~ A Comprehensive Look At Witch Doctors, Headhunters, Cannibals & Other Natives That Visited Gilligan’s Island ~

"Natives" is the generic term for the local indigenous tribes that live in the area around "Gilligan's Island," small island nations of Polynesian and Papuan aborigines somewhere in the castaways proximity. These tribes worship a number of gods, possibly deified ancestors, and practice a number of rites including cannibalism, head-hunting and a practice resembling Voodoo of the Caribbean Sea.

Part One, THE HEADHUNTER

A headhunter comes ashore on the island unseen and watches from afar as Mary Ann nearly drowns in the lagoon.

Gilligan overhears her cries for help and jumps into the lagoon to save her, but she pulls him under the water. The Skipper saves them both, and the Howells are so intrigued by the rescue that they take photos to remember the incident. Gilligan is completely forgotten despite the effort he made and wanders off into the jungle. His depression leads to him going to Mrs. Howell for advice and she psychoanalyzes him. She later tells the Skipper and Mr. Howell that he feels insignificant, and the Skipper decides to boost Gilligan's spirits by pretending to be trapped under a tree. Watching from the trees, the headhunter starts sneaking up on him but is forced to hide himself from Gilligan and Mary Ann. At the scene, Gilligan is unsure what to do, even as the Skipper tries to tell Gilligan himself, but Gilligan gets himself caught too. It's up to the Professor to save them both, and Gilligan is left behind to discover the headhunter by himself. 

 

When he tries to warn everyone, Gilligan is accused of having delusions. Mrs. Howell sedates him then later pretends to be scared of a spider. Gilligan comes to her rescue, but he knocks himself out on a beam. Eager to help his little buddy, the Skipper decides that since Gilligan has claimed to see a headhunter that he'll impersonate one and take everyone prisoner for Gilligan to save them.

Gilligan, however, overhears the plan, as the real headhunter takes Ginger, Mary Ann and the Professor hostage. After taking the Howells are taken captive as well, Gilligan pretends to stumble on the scene. Thinking the headhunter is the Skipper, he provokes and teases the headhunter around in circles, eventually causing him to knock himself out cold on a tree. By now, the Skipper has finally appeared, and Gilligan is puzzled by the second headhunter.

Together, they face the real headhunter and Gilligan turns to flee, returning to save the Skipper but tripping and pushing the real headhunter into a campfire. Burned terribly, the headhunter flees the island as the Skipper congratulates Gilligan for his heroism. That night, the Howells throw Gilligan a huge hero banquet, but Gilligan starts getting full of himself and won't stop talking. The Skipper comes up behind him with a skull from off the headhunter's costume and Gilligan faints at the sight of it.

Because of the possible limited number of islands in the region, it is very likely several of the natives encountered by the Castaways came from common islands. Some of these islands were populated by hostiles against foreign invaders and potential enemies. Others collected the heads of foreign enemies ("head-hunters") out of religious belief.

The headhunter possibly returns as the head of the cannibals who arrive on the island in Music Hath Charms and as the father of the native girl who wants to marry Gilligan in Gilligan's Mother-in-Law

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Part Two, THE CANNIBALS 

Music Hath Charms is the 26th episode for the First Season of Gilligan's island. It aired March 27, 1965.Gilligan makes a drum and is heard pounding it as Mrs. Howell overhears him with it. After complementing him, she decides the island needs more culture and thinks the island should start a musical orchestra. Meanwhile, on a nearby island cannibals quite possibly from the Marubi tribe that the Professor warned about in the first episode, hear Gilligan's drumming from afar and think it's enemy war drums, stirring themselves up to attack first. 

On the island, Mr. Howell and the Skipper feud over who will be the composer, and Gilligan shows Mary Ann how to use a saw and a screwdriver to make music. The Professor carves a flute out of bamboo. Mrs. Howell makes herself the composer with Ginger on a xylophone, Mr. Howell on the triangle and the Skipper utilizing shells and the foghorn off the S.S. Minnow for wind instruments. As they play "Blue Danube," the natives land at the lagoon and make their way inland. One of them is noticed by the Professor and captured by the Skipper.

The cannibal scout spies on the castaways

They try to communicate with him, but aren't successful. Meanwhile, the rest of the natives surround them, and the castaways flee through the island trying to hide from them before taking refuge in a cave. The scout they captured meanwhile escapes and describes them back to the other natives. The Professor has by now realized the natives may be cannibals and that their primitive beliefs may be the way to scare them off the island. He may be able to scare them with radio, a plan that works well until Gilligan drops it and breaks it. The Professor gets captured, so the Skipper tries the plan again with their flashlight, but Gilligan forgot to put the batteries in it. The Skipper is captured as well as Mr. Howell when Gilligan tries using the fire extinguisher to scare the natives.

