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Gilligan's Island

The Big Gold Strike

Season 1, Episode 9, Aired Nov 28, 1964

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8.8

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Mr. Howell discovers a gold mine on the island.

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Cast & Crew

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Bob Denver

Gilligan
Jim Backus

Thurston Howell III
Tina Louise

Ginger Grant
Alan Hale

Jonas Grumby (The Skipper)
Natalie Schafer

Eunice Wentworth 'Lovey' Howell
Dawn Wells

Mary Ann Summers

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Fan Episode Reviews (1)

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While serving as Mr. Howell's caddy, Gilligan discovers a pit cave that is laced with veins of gold! The castaways (except for Gilligan) become struck with gold fever. Their mania eventually foils an attempt to leave the island in the Minnow's life raft.moreless

8.4

"Great"

By terrydelph, Jun 13, 2006

This episode reveals the depth of Mr. Howell's greed and control over others. Although it is portrayed in a hilarious manner, Thurston actually has both Gilligan and Lovey serving him as slaves in the goldmine (although he did say he was paying his wife minimum wage).

One of my favorite gags of Season One is when Gilligan and the professor are underneath the life raft while patching it. Mr. Howell calls for Gilligan. Then out pops Gilligan's head next to the professor's legs. Mr. Howell is convinced Gilligan is a master contortionist. It is rather convincing when Gilligan decides to tie one the professor's shoes!

The icing on the cake for this episode is the fact that it is not Gilligan who botches the castaway's attempt to leave the island. He is the only one who does not sink the life boat with a secret stash of gold.

With that said, I give "The Big Gold Strike" an above average rating of 8.4.moreless
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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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TRIVIA (3)
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- In the dinner scene, when Mrs. Howell responds to MaryAnn's giving her a bill for the meal, she says "That is a fine kettle of fish," and slams both hands down on the table. The camera cuts to a different angle of the scene and you suddenly see her left hand cradling her chin.
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- When the Professor is making candles, he is shown pouring the wax out of the pan, then the camera cuts to a different angle. The pan is then sitting on the edge of the table and he's empty-handed, instantly.
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- In the opening scene with Mr. Howell and Gilligan playing golf, look for the shadow on the ground of someone standing off camera on the right of the screen.
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QUOTES (6)
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- Lovey: We're sinking. Thurston: Preposterous! We couldn't have two disasters under the same captain. It's ridiculous.
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- Professor: What do you suppose is the matter with Gilligan? I've never seen him so tired. Mary Ann: What do you suppose is the matter with Mr. Howell? I've never seen him so considerate.
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- Thurston: I've sailed with you before, I know what you can do with a boat. Skipper: Thanks, Mr. Howell. Thurston: You handled our shipwreck magnificently.
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- Gilligan: Mr. Howell, how do we know it's gold? Don't you have to make a test to be sure? Thurston: I already have, Gilligan. It's the best test in the whole world. Gilligan: You're shaking like a leaf. Thurston: My doctors call it my "gold syndrome." Gilligan: Syndrome? Thurston: Yes, it's an allergy. Gilligan: Allergy. Thurston: Yes, allergy. You see any time I get near anything over 24 karats I can't breathe.
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- Skipper: We've caught a rubber life raft. What a fish story this will make, catching our own life raft. Ginger: From your boat? Skipper: Yeah, it's the first time anybody ever caught a Minnow with a minnow!
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- Mary Anne: (loses the bait while fishing) Give me another little fish. Ginger: This is our last one. Mary Anne: How many did we start out with? Ginger: Twenty-four. Mary Anne: Twenty-four... we lost twenty-three already? Ginger: Yeah. If we hadn't gone fishing, we could have had fish for dinner.
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NOTES (3)
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- Theme of episode: Greed remains one of the seven deadly sins.
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- It should be added to the above that the irony here is it was the combined effort of all the other castaways to sabotage their own rescue..Gilligan was the only one who did nothing wrong...
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- Gilligan is the only one of the seven NOT to smuggle any gold onto the raft!
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ALLUSIONS (1)
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- Mr. Howell says he wants to put Gilligan on the Ed Sullivan Show when the get back to the states. The Ed Sullivan Show was a show that used to come on at night featuring all sorts of zany acts.
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