"The Friendly Physician" was the third episode for Vito Scotti, previously the Japanese sailor in both "So Sorry, My Island Now" and "Diogenes, Won't You Please Go Home?" coupled with the sole appearance of veteran bad guy Mike Mazurki. Scotti plays the stereotypical mad scientist, Dr. Boris Balinkoff, almost Dracula-like in his appearance, arriving by boat on the island to rescue the castaways. All seven are transported to the doctor's island castle, represented by stock footage used in many TV episodes like THE MONKEES, in which Scotti played another crazed medico in "The Case of the Missing Monkey." Here they meet hulking manservant Igor (Mazurki), described as being 'gentle as a little baby' (Gilligan: "a baby what?"). Finding a dog that meows and a cat that barks reveals the nature of Balinkoff's experiments in animal transference, with the castaways new subjects in switching personalities. It's brief but very funny to hear the Skipper's voice bellowing out of Mrs. Howell, but Mike Mazurki's turn as Ginger is a prancing delight, certainly one of his most unlikely roles. It's not exactly a rescue but it is the only episode where the castaways actually leave their little island, with the good doctor making one return appearance in the next season's "Ring Around Gilligan" (Igor reduced to a little monkey).
5 Reviews
One Question
coreycitn6313 April 2022
The Friendly Physician will go down as one of the most popular episodes with the castaways getting body and voice swapped although the voice swapping was used to convince viewers of the swap. But one question nags me is how did Igor and Ginger swapped with no one on the controls.
Brilliant Display Of Character Development
richard.fuller12 March 2014
Warning: Spoilers
Of the seven castaways, Luvey Howell must be the most insignificant of the seven castaways. She is only an extension of her husband, the millionaire, yet handled by Natalie Schafer and clearly with an understanding of who the former Wentworth woman would be, for the show's three season run, she is brilliantly fully developed and brought to life. She did have her moments (the Cinderella dream, her geisha dance in the Skipper's dream, singing in the Honey Bees, etc.) and she definitely shined in this episode, hilariously paired up with Alan Hale Jr as the Skipper.
When the mad scientist randomly switches the castaways personalities and voices with each other, first amusement is Bob Denver's voice coming out of Jim Backus, but then we get quite a bit of merriment watching Dawn Wells act like Russell Johnson (and especially see Johnson act like Wells).
But hands down, the funniest truly has to be Schafer and Hale. When a returned Thurston Howell III runs to his beloved wife to hug her, uttered in Hale's voice, Schafer growls, "you kiss me and I'll bet ya!" There is a rehearsal bit on film of this scene with the cast laughing at Schafer speaking these lines, no doubt in her normal voice, that I glimpsed in the Surviving Gilligan's Island program from 2001.
But even more, Hale chained to the bed and in the opening scene, he declares, in Schafer's voice, "Heavens! How can I go anywhere dressed like this?" Without a doubt, one of the funniest lines I think I've heard in the entire show.
When Ginger is switched with Igor (Mazurki), hearing his voice come out of the hour-glass figure and responding to 'Igor, where are you?' and he says, "I'm in here. Feels good," you can only imagine what such an experience must be like.
Still, I can watch this episode today and still laugh at Schafer's line coming out of Hale's mouth.
Stranger still, there is one bit line uttered by Schafer before she is switched with the Skipper in which she tells the mad scientist, "you must be one of those doctors who voted for Medicare!"
When the mad scientist randomly switches the castaways personalities and voices with each other, first amusement is Bob Denver's voice coming out of Jim Backus, but then we get quite a bit of merriment watching Dawn Wells act like Russell Johnson (and especially see Johnson act like Wells).
But hands down, the funniest truly has to be Schafer and Hale. When a returned Thurston Howell III runs to his beloved wife to hug her, uttered in Hale's voice, Schafer growls, "you kiss me and I'll bet ya!" There is a rehearsal bit on film of this scene with the cast laughing at Schafer speaking these lines, no doubt in her normal voice, that I glimpsed in the Surviving Gilligan's Island program from 2001.
But even more, Hale chained to the bed and in the opening scene, he declares, in Schafer's voice, "Heavens! How can I go anywhere dressed like this?" Without a doubt, one of the funniest lines I think I've heard in the entire show.
When Ginger is switched with Igor (Mazurki), hearing his voice come out of the hour-glass figure and responding to 'Igor, where are you?' and he says, "I'm in here. Feels good," you can only imagine what such an experience must be like.