The primitive cannibals are startled by the radio 

Running out of men, Mrs. Howell and the girls head out to investigate and hear music. The Natives have calmed down to enjoy the captured Castaways music, seemingly making peace between their "tribes." However, as they head off back to home, the castaways try to explain to them that they are stranded and need help home. Gilligan on the other hand starts drumming to send them off, but yet, another island of natives overhear the drumming and think it’s a prelude to war, springing to attack first.

The Cannibal Chief of the first invading tribe

A Cannibal Warrior of the first invading tribe

The Chief of the second invading tribe hears the distant "war drums"

It is possible the chief of the first tribe may be the same chief who next appeared to the Castaways searching for a consort for his plus-sized daughter. The girl picked Gilligan, leading to further genial relations between the islands, but the union was intervened by the arrival of Haruki, a warrior coming to claim the girl as his own bride. Episode: Gilligan's Mother-in-Law

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Part Three, THE POLYNESIAN-PAPU  TRIBE (GILLIGAN'S MOTHER-IN-LAW)

A family of indigenous natives arrives on the island via canoe. The daughter is infatuated with Gilligan. Mr. Howell misinterprets their gestures to mean the daughter is interested in marrying the Skipper! The Skipper is flatly opposed, barricading himself in his hut. The Professor is able to talk with the Chief in their dialect which he describes as a combination of Polynesian and Papu. He informs the Skipper the girl is actually interested in Gilligan! Viewing a marriage as a way off the island the Skipper insists Gilligan go through with the marriage, but first he must pass the marriage test. 

The marriage test involves Gilligan carrying the overweight bride around in his arms, then a bravery test where knives are thrown at Gilligan. Gilligan passes all the tests. Protocol then requires the Castaways throw a party in honor of the marriage-to-be. During the party, the Chief's daughter's old suitor, Haruki, appears to vie for her hand in marriage. A contest for the daughter is arranged - spears at dawn! Ginger comes on to Haruki in an effort to spare Gilligan any harm; her efforts are spurned. 

 

 

The duel begins; Gilligan is given first throw and hits a coconut which knocks out Haruki. The Chief's daughter decides to marry Haruki anyway, but they cannot leave the island because the marriage is by invitation only. Being good sports the natives invite Gilligan anyway, but when told he must pass the Best Man test of poison darts at six paces, he jumps out of the canoe and swims back to the island!

Haruki

The Fierce & Tumultuous Haruki

Haruki is a warrior and native islander who comes to the Island to claim or pledge his worthiness to his chief's daughter in Gilligan's Mother-in-Law. Haruki appears on the island during the marriage festival and presents himself as a rival to Gilligan, who the chief's daughter has chosen as a husband. Although Gilligan is not interested in marriage or the rivalry, the Chief decides to test their worthiness with a tournament of spears. Haruki lets Gilligan go first and is ecstatic when his aim is horrible. However, Gilligan does manage to knock coconuts loose that knock Haruki out cold.

The chief's daughter rushes to his aid and chooses him as her husband, but seeing as how Gilligan bested him, Haruki tries honoring Gilligan with a "best man" position in his wedding ceremony, letting the Professor know the honor is contested by poison darts at six paces. Tired of the games, Gilligan turns down the honor.

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Part Four, A WITCH DOCTOR COMES TO THE ISLAND

"Voodoo" is an entry acclaimed for its memorable eye popping hula courtesy sexy Tina Louise, and the second appearance from Eddie Little Sky, first seen in "Gilligan's Mother-in-Law," a last time only five episodes later in "Topsy-Turvy." The Skipper is convinced that the artifacts discovered in a cave by Gilligan are tainted by voodoo, explaining that a witch doctor would need to steal a personal item belonging to the victim in order to enchant the intended into a mindless zombie.

The witch doctor makes voodoo dolls of all seven castaways and begins to cast his spells by making Gilligan spin against his will, then everyone suffering a hot foot. The Professor naturally scoffs at the notion of voodoo, but his lost pen knife enables the witch doctor to transform him into a zombie, which meets with Mr. Howell's approval, as he describes a zombie to his wife: "you take five jiggers of rum and then some cooling ice!"

