Alan Hale

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Hale,_Jr.

Alan Hale, Jr. (March 8, 1921– January 2, 1990) was an American film and television actor, best known for his role as Skipper (Jonas Grumby) on the popular sitcom Gilligan's Island. Hale was the lookalike son of popular supporting film actor Alan Hale, Sr.

Early life

Hale was born Alan Hale Mackahan in Los Angeles, California. His father was character actor Alan Hale, Sr. and his mother was Gretchen Hartman (1897–1979), a silent film actress. His father (whom his son greatly resembled), had an extremely successful career in movies both as a leading man in silent films and as a supporting actor in sound movies, appearing in many Errol Flynn films, acting in 235 movies altogether, and playing Little John in Robin Hood films three times over a 28-year span, beginning with the silent Douglas Fairbanks version. While his father was adapting to sound films, Hale, Jr. began his career while still a baby.

During the Second World War, Hale, Jr. enlisted in the United States Coast Guard.

After the death of his father in 1950, Alan stopped using "Junior".

Career

Hale's first important roles were as a member of Gene Autry's recurring cast of players. During the late 1940s and early 1950s, he frequently appeared in Autry movies and The Gene Autry Show on TV. He also starred in television series, such as 1952–53's Biff Baker U.S.A.. He guest starred in the NBC western anthology Frontier. He later appeared in the classic CBS western series Wanted: Dead or Alive opposite Steve McQueen in episode No. 5 as Shawnee Bill, and played the titular lead in the television series Casey Jones. In 1959, Hale appeared as a sheriff on John Payne's The Restless Gun in the episode entitled "Incident at Bluefields". He also appeared as Mizzell in Springfield Rifle starring Gary Cooper and The True Story of Jesse James starring Robert Wagner.

In 1961, Hale appeared in Audie Murphy's short-lived NBC western detective series, Whispering Smith, as the witness to a murder. In 1962, Hale also appeared on The Andy Griffith Show as Jeff Pruitt, a rough, back-woods bachelor who comes to Mayberry to find a bride. In the episode, he refers to Barney Fife more than once as "little buddy," a nickname he would later use in his most famous and beloved role, that of the Skipper on Gilligan's Island, which ran from 1964 to 1967. He appeared in an episode of CBS's The New Phil Silvers Show in the 1963–1964 season. In 1967, he appeared in the Batman episode titled "The Ogg and I part 1" where he played a bartender named "Gilligan".

Hale's work was not confined to comedies. In 1958, he guest starred on NBC's adventure series Northwest Passage, co-starring Buddy Ebsen. In 1962, he guest starred in an episode of ABC's crime drama Target: The Corruptors! with Stephen McNally. He starred with Bob Denver (Hale's Gilligan co-star) in The Good Guys (1968–70). He appeared in three episodes of ABC's Fantasy Island in the late 1970s and early 1980s. He also made a guest appearance in an episode of Growing Pains in the episode "This Is Your Life" as a cab driver.

Hale also made an appearance on the television western The Wild, Wild West, joining Robert Conrad as Secret Service agent Ned Brown. At the end of the episode, character James West asks Brown what he planned to do next. "I'm going to make a big dream come true. And do you know what my big dream is? I'm going to spend my vacation all alone... on a desert island", after which the first few notes of the theme from Gilligan's Island can be heard in the background. Fellow Gilligan's Island castaway Jim Backus also appears in the episode as Fabian Swanson.

During his career, Hale was noted for his supporting character roles in such movies as Up Periscope with James Garner, The Fifth Musketeer, The Lady Takes a Flyer, stock car racing film Thunder in Carolina, The Giant Spider Invasion, The Sea Chase with John Wayne, Hang 'Em High with Clint Eastwood, and The West Point Story with James Cagney as well as The Gunfighter with Gregory Peck.

Gilligan's Island

The Skipper on Gilligan's Island (1964–1967) proved to be the most prominent role for Hale, as the show continued to be popular for later generations of viewers due to syndicated re-runs. The popularity of the show typecast its actors, making it difficult for them to successfully pursue diversified acting opportunities. They received no substantial residual payments for their roles, and the difficulty in finding roles often created financial hardship and resentment. However, Hale often said he did not mind being so closely identified with the Skipper. He co-owned a restaurant in the West Hollywood area (Alan Hale's Lobster Barrel) and would often greet customers in his "Skipper" hat.

