# The Professor has died \[Russell Johnson of "Gilligan's Island"\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 16, 2014, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-professor-has-died-russell-johnson-of-gilligans-island/678997 "2014-01-16T20:58:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**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:** [January 17, 2014, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-professor-has-died-russell-johnson-of-gilligans-island/678997/61 "2014-01-17T18:20:26Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > … Hinkley shot Reagan? :eek: :eek: :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2014, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-professor-has-died-russell-johnson-of-gilligans-island/678997/62 "2014-01-17T18:33:25Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > Reagan DID enlist, but he didn’t serve in any capacity that would have entailed combat or heroism. Mainly, he made training films. Not only did he enlist – he was commissioned as an officer and promoted twice, ending up as a captain. He was disqualified from combat roles because of nearsightedness. None of which gave him any right to question Johnson’s patriotism, of course; Johnson left the war as a first lieutenant and a Purple Heart from wounds received when his B-25 was shot down over the Philippines. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2014, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-professor-has-died-russell-johnson-of-gilligans-island/678997/63 "2014-01-17T18:47:00Z")
> [@Gagundathar](#): > > Which of these women are better lovers? > Mary Ann. And you know this how? ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2014, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-professor-has-died-russell-johnson-of-gilligans-island/678997/64 "2014-01-17T18:49:37Z")
Reagan seems to have been in a politcal transition at that time. It was others who made claims such as “Reagan served his country in uniform” when it was just a costume for a film. I don’t know that Reagan made those claims himself. But in contrast I would consider Russel Johnson a war hero, and Cold War hero on top of that. What impresses me in retrospect is that he portrayed the Professor without any physical stereotypes. The rest of the cast relied on costumes to characterize their roles. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2014, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-professor-has-died-russell-johnson-of-gilligans-island/678997/65 "2014-01-17T19:03:09Z")
> [@Rilchiam](#): > > Don’t know about Brennan He served in the Army in France in the first war. ---
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2014, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-professor-has-died-russell-johnson-of-gilligans-island/678997/66 "2014-01-17T19:35:26Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > And you know this how? Alright. I admit it. I was married to Dawn Wells back in the 1960s. Or, wait… maybe not. Perhaps I just imagined it. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2014, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-professor-has-died-russell-johnson-of-gilligans-island/678997/67 "2014-01-17T19:54:53Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > … Hinkley shot Reagan? > [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > :eek: :eek: :eek: Too bad for that freak coincidence that the name of the would be real life killer was Hin **c** kley. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2014, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-professor-has-died-russell-johnson-of-gilligans-island/678997/68 "2014-01-17T19:56:46Z")
> [@GIGObuster](#): > > Too bad for that freak coincidence that the name of the would be real life killer was Hin **c** kley. I know. But it’s close enough to be amusing. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2014, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-professor-has-died-russell-johnson-of-gilligans-island/678997/69 "2014-01-17T20:16:48Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > And you know this how? Oh, come on. If you can’t tell Ginger’s going to lie in bed, expecting to do nothing but “be served,” and that Mary Ann will be as energetic as a farm animal, then you deserve what you sleep with. ---
**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:** [January 17, 2014, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-professor-has-died-russell-johnson-of-gilligans-island/678997/70 "2014-01-17T21:45:48Z")
> [@Gagundathar](#): > > Alright. I admit it. I was married to Dawn Wells back in the 1960s. > > Or, wait… maybe not. Perhaps I just imagined it. Just to make it clear, you can’t be “married” for five or six minutes at a stretch. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2014, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-professor-has-died-russell-johnson-of-gilligans-island/678997/71 "2014-01-17T21:56:57Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > He served in the Army in France in the first war. Okay then. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2014, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-professor-has-died-russell-johnson-of-gilligans-island/678997/72 "2014-01-18T00:46:02Z")
> [@Gagundathar](#): > > I never understood the question in the first place. > Which of these women do I want more than the other to share time with? > Mary Ann. > Which of these women are better lovers? > Mary Ann. > Which of these women are better looking? > Mary Ann. > > Though, I must say that the episode where Ginger’s gown reacts poorly to the new cleaning solution devised by The Professor and thereby falls off, well honestly that was pretty sexy to me at the time. > > But, pretty much Mary Ann. Anyone who disagrees is just plain wrong. > 😉 Seems there was tension behind the scenes because Dawn Wells’ fan mail vastly outnumbered Tina Louise’s. > [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > Just to make it clear, you can’t be “married” for five or six minutes at a stretch. You can in Thailand! ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2014, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-professor-has-died-russell-johnson-of-gilligans-island/678997/73 "2014-01-18T01:04:38Z")
