The Gilligan's Island Guest Star That Made Russell Johnson Lose His Cool

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In the "Gilligan's Island" episode "The Kidnapper" (November 28, 1966), the castaways are found, but not in the most helpful way. A rogue kidnapper named Norbert Wiley (Don Rickles) has found his way to the island, and he begins to ply his trade immediately. He kidnaps Lovey Howell (Natalie Schafer) and demands the castaways pay $10,000. Mrs. Howell manages to give her kidnapper the slip, but he manages to kidnap Mary Ann (Dawn Wells) in exchange, now demanding $20,000. The cycle repeats itself again when Mary Ann escapes, and Norbert kidnaps Ginger (Tina Louise), demanding $30,000. 

Eventually, the castaways capture Norbert using Gilligan (Bob Denver) as the ultimate bait. In a bamboo cage, Norbert explains that kidnapping is a compulsion for him and that he cannot be reformed. Ginger takes it upon herself to psychoanalyze him and reform him, while the Skipper (Alan Hale, Jr.) and the Professor (Russell Johnson) repair the boat that brought him to the island. The hope is that Norbert will feel remorse, and the eight characters can all escape the island together, now copacetic. For a second, Norbert seems to feel guilty. it seems like everything is going to work. 

Naturally, Norbert was only faking his contrition and fled the island on his repaired boat alone. Ginger, in taking the role of the shrink, reveals that she was merely reenacting a film she was in years ago ... and that the film's plot played out in the exact same way, ending with a similar betrayal. Such is the Sisyphean struggle of "Gilligan's Island." No progress will ever be made to escape.

It so happens that Russell Johnson hated filming "The Kidnapper." It seems that Johnson was a gentleman with a mature sense of humor, while Don Rickles was already notorious for his brash form of insult comedy. In his autobiography "Gilligan, Maynard & Me," Denver recalled how badly the two actors got along, and how upset Johnson was.

Russell Johnson and Don Rickles hated each other

In his book (handily quoted by the website MeTV), Denver recalled Johnson being the most even-headed of the cast. He always appeared calm and professional and never lost his cool. With Rickles, however, Johnson lost his cool. Johnson usually let his co-stars good around, happy to be with them as they quipped and exchanged comic energy. There was no such light chemistry when Rickles was on set, however, and Johnson evidently formed a lifelong hatred of Rickles. Denver wrote that: 

"The only time I saw Russ lose his temper was when Don Rickles guest-starred. [...] Don could make anybody lose it. [...] Russ had a dry sense of humor, which was great because the rest of the cast went for the big joke. Russ, Dawn, and I do about two or three personal appearances a year. I always look forward to sitting with Russ and talking about the memories."

It seems, though, that "The Kidnapper" doesn't come up a lot. 

Some fun nitpicking: one of the plot points of "The Kidnapper" is that Wiley robs the castaways of certain trinkets before he escapes. Some of the trinkets — Mr. Howell's gold suspenders, for instance — would be recognized back on the mainland. Either Wiley fenced his stolen goods in international waters, melted the gold down for its raw value, or simply kept them for himself. The items would have, some fans have posited, initiated an investigation back home. 

But then, it's more likely that the seven castaways are cursed and that escape isn't possible by divine writ. That certainly seems like the more likely option.