This is the truth. Schwartz also claimed all characters not known by their professions would be known mostly just by their firs names. Since the castaways never call Gilligan "First Mate" by that logic Gilligan should be his first name.
The Howells were called by their last names a lot but that is because they're supposed to be aristocratic. I do not know when Schwartz decided on Willie to be G's first name or not. I honestly don't think it was ever clear to anyone even Schwartz whether Gilligan was the character's first or last name. They said something like in one draft of a script Willy is the character's first name but they might have dropped the idea before the script was filmed. As for Mrs. Howell she was never called Eunice once on the show. But it was definite Lovey was never supposed to be her real first name.

Originally posted by ficlopri
This is the truth. Schwartz also claimed all characters not known by their professions would be known mostly just by their firs names. Since the castaways never call Gilligan "First Mate" by that logic Gilligan should be his first name.
I go with that theory as well myself.

The Howells were called by their last names a lot but that is because they're supposed to be aristocratic. I do not know when Schwartz decided on Willie to be G's first name or not. I honestly don't think it was ever clear to anyone even Schwartz whether Gilligan was the character's first or last name. They said something like in one draft of a script Willy is the character's first name but they might have dropped the idea before the script was filmed. As for Mrs. Howell she was never called Eunice once on the show. But it was definite Lovey was never supposed to be her real first name.

Yes she was called Eunice in #67:MR.and MRS. (Written by M.R.Stein and Jack Gross,Jr.Directed by Gary Nelson, 1966).

Eunice WENTWORTH!!

I thought in the ep you describe Mr. Howell just referred to Lovey as MISS. Wentworth (when he thought thy were not legally married). I remember Lovey's maiden last name being mentioned in that ep but that is all.

Hi,

the photo above is of the girl out of Alley Mc beal right, was she in gilligans isle?



MF

No, Courtney Thorne-Smith was never on Gilligan's Island. Just a random posting of a random picture ...

I was thinking Courtney Thorne-Smith had been in "Saved by the Bell", but when I looked up her IMDb info, I found I was wrong: she was on "Melrose Place". But, she did do some appearances on "Ally McBeal", too.

Originally posted by iDOhavealife
Courtney Thorne-Smith did do some appearances on "Ally McBeal", too.

Courtney was a regular cast member on Ally McBeal for the first three seasons.

There was a made for tv movie last year about the making of Gilligans Island. Sherwood Schwartz appeared in the movie and said, "I told Bob if it ever comes up, Gilligans first name is Willie." Right after that Bob Denver appeared on screen and confirmed that story. He also confirmed it never did "come up" during the entire run of the series.:wave:

Marvo, Schwartz could have invented the Willy-bit a short while after he'd decided that all characters (cept the Howells) not known by their professions would be known by their first names.

But we're wasting time speculating what Schwartz could have done. So what? Just believe the guy. If the creator/producer of the show says the guy's name is Willy, then, to me, it's Willy. Let's move on, people. It's pointless to keep arguing about this stuff.

Maybe it was McGillicuddy.

Schwartz's claim that Gilligan's first name being Willie contradicts his (Schwartz's) other claim that all chartacters not known by their profesions be known by their first names (cept the aristocratic Howells).There is no way to know which name (first or last) Gilligan is. A slightly similar problem happened on the original Star Trek. There was no mention in any ep where on Earth Capt. Kirk was originally from. Later in Star Trek 4 Kirk claims he's from Iowa (in real life William Shatner is from Montreal, Canada). But for a while there was several different US states given a Kirk's home state. There were rumors Kirk was always supposed to come from Iowa but there was no firm proof. Now ST fans moistly take it as canon that Kirk comes from Iowa. Most GI fans believe Glligan's first name Willy. But both these "facts" about the characters stem more from the fan's attempts to know more about the characters than actual evidence on them. Schwartz's claim about GI characters going by their first names (see above) contradicts his claim that Gilligan's first name is Willie.

PS The Star Trek films are inconsistent with the original series. Kirk makes a statement in the movies contradicing his brother Sam's existence.