Gilligan's Island (TV Series) Castaways Pictures Presents (1965) User Reviews

You Ought Not to be in Pictures...

[kmcelhaney005 · 7/10 · 16 December 2013]

Gilligan discovers a sunken yacht in the lagoon. Gilligan and the Skipper manage to fish out two large crates which contain costumes and an old fashioned film projector with plenty of new film to shoot. Seeing this as their chance to be rescued, our castaways make a film that turns out to be far less clear than it is funny.

Silly? Of course! But this particular episode manages to overcome that aspect by being a little clever and the silent gags fit right in with the sense of humor that Gilligan's Island is all about.

Highlights include Gilligan describing the location of the ship he found, the Skipper being embarrassed at being seen in his underwear, Mr. Howell not being quite so home on a raft. Gilligan have a bit of an issue with his scuba suit, Ginger, Mary Ann and Gilligan having fun with the costumes, any scene with Mr. Howell as director of the picture, and the shooting and showing of the picture which are the real highlights of the episode.

Funny, silly and sometimes hilarious, this is one of the better episodes of the season. Well worth viewing and can serve as an introduction to Gilligan's Island for the one or two people who have not seen any of the episodes yet.

Tidbits & Trivia

• So, where did the scuba suit come from? Well, If I'm going to ask that, I might as well ask just how they made the air hoses out of bamboo.

• The famous goof mentioned in the "Goof" section of seeing a car in the background is actually more pronounced than that. You can actually see a wall and other equipment lying around as well. This appears to be near the entrance to the set itself.

• The fate of Fifi La France and Ricardo Laughingwell, the husband and wife owners of South Seas Film Productions remains unknown. Although it may be fair to say that they did not survive whatever wrecked their boat.

• The Skipper's line, "...we are not here to have fun, we are here to get off the island." always cracks me up.

• The very idea of shooting a film as the story of how they were shipwrecked and got the idea to get off the island is certainly bizarre to say the least, but somehow it fits in with the crazy logic that our castaways have demonstrated since the beginning.

• "Cecil B. Howell" is a marvelous, almost different character than Jim Backus normally plays. His continued yelling of "Quiet!! You Birds!" before each scene is particular funny, especially because its a silent picture with no sound required at all.

• For an experienced movie actress, Ginger seems awfully amateur during this production. Flaunting herself in front of the camera and continually preceding the call for "Action". Well, she probably is excited to get in front of the camera again.

• One thing that is unexplained is who got the camera out far enough to get a complete shot of the island? - Mr. Howell's line, "I'd walk out of that picture even on an airplane." is arguably one of the great lines of the series, one I've certainly used from time to time.

• So, no one recognized any of the castaways when their film was viewed? Not even Mr. or Mrs. Howell who appeared without makeup on? At least they must have packed maps, charts and directions to their island...right?

Gilligan cons Cannes.

[Ralphkram · 7/10 · 5 December 2017]

By this time in the show's run, logic and practicality take a back seat to pure fantasy, and this madcap offering is as good example as any. The pacing is frenetic and the plan to get off the island is overly elaborate and doesn't really make a lick of sense. But, if you can set aside logic, the episode is loads of fun and hysterical in spots, especially in the crazy second act.

In the teaser, Gilligan shouts from the lagoon that he has found a ship. Unfortunately, it's at the bottom of the lagoon, with a gaping hole in its starboard section that makes it unsalvageable. He and the Skipper do retrieve two crates which contain silent motion picture equipment and glamorous costumes from the thirties.

The Professor believes he can put this old paraphernalia to good use. His idea is to produce a silent movie, which will explain the shipwreck and show the struggles of the castaway's daily life. The finished film will be sent out to sea on a raft and hopefully reach civilization. Mr. Howell will direct; Gilligan will operate the camera; the others will star as themselves; and the Professor will process the film.

What can go wrong with such a seasoned film crew?

What makes the episode wickedly funny is how quickly the project gets out of control. The Professor is the only one who keeps his eyes on the prize. Everyone else gets caught up with the idea of making a movie, and forget the purpose is to get rescued.

Director Howell demands total control, wanting motivation and passion in every scene, as if he has Valentino and Pickford working for him instead of a steamship captain and a college professor. Glamorous Ginger only cares how she looks on screen, and how the final cut will affect her career. Even the normally level-headed Mary Ann has stars in her eyes.

In the crucial ending scene (which should really be the only scene of the film), the castaways block out their own map of Hawaii and the route to the island to linger and pose. Even as the legs of the camera sink into the sand, they follow the lens all the way down, afraid to be out of frame for even a second.

The funniest and weirdest part of the episode is the preview. The Professor warns the others their picture has a great many problems, which is kind of an understatement. There are extreme close-ups; sped up film; outtakes; overlapped images; upside down images; negative images; and on and on. It's really a Salvador Dali painting on film. It's a mess.

The muddled movie is sent out into the Pacific. The final twist in the epilogue is hilariously absurd and a fitting capper to the wackiness.

COCONOTES:

Major blooper: a car and part of a wall are visible when Gilligan and the Skipper are arguing about his 'flap.'

Tour de force episode for Jim Backus. His portrayal of a dictatorial, Cecil B. DeMille-like director is inspired and a different take than his other one in Angel on the Island. Love how he barks "Cut!" on every take.

"Method actors! I tell you. Never again!"

Very amusing and sexy scene between the Professor and Ginger. The look she gives into the camera when he sticks out his hand is priceless, especially when it's slowed down at the preview.

Would have been much simpler if the castaways had simply jotted down the island's longitude and latitude on that note pad.

"I'd walk out of that even on an airplane!"

Cecil B. Howell behind the camera

[kevinolzak · 7/10 · 17 June 2016]

"Castaways Pictures Presents" begins with Gilligan's discovery of a sunken ship containing two crates full of camera equipment and costumes for making silent movies. The label 'South Sea Film Productions' is revealed by the Howells to be a company formed by famous movie vamp Fifi Lafrance and her husband Ricardo Laughingwell. Mr. Howell becomes a megaphone carrying director, enacting scenes that will show how the castaways were shipwrecked and their various adventures on the island. Technical difficulties result in what can only be viewed as a comedy, as if Gilligan could produce anything else! We get to see Ginger do Theda Bara, Mary Ann as Mary Pickford, and Gilligan as Valentino and Chaplin, among many such movie references.