Yes, Gilligan, there are gorillas in the midst on your island, and it's going to take something more than pretty flowers and scented perfume to get them to be distracted. Noone believes him however until it is too late, and that is after Mr. Howell has accused people of stealing one of Mrs. Howell's valuable diamond brooches. So there are wild animals on the island, and it's only taken nearly two dozen episodes for it to be revealed as to what one of them is. The gorilla first tangles with Gilligan, then kidnaps Mrs. Howell, then Gilligan finally when he's doused in Mrs. Howell's expensive perfume. Mary Ann is finally taken, but there's one more victim of the gorilla's monkey love before he'll let the humans go. It is silly but cute, something for the kiddies to laugh at, and obviously short actors in gorilla suits were in as we found out in sitcoms of the 1960's. So the next time that Gilligan tells people that he's seeing things, let's not presume that Gilligan has just gone bananas.
Gilligan's Island (TV Series)
Diamonds Are an Ape's Best Friend (1965)
User Reviews
Review this title5 Reviews
Gilligan makes more monkey business.
Ralphkram13 June 2017
Warning: Spoilers
If you can get past the goofiness of the castaways being menaced by a gorilla with an appreciation for jewelry, this isn't a half-bad episode. Sure, it does have its corny moments, and the plot is nonsensical, but it does offer some good lines, unique camera angles, and nice stunt work. It definitely falls into the 'it's so campy, it's good' category.
Gilligan and the Skipper are having an animated discussion in their hut over a fish when a gorilla randomly pops up at the window. Only Gilligan sees him, of course, and his bunk mate believes his story is just the usual rubbish. (Will he ever learn?) The guest gorilla creeps up to the Howell's hut and makes off with Mrs. Howell's diamond brooch. Her husband offers the other castaways a ten thousand dollar reward for the brooch's return. The idea of a scavenger hunt may sound like a natural for GI, but this one is too brief and won't make anyone forget about It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.
They come up empty-handed, but Mr. Howell believes the thief is too embarrassed to return the brooch in front of prying eyes. He blows out all the tiki torches around the camp so it can be returned anonymously, a silly set-up for our guest primate to snatch Mrs. Howell under the cover of darkness and carry her off into the jungle.
The episode just gets goofier from there. Gilligan uses his, uh, gorilla sense (sigh) to track down the perpetrator to a cave where he has Mrs. Howell hostage. The scenes between her and the ape are cartoonish and close to cringe-worthy; as are those of the men trying to lure him away. Mr. Howell desperately offers Ginger another reward to entice him, which spices up the episode considerably. Alas, she just isn't his Fay Wray.
Eventually, the Professor concludes that the gorilla is attracted not to Mrs. Howell but to her perfume. Gilligan gets his weekly chance to be a hero, dashing to her hut to get her bottles, but predictably screws it up by gathering them up all at once and spilling them all over himself, the klutz. Our lead smells so wonderful the gorilla wastes no time in trading Mrs. Howell for him.
Another trade in the finale brings this loopy exercise to an end.
COCONOTES:
Interesting camera angle to open the episode zooming straight into the hut's window.
Janos Prohaska is the stuntman playing the gorilla. He can also be seen in such shows as Lost in Space and Bewitched playing various creepy crawlies.
One weak scene is where the Skipper insists the gorilla is all in Gilligan's imagination, then abruptly reverses himself in the jungle based on his little buddy's latest description. The scene doesn't work and feels rushed.
The Skip attacking the gorilla and getting spun and thrown for his trouble falls into that 'it's so campy, it's good' category for sure.
Gilligan saying he is way ahead of the Professor is the best line in the episode.
Just why did Mrs. Howell bring so many bottles of perfume on a three-hour tour, other than for that gag with Gilligan?
Unusual and out of character for the Professor to ask Ginger if she can be 'sexier' with the gorilla.
Gilligan and the Skipper are having an animated discussion in their hut over a fish when a gorilla randomly pops up at the window. Only Gilligan sees him, of course, and his bunk mate believes his story is just the usual rubbish. (Will he ever learn?) The guest gorilla creeps up to the Howell's hut and makes off with Mrs. Howell's diamond brooch. Her husband offers the other castaways a ten thousand dollar reward for the brooch's return. The idea of a scavenger hunt may sound like a natural for GI, but this one is too brief and won't make anyone forget about It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.
