‘Gilligan’s Island’ Facts You Didn’t Know Before
No Outfit Repeats
If you can recall, Mary Ann and Ginger had taken the S.S. Minnow charter boat for a three-hour trip. Later on, the boat got wrecked, and they got stranded on the island. Yet, have you noticed that both wore different clothing in every episode? How were the wardrobe changes even possible? Did the creators of the show try to make us assume the characters had packed that many outfits for a supposedly short trip? Or they did they think the flaw wouldn’t be noticed?
No Outfit Repeats
Name That Skipper!
Have you ever wondered what Skipper’s real name is? Apparently, it’s Jonas Grumby! Though this name was never mentioned in any of the episodes, the producers had established it before the pilot episode. However, they wanted the nickname to stick. And it did!
Name That Skipper
Breaking The Fourth Wall
A fourth wall is a space established between the audience or camera crew and the actor. It is meant to separate the character from the set. When Gilligan’s Island was released, breaking the fourth wall wasn’t heard of. However, Skipper was notorious for doing it all the time. There was even a time that he made a face directly to the camera!
Breaking The Fourth Wall
Influencing His Character
Skipper was a character brought to life by Alan Hale Jr. who was known to have a vocal tic; he referred to people as “little buddy”. The show’s staff decided to apply this same habit to his character. And it seemed so natural for Skipper to call people “little buddy” as well!
Influencing His Character
Equal Credit
The main star of the show, Bob Denver, was known to be an advocate of equality. When the credits of the show had excluded the names of Dawn Wells and Russell Johnson, Denver was so upset and wouldn’t let the issue go until the staff change it.
Equal Credit
Reason For Half Mast
In the pilot episode’s opening credits, they raised the American flag at half mast. That’s because filming started after the assassination of JFK. In fact, the pilot episode of the sitcom finished exactly on the day the former president was shot.
Reason For Half Mast
Inside Joke
If you’re wondering about the origin of the show’s iconic charter boat, you might find this one amusing. Sherwood Schwartz, sitcom’s creator, had a dislike for the head of FCC, Newton Minnow. He named the boat S.S. Minnow, and as a joke, it was shipwrecked! It is quite unfortunate that we are still unsure if Newton caught on the joke.
Inside Joke
Not So Practical
We often see the characters drinking from coconut cups. These cups used to be natural. However, they were porous and unpractical. Thus, during the second season, the cups were replaced with ceramic cups that resemble coconuts. Things were not actually as they appeared to be!
Not So Practical
Ginger’s Bottomless Bag
Let’s get back to the never-ending supply of Ginger’s outfits. If we try to revisit the pilot episode, the character was just taking a short boating trip. There are numerous articles that point out possibilities of several clothes floating and ending up on the island’s shores. However, even if the quantity of clothes were disclosed, the fact that Ginger wore a wide array of clothes such as workout clothes, gowns, and dresses still remains a peculiar detail!
Gingers Bottomless Bag
Custom Outfit
Dawn Wells, playing the role of Mary Ann, knew she had to stand out especially if she were to stand next to Tina Louise, who played Ginger. She made up for her shorter height by displaying more skin. She ended up wearing short shorts at a period where navels were prohibited to be displayed on television. Though she would hide her navel, her outfits were still flashy to the public. After all, she’s the first person to have ever worn short shorts on TV!
Custom Outfit
Aging Cast
Since it is already more than 50 years after the show’s pilot episode, most of the cast members have passed away. Even the show’s creator, Sherwood Schwartz, passed away in 2011. The only cast members that we can still see now are Tina Louise and Dawn Wells, who are in their 70s or 80s. And of course, we want these lovely women to stick around much longer.
Aging Cast
She Didn’t Tell A Soul
Schafer, aka Mrs. Howell, played the character of Thurston Howell’s wife. Throughout the filming of the show, she kept a secret to herself. The entire crew members, cast members, and even the show’s producers did not have a single idea about it the whole time. Years after the last episode, it was revealed that she was actually 13 years older than Jim Backus, her on-screen husband!
She Didnt Tell A Soul
Special Mention In Her Contract
How was Natalie Schafer able to keep her age secret for so long? The answer to this is the special clause in the actress’ contract. Included there was a statement that prohibited close-up takes of her face. Apparently, she wanted to hide her wrinkles. And no one ever suspected this to be the real reason of the special request in the contract! When you think about it, Schafer is a pretty brilliant woman.
