The Producer
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Episode 72
- George Cahan and
- Ida Lupino
| "The Producer" | |
|---|---|
| Gilligan's Island episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 3 Episode 72 |
| Directed by |
|
| Written by | |
| Featured music | Morton Stevens |
| Production code | 1625–0512[1][2] |
| Original air date | October 3, 1966 |
| Guest appearance | |
| Phil Silvers | |
"The Producer" is the fourth episode of the third season of Gilligan's Island, in which the castaways stage a musical version of Hamlet. It first aired in on October 3, 1966.
After curmudgeonly film producer Harold Hecuba (Phil Silvers) crash lands near the island during an around-the-world talent hunt, the castaways are forced to tolerate him until his rescue plane arrives. When Ginger asks him for a role in his next movie however, Mr. Hecuba laughs at the idea, causing Ginger to become so upset that she refuses to return to civilization with the rest of the castaways.
Hoping to change Mr. Hecuba's mind, Gilligan suggests that they perform a play for Mr. Hecuba so that he might reconsider Ginger's talent and ultimately decide to use her in a movie. From the limited resources available on the island, they create a musical version of William Shakespeare's Hamlet. The cast performs three songs for their show. These parody the "To be, or not to be" speech of act 3, scene 1; the "Get thee to a nunnery" exchange between Hamlet and Ophelia later in the same scene, and Polonius's "Neither a borrower nor a lender be" speech from act 1, scene 3.
The episode employs snippets of dialog taken directly from the original work and musical passages from the operas Carmen and The Tales of Hoffmann. Hamlet's soliloquy is done to the Habanera, Ophelia adapts "Belle nuit, ô nuit d'amour" (the Barcarolle), and Polonius's advice is set to the Toreador Song:[3]
Neither a borrower nor a lender be.
Do not forget: stay out of debt.
Think twice, and take this good advice from me:
Guard that old solvency!
There's just one other thing you ought to do.
To thine own self be true.
Hecuba awakens as the castaways rehearse at night, taking over the production. When help arrives Hecuba departs alone, leaving behind all the others. The show-biz producer’s new plan, announced on the castaways’ radio, is to take full credit for his latest brilliant idea: the musical version of Hamlet he intends to stage as his next project.
Cast
In order of appearance:
- Hamlet: Gilligan
- Claudius: Thurston Howell III
- Gertrude: Mrs. Howell
- Ophelia: Ginger
- Polonius: The Skipper
- Laertes: Mary Ann
The show's only other regular character, The Professor, serves as the production's technical crew.[4]