rickles, Hans Conried, Phil Silvers – to name a few. I enjoyed all of them, but the one who sticks out in my mind is Hans Conried. He was such a pro in his work and a real gentleman in his life. Of course, Rickles sticks out in my mind too because of his relentless digging at all of us. Even visitors to the set got it from Don. James Arness and Robert Conrad came to visit while he was there and both left after 20 minutes – they couldn’t take it! But what else could you expect with Rickles around?

 #8 Was “GI” filmed on a real island or in the studio?

 The pilot episode was filmed on a real island – the island of Kauai in the Hawaiian chain. You can read about that on our “Pilot Page”. The actual series was filmed at CBS Studios on the back lot, where they built a lagoon especially for the series right next to the Hollywood Freeway. We also worked on a soundstage, covered in sand and loaded with palm trees. That’s where we had all the huts and our dinner table

 #9 Which character did you like best – Maynard or Gilligan?

There’s really no way I could choose between the two. I enjoyed both equally, but in different ways. Maynard gave me the chance to do wonderful word comedy written by Max Schulman and you can’t knock that. When I was offered Gilligan, I chose it because that character gave me the chance to do physical comedy, which I love. With Maynard and Gilligan, I had the best of both worlds.

 #10 Why did the theme song say ‘and the rest’ the 1st season?

It was a contractual thing that first year – Russell and Dawn’s contracts for the show didn’t specify that they would be credited up front with the rest of the cast. Obviously, since the question has been asked, all of you realize how ridiculous it was to have 5 of seven cast members  mentioned at the beginning of the show, and the remaining two referred to as ‘and the rest’. Happily, that was corrected the second season and they were included in the opening credits just the way they should have been from the very beginning of the series.

 A fan’s excellent explanation for the ‘why so many clothes?’ question.

 Jeff Taylor from North Carolina

Hi Bob,

One of the biggest GI questions seems to be why the castaways took so many clothes on a 3 hour Hawaiian Island excursion. Well I have an explanation that I think fits with most of the GI storylines.

My explanation is the 3 hour tour was not a round trip. The 5 passengers were originally en-route to a remote Hawaiian club med type resort. The resort is owned in part by one of Mr. Howell’s companies.  It’s a real ritzy place that high society people go to just to get away from it all. Some guests at the resort stay for several weeks at a time. Mary Ann won the trip in a radio station sweepstakes. The Professor had been invited to the resort to speak at a convention of Asian college professors. The resort is very remote and not easily accessible by car. Guests use the boat shuttle service that is provided by the resort. The SS Minnow is one of several charter boats contracted by the resort to shuttle guests.

Guests en-route to the resort can choose the direct shuttle that takes about 30 minutes, or they can choose an island tour shuttle that takes about 3 hours. The 3-hour tour is very scenic and relaxing (usually), many guests prefer it over the 30 minute direct shuttle.

A guest’s wardrobe depends on their length of stay.  Guests may be attending parties or formal functions while at the resort, so they must pack for these events too. The Professor had only planned to stay a few days.  He was planning to prepare his speech while at the resort, so he brought along some of his scientific books, but not a lot of clothes.

Mary Ann’s visit was supposed to be two weeks. She was hoping to meet a rich man during her stay, so she brought a variety of modest, but appealing outfits. Ginger and the Howells were staying at least a month; with several respective parties and banquets to attend during their lengthy stay.

Mr. Howell had not planned to take the 3 hour shuttle with Mrs. Howell. He had a business meeting the next day in Honolulu and was going to join her later in the week for a long overdue vacation. Although he was not taking the tour shuttle with Mrs. Howell, he did accompany her in their limo to the marina to see her off. He had the chauffeur take their entire luggage, including a large steamer trunk to the dock for Gilligan to load onto the Minnow. The Skipper was preparing the ship for sailing. It was a bustle of activity. Gilligan was having troubles stowing the luggage because the Howell’s had so many things. But since Mr. Howell was part owner of the resort and the Skipper did want to lose the contract, he ordered Gilligan to do whatever it took to get the Howell’s belongings onboard.

When Mr. Howell got back in the limo to leave the marina, he discovered that Mrs. Howell had left her fur stole. Thinking she might need it, he decided to take the fur to Mrs. Howell before boat sailed.  He didn’t feel it would take long, so he instructed the chauffeur to keep the limo running. All of the passengers were onboard but Mr. Howell didn’t see his wife.  Mary Ann said Mrs. Howell had gone down to the lower cabin area to freshen up.  Gilligan was having trouble getting the trunk stowed away and the Skipper was trying to help him. Mr. Howell was unable to get the Skipper’s or Gilligan’s attention because of the noise of the idling Minnow engines and other boats in the marina.