Special Mention In Her Contract
Radio Transmissions
One of the most essential features of the show was the radio transmissions received by the characters via a Packard Bell AM radio. In order to make it realistic, a telescoping antenna was added. Interestingly, the real model of Packard Bell neither had a handle nor an antenna!
Radio Transmissions
Inventive Prop Team
Another essential feature of Gilligan’s Island was the technology created by the castaways out from scraps from the island. Obviously, the show’s prop team faced the greatest challenges. They had to be inventive as they had to work with a limited number of random objects.
Inventive Prop Team
Next Big Idea
Since the show initially didn’t have the popularity as it has now, the producers had to think of something to save its spot on TV. This had led to the decision of adding a new character. The idea was to bring a dinosaur to the scene, but it never happened due to its expensive cost. However, it is quite amusing to imagine Gilligan with a pet dinosaur!
Next Big Idea
A Wild Ride
Before Alan Hale Jr. was able to play the character of Skipper, he first underwent a crazy adventure just to make it to the show’s audition. To start with, he was in the other side of the world when he was called in for an audition. From his set in Utah, Alan rode a horse and hitchhiked his way to Las Vegas. But that is not all! He still had to fly from Nevada to LA. Yes, he originally went for Gilligan’s role. And while he didn’t get it, he remained to be one of the most iconic characters in the show. It’s a good thing he arrived in the audition for we could not have imagined Skipper as anyone but Alan Hale Jr.
A Wild Ride
First or Last Name?
Have you ever wondered what Gilligan’s first name was and why it wasn’t mentioned in the sitcom? It was only after the last episode that Sherwood Schwartz announced that his first name was actually Willie. In the original film, the character was drawn out as Willy Gilligan. However, Denver firmly believed that Gilligan was the character’s first name. And he was stubborn about it, too. He didn’t want to have a discussion about it at all!
First Or Last Name@
A $20K Skirt
Without a doubt, men of all ages developed a crush towards Dawn Wells and her character. Even women fans loved her. We know that there is much more to her personality and looks that makes her appealing. Fans adored her so much that one of her skirts, which she wore on the show, was sold for $20,000!
A 20K Skirt
Too Memorable
It cannot be argued that Ginger Grant, who was played by Tina Louise, was a very memorable character. In fact, the character was too memorable that the actress could no longer land a role after the show. It was because she was already type cast as Ginger’s character. Tina Louise considered it a curse and blamed Gilligan’s Island for the decline of her career.
Too Memorable
All 99 Episodes
Of course, the show owes its popularity partly to its relatable cast and great storyline. The cast members were really committed to Gilligan’s Island. In fact, the main characters were present in all 99 episodes. Actually, there may be a few episodes where they had to excuse themselves. Nevertheless, the cast members were the perfect definition of commitment!
All 99 Episodes
Everyone’s Least Favorite Thing
The City of Angels is known for its traffic and noise. Since the filming of lagoon was shot on the network’s backlot in Los Angeles and was done near the highway, the shooting had to be done as swiftly as possible. We might all agree that this was a challenging feat.
Everyones Least Favorite Thing
Free Vacation
Talk about job perks! What motivated Natalie Schafer to do the Gilligan’s Island pilot was the free trip she got to Hawaii! As that is where they filmed the pilot. Once CBS chose to pick up the show, Schafer and some others were not too pleased knowing that they would film in LA.
Free Vacation
Tone Deaf
Remember the part where all the cast members sang together? It turns out that one of them had a problem with that scene. Dawn Wells, aka Mary Ann, admitted she didn’t have a knack for singing. Thus, when they were told to do it, she improvised by mouthing along or lip syncing in order to avoid ruining the harmony. While most recommended her to take vocal lessons, we can agree that what she did worked like magic.
Tone Deaf
Everything But That
Fans were not fooled by The Professor on Gilligan’s Island. If you recall, he was quite handy and could make things out of various objects on the island. So why couldn’t he fix the boat?! Obviously if he fixed it then the series would end so that makes sense we guess.
Everything But That
Choice For Gilligan
There were rumors that Schwartz originally set his eyes on Alan Young for Gilligan’s role. Many years after the rumor broke out, the show’s producer finally addressed the rumor. He even claimed that he had no clue where it came from, and he had never considered Alan Young for the show.