During the weekends from 1974 to 1977, a new generation enjoyed the cartoon version of The New Adventures of Gilligan, and by 1978, they brought back the original crew for a TV film named Rescue from Gilligan's Island. Hale also portrayed the Skipper in two more TV reunion films in 1979 and 1981, and participated in numerous reunions with the cast throughout the 1980s. His final appearances as the Skipper were on a 1988 episode of the sitcom ALF, and for several 1989 clips promoting Gilligan's Island reruns on TBS (TV network), both alongside his old friend Bob Denver. He also made a cameo appearance with Denver in the 1987 film Back to the Beach.

Hale was known for his great love of children. When he was dying of cancer, he learned there was a sick child in the same hospital who loved the Gilligan's Island show. He went to see the boy and said "The Skipper's here, son, everything is going to be all right." The child, having noticed all the weight Hale had lost due to cancer, inquired about it. Hale made up a story on the spot about how there was a new version of the show in the works, and he was going to play Gilligan.

Death

A resident of Hollywood, California in the final years, Hale died of thyroid cancer at St. Vincent Medical Center in Los Angeles January 2, 1990(1990-01-02) (aged 68). He was cremated, and his ashes were scattered at sea.

Alan Hale, Jr. (March 8, 1921[2] – January 2, 1990), was an American film, stage, and television actor.

The son of character actor Alan Hale, Sr., he is best known for his role as the "Skipper" on the sitcom Gilligan's Island.

The series aired on CBS from 1964 to 1967. After its cancellation, the series would remain a popular staple in syndication. Hale reprised the role of the Skipper in three Gilligan's Island television films and two spin-off cartoon series. Over the course of his 55-year career, Hale appeared in more than 200 television and film roles.

Early life

Hale was born Alan Hale MacKahan in Los Angeles, California on March 8, 1921.

His father was character actor Rufus Edward McKahan,who used the stage name of Alan Hale (1892–1950), and his mother was silent film actress Gretchen Hartman (1897-1979). Appearing in over 235 films, his father had a successful screen career both as a leading man in silent films and as a supporting actor in sound movies.

During World War II, Hale, Jr., enlisted in the United States Coast Guard.

After the death of his father in 1950, Hale dropped the "Junior" from his name.

Career

In 1931, Hale made his Broadway stage debut in Caught Wet. The play opened on November 4 and closed later that month. He made his screen debut two years later in Wild Boys of the Road. However, his part was deleted out of the film's final release but he still received screen credit for the role.

He later appeared in roles in To the Shores of Tripoli (1942), Yanks Ahoy (1943), Sweetheart of Sigma Chi (1946), and When Willie Comes Marching Home (1950). During the late 1940s and early 1950s, he frequently appeared in Gene Autry films and also had a recurring role from 1950 to 1952 on The Gene Autry Show. In 1952, Hale landed the starring role in CBS's Biff Baker, U.S.A., but the series was canceled in 1954.

Hale continued his career with guest spots on The Range Rider (five times), Annie Oakley, Fireside Theater, Frontier, Matinee Theater, Fury, Northwest Passage, and The Man from Blackhawk (as Miles Mackenzie in the 1960 episode "The $100,000 Policy"). He also had roles in The Gunfighter (1950), Silver Lode (1954), The Sea Chase (1955), The Three Outlaws (1956), The True Story of Jesse James (1957), and Up Periscope (1959).

In 1957, Hale landed another starring role in the syndicated television series Casey Jones, which aired thirty-two episodes before it was canceled in 1958.

In 1957, he played folksy rancher Les Bridgeman in the episode "Hired Gun" of the ABC/Warner Brothers western series Cheyenne, with Clint Walker in the title role. Whitney Blake plays Bridgeman's wife Lilli, who hires a professional assassin to kill her husband so that she can marry a rival rancher, Kiley Rand (Don Megowan). Cheyenne Bodie goes undercover to unravel the mystery.

From 1958 to 1960, Hale had a recurring role on Rory Calhoun's CBS western series The Texan.

