Yes, the concept of a beauty pageant with just three female contestants on a desert island where the prize is staying stranded is silly, sexist, and pointless. But this episode is representative of everything the series is known for: a fun, light-hearted tone; huge gaps in logic; crazy slapstick; and a stand-out sequence near the end that produces big laughs. It is also a pretty accurate send-up of beauty contests of the time.
The set-up for this contest is completely random. The castaways are at the dinner table when they hear a radio report about a beauty pageant back in civilization somewhere. The winner happens to be an old rival of Ginger's. It bruises Ginger's ego that anyone else can win a beauty contest, so the Skipper strokes it by saying she would have easily won had she been there. The other girls somehow feel slighted by his remarks, and Mr. Howell and the Professor rise up to their defense in saying they are as beautiful as the movie star. The Skipper's gracious gesture that each woman is beautiful in her own right is too adult to end the argument. Naïve Gilligan suggests staging a Miss Castaway contest to settle the issue.
The first act serves mainly as preparation for the contest, and it's uneven and only moderately funny. The warm up for Ginger consists of an odd love scene between her and the Skipper that Gilligan walks in on, followed by an equally weird scene where the Professor has Mary Ann work on her strength and conditioning by swimming in the lagoon against the resistance of a fishing line. Both scenes have their moments (especially the latter) but come off as padding.
Eventually it occurs to the men that our lead is the only one who doesn't have a stake in the outcome and represents the deciding vote. By intimidation, they force judgeship of the contest upon him. There are the obligatory scenes of the other three men trying to influence his decision; by far the best is Mr. Howell appealing to his sense of patriotism. Gilligan realizes he can't possibly please everyone, and there is further padding as he shares his dilemma with Gladys, his gorilla companion. Their relationship chews up a lot of screen time.
A LOT of screen time.
The second act is a great improvement over the first because it features the contest, easily the high point of the episode and on par with the better dream sequences. It has something for everyone. There is a clever send-up of the unrehearsed, platitude-laden introductory speeches, with Mary Ann coming closest to the 'wishing for world peace' cliché. There is the runway portion featuring Ginger and Mary Ann in sexy, jaw-dropping outfits. Best of all there is the crazy, off-the-rails talent competition, which winds up being sabotaged in hilarious schoolyard fashion. Mary Ann's soft shoe routine; Mrs. Howell's dramatic reading; and Ginger's sultry song all fall victim to childish pranks, while Gilligan looks bewildered and takes down feverish notes.
It comes down to our lead judge for the final decision. Gilligan has a clever trick up his sleeve and gets carried off very unceremoniously by the surprise winner.
Can't win them all, ladies.
COCONOTES:
Another winner by writer Joanna Lee, who's beauty contest is equal in hilarity to Gilligan's coming out party in My Fair Gilligan.
Like Bob Denver's delivery of "I'll drink to that."
The suddenly stubborn, hyper-competitive, and vindictive Professor may be funny, but he is completely out-of-character. Given his usual temperament, it would make more sense that he would be the impartial judge, while Gilligan would represent Mary Ann.
Gladys the gorilla understands English. Or at least Gilligan.
Too bad the castaways didn't have that bucket of glue when they were patching the Minnow's holes. Love how it's marked 'glue' in Batman style.
Natalie Schafer's husky "Paul Revere's Ride" delivery is hysterical. It's almost as hysterical that she would make a Revolutionary War outfit just for this one occasion. Or, if she didn't make it, that she brought it with her on a three hour tour, you know, just in case she saw red coats.
Love Ginger's leopard-print outfit and Gilligan's embarrassed reaction to her 'Let Me Entertain You' number.
The set-up for this contest is completely random. The castaways are at the dinner table when they hear a radio report about a beauty pageant back in civilization somewhere. The winner happens to be an old rival of Ginger's. It bruises Ginger's ego that anyone else can win a beauty contest, so the Skipper strokes it by saying she would have easily won had she been there. The other girls somehow feel slighted by his remarks, and Mr. Howell and the Professor rise up to their defense in saying they are as beautiful as the movie star. The Skipper's gracious gesture that each woman is beautiful in her own right is too adult to end the argument. Naïve Gilligan suggests staging a Miss Castaway contest to settle the issue.
The first act serves mainly as preparation for the contest, and it's uneven and only moderately funny. The warm up for Ginger consists of an odd love scene between her and the Skipper that Gilligan walks in on, followed by an equally weird scene where the Professor has Mary Ann work on her strength and conditioning by swimming in the lagoon against the resistance of a fishing line. Both scenes have their moments (especially the latter) but come off as padding.
Eventually it occurs to the men that our lead is the only one who doesn't have a stake in the outcome and represents the deciding vote. By intimidation, they force judgeship of the contest upon him. There are the obligatory scenes of the other three men trying to influence his decision; by far the best is Mr. Howell appealing to his sense of patriotism. Gilligan realizes he can't possibly please everyone, and there is further padding as he shares his dilemma with Gladys, his gorilla companion. Their relationship chews up a lot of screen time.
A LOT of screen time.
The second act is a great improvement over the first because it features the contest, easily the high point of the episode and on par with the better dream sequences. It has something for everyone. There is a clever send-up of the unrehearsed, platitude-laden introductory speeches, with Mary Ann coming closest to the 'wishing for world peace' cliché. There is the runway portion featuring Ginger and Mary Ann in sexy, jaw-dropping outfits. Best of all there is the crazy, off-the-rails talent competition, which winds up being sabotaged in hilarious schoolyard fashion. Mary Ann's soft shoe routine; Mrs. Howell's dramatic reading; and Ginger's sultry song all fall victim to childish pranks, while Gilligan looks bewildered and takes down feverish notes.
It comes down to our lead judge for the final decision. Gilligan has a clever trick up his sleeve and gets carried off very unceremoniously by the surprise winner.
Can't win them all, ladies.
COCONOTES:
Another winner by writer Joanna Lee, who's beauty contest is equal in hilarity to Gilligan's coming out party in My Fair Gilligan.
Like Bob Denver's delivery of "I'll drink to that."
The suddenly stubborn, hyper-competitive, and vindictive Professor may be funny, but he is completely out-of-character. Given his usual temperament, it would make more sense that he would be the impartial judge, while Gilligan would represent Mary Ann.
Gladys the gorilla understands English. Or at least Gilligan.
Too bad the castaways didn't have that bucket of glue when they were patching the Minnow's holes. Love how it's marked 'glue' in Batman style.
Natalie Schafer's husky "Paul Revere's Ride" delivery is hysterical. It's almost as hysterical that she would make a Revolutionary War outfit just for this one occasion. Or, if she didn't make it, that she brought it with her on a three hour tour, you know, just in case she saw red coats.
Love Ginger's leopard-print outfit and Gilligan's embarrassed reaction to her 'Let Me Entertain You' number.