Choice For Gilligan
No Need For Kids
In the beginning, they did consider adding a child actor as The Professor’s nephew. However they decided against the idea for one reason alone. Gilligan was childlike at heart therefore a child actor just wasn’t needed!
No Need For Kids
Marriage
We’re not forming any opinions here, but all three main actresses were married for just under ten years. Was it due to the intense shooting schedule? Or maybe all the attention from male viewers was too much? Guess we’ll never know!
Marriage
A True Hero
Everyone knows that Gilligan was a total goofball throughout the series. He was always messing around, so did Skipper keep him around? I mean, Gilligan could be very annoying. However the real reason goes back to when the two sailors were in the Navy during WWII together. Gilligan actually saved Skipper’s life from a deadly depth charge! Now it all makes sense.
A True Hero
Money On And Off-Set
Natalie Schafter, or Mrs. Howell, was married to millionaire Thurston Howell III. In real life though, the actress was a real millionaire. She bought Rodeo Drive properties when houses were on the same level as cars. She flipped them when prices went up and made loads of money as a result!
Money On And Off Set
Worldwide Acclaim
It turns out that even if the show only aired for three seasons, it still gained critical acclaim from across the world. It was so popular that even a place with no television and electricity heard about it. One time, when Dawn Wells decided to travel to the South Pacific, she came across a small island. When Wells met the chief of the tribe, he immediately recognized her as Mary Ann from Gilligan’s Island!
Worldwide Acclaim
Alf Crossover
No one can forget the sitcom Alf! Remember when the alien Alf had a dream that he was stuck on Gilligan’s Island? Well Alf wound up on the island with the entire cast from the show. Audiences loved the crossover! All the original cast members were there, including Dawn Wells, Alan Hale Jr., Russell Johnson and Bob Denver.
Alf Crossover
Tough Guy
Alan Hale really was former military, therefore he was quite a tough guy on set. In fact, during an episode he needed to climb a tree. While filming this particular scene, he fell but ended up missing the crew’s soft landing pad and fell onto the concrete floor instead! He actually broke his arm, but didn’t tell people for weeks. When asked how it happened, Hale responded, “it wasn’t easy.”
Tough Guy
Dramatically Different Pilot
If you have managed to get a glimpse of the pilot episode, you might have noticed a big difference in its later episodes. The two female characters were originally a secretary and high school teacher. However, they changed it afterwards. Since the network realized the pilot might cause confusion, they decided to halt its re-broadcast. It’s not until in 1992 that the audience were able to watch the pilot again. But can you image Mary Ann and Ginger as a teacher and secretary? Me neither.
Dramatically Different Pilot
Two Cartoons
During the 60’s and 70’s, shows tried to remain relevant by also transforming into cartoons and having cartoon spinoffs. Gilligan’s Island also jumped on the bandwagon here and made two cartoons. One was a classic cartoon known as Gilligan’s Island and the other was actually set in outer space, Gilligan’s Planet.
Two Cartoons
So Many Gingers
Tina Louise is known as Ginger on Gilligan’s Island, but you knew that already. However, her role has impressively been reprised by six other actresses, and not just the show but in the television films and animated series as well. Actually Dawn Wells voiced both her character May Ann and Ginger for an episode of the Gilligan’s Island cartoon called Gilligan’s Planet.
So Many Gingers
Pushing For The Show
Producer Sherwood Schwartz was well known in the industry. At the time, he spoke with CBS president Jim Aubrey to pitch Gilligan’s Island, but Aubrey was hesitant. Aubrey was concerned that if they aired the show, fans would grow bored as Gilligan and the gang don’t escape the island. However, Schwartz insisted that wouldn’t happen and the show got its chance.
Pushing For The Show
Stunt Woman
It shouldn’t matter that Natalie Schafer was a millionaire in real life, because this fact is just too good. Schafer all of her own stunts! And don’t forget that back then she was about 65 years old. That just makes this face even more impressive! She did, after all, fall and sink in quicksand!
Stunt Woman
Contract Clause
Dawn Wells not only got paid for her role, but she also received royalty checks for every syndication. How did she end up with such an advantageous agreement? It’s all thanks to her husband of course. Since he was a television agent, he knew a thing or two about the industry. So now, it seems that Wells still receives royalty checks for the show’s reruns. Brilliant!
