Steven Helmer Publications

Synopsis: Judith Duvall enjoys the finer things in life but is also running out of money to pay for them. As a result, she accepts an offer from the Earl of Bellomont to take part in an elaborate scheme to trick pirate Captain William Kidd into leading Bellomont to his hidden treasure. When Kidd proves to be too smart for Bellomont, figures out the plot and discovers Judith's involvement, he punishes Judith by forcing her to perform various chores on his stolen ship while continuing on his way to the hidden treasure, which he needs to earn his pardon. Who's in it? The movie stars Eva Gabor , Anthony Dexter , Alan Hale, Jr ., James Seay and Lyle Talbot . Review: I have had Captain Kidd and the Slave Girl on my "maybe" list for a couple weeks but was reluctant to watch it because the whole concept seemed like something that wouldn't age well. However, the film has quite a few recognizable stars, so I finally decided to give it a try this morning. As it turns ou...

Synopsis: Gilligan ( Bob Denver ) reels in a World War II mine and accidentally starts its timing mechanism. Due to the island's underground gasses, there is no safe place to hide from the impending explosion. My Thoughts: The Professor's ( Russell Johnson ) raft idea is a good one, so why do the castaways give up on it so quickly? It's not even as though they lose the raft in this episode. Gilligan brings it safely ashore at the end and all they'd have to do is figure out how to make an anchor. Speaking of which does it need to be made out of metal? I kind of feel like there are a number of other ways they could make that anchor that would be just as effective and wouldn't require them to melt down all their personal belongings. Of course, this is where that gold they found would come in handy . Yeah, the previous episodes aren't supposed to matter on a series that rarely sticks to established facts/storylines. However, there was more than enough gold to make ...

Synopsis: When a famous movie producer, Harold Hecuba ( Phil Silvers ), crashes his plane on the island, the castaways see an opportunity to be rescued. When he insults Ginger ( Tina Louise ) and she refuses to leave the island, they attempt to remedy the situation by putting on a musical version of Hamlet . My Thoughts: I know I've said this before but why don't they have a signal fire already built? Ultimately, it didn't make any sort of difference this time around since Hecuba's plane was crashing but, under normal circumstances, the time they spend trying to gather up firewood seems like a good way to miss out on being rescued. It's also not as though it would hurt anything to keep one burning at all times, just in case they don't see a plane or boat as it passes. I am going to take a moment to give a shout out for the legendary Phil Silvers. This was a character that had to be memorable and enjoyable to watch while, at the same time, not be something tha...

Synopsis: With a bad storm approaching the island, the castaways prepare to shelter in a cave. While stacking supplies, the Skipper ( Alan Hale, Jr. ) accidentally smacks Gilligan ( Bob Denver ) in the mouth and temporarily turns him into a radio receiver. This becomes important when the real radio is accidentally damaged. My Thoughts -  Given the various dangers they have encountered on the island, ranging from storms to headhunters, wouldn't it be wise to keep a couple of the caves stocked with supplies ahead of time? They got an advanced warning of the storm this time around, that isn't guaranteed. I like how the episode managed to gloss over the scientific explanation for Gilligan's condition. The Professor ( Russell Johnson ) was about to give it in detail when the Skipper cut him off. I can't think of a better way of explaining something ridiculous than "there's an explanation but I was told not to give it." Wow, they sure can get a lot of radio s...

Synopsis: Forced to ration their food because of a blight, the castaways are thrilled when a duck lands on the island. However, the Professor ( Russell Johnson ) thinks the migratory bird will give them a chance at rescue if they let it fly home with a note on its leg.   My Thoughts: While I maybe can buy into the idea of a mysterious blight that "shrinks" the island's fruits and vegetables, I'm just not buying the effect it has on their supply of fish. It's a freaking ocean. You can't tell me every single fish has been affected. If nothing else, just build a small raft and go a little further away from the island. Gilligan ( Bob Denver ) once again proved he is smarter than he is given credit for. OK, so his duck decoy sunk because he forgot about a hole in his shoe, but it was still an idea that worked and definitely more than anyone else came up with. I mean, let's face it, Mr. Howell ( Jim Backus ) would have suggested something to do with bribing t...