It didn’t look like the Minnow was ready to leave yet so he decided to go on board and take the fur to Mrs. Howell. He went down below where he found Mrs. Howell. The Skipper and Gilligan were still struggling with The Howell’s heavy steamer trunk. Meanwhile Mr. Howell had given his wife her fur and was leaving the cabin but found the door was stuck. The Howells tried but was unable to get it open. They tried knocking and beating on the door, but apparently no one could hear them. They tried shouting but their screams were drowned out but the other boats in the harbor. By now the Skipper was frantic because the Minnow was over 20 minutes late sailing due to Gilligan’s troubles with the luggage. In their rush to get under way, they failed to realize the Mr. and Mrs. Howell were stuck in the lower cabin, even though Mary Ann had tried to tell Gilligan that she did not remember seeing Mr. Howell leave the boat after taking Mrs. Howell her fur.  They were well into the 3-hour voyage by the time they discovered Mr. Howell was on board. The Skipper offered to take him back, but Mr. Howell didn’t want to spoil everyone’s trip so he agreed to proceed on to the resort where he would catch the next return shuttle.

Well as luck would have it the Minnow’s radio failed and then “the weather started getting rough…” and you know the rest of the story.

That’s my explanation for the events leading up to the 3 hour tour.

Sure can. Here they are:

1) Gilligan – Willy Gilligan

(Never used. Bob would have argued NOT to use Willy, preferring JUST Gilligan)

2) The Skipper – Jonas Grumby

3) Thurston Howell III – Thurston Howell III

4) Mrs. Howell – Eunice Wentworth (Lovey) Howell

5) Ginger – Ginger Grant

6) The Professor – Roy Hinkley

7) Mary Ann – Mary Ann Summers

#2 What was your favorite episode of Gilligan’s Island?

Choosing one favorite episode would be really hard because I honestly enjoyed all of them, but if I had to pick a fave, it would have to be the dream sequences, which the whole cast enjoyed. I particularly remember the Gunsmoke take-off because we filmed it on the Gunsmoke set, which was different and fun after being on the island for so long.

#3) Did you ever get hurt doing the stunts on the show?

Came pretty close with a lion once in the episode where I’m stuck in the Howell’s hut, piling furniture up at the door to keep him out. Of course, he’s right there on the bed (even though I’m not supposed to know it) and as I scurried around in front of him, I must have looked like a little mouse because I heard the roar and my hair stood on end. The only thing that saved me was the twin beds splitting part when he tried to push off, then I turned to see the trainer in mid-air as he tackled the lion to keep him away from me. Other than that, none of us had any close calls. Believe me, that was close enough!

#4 Did it hurt when the Skipper hit you with his hat?

Since I was getting whacked with his hat every time I turned around, it’s a good thing Alan and I liked each other so much. He really was a gentle giant and made a big effort never to hurt me in any of the gags we did. Even the hammock gags, where he’d fall on me or vice versa, never injured either of us.

Remember Alan, Natalie and Jim with me by clicking here.

#5 Were the castaways close in real life?

Yes, our cast was very close. During the run of the series, we saw each other so much during the day we became like family. Then after the series ended, we stayed close, doing personal appearances together and seeing each other whenever we were close geographically.  Dreama and I maintain very close friendships with Dawn, as well as Russell and his wife Connie to this very day.

#6 How many episodes of Gilligan’s Island did you do?

We filmed 98 episodes in three years.

#7 Who were some of your favorite guest stars on GI?

We had lots of great guest stars over the years – Kurt Russell when he was a kid, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Vito Scotti (a wonderful character actor), Rory Calhoun, Sterling Holloway, Don Rickles, Hans Conried, Phil Silvers – to name a few. I enjoyed all of them, but the one who sticks out in my mind is Hans Conried. He was such a pro in his work and a real gentleman in his life. Of course, Rickles sticks out in my mind too because of his relentless digging at all of us. Even visitors to the set got it from Don. James Arness and Robert Conrad came to visit while he was there and both left after 20 minutes – they couldn’t take it! But what else could you expect with Rickles around?

Visit Gilligan’s Guest Stars to read more about these wonderful actors.

#8 Was “GI” filmed on a real island or in the studio?

The pilot episode was filmed on a real island – the island of Kauai in the Hawaiian chain. You can read about that on our “Pilot Page”. The actual series was filmed at CBS Studios on the back lot, where they built a lagoon especially for the series right next to the Hollywood Freeway. We also worked on a soundstage, covered in sand and loaded with palm trees. That’s where we had all the huts and our dinner table

#9 Which character did you like best – Maynard or Gilligan?

There’s really no way I could choose between the two. I enjoyed both equally, but in different ways. Maynard gave me the chance to do wonderful word comedy written by Max Schulman and you can’t knock that. When I was offered Gilligan, I chose it because that character gave me the chance to do physical comedy, which I love. With Maynard and Gilligan, I had the best of both worlds.