Throughout the early 1960s, Hale continued in guest-starring roles on episodes of Gunsmoke, Bonanza, Rawhide, The Real McCoys, Mister Ed, Assignment: Underwater, Hawaiian Eye, Adventures in Paradise, Lock Up, The Andy Griffith Show, Lassie, Tales of Wells Fargo, Route 66, and Hazel. He was featured in two episodes of Perry Mason, first as murderer Lon Snyder in the 1961 episode, "The Case of the Unwelcome Bride," then in 1963 he played Nelson Barclift in "The Case of the Bouncing Boomerang". Actress Diana Millay also appeared in both episodes.

In addition to numerous guest roles on television, Hale was noted for his supporting-character roles in such movies as the character of Whitey in the 1947 Christmas movie "It Happened on 5th Avenue", as Porthos' son in the 1952 "Three Musketeers" sequel "At Swords Point" opposite Cornell Wilde and Maureen O'Hara, in the stock car racing film Thunder in Carolina (1960) starring Rory Calhoun, The Long Rope (1961) with Hugh Marlowe, Bullet for a Badman (1964) with Audie Murphy, Advance to the Rear (1964) starring Glenn Ford, and "hanging party" blacksmith Matt Stone in Hang 'Em High (1968) starring Clint Eastwood.

Gilligan's Island

In 1964, Hale won the role as the Skipper on the CBS sitcom Gilligan's Island. The series aired for a total of 98 episodes from 1964 to 1967. The role proved to be the most prominent role for Hale, as the show continued to be popular for later generations of viewers due to syndicated reruns. The popularity of the show typecast its actors, making it difficult for them to successfully pursue diversified acting opportunities. They received no substantial residual payments for their roles, and the difficulty in finding roles often created financial hardship and resentment. However, Hale did not mind being so closely identified with the Skipper.

According to Sherwood Schwartz, he often visited children in hospital dressed as the Skipper.

Hale reprised the role of the Skipper in three television films, Rescue from Gilligan's Island in 1978, The Castaways on Gilligan's Island in 1979, and The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan's Island in 1981. He also voiced the Skipper in two cartoon versions of the series, The New Adventures of Gilligan from 1974 to 1977 and Gilligan's Planet from 1982 to 1983. Hale also appeared as the Skipper in two unrelated sitcoms, The New Gidget in 1987 and ALF in 1989.

He also promoted Gilligan's Island reruns on TBS, alongside Bob Denver. Denver and Hale also appeared as their characters at various promotional events.

Later years

After the end of Gilligan's Island, Hale continued his career in television. He guest-starred on several series, including The Wild Wild West, Here Come the Brides, Land of the Giants, The Virginian, Marcus Welby, M.D., The Paul Lynde Show, The Love Boat, and Crazy Like a Fox.

Hale also appeared in film roles from the 1960s to the 1980s. During the 1970s, he starred in The Giant Spider Invasion (1975) and Angels Revenge (1978), both of which were later featured on Mystery Science Theater 3000 (as was his 1963 film The Crawling Hand).

In 1983, Hale costarred in comedy-drama film Hambone and Hillie, starring Lillian Gish. The following year, he had a role in the comedy Johnny Dangerously and became a spokesman for a car dealership in Victoria, British Columbia. In 1987, Hale starred in the horror film Terror Night. Later that same year, he made his final film appearance in a cameo role with Bob Denver in Back to the Beach.

Other ventures

In addition to acting, Hale also co-owned Alan Hale's Lobster Barrel, a restaurant that was opened in the mid-1970s. The Lobster Barrel was located on La Cienega Boulevard on Los Angeles' Restaurant Row. According to Hale's agent, Hale was "phased out" of the business in 1982. He later opened Alan Hale's Quality and Leisure Travel office.

Personal life

Hale was married twice; his first marriage was on March 12, 1943 in Hollywood to Bettina Doerr Hale with whom he had four children: Alan Brian, Chris, Lana, and Dorian.

The couple later divorced In 1964, Hale married former singer Naomi Ingram, to whom he would remain married until his death in 1990.

Death

Hale died on January 2, 1990, of thymus cancer at St. Vincent Medical Center in Los Angeles. Hale's body was cremated and his ashes were scattered at sea.

Gilligan's Island co-star, Dawn Wells, was in attendance representing the surviving members of the cast.

For his contribution to the television industry, Alan Hale, Jr., has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame located at 6653 Hollywood Blvd.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Hale,_Jr.

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