Synopsis: The castaways find themselves under attack from an unknown assailant possessing machine guns and grenades.   My Thoughts -  This is one of those episodes where a defined chain of command would make sense. Mr. Howell ( Jim Backus ) declaring himself general ultimately was pointless but also unnecessary. There is no reason why who is in charge in a crisis should ever be up for debate, especially since they've had this debate before. The castaways sure went through a lot of effort to develop a nurse's corps and a USO performance but didn't make much of an effort to actually defend themselves from the attacker. It seems like putting up some sort of barricade and arming themselves (even with primitive weapons) would have been the best first choice. Have I ever mentioned how much I love Mrs. Howell ( Natalie Schafer )? The way she put Mr. Howell in his place after he claimed to be her superior was fantastic. I kind of feel like, had the show not kept to the traditio...

Synopsis: When a strong storm washes up a telephone cable, the castaways see an opportunity to call for help. However, even though the Professor ( Russell Johnson ) constructs a primitive phone, they can't seem to find anyone willing to take their call. My Thoughts: I don't know a whole lot about phone cables, but doesn't it seem a bit odd one would be so close to an uncharted island that is nowhere near the shipping lanes?  I also find it hard to believe there would be enough slack in that line to for it to be washed ashore from any great distance. I'm not so sure the Ginger Grant movie would be worth buying a ticket for. I mean, had Ginger ( Tina Louise ) gotten off the island and shared her survival story, then maybe it would be worthwhile. However, without that part of the story (and Hollywood wouldn't know it), how interesting could that film really be? Maybe that's why this is the only time anyone hears about it. Speaking of her movie, the castaways sure ...

Synopsis: When Mr. and Mrs. Howell ( Jim Backus and Natalie Schafer ) discover the minister that married them was a fake and their marriage is invalid, the Skipper ( Alan Hale, Jr. ) attempts to correct the situation by conducting a wedding ceremony on a raft. However, an argument causes the couple to call the whole thing off. My Thoughts: The more I watch this show , the more I realize just how many themes the series recycled plot devices in its three seasons. In this case, it was the radio announcer reading the wrong name, similar to what happened in an earlier episode involving the Howell's thinking they lost all their money. That being said, I liked how this episode threw in a new wrinkle. It was very clever how the writers mixed things up a bit with the raft building scene. I fully expected (as I'm sure was intended) some sort of injury to the Skipper and loved how he narrowly avoided it multiple times. I was a nice change up to what would have normally been a predictabl...

Synopsis: The castaways are on edge when the island appears to be haunted by a ghost ( Richard Kiel ). When the same ghost leaves them a boat, they don't know if it is an opportunity for them to finally get off the island or a trap. My Thoughts:  For starters, I was surprised the Skipper ( Alan Hale, Jr. ) was one of the skeptics. Yes, he fell in line with the rest of them once he also saw the "ghost," but the fact he doubted both Gilligan ( Bob Denver ) and the rest of the castaways seemed a bit out of character for him. After all, he is normally the most superstitious one in the group. Didn't anyone think to check for footprints? The agent playing the ghost was a fairly large guy and I find it hard to believe he didn't leave noticeable footprints wherever he went. Frankly, I'm a little disappointed in the Professor ( Russell Johnson ) for not thinking of that. Someone pretending to be a ghost was a lot more plausible explanation than his floating sheet theor...

Synopsis: A dispute between the Skipper ( Alan Hale, Jr. ) and Mr. Howell ( Jim Backus ) results in the castaways holding an election to name a president. Everyone is surprised when Gilligan ( Bob Denver ) wins as a write-in candidate but share the blame when the island's new government goes south from there. My Thoughts:   Why does the Professor ( Russell Johnson ) receive no love in this episode? I can understand why the castaways would be reluctant to vote for either the Skipper or Mr. Howell but the Professor seemed like a much sounder third choice than Gilligan. If anything, he seems like the person who ends up acting like the de facto leader in most of the episodes. That being said, Gilligan wasn't the problem. If anything, he was actually making quite a bit of sense as president, pushing for a new well to be dug as soon as possible to prevent the castaways from dying of thirst and, when they offered no help, doing it himself. As much credit as he gets for being the ...

