"Gilligan's Island" actor Denver dies at age 70.

Serena

Administrator
It's kind of amazing that a show that only ran for three years, and way back in the 1960's, is still playing every single day in multiple countries around the world, and brought such fame and recognition for Bob Denver, even more famous than his role as Maynard Krebs in the Dobie Gillis show (way before my time even :D). Gilligan's Island has even spawned some terrible reality show. :rolleyes: :D

His wife of 28 years was at his side. May he rest in peace.

Reuters, September 6, 2005
By Bob Tourtellotte

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Bob Denver, who bumbled and stumbled his way to television stardom as goofy castaway Gilligan in the 1960s comedy "Gilligan's Island," has died of complications from cancer, his agent said on Tuesday.

Denver, 70, also known as beatnik Maynard G. Krebs in "The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis," died on Friday at the Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, his agent Mike Eisenstadt said.

"Gilligan's Island" aired from 1964 to 1967, and became one of TV's most enduring comedies in reruns with a tale of seven people who were lost at sea and stranded on a deserted island.

The CBS network aired 98 episodes before it canceled the show, but "Gilligan's Island" became a huge hit in reruns during the 1970s. It still airs on TV some 40 years later.

Gilligan, the first mate on a tourist boat that ran aground and stranded wealthy Thurston Howell III (Jim Backus), his wife, Lovey (Natalile Schafer) and others playful characters, was a lovable and silly character. He always put the castaways in a jam before the Skipper (Alan Hale Jr.) would come to his rescue.

Denver played a bongo-playing beatnik on "Dobie Gillis" from 1959 through 1963. That role, which he took at age 24, also required him to play a somewhat dimwitted character, and while the actor would go on to other roles, none were as well-known as Krebs and Gilligan.

In fact, he became so closely identified with Gilligan in his red shirt and sailor hat that Denver found it hard to win other starring roles during his 50-year career.

He enjoyed a successful run on Broadway in the 1970s as Woody Allen's replacement in "Play it Again, Sam," but when that ended, Denver went back to TV sitcoms. He appeared in several revivals and reunion shows for "Gilligan's Island" and "Dobie Gillis" in the 1970s and 1980s

Eisenstadt did not provide details of Denver's death other than to say that he had been in the hospital for cancer treatment. The actor's family did not want to disclose specifics about the type of cancer, Eisenstadt said.

Denver was born in New Rochelle, New York and went to college in Los Angeles. Before taking up acting, he worked as an athletic coach and teacher of math and history.

Denver is survived by his wife of 28 years, Dreama, who was at his side when he died, and his four children.



1) Actor Bob Denver, who portrayed character Gilligan of the hit comedy series 'Gilligan's Island' pictured here arriving for a taping of the second annual TV Land Awards in Hollywood March 7, 2004. Denver, the actor who played the goofy island castaway in the 1960s television show has died of complications from cancer treatments, his agent Mike Eisenstadt said on Tuesday.

2) Gilligan :D
 

ORANGATUANG

Wildfire
Thanks Serena he was one of an kind i will miss him he was so funny in Gilligan's Island...Only three left now out of that bunch The professor, Ginger and the dark haired chick...hope they show some re-runs of that show again here in aussie as an mark of respect...
 

Serena

Administrator
ORANGATUANG said:
Thanks Serena he was one of an kind i will miss him he was so funny in Gilligan's Island...Only three left now out of that bunch The professor, Ginger and the dark haired chick...hope they show some re-runs of that show again here in aussie as an mark of respect...
You're welcome, Heather. I'm surprised they don't show it regularly anyway. Here it's shown somewhere everyday, especially with that new reality show based on the series. :rolleyes: :D

"Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale..." is a regular in my repertoire of TV theme songs my patients love to sing along with, since they've seen the show in syndication--along with the Brady Bunch song. :eek: :p :D
 

KimonoSoul

Wacky on the Junk
I had kind of a crush on him as Maynard G. Krebs. Gilligan was an after school staple in our house. Came on right before the Brady Bunch!!!
 
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