Contract Clause
Original Mary Ann
Originally, the CBC sitcom creators had a lot of casting options for the role of Mary Ann. More interestingly, Dawn Wells was not their first choice but rather a backup. The 1960s international sensation, Raquel Welch, is the original actress sought to do Mary Ann. We all know what happened next, though. Welch turned down the offer, and Wells became one of the main casts in the successful and award-winning show.
Original Mary Ann
Reference
Thurston Howell III, portrayed by Jim Backus, was a nod to another character on the show. Producer Sherwood Schwartz had another show at the time, The Alan Young Show. On that show, Backus portrayed Hubert Updyke III. When Schwartz first pitched Gilligan’s Island he said, “the island would be a social microcosm and a metaphorical shaming of world politics in the sense that when necessary for survival, yes we can all get along”.
Reference
Cheapskate
Jim Backus played the big spender Mr. Howell. However, Backus was the exact opposite of his character on the show. Everyone said he was a total cheapskate. The crew said when they would go for meals with him he always accidentally, “forgot his wallet” and other Gilligan’s cast members had to pay for him. In fact, he did this so often that he started to get teased about it.
Cheapskate
On-Set Diva
Tina Louise was not only recognized on screen but also on set. Based on the opinions of the crew members, she made the most lasting impression. Indeed, most of the cast and crew during the Gilligan’s Island shooting gave the actress many special exceptions. Why was she allowed to play the diva on set? It’s because she felt that they misled her as she was originally told she was going to play the main role.
On Set Diva
Representing America
Everyone apart from the goofy Gilligan was supposed to stand in for different segments of American society. That’s why they were called by their profession and not their name. Yup, that’s exactly how each character represented someone in that part of society.
Representing America
Dawn Wells’ Memoir
EVERYONE knows Dawn Wells best as Gilligan’s Island‘s Mary Ann. That’s probably why she titled her memoir, What Would Mary Ann Do?. Throughout the book, there are self-help sections but also a lot of stories about her experiences on set. Oh, the book is actually written from Mary Ann’s point of view.
Dawn Wells Memoir
Arrest
Back in 2007 in Driggs, Idaho, Dawn Wells was driving home from her mayor’s birthday party. However she slightly swerved the vehicle and the sheriff’s deputy pulled Wells over. When he searched her vehicle, he found three smoked cigarettes containing controlled substances. Therefore, Dawn Wells was placed in lockup. Even though a friend came forward to say he/she had left the joints in the vehicle earlier, Wells’ reputation was definitely tarnished.
Arrest
Wrong About Reruns
Thanks to Gilligan’s Island reruns, people are still obsessing over the show. Gilligan’s Island has been broadcasting reruns for over 50 years now! Although when the show first aired, producers did not believe the show would have reruns aired. I bet they’re thinking just how wrong they were!
Wrong About Reruns
Miss Nevada
While we know Dawn Wells as a great actress, not everyone knows about her previous achievements. In case you are not aware, Wells had received the title of 1959 Miss Nevada. The crown paved the way for her to obtain a scholarship in the University of Washington, where she majored in theater. After Wells graduated, she moved to LA to pursue an acting career. As she held a tremendous urge to act, she never wanted to be branded as just a pretty face. That is why despite her natural attractive appearance, Wells remained determined and worked hard to make sure she could obtain the success she always dreamed of.
Miss Nevada
Starstruck
It seems that the world has been divided with the debate about who’s better between Ginger and Mary Ann. However, the two main stars have a great friendship off-screen. At first, Wells was intimated with Louise since she was already a well-known star at the time. As time passed by, Wells got past the fear and eventually got friendly with the actress. As a matter of fact, Tina Louise’s daughter is also a friend of Dawn Wells on social media. The relationship between the two is a great example of a lasting friendship.
Starstruck
Tina The Teacher
Currently Tina is performing in Broadway shows! She lives in New York and volunteers as a public school teacher when she’s not doing Broadway. That’s impressive! Almost all of the students recognized her from Gilligan’s Island thanks to the reruns!
Tina The Teacher
Favorite Episode
When Louise was asked about her favorite episode, it appears that it was “All About Eva.” If you can remember correctly, this was the episode where Louise acted two roles. Eva was shipwrecked and distraught so Ginger offered her a makeover in order to lift her spirits. Later Eva was knocked and Ginger secretly and pretended to be her during Howell’s party. Eva fooled everyone at the party, so she decided to steal Ginger’s career as well. She went to Hollywood pretending to be Ginger. So yes, that was an absolutely wonderful episode!