Synopsis: While attempting to turn tree sap into pancake syrup, Gilligan ( Bob Denver ) accidentally invents a substance that appears to be stronger than glue and the Professor ( Russell Johnson ) believes he can use it to repair the Minnow. However, Gilligan soon discovers his glue isn't permanent. My Thoughts: I've mentioned this before but why doesn't the Skipper's ( Alan Hale, Jr. ) toolbox have the things he needs to repair his ship? He has a hammer and apparently some boards (or at least the tools to make boards) but no nails? It seems like something that would be a staple in any toolbox. That being said, couldn't they have just salvaged nails from something else? The Minnow is a fairly large boat and pulling a half dozen nails or so from less important parts of that boat would have solved their problem. I feel like that should have been the first thing they should have tried (other than stopping by a hardware store before setting sail). I'm still a bit c...

Synopsis: The castaways are surprised to discover an ape man ( Denny Miller ) on the island and, fearing for the safety of the women, capture him. When they discover he is actually an actor practicing for an upcoming role as Tongo the Ape Man, they see and opportunity for rescue. However, they first must rescue him from a gorilla. My Thoughts:  Why does nobody ever believe Gilligan ( Bob Denver )? When he tells the Professor ( Russell Johnson ) and Skipper ( Alan Hale, Jr. ) about Tongo, they once again chose to believe he was making things up. Isn't this the same island that also had one real jungle boy ( Kurt Russell ), three doppelgangers and a host of other strange things? At some point, you think people would just take him at his word based on previous experiences. I'll say it again, Mrs. Howell ( Natalie Schafer ) is fierce. She's not always the most likable character on this series but she's also the one person you don't want to mess with, especially if you a...

Synopsis: After a misunderstanding leads Gilligan ( Bob Denver ) to believe the Professor ( Russell Johnson ) has been murdered, the castaways decide to make the Skipper ( Alan Hale, Jr. ) sheriff and Gilligan his deputy. However, Gilligan takes his job a little too seriously and ultimately puts everyone in jail. My Thoughts: I remember the castaways having a gun but where did they get the blanks? And, if they had blanks, why didn't they use them to scare off the variety of unsavory characters that have landed on the island? I am assuming the Professor made them somehow, but it would have been nice to get some sort of official explanation. Even if Gilligan hadn't been one of the people in charge, having a sheriff still seemed like a bad idea. Maybe   the Skipper would have had a cooler head, but the castaways were still effectively letting one person make all the decisions regarding the law and issuing a sentence. There's a reason why civilized countries have a court syste...

Synopsis: A meteorite crashes onto the island and, when its cosmic rays cause everything around it to age at a rapid pace, the castaways must find a way to destroy it before it kills them. Their only chance is an approaching electrical storm and even that requires striking the meteorite with lightning. My Thoughts: What happened to the island's underground gases?  When a World War II mine landed on the island, the Professor ( Russell Johnson ) insisted the mine would set off a chain reaction if it exploded because of the gas chambers. Yet that meteorite had a much larger explosion when it hit, and nothing happened. Wow, the Skipper ( Alan Hale, Jr ) sure didn't know a whole lot about meteorites. In addition to referring to it as a meteor rather than the proper term, he insisted it was part of a star. I'll chalk part of it up to this show being on the air when space travel was still relatively new but am still a bit disappointed the Professor didn't at least attempt to...

Synopsis: The castaways have an opportunity to be rescued when a popular rock band lands on their island seeking a quiet place to take a break. There's just one problem, the Mosquitoes ( the Wellingtons ) won't leave until they are fully rested, something that could take months. My Thoughts: This is another one of those episodes where the castaways could have been rescued simply by being a bit patient. A month honestly wasn't that long of a time to wait (it's not like they were starving or needed medical attention) but, rather than doing nothing, they just made things worse by first getting the Mosquitoes to extend their stay then leave them behind. That being said couldn't the Mosquitoes have rescued the castaways first then stayed behind? They obviously had the ability to leave anytime the helicopter returned with provisions. They could have followed through with the rescue then have the island to themselves. Everyone would be happy. This episode is a good reason...

