The castaways attach a message to a homing pigeon that has flown off course and landed on the island, but the man who receives their message thinks it's part of a practical joke.The castaways attach a message to a homing pigeon that has flown off course and landed on the island, but the man who receives their message thinks it's part of a practical joke.The castaways attach a message to a homing pigeon that has flown off course and landed on the island, but the man who receives their message thinks it's part of a practical joke.
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaSterling Holloway, who plays Bert the bird man, was also the voice of Winnie the Pooh.
- GoofsDirectly after Gilligan finds the giant spider in the cave, the Skipper and the Professor are developing a photograph. Between the slats on the window, Gilligan's red shirt is visible, revealing that Bob Denver is waiting for his cue to run into the hut.
- Quotes
Professor Roy Hinkley: It's working, he's afraid of himself.
Gilligan: That makes it unanimous!
- SoundtracksThe Ballad of Gilligan's Isle
Words and Music by George Wyle and Sherwood Schwartz
Featured review
Gilligan meets Berty the Pooh.
If there was ever an episode of this series that felt overly familiar, it's this one. The premise and much of the plot have been lifted from The Sound of Quacking. Just substitute Walter the pigeon for Emily the duck. Besides being in color, the major difference between The Pigeon and the earlier episode is this one has a great guest star who enlivens the whole outing.
In the cold open, Gilligan finds a pigeon under his hat. The Professor identifies the bird as a carrier pigeon. From that point, the story follows The Sound of Quacking beat for beat. Just like Emily, the castaways can tie a note to the bird's leg and send him off to civilization. They nurse him back to health, a process that takes the same two week period as before. Gilligan befriends the pigeon and names him Walter. The castaways get overly impatient in waiting for Walter to take off, overfeed him, and make it impossible for him to fly. Now guilty, they put Walter on a crash diet for another two weeks.
It's not until Walter finally gets off the ground that the episode gets some originality. Walter makes it to his real home, a prison, and his owner Burty, an eccentric prisoner who has a pen of pigeons. A funny correspondence starts between Burty and the castaways, whom he mistakes for his pen pal Old Lady Hawkins. Of course, he doesn't believe their fantastic story, not even when Mr. Howell encloses a thousand dollar bill. Twice, he sends Walter back to the isle. After those two strikes, the castaways smarten up and take a picture of themselves in front of wreckage of the Minnow as indisputable proof they are stranded on the island.
The episode then has a really bizarre detour. Gilligan and Walter encounter a ginormous six foot black morning spider in the cave. The men are overmatched by the monster and trapped alongside Walter, and it's up to the 'helpless' women to bail them out. Led by Mrs. Howell (!), they rig up a contraption with a mirror to scare the spider away. Much like he did in X Marks the Spot, Gilligan shatters their plan. A gruesome ending is diverted, however, when inexplicably Walter saves the day.
With that ridiculous padding done with, it's time for the pigeon to make his third flight. The finish is predictable, but still funny and satisfying, and Walter returns and presumably stays with the frustrated castaways, much like Emily did.
COCONOTES:
Kudos to the great work done by guest star Sterling Holloway, well known voice of Disney characters Winnie the Pooh and Kaa the snake. In what amounts as an extended cameo, he gives a lively, playful, and energetic performance, and is easily the high point of the episode. Love the part where he joyously liberates his coop.
GI stuntman Janos Prohaska portrays the morning spider.
Almost as if they know they only have two episodes left, the castaways don't bother to pursue the spider.
Ginger repeats her 'don't stop for any ladybirds' line from The Sound of Quacking.
In the cold open, Gilligan finds a pigeon under his hat. The Professor identifies the bird as a carrier pigeon. From that point, the story follows The Sound of Quacking beat for beat. Just like Emily, the castaways can tie a note to the bird's leg and send him off to civilization. They nurse him back to health, a process that takes the same two week period as before. Gilligan befriends the pigeon and names him Walter. The castaways get overly impatient in waiting for Walter to take off, overfeed him, and make it impossible for him to fly. Now guilty, they put Walter on a crash diet for another two weeks.
It's not until Walter finally gets off the ground that the episode gets some originality. Walter makes it to his real home, a prison, and his owner Burty, an eccentric prisoner who has a pen of pigeons. A funny correspondence starts between Burty and the castaways, whom he mistakes for his pen pal Old Lady Hawkins. Of course, he doesn't believe their fantastic story, not even when Mr. Howell encloses a thousand dollar bill. Twice, he sends Walter back to the isle. After those two strikes, the castaways smarten up and take a picture of themselves in front of wreckage of the Minnow as indisputable proof they are stranded on the island.
The episode then has a really bizarre detour. Gilligan and Walter encounter a ginormous six foot black morning spider in the cave. The men are overmatched by the monster and trapped alongside Walter, and it's up to the 'helpless' women to bail them out. Led by Mrs. Howell (!), they rig up a contraption with a mirror to scare the spider away. Much like he did in X Marks the Spot, Gilligan shatters their plan. A gruesome ending is diverted, however, when inexplicably Walter saves the day.
With that ridiculous padding done with, it's time for the pigeon to make his third flight. The finish is predictable, but still funny and satisfying, and Walter returns and presumably stays with the frustrated castaways, much like Emily did.
COCONOTES:
Kudos to the great work done by guest star Sterling Holloway, well known voice of Disney characters Winnie the Pooh and Kaa the snake. In what amounts as an extended cameo, he gives a lively, playful, and energetic performance, and is easily the high point of the episode. Love the part where he joyously liberates his coop.
GI stuntman Janos Prohaska portrays the morning spider.
Almost as if they know they only have two episodes left, the castaways don't bother to pursue the spider.
Ginger repeats her 'don't stop for any ladybirds' line from The Sound of Quacking.
helpful•21
- Ralphkram
- Oct 23, 2018
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