Favorite Episode
Sunday By Tina Louise
Tina Louise penned a memoir, just like Dawn Wells. Sunday is a collection of her memoirs actually. Louise felt compelled to write this in order to help young girls and teenagers, especially if they weren’t in school or had kids young. Within Sunday, Louise also shares her experience in boarding school when she was young.
Sunday By Tina Louise
Not A Dime
Other stars of the show had not received as much moolah as Dawn Wells did. In fact, most of the Gilligan’s Island stars had only taken their residual rights in 1968. That main reason behind this is that most of them never imagined the show to become extremely popular and successful. They just viewed the show as a resume filler and a fun experience. For Dawn Wells, it was, of course, different.
Not A Dime
Tina Didn’t Hang
This might surprise you, but Tina Louise simply didn’t have fun hanging out with her co-stars. She wasn’t even around every time the crew did group interviews. She was very bitter with her role as Ginger. Although, once on screen, the trace of her disinclination wasn’t really evident. For what it’s worth, the audience saw Ginger as an iconic character. But maybe it was too iconic for Tina’s taste.
Tina Didnt Hang
Love Interest?
A lot of speculation was raised about a potential romance between the Professor and Mary Ann. Fans eagerly waited to see if anything would spark between the two! However, the producer Sherwood Schwartz wanted to keep the show family friendly. Therefore he didn’t allow anyone to write anything romantic between the two.
Love Interest?
Final Cut
If the show was so successful, why did it end after only three seasons? Well, the network had just set their lineup and decided to cut and exclude the show. That seemed to be a reasonable thing to do at the time since it had not obtained good ratings. At first, CBS believed it could be successful in a time slot that was less expensive. However, the executives had decided to end it altogether when it had not met their expectations. It was not until 1970 and 1980 that the show had grown in popularity due to decades of syndication and various market reruns.
Final Cut
In Memory Of
In 2016, the great David Bowie passed away and a new hashtag started trending like wild-fire. #RipBobDenver was everything. Fans everywhere paid their tribute to Bob Denver, the star of Gilligan’s Island. What everyone wrote was touching but it was about 10 years too late. Denver had actually died 10 years before!
In Memory Of
What’s Up Doc?
You probably didn’t catch this! In the Gilligan’s Island episode, “You have been disconnected,” Mr. Howell gives Gilligan his wife’s diamond necklaces to try to cut encased wires. Mr. Howell turns to Gilligan and says, “You’ll have more carrots than Bugs Bunny.” Jim Backus said this as he voiced a Looney Tunes character in “A-Lad-In His Lamp.” He voiced Smokey the Genie AND Bugs Bunny.
Whats Up Doc@
Archie Bunker As The Skipper?
Carroll O’Connor is best known as the racist and bigoted Archie Bunker from the series All in the Family. Although it turns out that O’Connor auditioned to play the Skipper. However, Sherwood Schwartz didn’t think he was the right fit and turned his away.
Archie Bunker As The Skipper@
Family Role
Gilligan’s is known for its dream sequences. Think back to the dream in “‘V’ for Vitamins?” See, Bob Denver’s son Patrick provided the voice for small Gilligan during that particular scene. Now that’s pretty cool!
Family Role
The Real Lagoon
In 1964, the CBS Studio City backlot was transformed into the show’s iconic and popular lagoon. Initially, the plan was to film somewhere in Malibu. However, since they had to consider natural and uncontrollable conditions like fog and frozen water temperature in winter, the creators decided to build one near the studio instead. However, in 1995, the lagoon was turned into a parking lot.
The Real Lagoon
Well, That’s Rude
Apparently, during the original opening of Gilligan’s Island, they had referred to Mary Ann and the professor as “the rest”. This brought some discussions and debates since both were main characters in the show. However, they had not received the equal recognition that they deserved. Fortunately, the theme song was later changed for the next season.
Well Thats Rude
Origin Of Ginger’s Name
Gilligan and Skipper are not the only characters with an interesting name history. The name Ginger was greatly inspired by two iconic figures in the golden era of Hollywood, Ginger Rogers and Cary Grant. Hence, we know Tina Louise’s character as Ginger Grant.
