# Gilligan's Island **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 6, 2014, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gilligans-island/680641 "2014-02-06T04:45:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Steerforth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@Steerforth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steerforth)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2014, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gilligans-island/680641/41 "2014-02-06T17:33:32Z")
> [@doorhinge](#): > > According to 4 U.S. Code § 7 - Position and manner of display > subsection (m) > -\*The flag, when flown at half-staff, should be first hoisted to the peak for an instant and then lowered to the half-staff position. The flag should be again raised to the peak before it is lowered for the day. > > …As used in this subsection— > (1) the term “half-staff” means the position of the flag when it is one-half the distance between the top and bottom of the staff\*; > > [4 U.S. Code § 7 - Position and manner of display | U.S. Code | US Law | LII / Legal Information Institute](http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/4/7) > > The flag’s position in the video is definitely not at the top of the staff/mast but doesn’t appear to be at the “proper” midway point between the top and bottom of the staff/mast. Assuming this video was shot shortly after JFK was, it’s possible that the flag’s position was an attempt to fly the flag at half staff/mast. This guy didn’t give a reference, only a name. How Far Down the Flagpole is “Half Mast?” “This is originally a naval term, referring to the pole or area on the mast of a ship where the flag is flown under way. This area is about three flag widths tall above the ship’s main structure to allow for the occasional two-flag display (the US flag always on top) and room for lowering the flag to half mast. Because the mast area and the pole at a ship’s stern are short, half mast is one flag width below the top. A flag pole is not a mast, so the flag should not be flown half-way up a tall pole. It is properly raised briskly to the block (top) and lowered slowly one flag width to the “half-mast” position. This makes it clearly not “two-blocked” and signals respect, but still keeps the flag high enough to prevent fouling and the sloppy appearance of a “half-pole” position, especially if the flag is very large. The flag, even at half mast, should be fully visible and flying freely and proudly in the wind.” - Richard Olsen ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2014, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gilligans-island/680641/42 "2014-02-06T17:59:23Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Paley. William Paley was head of CBS and was responsible for _ **Gunsmoke** _ taking over _ **Gilligan** _’s time slot. > > SFAIK, James Arness had nothing to do with it. AFAIK, Arness had announced his retirement from the show, so CBS mapped over its slot. When Arness changed his mind, they were short a half-hour to slot it back in, so GI got the axe - unexpectedly and not because of any failing of the show or ratings. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2014, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gilligans-island/680641/43 "2014-02-06T18:02:19Z")
> [@Steerforth](#): > > Because the mast area and the pole at a > ship’s stern are short, half mast is one flag width below the top. I don’t have a cite but this resonates with other instructions I’ve read - it may be in the Bluejacket’s Manual or another naval reference. In any case, the stories told about this shot are not “there’s a flag at half mast, therefore it must have been shot right after 11/22” but “these scenes were shot just after 11/22, and by the way…” ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2014, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gilligans-island/680641/44 "2014-02-06T18:16:45Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > AFAIK, Arness had announced his retirement from the show, so CBS mapped over its slot. When Arness changed his mind, they were short a half-hour to slot it back in, so GI got the axe - unexpectedly and not because of any failing of the show or ratings. Possible, but not in the version I heard. According to Wiki (not the only place I’ve read this): \*In 1959, James T. Aubrey, Jr., became the president of CBS. Under Aubrey, the network became the most popular on television with shows like **The Beverly Hillbillies** and **Gilligan’s Island**. However, Paley’s personal favorite was **Gunsmoke** ; in fact, he was such a fan of **Gunsmoke** that, upon its threatened cancellation in 1967, he demanded that it be reinstated, a dictum that led to the abrupt demise of **Gilligan’s Island** , which had already been renewed for a fourth season. \* Have you a cite for Arness’s retirement? ---