Ginger remembers seeing such wide staring eyes before: "I was entertaining a bunch of GIs in an army camp!" When she tries to free him by recreating her hula from NATIVE DANCERS FROM BALI-BALI all eyes are glued to her sinuous form, only to succeed in doing THE RAIN DANCERS FROM RANGO-RANGO, a downpour soaking the frozen zombie (at one point bongo drummer Gilligan nearly loses his place watching her shimmy and shake). Gilligan breaks the spell by recovering all the stolen items, making his own doll in the unseen witch doctor's image, and for once sticks it to him!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UqVaW_IlBk

The Witch Doctor is a native shaman from an unidentified tribe of natives on a nearby island. His true name is unknown, but he arrives on the island and uses dolls made to resemble the castaways and personal belongings to cast spells on them. He takes Gilligan's rabbit foot, the Skipper's hair, Mr. Howell's wallet, Mrs. Howell's lipstick, scarves from Ginger and Mary Ann and the Professor's pocket knife. Through these objects, he sticks pins in the castaways, bounces Gilligan around, burns their feet and finally places the Professor in a trance for mocking him, which suggests he understands English. Gilligan, however, retrieves the dolls and stolen possessions, breaking the spell on the Professor and using a needle to jab the Witch Doctor, driving him off the island. It is unknown if Hiruki of the nearby Papuan tribe was any relation to the Witch Doctor, who he resembled.

 

 

 

Possibly upset over the castaways disturbing burial grounds in a cave on the island, he torments them with Voodoo curses and entrances the Professor, who he may have believed to be their equivalent of a shaman. When Gilligan turns his spells on him, he flees the island by swimming out through the lagoon. 

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Part Five, HEAD HUNTERS ARRIVE

Topsy-Turvy is the 78th episode of Gilligan's Island and the tenth episode of the third season. It aired November 14, 1966. in this episode the Castaways are menaced by invading warriors. 
The warriors are are believed to be headhunters from the either the 'Marubi' tribe or most likely the 'Watubi' tribe. The warriors announce their arrival by pounding on their war drums. The Professor seeks out a cave to hide everyone until they leave. Unfortunately, Gilligan runs straight into a tree, and the whack to his heads flips his vision upside-down. The Professor thinks he can fix his vision with the curative powers of the Captibora berry growing on the island, but Mary Ann is too afraid to look for them with the pounding drums from the jungle. However, Gilligan notices the sounds have stopped; unaware the head-hunters are still on the island despite their broken drum. Ginger and Mary Ann search the island for the berries unaware the head-hunters are still prowling around and trying to capture them.

One of them tries to attack Gilligan, but he is scared away by the approaching Howells. After the Professor creates extract from the berries, the berries succeed in flipping Gilligan's vision back, but it also doubles it so Gilligan sees two of everything. 

Headhunters land on the island pounding their war drums

The Headhunters Stalk Their Prey 

Fierce Marubi Headhunters Demonstrate Their Skill By Chopping Down A Palm Tree

The Professor meanwhile warns Gilligan his skewed vision might result in hallucinations, and when he starts seeing the head-hunters, he thinks they're hallucinations. However, the head-hunters start getting frustrated with their failed attempts to capture Gilligan. They capture both the Howells and the girls, and after the Professor fixes Gilligan's vision with water to dilute the strength of the berries, both he and the Skipper get captured. Gilligan flees into the jungle chased by one of the head-hunters, but realizing he's out-numbered, he returns with the Captibora extract to trick them into thinking they're out-numbered. He comes to rescue everyone pretending to drink the extract which the head-hunters take away from him to drink themselves. As the extract takes control, Gilligan frees everyone who appears as an army to the head-hunters, terrifying them off the island. Afterward, everyone is so appreciative of his clever heroism that they give him gifts. Mary Ann gives him a coconut cream pie, but Gilligan is so excited that he drinks the extract again so it looks like five pies. However, this makes it hard to eat the one; he pounds the table and causes the pie to smack the Skipper into the face.

"Topsy-Turvy" finds the castaways preparing to hide from invading head hunters, but when Gilligan bangs his head he sees everything upside down. Captibora berries can provide the antidote, but their unstable properties result in Gilligan seeing double! Meanwhile, there are three head hunters waiting to practice their deadly craft, each one just missing his intended target, until all but Gilligan are captured. The Captibora extract gives Gilligan the perfect opportunity to lure them into drinking, as the sight of 35 castaways forces them to flee in terror.

