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Avid fans of “Gilligan’s Island” no doubt recall the original pilot of the series. Shot in 1963, it wasn’t broadcast until 1992. This pilot, titled “Marooned,” starred Bob Denver, Alan Hale, Jim Backus, and Natalie Schafer as Gilligan, the Skipper, Mr. Howell, and Mrs. Howell respectively. It also featured three preliminary characters who did not make it to the final series. John Gabriel played the Professor, originally a high school teacher. Nancy McCarthy played a secretary named Bunny, who was the early version of Mary Ann. There was also a Ginger who was a different secretary, portrayed by Kit Smythe.
The series underwent revamping, and Sherwood Schwartz, the creator, penned a more comprehensive pilot featuring the Professor (Russell Johnson), Mary Ann (Dawn Wells), and Ginger (Tina Louise) as we know and adore them today.
Schwartz’s biography, “Inside Gilligan’s Island: From Creation to Syndication,” revealed that Louise was somewhat difficult to work with off-camera. She had assumed she was the main star of the show, not realizing she was part of a seven-person ensemble. Louise also took issue with Schwartz’s depiction of Ginger Grant as a sly seductress. She insisted that Ginger be more of a glamour-obsessed character, based on Marilyn Monroe or Jayne Mansfield. This proved to be the correct choice, as Ginger’s character was more well-rounded and appealing as a celebrity-obsessed helper.
Interestingly, the decision to model Ginger after Jayne Mansfield was fitting. In 1963, Mansfield had a starring role in the long-running play “Bus Stop,” and was undergoing a significant personal transition when she was offered the role of Ginger on “Gilligan’s Island.” Following her new husband’s perhaps misguided advice, Mansfield declined the role. This intriguing story is further detailed on the website Rewind the ’50s.
The Role of Ginger was Declined by Jayne Mansfield on Her Husband’s Advice
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Jayne Mansfield rose to prominence in the early 1950s, thanks to her infectious humor and stunning beauty. She was largely known for her “dumb blonde” roles and had a significant role in creating a certain type of cinematic character. Mansfield, also a model, gained even more fame when she posed nude for Playboy in 1955, bringing her and the magazine into the spotlight. She is often referred to as a sex symbol.
In January 1964, Mansfield was performing in a long-standing production of “Bus Stop” with her then-husband, Mickey Hargitay. They had just welcomed a daughter, Mariska, but their marriage was notoriously unstable. Mansfield had fallen for her “Bus Stop” co-star Matt Cimber and quickly divorced Hargitay in August, marrying Cimber shortly after. It was a tumultuous period for Mansfield, whose career was at its peak.
However, Mansfield was concerned about her public image. After playing “dumb blondes” and sexbombs so frequently, she felt typecast and aspired to diversify her acting roles. When CBS offered her the role of Ginger on “Gilligan’s Island,” she hesitated. Ginger’s character seemed too similar to the seductive roles she had been playing for the past decade. Cimber, supporting her desire for career diversity, advised her to reject the role. And she did.
The role of Ginger then went to Tina Louise, and the rest, as they say, is history.
One can only speculate on a parallel universe where Mansfield accepted the role and was in Los Angeles in 1967 during the third season of “Gilligan’s Island.” In that scenario, she wouldn’t have been on that Louisiana road in 1967 where she met her untimely death. However, both Mansfield and Louise have left lasting legacies and have made their marks in pop culture. They are both timeless.
Credit: www.slashfilm.com
