Dawn Wells Addresses Mary Ann's Lovemaking Appeal (Gilligan's Island)

Gilligan's Island aired in 1964 and at the time, five of the seven cast members -- Bob Denver, Alan Hale Jr., Natalie Schafer, Tina Louise, and Jim Backus -- were already well-established actors. However, Dawn Wells, who had made a few small appearances in television shows after winning the title of Miss Nevada, was a relatively unknown name. Over the next three years, the show made the audiences laugh but it also made Americans fall in love with the sweet, bubbly girl next door that was Mary Ann. Though the show's creator had anticipated that Ginger Grant, given her glam goddess avatar and Marilyn Monroe vibes, would eventually become every man's dream, to their surprise, it was Mary Ann who quickly became everyone's favorite. As it turns out, Dawn Wells recently addressed her iconic role and what it was like to be lusted after by so many viewers.

Dawn Wells Addresses Mary Ann's lovemaking appeal. On September 26, 1964, the first episode of Gilligan's Island aired on CBS. The show revolved around the lives of seven castaways lost on a deserted island. Bob Denver played the titular role of 'Gilligan', the clumsy and accident-prone first mate of SS Minow, the boat that wrecked at a deserted island in the Pacific. Alan Hale Jr. played the warm-hearted but irritable 'Skipper'. Jim Backus played the role of incredibly rich Mr Thurston Howell III and Natalie Schafer played his wife, 'Lovely Howell.' The cast had two other faces, who launched one of the most prominent debates in the television history -- Ginger or Mary Ann? Ginger, played by Tina Louise, was a Hollywood star, reminiscent of Marilyn Monroe. She was attractive, glamorous, and most men wouldn't mind paying their life' savings to be stuck with her on a deserted island. While Ginger would often use her sexuality to get the castaways out of trouble, she didn't have any of the life skills people need to survive on a deserted island. On the other hand, Mary Ann, played by Dawn Wells who was also Miss Nevada, was the quintessential girl next door -- she was chirpy, cute, lovable, sensitive and caring. The writers based her character on Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz and she was certainly the most down to earth woman on the island. The last episode of the show aired in 1967 and the show continued in syndication for many years. Gilligan's Island went off the air 53 years ago and yet both Mary Ann and Ginger live on. However, over the years, more men have labelled themselves as Mary Ann guys over Ginger Grant guys. So, what it is about the character of Mary Ann that makes her so lovable? Mary Ann's popularity, in an interview, Dawn Wells shared her opinion on the subject. According to Dawn, what made Mary Ann so appealing was that she was the epitome of goodness. She was always cooking, cleaning and helping people around and she did all of that without making any complaints. More importantly, though she was aware of other people's flaws, she never reacted to them in a bad way. For instance, she knew about all the goof ups that Gilligan did, but she never lost her temper with him. She wasn't jealous of Ginger and the attention she got due to her glam goddess avatar. All in all, it was Mary Ann's innate good-heartedness that made her so popular. Dawn Wells also thinks that one of the reasons why men still find Mary Ann sexy is because unlike Ginger she is attainable. While Ginger was the ultimate beauty queen, her star vibe rendered her unattainable. Moreover, Ginger came across as someone very high maintenance -- if you took her out on a date, nothing less than champagne would do. Mary Ann, on the other hand, was the woman who looked like she could do both -- look pretty and run a house. She was also the kind of woman men could take home to their mothers. While discussing Mary Ann's sexual appeal, Dawn also talked about how the rules regarding the depiction of women on the screen have changed over the years and the role she played in accentuating Mary Ann's lovemaking appeal. Back in the 1960s, CBS had a three-second rule which forbade creators and directors to reveal cleavage or navel for more than three seconds. Thus, when the time came to decide on Mary Ann's costumes, Dawn helped the designers design shorts that would cover her navel but make her legs look longer. Pictures of Mary Ann in these shorts still abound on the internet and many believe that it was these short shorts that gave Mary Ann the lovemaking appeal that made her so desirable to many young men. The last episode of the show aired in 1967 and though Gilligan's Island enjoyed top rating, it never entered the annals of television history as an iconic or timeless show. However, the character of Mary Ann lives on. Dawn Wells often also talks about how popular the show made her. In an interview, Dawn shared a story when she and five of her friends went on a trip to the Soloman Islands, a relatively deserted place. They had gone there expecting no electricity, television or running water. However, what Dawn experienced really surprised her. As soon as they hit the island, the chief's wife instantly recognized Dawn Wells. She had gone to a nursing school on Honiara in the 1970s and while there, she had often seen reruns of the Gilligan's Island on television. Dawn said that she gets recognized almost everywhere she goes and she credits all her success and fame to the memorable character of Mary Ann. However, Dawn wasn't the only choice for the role. It is believed that Raquel Welsch also auditioned for the role of Mary Ann. Dawn, however, is unaware of this. Though she is of the opinion that if Raquel Welsch indeed auditioned for Gilligan's Island, she would have been a better fit for the role of Ginger than Mary Ann. After all, Raquel was a beautiful ex symbol in real life and so was Ginger on the show. Though Tina Louise, who played Ginger, and Dawn Wells were cordial on the set, they have not stayed in touch over the years, even though the two are the only living members of the cast. Dawn says that after the show ended, Louise decided to do her own thing and did not maintain any communication with any of the cast members. Dawn remembers doing a play in New York for which she had invited Louise but when she never made an appearance, Wells realized that maybe she didn't want anything to do with her. Though they are not in touch and even after all the pitting-against-each-other they have undergone since the beginning of the show, Dawn does have some fond memories of working with Louise. She fondly remembers the time when Louise had recently gotten married and like her on-screen character, knew nothing about cooking. She, therefore, requested Wells to help her with the Thanksgiving dinner. Dawn invited Louise to their house and she remembers Louise sitting on a cooking stool with her mom, reading and discussing recipes and writing everything down. Years later, when Wells ran into Caprice, Louise's daughter, she was surprised to know that Louise had told her daughter all about their Thanksgiving dinner. When we look back, it is hard to believe that it has been over 50 years since the last episode of Gilligan's Island aired on CBS. In the show, Tina Louise played the role of the glamourous Ginger Grant, a movie star and a breathy sex symbol and Dawn Wells played Mary Ann, the beautiful, chirpy, caring girl next door. Given the way Grant's character was written, the writers took it for granted that she would eventually become the TV's ultimate sex icon. Surprisingly, for the three years of the show's run and many years after that, more men have found themselves attracted to Mary Ann than Ginger. While both the actresses were equally beautiful, Mary Ann always won the popularity. Why? This popularity of Mary Ann in some ways signifies that American prefer the simple girl next door to a glamour goddess. Gilligan's Island may not be as popular as some of the other shows of its time. However, it certainly has become a part of the American culture owing to its memorable characters. Dawn Wells, at least, credits the show for most of her success. After the show ended, Wells continued with her acting career, but she will always be remembered as the lovable Mary Ann from Gilligan's Island. So, do you find Mary Ann sexy? Or, are you a part of the Ginger Grant club? Do let us know in the comments section so we can settle this debate for once and all.