**Author:** ![sir\_viks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4af34b/32.png) [@sir\_viks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sir_viks)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2014, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gilligans-island/680641/45 "2014-02-06T18:21:53Z")
> [@Steerforth](#): > > \*\* > > 1. At the 20 second mark, you will see the flag in the background seemingly at half-mast. You can find plenty of online references that say this was because of JFK’s assassination, that the sequence was photographed just after November 22, 1963. > \*\* Because of evidence offered by other posters in this thread, we can now consider this statement to be a boldfaced lie. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2014, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gilligans-island/680641/46 "2014-02-06T18:39:53Z")
> [@sir\_viks](#): > > Because of evidence offered by other posters in this thread, we can now consider this statement to be a boldfaced lie. I just watched the first season intro. While more than halfway up the staff (or mast; it could have been flying on a boat), the flag is definitely not at its peak, which is the normal position when not in mourning. I’ve heard the 22 November story in interviews with Schwartz and the cast, and I believe it’s mentioned in the docudrama/biopic. So it’s not just referenced in third-party sites. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2014, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gilligans-island/680641/47 "2014-02-06T18:48:00Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > … some sections of IMDb, the “Goofs” and “Trivia” sections among them, can be edited by literally anyone. _Not_ credible sources. Not quite. Anyone can submit edits to IMDB. The staff decide which edits to include. Somebody has to decide that the edit is both credible and interesting enough to include. I’ve submitted several, and about half of them weren’t added. ---
**Author:** ![Steerforth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@Steerforth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steerforth)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2014, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gilligans-island/680641/48 "2014-02-06T18:54:46Z")
“My understanding is that the flag is theoretically not flown at “half” mast, but one flag’s depth down from the masthead (in practice, it’s often more than that) to allow for the “invisible flag of death” to be flown at the top of the mast. The idea goes back to mediaeval times, I think.” [https://flagspot.net/flags/xf-half.html#origin](https://flagspot.net/flags/xf-half.html#origin) ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2014, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gilligans-island/680641/49 "2014-02-06T19:29:48Z")
> [@Steerforth](#): > > “My understanding is that the flag is theoretically not flown at “half” mast, but one flag’s depth down from the masthead (in practice, it’s often more than that) to allow for the “invisible flag of death” to be flown at the top of the mast. The idea goes back to mediaeval times, I think.” Except that is not how it is done in the US, either now nor at the time of the Kennedy assassination, so it’s irrelevant to this case. ---
**Author:** ![Astroboy14](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/df705f/32.png) [@Astroboy14](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astroboy14)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2014, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gilligans-island/680641/50 "2014-02-06T19:41:13Z")
> [@Steerforth](#): > > **“My understanding is that the flag is theoretically not flown at “half” mast, but one flag’s depth down from the masthead (in practice, it’s often more than that) to allow for the “invisible flag of death” to be flown at the top of the mast. The idea goes back to mediaeval times, I think.” > [Flags at half mast](https://flagspot.net/flags/xf-half.html#origin)** FTFY ---
**Author:** ![tonyfop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/85f322/32.png) [@tonyfop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tonyfop)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2014, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gilligans-island/680641/51 "2014-02-06T19:46:50Z")
I am at work, so I can’t watch the clip. Just wanted to contribute that if the staff has a crossbar, the rules state that the flag is at half-staff when the top of the flag is just below the crossbar. My command in Maine had a flagpole with a crossbar (I am an aviation sailor, I don’t remember the nautical terms). If we were at half-staff, would raise it all the way up, then lower it to a position just below the crossbar. Does the flagpole in the clip have a crossbar? ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2014, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gilligans-island/680641/52 "2014-02-06T20:21:54Z")