The Origin Of Gingers Name
A Life Changing Dinner
While eating dinner, Alan Hale Jr. was spotted and that’s all it took for him to become the Skipper. Okay, that’s not ~entirely~ true. Sherwood Schwartz saw Hale in a Civil War costume while eating at a Hollywood restaurant. When he saw this, Schwartz really liked just what he saw in Hale. Schwartz knew then that he was meant to play the Skipper.
A Life Changing Dinner
Dream Sequences
Fans weren’t the only ones who loved the dream sequence scenes! So did the cast. I mean, if you think about it, the cast was finally able to leave the island. A new change in scenery is sometimes what you really need.
Dream Sequences
Requests For Rescue
After Gilligan’s Island first aired, people frantically wrote to the Coast Guard. For some reason, people couldn’t separate reality from fiction. Viewers thought that they needed to be rescued, they didn’t get that it was a sitcom! Schwartz sat down for an interview with the Archive of American Television where he claimed those particular viewers were delusion. Schwartz said, “Now who did they think was laughing at what was happening to these people? Where did they think the music came from, and the commercials?”
Requests For Rescue
Same Place, Different Look
When it comes to Gilligan’s Island, the lagoon plays a significant part in the series. However, the lagoon may have looked strangely familiar to many viewers as they enjoyed reruns of the show and films. Actually, that’s because the same lagoon was used for the monster film, The Creature From the Black Lagoon.
Same Place Different Look
Professor’s Backstory
When it comes to Gilligan’s Island, a backstory for all is needed. People just really need to know how everyone got to the island! When it comes to the Professor, well he was relaxing simply on a three hour boat ride. He actually went on the trip so he could relax before writing his book, Fun with Ferns.
Professors Backstory
Skipper During Hospice
Later on in his life, Alan Hale Jr. battled cancer and while in hospital, he met a young kid with cancer. The two ended up becoming quite close. In fact, this young patient was a huge fan of Gilligan’s Island. That’s when Hale decided to throw on his old Skipper costume so he could to cheer up the terminally ill kid. Now that’s class!
Skipper During Hospice
What Could Have Been
Sure, fans got just three seasons and three movies, but it turns out that Schwartz thought about doing a fourth Gilligan’s Island film. What he wanted was the story to revolve around nuclear war, leaving the castaways to think that they were all that was left on Earth. Therefore Ginger would marry the Professor, whereas Mary Ann would wed Gilligan. After they had kids and Gilligan’s son turned 20, he would sail off only to discover that everything was in tact. Everyone would hear the news on their radio, although Gilligan would accidentally break the news before the disclaimer.
What Could Have Been
Lobster Barrel
Apart from Skipper, Alan Hale Jr. also owned and ran the LA restaurant, “Alan Hale’s Lobster Barrel”. In fact, he incorporated his character by dressing up as Skipper to greet fwllow guests. After 15 successful years, things began to go south. That’s when he chose to shut down the restaurant and start a travel agency. Hale ended up running the agency until he passed in 1990.
Lobster Barrel
Eenie Meanie Minie Mo
Typically when a character’s name is chosen, a lot of time went into that choosing. It’s meaningful. However that wasn’t the cast for the star of Gilligan’s Island. Bob Denver’s name was chosen by chance – they just chose it from a phone book!
Eenie Meanie Minie Mo
The Beatles Parody
The Wellingtons really did sing the first version of the theme song. However, when the show didn’t end up using their song, the band appeared on Gilligan’s Island. They performed the Mosquitoes, and yes, that was indeed a parody of The Beatles.
The Beatles Parody
Theme Song
The original theme song was a calypso tune sung by creator Sherwood Schwartz in a Caribbean patois. John Williams composed the famous tune. He’re more famous thanks to his work with Star Wars and Steven Spielberg.
Theme Song
The City Of Denver
Turns out that the capital city of Colorado, Bob Denver was named for his great-great grandfather. His great-great grandfather was James William Denver. However, he isn’t related to the singer John Denver, whose real name is actually Henry John Deutschendorf, Jr.
The City Of Denver
Skipper’s Backstory
Thanks to the novel Gilligan’s Wake, which was loosely based on the show, we get an inside scoop on Skipper’s backstory. Although it’s not in correlation with the series, we’d like to think it’s true. The 2003 novel reveals that Skipper was a PT with Quinton McHale of McHale’s Navy and also JFK.
Skippers Backstory
