ALAN HALE JR.

March 8, 1921

Alan Hale Jr.  was born Alan Hale MacKahan in Los Angeles to character actor Rufus Edward MacKahan, who used the stage name Alan Hale, and silent film actress Gretchen Hartman. His television career spanned four decades, but he was best known for his co-starring role as Captain Jonas Grumby (The Skipper) on the 1960s series “Gilligan’s Island.” 

He made his screen debut at age 13 in Wild Boys of the Road (1933), but his film career did not begin in earnest until 1941, doing half-a-dozen films that year alone. 

He made his television debut in 1950 in “Pitfall” an episode of “Robert Montgomery Presents.” 

In 1952, Alan Hale Jr. played a department store mannequin of a hunter in Ellis in Freedomland, a full-length color industrial film for Westinghouse. Lucille Ball provided the voice of the washing machine. 

That same year he played the title character on CBS’s “Biff Baker U.S.A.” (1952-54), his first principal role on television.  His second title role was the Western “Casey Jones” (1957-58). 

In December 1959, Hale made an appearance on Desilu’s “The Untouchables” in “The Tri-State Gang”. 

In 1961 he did an episode of Desilu’s “The Real McCoys” playing a trailer park owner. His wife was played by Amzie Strickland. 

He was back at Desilu Studios to film an episode of “The Andy Griffith Show” “The Farmer Takes A Wife” which aired on New Year’s Day 1962. He addresses Barney Fife as “Little Buddy" the same nickname he used for Gilligan two years later. The catchphrase was taken from one of his real-life father’s school friends.

In December 1963 he finally worked with Lucille Ball on “The Lucy Show” episode “Lucy Puts Out a Fire at the Bank” (TLS S2;E9). Hale played Captain Burke, who trains the members of the Danfield women’s fire brigade. 

Around this same time, Hale filmed the pilot of what would become “Gilligan’s Island.” 

The character of Ginger, the movie star castaway was described during casting as a combination of Lucille Ball and Marilyn Monroe. 

John Gabriel, the original Professor from the unaired series pilot, was seen as “Mary Jane’s Boyfriend” (HL S6;E20).  

After some casting changes, the sitcom went to series and premiered in September 1964. The original series ran until 1967, with several reunions and reboots from 1974 to 1982.  Like many performers seen on “Lucy” sitcoms, Hale was also featured on “Batman” in 1967. He played a lunch counter attendant coincidentally named Gilligan! The villain was Egg Head. 

Alan Hale Jr. played Moose Manley in “Lucy and Wally Cox” (HL S2;E21) in 1970. Moose was a friend of Harry’s anxious to fix up his nervous son (Cox) with Lucy. 

On “Where is My Wandering Mother Tonight?” (HL S6;E23) on  March 11, 1974, the costuming of Dirty Jack (Jack Donohue) resembles that of the Skipper (Alan Hale Jr., inset) on “Gilligan’s Island” (1965-67). 

Hale made his final screen appearance on a January 1988 episode of “The Law and Harry McGraw”. 

Hale was married to Bettina Doerr from 1943 to 1963. They had four children. When they divorced, he married Naomi Hale, who was with him until his death in 1990. 

Alan Hale Jr. died on January 2, 1990 after a battle with thymus cancer. He was 68 years old. 

“I’m just delighted to say people all over the world, whether I have my cap or not, ‘Hello, Skipper, Hello Skipper,’ it’s like standing in-front of the fireplace, it’s a lot of warmth.” ~ Alan Hale Jr., 1985