Is the [Marine Corps Flag Manual](http://www.marines.mil/Portals/59/Publications/MCO%20P10520.3B.pdf) [PDF] good enough? > [@](#): > > Section C-2-c.A flag in any position below the peak (the top of the mast or truck) is technically in the half-mast position but, in general, the middle point of the hoist of a flag at half- mast should, in the case of an unguyed mast of one piece, be halfway between the peak and the foot of the mast or, in the case of a mast with a yard or guys, halfway between the peak and the yard or point of attachment of the guys (see Figure 5). Local conditions, such as the liability of fouling the flag, may, however, dictate other positions, a graceful one being with the top of the flag the depth of the hoist below the peak. I read that last sentence as “one flag height down” - which is exactly where the flag in the GI credits is. Also comments about a higher hoist to avoid fouling, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2014, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gilligans-island/680641/53 "2014-02-06T20:27:11Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > AFAIK, Arness had announced his retirement from the show, so CBS mapped over its slot. When Arness changed his mind, they were short a half-hour to slot it back in, so GI got the axe - unexpectedly and not because of any failing of the show or ratings. > [@terentii](#): > > Possible, but not in the version I heard. You’re apparently right. I checked my sources and I’ve apparently conflated some comments about Arness with an unclear reference about who was responsible for restoring the show to the list. It appears to be one of Paley’s famously unilateral decisions. 🙂 But it’s all BECAUSE Matt Dillon had a pair of clangers, right? ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2014, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gilligans-island/680641/54 "2014-02-06T22:05:38Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > But it’s all BECAUSE Matt Dillon had a pair of clangers, right? Miss Kitty did say he was the biggest man she’d ever seen… 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Steerforth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@Steerforth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steerforth)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2014, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gilligans-island/680641/55 "2014-02-06T23:53:45Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > Except that is not how it is done in the US, either now nor at the time of the Kennedy assassination, so it’s irrelevant to this case. \*\*Wrong. Here is a publication from the Department of Veterans Affairs. The flag is flown at “half-staff”. Notice the position of the flag at the beginning of the first page. > **[halfstaff.pdf](https://www.va.gov/opa/publications/celebrate/halfstaff.pdf)** Also, this: [http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dIykk09odPQ/UOsEBDlVS-I/AAAAAAAAAGg/-KAxoatTsY0/s320/flag-half-staff.jpg](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dIykk09odPQ/UOsEBDlVS-I/AAAAAAAAAGg/-KAxoatTsY0/s320/flag-half-staff.jpg)\*\* ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2014, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gilligans-island/680641/56 "2014-02-07T01:30:28Z")
> [@Steerforth](#): > > \*\* > Reference: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ac1OvqiZmh0](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ac1OvqiZmh0) > > At the 20 second mark, you will see the flag in the background seemingly at half-mast. You can find plenty of online references that say this was because of JFK’s assassination, that the sequence was photographed just after November 22, 1963. I want to know if this is TRUE!.\*\* > [@running\_coach](#): > > The thing is, G.I first aired on Sept 26, 1964. Supposedly the last day of shooting was Nov 22, 1963, thus accounting for the flag. > Was it normal to have such a long gap between shooting and the first showing? Wrong opening. That’s supposedly the last day of shooting for [the pilot episode](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpimVRP3EW4). ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2014, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gilligans-island/680641/57 "2014-02-07T01:36:47Z")
> [@Skywatcher](#): > > Wrong opening. That’s supposedly the last day of shooting for [the pilot episode](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpimVRP3EW4). It has the same shot of the _Minnow_ leaving port that was used in the regular series opener. The flag can be seen in the background at 1:14. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2014, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gilligans-island/680641/58 "2014-02-07T01:39:47Z")
> [@tonyfop](#): > > Does the flagpole in the clip have a crossbar? Hard to say; the resolution is not that great. If it is the mast of a ship, it’s a pretty damned tall one! ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2014, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gilligans-island/680641/59 "2014-02-07T01:43:53Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Hard to say; the resolution is not that great. If it is the mast of a ship, it’s a pretty damned tall one! [Found a HD version](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJRzdHl7nTc) and there is a crossbar barely visible. ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2014, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gilligans-island/680641/60 "2014-02-07T02:10:26Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > I’ve seen many instances where “half mast” was less than actually half the height of the pole, for practical reasons. That looks like the case here. Not that it’s relevant to the question, but in AUS ‘half-mast’ is defined to mean ‘low enough so that it doesn’t look like it just sagged a bit’, and 1/3 down is the suggested position. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gilligans-island/680641.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gilligans-island/680641.md?page=4)