Summer Fun: Remembering Gilligan’s Island

Alan Hale Auditioned for the Skipper While on Horseback

At the time, Hale was filming Bullet for a Bad Man in St. George, Utah. He left the set to audition for the Skipper but was pressed for time in order to make it back to Utah to finish filming his western. He ended up reading for the part while on horseback, hitchhiking, riding in a taxi cab, and flying on an airplane. He made it back in time to finish filming the following day and also landed the part as the Skipper. We’re sort of wondering how it would’ve gone if Hale auditioned on an actual boat. We’re guessing, it wouldn’t be so smooth (at least if he was actually the Skipper).