Dawn Wells
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Dawn Elberta Wells (October 18, 1938 - December 30, 2020) was an American actress who is best known for her role as Mary Ann Summers on the CBS sitcom Gilligan's Island. She and Tina Louise are the last surviving regular cast members from that series.
In Hollywood, Wells made her debut on ABC's The Roaring 20s and the movie The New Interns and was cast in episodes of such television series as 77 Sunset Strip, The Cheyenne Show, Maverick, and Bonanza, before she took the role of Mary Ann on Gilligan's Island. She reprised her character in the various Gilligan's Island reunion specials, including the reunion cartoon spin-off Gilligan's Planet and three reunion movies: Rescue from Gilligan's Island, The Castaways on Gilligan's Island, and The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan's Island.
She also appeared as a guest star on Wagon Train, Tales of Wells Fargo, 87th Precinct, Surfside 6, Hawaiian Eye, Ripcord, The Everglades, The Detectives, It's a Man's World, Channing, Laramie, Burke's Law, The Invaders, The Wild Wild West, The F.B.I., Vega$, The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, Matt Houston, ALF, Herman's Head, Three Sisters, Pastor Greg, and Roseanne.
Following Gilligan's Island, Wells embarked on a theater career, appearing in nearly one hundred theatrical productions as of July 2009. She spent the majority of the 1970s, and 1980s, touring in musical theater productions. She also had a one-woman show at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas in 1985.
In 1993, Wells published Mary Ann's Gilligan's Island Cookbook with co-writers Ken Beck and Jim Clark, including a foreword by Bob Denver. She was close to Alan Hale Jr., who played The Skipper in Gilligan's Island, even after the series completed its run, and he contributed a family recipe ("Kansas Chicken and Dumplings") to her cookbook. Hale's character was the inspiration behind such concoctions as Skipper's Coconut Pie, Skipper's Navy Bean Soup, and Skipper's Goodbye Ribeye, and he is depicted as Skipper Jonas Grumby in numerous photographs throughout the book. She said in a 2014 interview with GoErie.com, "Alan could not have been kinder to a young actress. He was a real peach."
In 2005, Wells consigned her original gingham blouse and shorts ensemble for sale from her signature role. Beverly Hills auction house Profiles in History sold it for $20,700. In 2008, she joined Gilligan's Island creator Sherwood Schwartz in Los Angeles for the celebration of Schwartz's entry into the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She appeared on the "Celebrity Holiday Bash" episode of Food Network's Chopped, which first aired December 1, 2013.
In 2014, Wells released What Would Mary Ann Do? A Guide to Life, which she co-wrote with Steve Stinson. The book was released to coincide with the 50th anniversary of Gilligan's Island.
Gilligan's Island co-star Russell Johnson died on January 16, 2014, and Wells and Tina Louise are the only surviving cast members of the sitcom. In May 2016, Wells was named Marketing Ambassador to MeTV Network. In January 2019, Wells was seen promoting the Gilligan's Island television series on the MeTV television network. CLR
Known For | Acting |
---|---|
Most Rating | 14.885 |
Birthday | 1938-10-18 |
Place of Birth | Reno, Nevada, USA |
Also Known As | Dawn Elberta Wells, |
1978
Rescue from Gilligan's Island
4.7/27
When a decaying Russian satellite crashes on the island, the Professor uses a key component for a barometer. With that device, he learns that a massiv...
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Rescue from Gilligan's Island
1992
Soulmates
3.2/4
A man who is immortal can bring his wife back from the dead temporarily by killing young women. But his latest would-be victim may be a problem.
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Soulmates
1976
The Town That Dreaded Sundown
5.8/182
When two young lovers are savagely beaten and tortured on a back country road in Texarkana, local police are baffled and must find "the Phantom Killer...
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The Town That Dreaded Sundown
2001
Surviving Gilligan's Island: The Incredibly True Story of the Longest Three Hour Tour in History
7.2/4
A campy look at the making of the 1964-67 TV series, as told by stars Bob Denver, Dawn Wells and Russell Johnson, as well as in flashbacks (actors pla...
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Surviving Gilligan's Island: The Incredibly True Story of the Longest Three Hour Tour in History
1979
The Castaways on Gilligan's Island
6.6/8
In the second of three additional Gilligan's Island movies following the series, the gang finds a way of getting rescued from the "uncharted desert is...
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The Castaways on Gilligan's Island
1975
Winterhawk
6.6/24
Smallpox plagues Chief Winterhawk's tribe. He seeks cure from the white men, who in turn, in fear of getting the smallpox, kill two of his companions....
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Winterhawk
2012
Silent but Deadly
4/1
Senior citizens are being offed by a masked killer in their small retirement community.
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Silent but Deadly
1977
Return to Boggy Creek
3.8/10
Three children and two adults become trapped in the woods during a hurricane and it is up to a Bigfoot-like creature called 'Big Bay-Ty' to come to th...
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Return to Boggy Creek
1996
Lover's Knot
4/2
A pair of lovers have no idea that their affair is overseen and orchestrated by an angel sent by Cupid to see that they remain together in this romant...
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Lover's Knot
1981
The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan's Island
5.4/5
The Harlem Globetrotters' chartered plane crash lands on the atoll inhabited by the happily marooned Gilligan and fellow castaways, and they all must...
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The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan's Island
1983
High School U.S.A.
5.7/27
Set in a senior high school class, J.J. pursues the girlfriend of a rival from a higher clique which culminates in a race at the end of the movie betw...
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High School U.S.A.
2018
The Gilligan Manifesto
5.5/8
At the height of the Cold War, Gilligan's Island depicted seven Americans living in an analogue of a post-apocalyptic world where the survivors have t...
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The Gilligan Manifesto
2002
Super Sucker
5.5/8
Two door to door vaccuum cleaner salesmen hilariously compete against each other.
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Super Sucker
1964
The New Interns
5/3
Young doctors mix romance with their careers in a big-city hospital.
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The New Interns
2013
This Is Our Time
5.182/11
After graduation, five friends set out to make a difference in the world for God. Their ambitions are high, their passions are strong but will they ha...
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