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Part Six, THE KUPAKI

Kupaki Warrior 1

Kupaki Warrior 2

Kupaki Warrior 3

The next wave is an advance landing party of Kupaki warriors coming to visit their local sacred land on the island marked by a totem pole. Taking everyone captive, they are driven back by Gilligan posing as their long-dead king. Episode: High Man on the Totem Pole

While misdirected in the jungle and trying to find their way back to camp, the Skipper and Gilligan find a totem pole and show it to the Professor. At the top of it is a head that is a dead ringer for Gilligan, leading him to believe he is the descendant of a Kupaki headhunter. Unsure of his identity, he becomes obsessed with the likeness, both Ginger and the Howells trying to snap him out of it, but everything seems to remind him of it. 

When Gilligan tries eliminating the cause of his distress by chopping the head off the pole, the Skipper points out that hypocrisy of chopping off its head. Unsure of how to behave, Gilligan decides to leave camp, but the Professor challenges his fear by handing him an axe and offering his own head. Realizing he's not a headhunter, Gilligan tosses the axe out of the window. 

Meanwhile, real Kupaki warriors appear on the island and discover that someone has defaced the head of Mashuka, their divine king on the sacred pole and cry out for revenge. They're discovered by the Skipper and Professor trying to return the head to the totem pole. After the Kupaki capture the Howells, the Professor tries to rescue them by having Gilligan impersonate their dead king. While getting him ready, the Professor and the other castaways are taken captive. Gilligan is left alone to rescue everyone, but his fear and uncertainty of their language leaves them suspicious that he is Mashuka. When they try capturing him, Gilligan runs past the totem pole and stumbles behind it, knocking into view the missing head from the pole. 

 

 

Realizing they dishonored their divine ancestor, the Kupaki are terrified and flee the island in fear.

The following morning, Gilligan reveals he's repaired the totem pole, replacing the head up top with the likeness of Mr. Howell to take his turn as Mashuka.

The likeness of the great King Mashuka lies disrespectfully on the ground

Gilligan is left alone to rescue everyone,
but his fear and uncertainty of their language
 leaves them suspicious that he is Mashuka.

Gilligan dressed as the Kupaki King Mashuka

 

The Kupaki Totem Pole is a native artifact on the island that Gilligan and the Skipper discover in the jungle. The pole is highlighted on top by the face of Mashuka, the Kupaki headhunter-god.

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Episode: Slave Girl

Slave Girl is the 94th episode of Gilligan's Island and the 26th episode of the Third Season. It aired on March 20, 1967.

When Gilligan saves a native woman named Kilani from drowning, she vows to be his slave for life, a tradition in her tribe. Gilligan tries to do his chores himself, but she comes and does them for him. Despite the fact Gilligan feels guilty over having her as a slave; the Girls and the Howells are intrigued. Mr. Howell wants the slave girl, but in order for him to claim her, Gilligan would have to be dead! Mr. Howell decides to fence Gilligan for her hand, faking Gilligan's death fencing as three more natives come looking for Kilani. 

Matoba tribe warrior 1

'Ugundi' warrior of the Matoba Tribe 

Matoba tribe warrior 2

The Professor translates that they are present to take back Kilani, and Ugundi, Kilani's suitor, will fight Mr. Howell to claim her. However, since Gilligan is still alive, she still belongs to him. The Skipper and the Professor once more try to fake Gilligan's death with the Howell's briefly misunderstanding their intentions. The natives, however, convinced that Gilligan is dead; decide to cremate his remains as per their customs. This leaves Ginger to stall for time with a dance until Gilligan can awaken, an act which terrifies the natives into fleeing the island believing he is a great fire-god.

The Castaways also make peaceful relations with Kilani of the Matoba and her tribe after Gilligan rescues her from the lagoon. Men from Kilani's tribe, Ugundi and two others, come looking for her and revere Gilligan so much they consider him a god after he seemingly dies, but after he wakes up, they flee the island in a panic.

After Gilligan saves a beautiful native girl from drowning, she vows to be his slave forever.

Ugundi is a warrior from the Matoba tribe. He appears on the island accompanied by two other Matoba tribe warriors searching for his bride Kilani. He challenges Gilligan to a duel to the death

"Slave Girl," as played by Midori, is Kalani, a pretty Matoba girl saved from drowning by Gilligan, her native customs demanding that she remain his slave for life. The other castaways offer bids for her services but she refuses to serve anyone else but Gilligan. Kalani insists on doing all of Gilligan's chores until he finally asks the Professor what can be done. The answer is not a healthy one, a duel to the death, basically Gilligan's! Mr. Howell makes an offer he can't refuse, the staged result putting Kalani in the victor's employ, only for a new challenger appearing in fellow Matoba warrior Ugundi (Michael Forest), who seeks to claim Kalani for himself.

