Bob Denver (Gilligan’s Island)

January 9, 1935 – September 2, 2005



 

Bob Denver
Bob Denver

 

On Friday September 2, 2005, we lost Gilligan himself, Bob Denver.  He died of pneumonia, but he had cancer of the larynx.  He had a history of tobacco (wacky and otherwise) use.

He was hospitalized in the Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, in Winston Salem.

 

Bob Denver Death Certificate

 

Bob was cremated, and his ashes were given to his family.  RIP.

This page is dedicated to my good friend and fellow Honeybee, Bun.

 

 

We got the rare opportunity to meet with the Castaways back in 1988.

It was monumental.

 

 

Regarding Tina Louise:  

A Findadeath friend (who wishes to remain anonymous) volunteered these tasty pieces of gossip:

“I once heard a story about Tina’s daughter. I had a friend who went to some New York school, the same one as Tina’s daughter. He said you can tell she’s “snooty and bitchy” just by looking at her. Anyway, one time in the cafeteria, she sat in a chair blocking the aisle way for people to walk by. My friend’s friend asked to her excuse him, but she didn’t budge. So the friend took his tray of food and dumped it on her.”

 

 

Also: “There are some very interesting news on our gossip columns. People say Tina is accepting money from men for a night of escorting.”

 

 

New, March 2001 – this tidbit sent by Findadeath.com friend Stuart Cohen:

I can’t promise it’s true, as I heard it from a friend of a friend who was there; it’s almost an urban legend now. Around 4 years ago when the movie To Wong Foo, Love, Julie Newmar had come out, Miss Louise went to the Tribeca, NYC restaurant called Odeon and demanded a table right away. She allegedly said, “I’m Tina Louise” in a very bitchy/snooty way. A waitress that was walking by at the same time heard her, and replied, “Maybe so, but you are no Julie Newmar.”

 

 

Could you die?  Speaking of, sorry to get side tracked.  On to the subject at hand:

Thanks to Findadeath friend Kenny Hom sent me a great video tape of a very defensive Tina Louise being interviewed about her escapades on the set.  Good stuff.  Thank you Kenny.

Visit gilligansisle.com for more info.

 

 

13 thoughts on “Bob Denver (Gilligan’s Island)

  • October 19, 2022 at 8:16 pm
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    I loved him on Dobie Gillis as Maynard G Krebs. The first beatnik on network TV. Kinda like the Erkel breakout character of the show, but sophisticated. He is Fabulous

  • May 27, 2022 at 8:05 pm
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    Mr. Michael, if that’s you in the last photo with you’re hands on Miss Wells shoulder, what a great photo! Some people lead the life!

    Don’t have any info on Denver, but as to Miss Louise’s rumored liaisons… she’s far from the only ’50s-’60s TV stars with the same rumors… just off the top of my head can think of two. One rather forgotten now, the other an instantly recognizable name & show.

    Read more stories over the years of Miss Louise’s behavior like the Odeon Restaurant incident, so it was nice to read Nathan’s September 1st post with views both rational & informative.

  • November 12, 2020 at 3:21 pm
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    Read an interview from Dreama, Bob Denver’s widdow. Apparently he had to get a laryngectomy in a desperate ill fated attempt to beat the cancer, and thus was unable to speak for the precious last few weeks of his life.

  • September 22, 2020 at 6:40 pm
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    Bob died at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-salem, NC…. I used to work there… The scuttlebutt was that when Bob Denver died a whole slew of employees were fired for accessing his medical records. According to the law you can only access a patients medical records if you are involved in their direct care, but apparently many of the employees were just curious and got busted.

    • May 27, 2022 at 7:43 pm
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      Look at my post specific on the same issue at Farrah Fawcett’s page.

    • November 22, 2022 at 12:26 pm
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      This is absolutely true.
      I worked in a medical facility when a staff member died on the job.
      At least one staff member accessed the deceased’s medical record, and they were terminated immediately.
      And the deceased wasn’t even famous.
      The rules are very strict.

  • September 1, 2020 at 9:30 pm
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    There was an interesting show that aired sometime back entitled “How I survived a 3 hour cruise” and the show included commentary from Schwartz, Wells, Denver, and Johnson, but not Louise. She chose to not participate in the show. The cast discussed typecasting and how difficult it was after the show was cancelled to find work. So I wrote each actor a letter. I thought it was remarkable that they were well known today from a part they essayed 50 years ago, despite having limited acting roles. I had asked them what they said to themselves to “keep going” when the show ended in 1967 and the phone stopped ringing with no or little offers for work. Denver never answered. Wells sent an autograph and a brochure for her actor’s class. Johnson and Louise took time to write me back with a very detailed and warm note. Louise, whose career didn’t dry up (she was in four theatrical films in 1969 and had a great part in The Stepford Wives in 1974) was especially gracious with her answer and advice. Actors like Louise are supporting players and they contribute nothing to the box office or bottom line of the show. They are usually hired because they are easy to work with and professional. They don’t bring oversized egos to the set. In fact, they work at cultivating relationships to gain their next job. I don’t think Louise would have kept getting jobs through the years if she had been difficult. It’s especially difficult for women past 40 to find work…but Louise soldiered on. She told me that she always thanked anyone who helped her, and she also had good agents. What I remember most is what both Louise and Johnson wrote back (and this is paraphrased)–“you are only going to achieve 5% of what you want or you can expect a 95 % rejection rate, so you must keep trying. Perseverance is what will help you achieve your goals.” It’s also been reported that Louise’s agent made an error in representing her for the role of Ginger. The concept was originally designed to have a film star as the central character, surrounded by normal people, on the island. The role was turned down by Jayne Mansfield. Louise believed she was buying into the original concept. Despite learning that she was supporting Denver, she didn’t walk off the set, file suit, or cause problems. When the producers wanted her to dumb down the character, she refused (and aren’t you glad!). She remained with the show until it ended. There’s a question among fans that aski men if they prefer Ginger or Mary Ann….I prefer Louise.

  • August 19, 2020 at 9:44 pm
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    I had read somewhere that Tina Louise’s daughter was a special needs child?

    • September 1, 2020 at 10:19 am
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      Caprice Crane, Tina’s adult daughter, is not a ‘special needs’ person.
      She is married with children of her own, and has a successful career as a author and screenwriter.

    • September 16, 2020 at 11:25 pm
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      You may be thinking of Julie Newmar, whose son is very physically and mentally disabled…Julie is a WONDERFUL mother to John. Google the stories. 🙂

  • August 18, 2020 at 11:24 pm
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    What, no mention of Maynard G Krebs on The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis? “WORK?!?!?”

    • May 27, 2022 at 7:48 pm
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      Was going to mention the same thing! Denver wasn’t only remembered as Gilligan.

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