#10 Why did the theme song say ‘and the rest’ the 1st season?

It was a contractual thing that first year – Russell and Dawn’s contracts for the show didn’t specify that they would be credited up front with the rest of the cast. Obviously, since the question has been asked, all of you realize how ridiculous it was to have 5 of seven cast members  mentioned at the beginning of the show, and the remaining two referred to as ‘and the rest’. Happily, that was corrected the second season and they were included in the opening credits just the way they should have been from the very beginning of the series.

A fan’s excellent explanation for the ‘why so many clothes?’ question.

 Jeff Taylor from North Carolina

Hi Bob,

One of the biggest GI questions seems to be why the castaways took so many clothes on a 3 hour Hawaiian Island excursion. Well I have an explanation that I think fits with most of the GI storylines.

My explanation is the 3 hour tour was not a round trip. The 5 passengers were originally en-route to a remote Hawaiian club med type resort. The resort is owned in part by one of Mr. Howell’s companies.  It’s a real ritzy place that high society people go to just to get away from it all. Some guests at the resort stay for several weeks at a time. Mary Ann won the trip in a radio station sweepstakes. The Professor had been invited to the resort to speak at a convention of Asian college professors. The resort is very remote and not easily accessible by car. Guests use the boat shuttle service that is provided by the resort. The SS Minnow is one of several charter boats contracted by the resort to shuttle guests.

Guests en-route to the resort can choose the direct shuttle that takes about 30 minutes, or they can choose an island tour shuttle that takes about 3 hours. The 3-hour tour is very scenic and relaxing (usually), many guests prefer it over the 30 minute direct shuttle.

A guest’s wardrobe depends on their length of stay.  Guests may be attending parties or formal functions while at the resort, so they must pack for these events too. The Professor had only planned to stay a few days.  He was planning to prepare his speech while at the resort, so he brought along some of his scientific books, but not a lot of clothes.

Mary Ann’s visit was supposed to be two weeks. She was hoping to meet a rich man during her stay, so she brought a variety of modest, but appealing outfits. Ginger and the Howells were staying at least a month; with several respective parties and banquets to attend during their lengthy stay.

Mr. Howell had not planned to take the 3 hour shuttle with Mrs. Howell. He had a business meeting the next day in Honolulu and was going to join her later in the week for a long overdue vacation. Although he was not taking the tour shuttle with Mrs. Howell, he did accompany her in their limo to the marina to see her off. He had the chauffeur take their entire luggage, including a large steamer trunk to the dock for Gilligan to load onto the Minnow. The Skipper was preparing the ship for sailing. It was a bustle of activity. Gilligan was having troubles stowing the luggage because the Howell’s had so many things. But since Mr. Howell was part owner of the resort and the Skipper did want to lose the contract, he ordered Gilligan to do whatever it took to get the Howell’s belongings onboard.

When Mr. Howell got back in the limo to leave the marina, he discovered that Mrs. Howell had left her fur stole. Thinking she might need it, he decided to take the fur to Mrs. Howell before boat sailed.  He didn’t feel it would take long, so he instructed the chauffeur to keep the limo running. All of the passengers were onboard but Mr. Howell didn’t see his wife.  Mary Ann said Mrs. Howell had gone down to the lower cabin area to freshen up.  Gilligan was having trouble getting the trunk stowed away and the Skipper was trying to help him. Mr. Howell was unable to get the Skipper’s or Gilligan’s attention because of the noise of the idling Minnow engines and other boats in the marina.

It didn’t look like the Minnow was ready to leave yet so he decided to go on board and take the fur to Mrs. Howell. He went down below where he found Mrs. Howell. The Skipper and Gilligan were still struggling with The Howell’s heavy steamer trunk. Meanwhile Mr. Howell had given his wife her fur and was leaving the cabin but found the door was stuck. The Howells tried but was unable to get it open. They tried knocking and beating on the door, but apparently no one could hear them. They tried shouting but their screams were drowned out but the other boats in the harbor. By now the Skipper was frantic because the Minnow was over 20 minutes late sailing due to Gilligan’s troubles with the luggage. In their rush to get under way, they failed to realize the Mr. and Mrs. Howell were stuck in the lower cabin, even though Mary Ann had tried to tell Gilligan that she did not remember seeing Mr. Howell leave the boat after taking Mrs. Howell her fur.  They were well into the 3-hour voyage by the time they discovered Mr. Howell was on board. The Skipper offered to take him back, but Mr. Howell didn’t want to spoil everyone’s trip so he agreed to proceed on to the resort where he would catch the next return shuttle.

Well as luck would have it the Minnow’s radio failed and then “the weather started getting rough…” and you know the rest of the story.

That’s my explanation for the events leading up to the 3 hour tour.