Still, I can watch this episode today and still laugh at Schafer's line coming out of Hale's mouth.
Stranger still, there is one bit line uttered by Schafer before she is switched with the Skipper in which she tells the mad scientist, "you must be one of those doctors who voted for Medicare!"
STEP THIS WAY. THE MAD DOCTOR WILL SEE YOU!
tcchelsey27 August 2023
Elroy Schwartz, the man with imagination, wrote this classic episode, perhaps the best of the second season. Atleast the most outrageous.
Who else but versatile Vito Scotti plays Dr. Boris Balinkoff (sounding like Karloff, ya think?) who happens to be residing on a neighboring island?
He visits the castaways in his large boat and brings them to his haunted house and laboratory. Just like that!
This is lots of fun, of course with a bunch of unexplained questions! Again, who's keeping tabs.
The best gag here, aside from the spooky, cobwebbed house with lots of secret doors, is the mad doctor's mind transfer machine which switches everybody's personality. I agree with the last reviewer that this was also used in THE MONKEES tv show, and of course Vito Scotti dropped by as yet another crazy scientist.
The personality tranfers are hilarious, top honors going to Mrs. Howell now talking like the skipper and Ginger sounding like the doctor's hulking bodyguard, Igor (played by the great Mike Mazurki). A must, must see and hear. As usual, you can tell the cast is having a blast.
Question though; couldn't the gang still have gotten help and finally gotten off the island in the end??? Guess not. You be the judge.
Look for Higgins, the famous dog. Higgins was actually found in a pet shelter in Burbank and was raised to become one of the most popular of tv dogs. He was the dog in PETTICOAT JUNCTION for many years, later to become BENJI the movie star.
Sit back and enjoy. From SEASON 2 restored dvd box set.
Who else but versatile Vito Scotti plays Dr. Boris Balinkoff (sounding like Karloff, ya think?) who happens to be residing on a neighboring island?
He visits the castaways in his large boat and brings them to his haunted house and laboratory. Just like that!
This is lots of fun, of course with a bunch of unexplained questions! Again, who's keeping tabs.
The best gag here, aside from the spooky, cobwebbed house with lots of secret doors, is the mad doctor's mind transfer machine which switches everybody's personality. I agree with the last reviewer that this was also used in THE MONKEES tv show, and of course Vito Scotti dropped by as yet another crazy scientist.
The personality tranfers are hilarious, top honors going to Mrs. Howell now talking like the skipper and Ginger sounding like the doctor's hulking bodyguard, Igor (played by the great Mike Mazurki). A must, must see and hear. As usual, you can tell the cast is having a blast.
Question though; couldn't the gang still have gotten help and finally gotten off the island in the end??? Guess not. You be the judge.
Look for Higgins, the famous dog. Higgins was actually found in a pet shelter in Burbank and was raised to become one of the most popular of tv dogs. He was the dog in PETTICOAT JUNCTION for many years, later to become BENJI the movie star.
Sit back and enjoy. From SEASON 2 restored dvd box set.
Gilligan's mind gets mixed up.
Ralphkram18 May 2018
Warning: Spoilers
A takeoff on mad scientist horror films; an above average guest star; and a unique plot should combine to make this episode a classic (or at least a near classic). But it's too silly and adolescent at times, clearly aimed at the younger crowd, and the humor isn't up to par with the cool, creepy atmosphere and the fine acting.
Gilligan and the Skipper open with their standard Laurel and Hardy physical schtick at the lagoon. It's mentioned for the first time since the first season that the castaways light a signal fire every night to attract ships. Their fire finally works, but it brings an odd, cape wearing character in a canoe. He is Dr. Boris Balinkoff, who has arrived to take the lucky castaways back to civilization... after a short layover at a haunted castle.
Balinkoff throws out enough creepy stares and toothy grins to arouse suspicion, but the castaways don't seem too phased by his odd behavior. They may even be purposely overlooking it because they're desperate to be rescued.
He takes Gilligan and the Skip to his castle, and it's as haunted and spooky as The Munsters and Addams Family abodes. The humor falls flat, though, in a standard 'the haunted picture is following me' bit, and in an overlong gag involving a dog that meows. Still, our two co-leads remain oblivious and slow on the uptake that they're in danger.