A chance remark gives the Professor the idea to put Gilligan into a cataleptic state that will simulate death

Ginger and the castaways to stall for time for Gilligan to wake from the effects of the curare. 

Ugundi insists on a Matoba funeral, which requires the corpse to be set aflame!

Gilligan awakes from "being dead"

He realizes that he is on fire!!!

The Matoba consider Gilligan a god after he seemingly dies, but after he wakes up

Just after being lit on fire, Gilligan finally awakes, terrifying Ugundi and Kilani from the island.

Ugundi to comes looking for Kilani and reclaim her. With Gilligan still alive, Kilani still belongs to him, and Ugundi wants to fight Gilligan to reclaim her. 

Kilani is a lovely Native maiden who canoes into the lagoon of the island. After her canoe over-turns, she is rescued and revived by Gilligan, to whom she now vows a life debt. She follows Gilligan around serving him and doing his chores, much to the jealousy of the female castaways and the Howells. 

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Part 6, KING KALIWANI; THE PAPUAN TRIBE

While Gilligan is working on a SOS sail on the beach in the lagoon, King Kaliwani, a native chief with endless titles, comes to the island looking for a beautiful girl he calls a "White Goddess."

  

The girls run in fear from him and his warriors, but the Professor finds a lighter in the chief's out-rigger canoe that proves he has contact with the outside world and can get them rescued. Now, Mary Ann, Ginger and Mrs. Howell are competing against one another until they find out the "winner" is to be thrown into an active volcano! but Gilligan manages to escape on his own, leaving his disguise behind in the Girl's Hut. When the superstitious king discovers the wig and clothing, he becomes terrified, fleeing the island with his warriors.

The men stand their ground to defend the girls, but Kaliwani and his men come back after departing a bit less friendly; they fire a deadly blow dart that kills a potted plant.

  

Unfortunately, the only one who can successfully pass as a woman is Gilligan, who is completely indignant at the turn of events. Named "Gilliana," Gilligan learns that Kaliwani wants to keep him as a bride for himself and throw a dummy into the volcano. Mr. Howell and the girls try saving Gilligan with magic acts and USO acts

Faced with an unavoidable impasse, the Professor and the Skipper however scheme to trick the Chief into settling for one of them disguised as a woman.

The stunning white goddess, Mr. Howell

The equally glamorous white goddess. Professor

 

 

"Gilligan, the Goddess" was never intended to be the final episode, the series having been renewed for a fourth season, but the apparent demise of the long running GUNSMOKE was too much for CBS to contemplate, so its return to the fall schedule meant the loss of a show they never really appreciated. Judging by the finale there's no reason to believe that another season wouldn't have been just fine, the third year actually improving on the second.

Stanley Adams guest stars as King Kaliwani, civilized native chief in search of a white goddess to come to his island for a wedding ceremony.

All three women are ready to play the part, until they learn that the groom is a volcano, into which the goddess will be thrown!

All four men decide to dress up and play goddess in order to spare the ladies, but only Gilligan looks 'positively ravishing,' according to Mr. Howell! Unfortunately, it isn't long before the amorous king laments having 33 wives who don't understand him, making the moves on a perplexed Gilligan.

Perhaps best remembered for his turn on STAR TREK's "The Trouble with Tribbles," Stanley Adams manages to broker a full complement of laughs with various asides with Two guards (Mickey Morton and Robert Swimmer)

The Great King Kaliwani

King Kaliwani is the chief of a nearby Papuan native tribe on an island to the West, he also has the titles of Emperor of Eternal Night, Knight of Eternal Day, Seeker of Eternal Truth, Lord of Eternal Eternities and Keeper of the Eternal Flame.

His introduction a classic - Emperor of eternal night, Knight of eternal day, Seeker of eternal truth, Lord of eternal eternities, Keeper of eternal flame. (Plus one can eternal lighting fluid!)

The Professor finds his 'eternal flame,' actually a cigarette lighter, and learns that the King's island occasionally is visited by a ship.

 

Kalawani arrives on the island by outrigger canoe along with two other Papua island natives in search of a "White Goddess," a ritual volcano sacrifice on his island. Although initially opposed to the idea, Ginger, Mary Ann and Mrs. Howell are willing to fill the role until they hear the purpose. Eager to make it to Kaliwani's island for the ships, the Professor passes off Gilligan as a woman, but the king is so captivated with him that he opts to keep Gilligan for himself. The Castaways try saving him, but Gilligan distracts him to escape on his own, leaving behind his disguise and completely terrifying King Kaliwani to flee the island with his guards.

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