Posted on 01/16/2014 12:45:00 PM PST by Timber Rattler
Russell Johnson, the actor best known for playing the Professor on "Gilligan's Island," has died.
ABC News confirmed with the actor's wife, Constance, that the 89-year-old TV star died early this morning of kidney failure.
"He died at home, peaceful, in his sleep at 5:21 am today," she said. "[He was] a very brave guy who knew what he wanted, and he wanted to be at home."
(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...
http://www.russell-johnson.com/
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0426157/
Dawn Wells and Tina Louise are the only castaways left. Tina will be 80 years old on Feb. 11.
I heard that's because the network didn't know if the show was going to be a hit or not, so Sherwood Schwartz didn't want to spend the extra for color until the show was renewed. (Ted Turner fixed that in the 1990s by colorizing the first season, like he did to so many B&W movies.) After the first season, they also rewrote the theme song to add "The Professor and Mary Ann."
RIP Professor.
The world’s smartest man.
He literally made a geiger counter out of cocoanuts and that was just one thing I can think of off hand.
When I was younger I used to daydream of being stranded with Mary Ann. Even Ginger was OK.
Our condolences to his family & friends.
‘Favorite MST3k Movie Riff: What’s all this “and the rest” crap?
Military careerThanks so much for your service, Mr. Johnson!
After high school, in the midst of World War II, Johnson joined the United States Army Air Forces as an aviation cadet and was commissioned as a second lieutenant. He flew 44 combat missions as a bombardier in B-25 bombers. While flying as a navigator in a B-25 with the 100th Bombardment Squadron, 42nd Bombardment Group, 13th Air Force, his plane and two other B-25s were shot down in the Philippines in March 1945 during a low level bombing and strafing run against Japanese targets. The planes were hit by intense flak and had to ditch in the waters off the port of Zamboanga. During the ditching, he broke both his ankles and the radioman next to him was killed. Johnson earned a Purple Heart for this mission. He was also awarded the Air Medal, the Good Conduct Medal, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with three service stars, the Philippine Liberation Ribbon with one service star, and the World War II Victory Medal. He was honorably discharged with the rank of first lieutenant on November 22, 1945. He then joined the Army Reserve and used the GI Bill to fund his acting studies at the Actors Lab in Hollywood.
Tina is going to be 80..DAMN she still looks good for her age
Several years back, Russell Johnson put out a book about his time on “Gilligan’s Island” and he mentioned that he and Dawn Wells (Mary Ann) had a close friendship long after the show was cancelled. He also mentioned that she signed all her letters and cards to him, “Love, The Rest”, in reference to the theme song’s lyrics from the first season, “... the movie star and the rest...”
And all of it ran off renewable energy - usually Gilligan riding on a stationary bike.
Because he was a nerd and a geek decades before nerds and geeks came into being......He was a nerd/geek before his time......
Seemed like a good guy, even if he did hate Ronald Reagan.
RIP Professor!
We always think of actors from the past as still being the same age in our mind, and when we see those actors that are still living we are most times shocked to see the reality of time and our own mortality hits home.
Name: Dr. Roy Hinkley Birthplace: Cleveland, Ohio
Education: Six degrees in all, including a B.A. from USC, a B.S. from UCLA, an M.A. from SMU, and a Ph.D. from TCU (all achieved in 25 years)
I was always amazed that he took that many books on a 3 hour cruise...
he made geeks cool when I was a kid.
RIP professor and thanks for the memories
The American Flag in Honolulu Harbor is at half mast during the opening of the Pilot. Who knows why?
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