Synopsis: With the island under the threat of a headhunter attack, the castaways prepare to defend themselves. However, when the Skipper ( Alan Hale, Jr .) is almost killed by a falling tree, he feels it is important to find a second in command. He reluctantly picks Gilligan ( Bob Denver ) and his first mate is thrust into duty sooner than expected when the Skipper goes missing. My Thoughts:  It's interesting the Skipper thinks he's the one in charge.  Not only has that never actually been established at any given point in the series (if anything, it's been challenged), Skipper has never even acted as though he was the one calling the shots. If anything, I think the Professor ( Russell Johnson ) makes more decisions for the castaways than anyone else. The timing of his second-in-command training is also questionable . With the castaways facing an imminent threat, it seems like his time would be better served focusing on their defenses. The training seems like more of a dist...

Synopsis: The castaways are thrilled when Gilligan ( Bob Denver ) reels in a crate of vegetable seeds while fishing and are even more pleased when the seeds grow at a faster rate than expected. However, what they don't know is Gilligan caught a crate of highly radioactive seeds and, by consuming the vegetables, their lives are in danger My Thoughts: Are wooden crates really that waterproof? I may have asked this question before, but it is worth asking again. Those seeds were perfectly dry despite being underwater for enough time to allow the ocean currents to get them to the lagoon. I'm sorry, but I'm just not buying that. Most, if not all, those seeds should have been ruined by the time they got to the island. Gilligan gets blamed for not noticing the seeds were radioactive but it's not like he put that lid someplace where nobody else would see it. Both the Skipper ( Alan Hale, Jr ) and Professor ( Russell Johnson ) walked right past the lid shortly after he reeled in...

Synopsis: Wealthy socialite Erika Tiffany-Smith ( Zsa Zsa Gabor ) arrives on the island with the intention of buying it and building a resort. The Skipper ( Alan Hale, Jr. ) is smitten with her, but she is romantically interested in the Professor ( Russell Johnson ). My Thoughts: I think this is one of my favorite guest characters on the show. In particular, I liked the way she managed to interact with the various characters individually (something that isn't always the case), whether it was the catty exchange with her "friend" Mrs. Howell ( Natalie Schafer ) or completely ignoring Mary Ann ( Dawn Wells ) because she was distracted by the Professor. I would have liked to see more of a rivalry between the Skipper and the Professor. Considering neither was right for her, I think a rivalry could have had some potential for both comedy and maybe even a little drama. At minimum, I felt like Skipper just backed off without a fight, something that honestly seemed a little out o...

Synopsis : A big game hunter, Jonathan Kincaid ( Rory Calhoun ), lands on the island. When he learns there is no other game for him to hunt, he decides he wants to hunt one of the castaways instead, with Gilligan ( Bob Denver ) being his intended prey. My Thoughts: What do you mean there's no game on the island? Various other episodes have shown the exact opposite, whether it was the castaways capturing a wild boar or interacting with a variety of apes. I'm not so sure Kincaid wouldn't have chosen to hunt Gilligan anyway, but it wasn't as though there weren't any other options, contrary to what the castaways claimed. Why was Kincaid on the island to begin with? Despite evidence to the contrary in other episodes, this is supposed to be an uncharted island, yet Kincaid seemed to specifically choose it. It seems like a waste of a trip (especially via helicopter) if you don't even know if anything worth hunting is on it. OK, I am going to say it, Mrs. Howell ( Natal...

Synopsis : The castaways hope to be rescued when famed butterfly collector Lord Beasley Waterford ( John McGiver ) arrives on the island in search of the rare pussycat swallowtail. However, when Waterford makes no progress in finding the butterfly and nearly dies on a couple occasions, they decide they need to take matters into their own hands and signal his ship themselves. My Thoughts: I feel like the castaways would have been rescued sooner if it weren't for their impatience. Worst case scenario is they would have had to wait until Waterford either found the butterfly or gave up and they would be rescued. It wasn't a big island so, maybe a couple weeks. Yet they decided that was too long for some reason and ultimately messed things up.  The Skipper's ( Alan Hale, Jr. ) patience ultimately cost them as well . If you are going to go through the time and effort to paint a butterfly and try to fool an expert, why not wait until the paint dries? Frankly, I'm kind of surpr...