Just found out Tina Louise turns 80 next month! Geez, I’m getting old. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2014, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-professor-has-died-russell-johnson-of-gilligans-island/678997/74 "2014-01-18T03:46:34Z")
Liked the Professor by the way. Didn’t Tina Louise do some TV commericials with the subtitles “Hollywood Actress” flashing across the bottom of the screen? Mary Ann all 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:** [January 18, 2014, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-professor-has-died-russell-johnson-of-gilligans-island/678997/75 "2014-01-18T04:18:12Z")
> [@China\_Guy](#): > > Didn’t Tina Louise do some TV commericials with the subtitles “Hollywood Actress” flashing across the bottom of the screen? The last time I saw her was in some early episodes of _ **Dallas** _, playing JR’s secretary. [http://mrsjrewing.tripod.com/id23.html](http://mrsjrewing.tripod.com/id23.html) ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2014, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-professor-has-died-russell-johnson-of-gilligans-island/678997/76 "2014-01-18T04:19:43Z")
> [@Hypno-Toad](#): > > If you wanted to make Johnson mad, you just had to ask him about Ronald Reagan. Johnson HATED Reagan for his anti-commie witch hunts. He blamed Reagan for much of the blacklisting phenomenon. Also for what he saw as the Reagan Administration’s apathy for the early days of the AIDS epidemic. Johnson’s only son, David, was diagnosed with HIV in the '80s and became a major activist, which got Johnson involved as well. (David Johnson died from AIDS in '94.) ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2014, 10:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-professor-has-died-russell-johnson-of-gilligans-island/678997/77 "2014-01-18T10:19:54Z")
> [@China\_Guy](#): > > Liked the Professor by the way. > > Didn’t Tina Louise do some TV commericials with the subtitles “Hollywood Actress” flashing across the bottom of the screen? > > Mary Ann all the way. The only other thing I can recall ever seeing Tina Louise in besides _Gilligan’s Island_ was one episode of _Love, American Style_ in which she played a very, very minor role. Almost a walk-on. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2014, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-professor-has-died-russell-johnson-of-gilligans-island/678997/78 "2014-01-18T22:01:47Z")
> [@bup](#): > > Oh, come on. If you can’t tell Ginger’s going to lie in bed, expecting to do nothing but “be served,” and that Mary Ann will be as energetic as a farm animal, then you deserve what you sleep with. In Bob Denver’s book, he mentioned the noise Tina Louise made during her trysts in the trailer next to his. She semi-denied it, of course. But there has been a lot of talk over the years. Doesn’t prove that Ginger would be the same, but it’s something to think about. If a [pot smoking](http://www.thesmokinggun.com/mugshots/celebrity/television/dawn-wells) nature gal is more your type, then Dawn Wells is for you. As to Tina Louise’s other work, the list is quite long if mostly so-so. If you’re a _Gilligan’s Island_ fan, you have to see _For Those Who Think Young_ with both Tina Louise and Bob Denver. (And Ellen Burstyn for some odd reason.) Another notable work of hers is _Mean Dog Blues_, but hard to find. Not released on DVD I think. ---
**Author:** ![nevadaexile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb8c5e/32.png) [@nevadaexile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nevadaexile)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2014, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-professor-has-died-russell-johnson-of-gilligans-island/678997/79 "2014-01-19T00:12:57Z")
Russell Johnson was a solid journeyman actor who really paid his dues. Unfortunately, like everybody else on that remarkably silly show he was typecast as “The Professor” for the remainder of his life and he couldn’t do anything else. I remember that he played a racist police officer in a PBS kids program in the late 1970s. He also played a scientist in THE FBI show on ABC (not a stretch) from the late 1960. It’s a shame that he was so smart on the Gilligan’s Island that he could never invent a RAFT and get them off of there. ---
**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:** [January 19, 2014, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-professor-has-died-russell-johnson-of-gilligans-island/678997/80 "2014-01-19T01:39:03Z")
> [@nevadaexile](#): > > Russell Johnson was a solid journeyman actor who really paid his dues. Unfortunately, like everybody else on that remarkably silly show he was typecast as “The Professor” for the remainder of his life and he couldn’t do anything else. > > I remember that he played a racist police officer in a PBS kids program in the late 1970s. He also played a scientist in THE FBI show on ABC (not a stretch) from the late 1960. > > It’s a shame that he was so smart on the Gilligan’s Island that he could never invent a RAFT and get them off of there. As mentioned in another thread, he played the villain in an episode of _ **Ironside** _, in which he gave himself away by putting peanuts in his bottle of Coca-Cola. They did build a raft in one episode when they thought the island was sinking. It fell apart when they were testing it. In one of the very first episodes, Gilligan and the Skipper actually went out to sea on one, but it too came apart. In the first TV movie, didn’t they get off the island in a bamboo raft of sorts when a tsunami hit? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-professor-has-died-russell-johnson-of-gilligans-island/678997.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-professor-has-died-russell-johnson-of-gilligans-island/678997.md?page=5)