They stumble through a standard secret passageway into a torture chamber. Outside of a gag with a rack, the tour is padding to kill some time and set up the second act. It finally dawns on the pair that maybe they should escape, but they run straight into the mad scientist. He unveils his plan is to transfer the brain of one human to another-and Gilligan and the Skip are his first two subjects.
The other castaways are equally dense when they are brought by Balinkoff to the castle. They dumbly separate to check out their surroundings; Mr. Howell bumps into the scientist, who reiterates the plan and expands it to Bond-like proportions. Mr. Howell underscores just how loony Balinkoff is to the others, then there is an awkward cut to them all being held captive.
After the unevenness of most of the episode, the final fun five minutes more than makes up for it. Pairs of castaways are thrown randomly into glass booths and undergo brain transference with the simple flip of a switch. Mr. Howell becomes a klutz and Gilligan a stuffed shirt, and so forth. Everyone gets to stretch their acting ability and play another castaway-with the exception of Ginger, who plays henchman Igor. Eventually, the castaways turn the tables on the baddies in an enjoyably silly gag and escape back to the island.
The final gag with Balinkoff's boat is telegraphed a bit but is fitting nonetheless.
COCONOTES:
Veteran character actor Vito Scotti makes his third appearance on the series after his memorable turn as the Japanese sailor in season one. He does a very funny, typically broad performance as the mad scientist. The character did need more of a backstory, however.
Ginger one ups Mary Ann in the Balinkoff kiss off.
Dawn Wells does an excellent job at portraying the logical, sober Professor.
That's wrestler-turned-actor Mike Mazurki as Igor. He was ex-con Moose Malloy in Murder, My Sweet. When he gets all feminine and into-his-looks after Ginger and he swap bodies, it's a definite hoot.
Gilligan and the Skipper open with their standard Laurel and Hardy physical schtick at the lagoon. It's mentioned for the first time since the first season that the castaways light a signal fire every night to attract ships. Their fire finally works, but it brings an odd, cape wearing character in a canoe. He is Dr. Boris Balinkoff, who has arrived to take the lucky castaways back to civilization... after a short layover at a haunted castle.
Balinkoff throws out enough creepy stares and toothy grins to arouse suspicion, but the castaways don't seem too phased by his odd behavior. They may even be purposely overlooking it because they're desperate to be rescued.
He takes Gilligan and the Skip to his castle, and it's as haunted and spooky as The Munsters and Addams Family abodes. The humor falls flat, though, in a standard 'the haunted picture is following me' bit, and in an overlong gag involving a dog that meows. Still, our two co-leads remain oblivious and slow on the uptake that they're in danger.
They stumble through a standard secret passageway into a torture chamber. Outside of a gag with a rack, the tour is padding to kill some time and set up the second act. It finally dawns on the pair that maybe they should escape, but they run straight into the mad scientist. He unveils his plan is to transfer the brain of one human to another-and Gilligan and the Skip are his first two subjects.
The other castaways are equally dense when they are brought by Balinkoff to the castle. They dumbly separate to check out their surroundings; Mr. Howell bumps into the scientist, who reiterates the plan and expands it to Bond-like proportions. Mr. Howell underscores just how loony Balinkoff is to the others, then there is an awkward cut to them all being held captive.
After the unevenness of most of the episode, the final fun five minutes more than makes up for it. Pairs of castaways are thrown randomly into glass booths and undergo brain transference with the simple flip of a switch. Mr. Howell becomes a klutz and Gilligan a stuffed shirt, and so forth. Everyone gets to stretch their acting ability and play another castaway-with the exception of Ginger, who plays henchman Igor. Eventually, the castaways turn the tables on the baddies in an enjoyably silly gag and escape back to the island.
The final gag with Balinkoff's boat is telegraphed a bit but is fitting nonetheless.
COCONOTES:
Veteran character actor Vito Scotti makes his third appearance on the series after his memorable turn as the Japanese sailor in season one. He does a very funny, typically broad performance as the mad scientist. The character did need more of a backstory, however.
Ginger one ups Mary Ann in the Balinkoff kiss off.
Dawn Wells does an excellent job at portraying the logical, sober Professor.
That's wrestler-turned-actor Mike Mazurki as Igor. He was ex-con Moose Malloy in Murder, My Sweet. When he gets all feminine and into-his-looks after Ginger and he swap bodies, it's a definite hoot.
See also
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