They come up empty-handed, but Mr. Howell believes the thief is too embarrassed to return the brooch in front of prying eyes. He blows out all the tiki torches around the camp so it can be returned anonymously, a silly set-up for our guest primate to snatch Mrs. Howell under the cover of darkness and carry her off into the jungle.
The episode just gets goofier from there. Gilligan uses his, uh, gorilla sense (sigh) to track down the perpetrator to a cave where he has Mrs. Howell hostage. The scenes between her and the ape are cartoonish and close to cringe-worthy; as are those of the men trying to lure him away. Mr. Howell desperately offers Ginger another reward to entice him, which spices up the episode considerably. Alas, she just isn't his Fay Wray.
Eventually, the Professor concludes that the gorilla is attracted not to Mrs. Howell but to her perfume. Gilligan gets his weekly chance to be a hero, dashing to her hut to get her bottles, but predictably screws it up by gathering them up all at once and spilling them all over himself, the klutz. Our lead smells so wonderful the gorilla wastes no time in trading Mrs. Howell for him.
Another trade in the finale brings this loopy exercise to an end.
COCONOTES:
Interesting camera angle to open the episode zooming straight into the hut's window.
Janos Prohaska is the stuntman playing the gorilla. He can also be seen in such shows as Lost in Space and Bewitched playing various creepy crawlies.
One weak scene is where the Skipper insists the gorilla is all in Gilligan's imagination, then abruptly reverses himself in the jungle based on his little buddy's latest description. The scene doesn't work and feels rushed.
The Skip attacking the gorilla and getting spun and thrown for his trouble falls into that 'it's so campy, it's good' category for sure.
Gilligan saying he is way ahead of the Professor is the best line in the episode.
Just why did Mrs. Howell bring so many bottles of perfume on a three-hour tour, other than for that gag with Gilligan?
Unusual and out of character for the Professor to ask Ginger if she can be 'sexier' with the gorilla.
THE GORILLA DIAMOND CAPER!
tcchelsey28 April 2024
Hard to believe prolific sci fi director Jack Arnold also directed sitcoms, but he did and was one of the best. This is a classic example as the castaways meet a clever gorilla! You knew a story like this had to be coming.
A gorilla (played by master stuntman Janos Prohaska) sneaks into the huts one night and happens to steal Mrs. Howell's diamonds. Next, he kidnaps Mrs. Howell, holding her in his cave. The biggest question of all... how many hidden caves did the island have during the series run?
Best dialogue award goes to the scene where Gilligan believes he can figure it all out by THINKING like a gorilla. To which the Skipper agrees, adding Gilligan does think like one! Goofy dialogue and one liners by series writer Elroy Schwartz.
The professor naturally has the answer to it all; it's NOT the diamond, nor Mrs. Howell -- but her perfume? Yes, I agree with the last reviewer, if that was the case, Mrs. Howell should have been kidnapped right off the bat! You can tell the cast is having lots of fun, especially Bob Denver versus the gorilla.
Applause for Janos Prohaska, originally a stuntman who found gainful employment in many sitcoms, generally playing gorillas and other wild and kooky animals. He also made many apearances, without too much surprise, on BEWITCHED.
SEASON 1 EPISODE 22 remastered color dvd box set. 6 dvds. Released 2004.
A gorilla (played by master stuntman Janos Prohaska) sneaks into the huts one night and happens to steal Mrs. Howell's diamonds. Next, he kidnaps Mrs. Howell, holding her in his cave. The biggest question of all... how many hidden caves did the island have during the series run?
Best dialogue award goes to the scene where Gilligan believes he can figure it all out by THINKING like a gorilla. To which the Skipper agrees, adding Gilligan does think like one! Goofy dialogue and one liners by series writer Elroy Schwartz.
The professor naturally has the answer to it all; it's NOT the diamond, nor Mrs. Howell -- but her perfume? Yes, I agree with the last reviewer, if that was the case, Mrs. Howell should have been kidnapped right off the bat! You can tell the cast is having lots of fun, especially Bob Denver versus the gorilla.
Applause for Janos Prohaska, originally a stuntman who found gainful employment in many sitcoms, generally playing gorillas and other wild and kooky animals. He also made many apearances, without too much surprise, on BEWITCHED.
SEASON 1 EPISODE 22 remastered color dvd box set. 6 dvds. Released 2004.
The Gorilla of my Dreams...
kmcelhaney00529 July 2013
Warning: Spoilers
A gorilla is rummaging around the huts and steals one of Mrs. Howell's jewels. Since only Gilligan has seen the gorilla, no one else believes that it exist. Mr. Howell at first indirectly accuses one of the castaways of stealing the jewel, then offers a $10,000 reward for anyone who finds the jewel.
When Mr. Howell turns out the light so that whoever had the jewel can place it on the table, the gorilla shows up and takes Mrs. Howell.
Well, the story is part of the great tradition of "if there's a jungle, there must be a chimp/gorilla" present. While fairly ridiculous of course, the actual plot is reasonable (though with one glaring hole) and there are some good laughs in this episode.
Highlights include Mr. Howell's explanation of this history of Mrs. Howell's stolen jewel, the castaways' rather instant turnaround in their opinion of Mr. Howell when Gilligan tells them the reward, a neat "pan-up" to the gorilla as the Skipper tells Gilligan that there isn't a gorilla within 5,000 miles of the island, Mr. Howell returning from his search of the island, and the performance of the man in the gorilla suit who does a particularly good job (one he would repeat in a later, color episode of the series).
As for the major flaw in the plot, if the gorilla took the jewel because of the perfume, Mrs. Howell also was wearing the perfume and was right there...so why didn't the gorilla take Mrs. Howell then? This is one of those "bits" that makes it seem that this story was not written by a single person, but instead some gag writers with nobody looking over the entire script.
Still, it's a good, middling episode with some laughs and enough entertainment value to be interesting, if not particularly memorable.
When Mr. Howell turns out the light so that whoever had the jewel can place it on the table, the gorilla shows up and takes Mrs. Howell.
Well, the story is part of the great tradition of "if there's a jungle, there must be a chimp/gorilla" present. While fairly ridiculous of course, the actual plot is reasonable (though with one glaring hole) and there are some good laughs in this episode.
Highlights include Mr. Howell's explanation of this history of Mrs. Howell's stolen jewel, the castaways' rather instant turnaround in their opinion of Mr. Howell when Gilligan tells them the reward, a neat "pan-up" to the gorilla as the Skipper tells Gilligan that there isn't a gorilla within 5,000 miles of the island, Mr. Howell returning from his search of the island, and the performance of the man in the gorilla suit who does a particularly good job (one he would repeat in a later, color episode of the series).
As for the major flaw in the plot, if the gorilla took the jewel because of the perfume, Mrs. Howell also was wearing the perfume and was right there...so why didn't the gorilla take Mrs. Howell then? This is one of those "bits" that makes it seem that this story was not written by a single person, but instead some gag writers with nobody looking over the entire script.
Still, it's a good, middling episode with some laughs and enough entertainment value to be interesting, if not particularly memorable.
- For the first and maybe the only time, the Howell's have a window between their beds.
- Apparently, raw tree sap makes for a good syrup that doesn't turn into glue unlike previous times we've seen tree sap, such as "Goodbye Island" or "Gilligan Meets Jungle Boy" (must be a processing thing or type of tree). However, it's not the tree sap that is curious, but the amount of silverware sitting in the cup on the table which is strange considering how we've seen their "homemade" silverware in previous episodes.
- While it's a funny bit, the Skipper being convinced that a gorilla is on the island because of Gilligan's description is a prime example of cracking a joke in spite of the story or character.
- Odd...when Mr. Howell returns from his search of the island (a funny sight for sure), he says, "No trace of Mrs. Howell..."...he should say "No trace of Lovey..." instead?
- The epilogue seems a little forced, although we will see both gorillas again in future episodes.
Gilligan goes ape
kevinolzak6 June 2016
"Diamonds Are an Ape's Best Friend" is one of the weaker first season entries, a heretofore unseen black haired gorilla appearing out of nowhere to perplex Gilligan when not making off with Mrs. Howell's diamonds. Eventually he makes off with Mrs. Howell herself, so Gilligan has to think like a gorilla to find her, with the Skipper agreeing that he does think like a gorilla, Mr. Howell admitting that Gilligan even looks like one! The antisocial ape stands guard over his captive inside a cave, and even Ginger's considerable charms fail to sway him, though Gilligan is quick to assume that the creature has sailor's blood. It's the Professor who hits on the solution, that the attraction is not for Mrs. Howell but for her perfume. Funny at times but obviously not the gorilla my dreams (there would be more in future episodes).
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