Thursday, January 16, 2014

Never to be Forgotten:
Russell Johnson 1924-2014

More bad news today. (Please refrain from mentioning the Group of Threes, because it isn't actually true.) Russell Johnson, best known to American audiences as the Professor on Gilligan's Island. The character's real name was Roy Hinkley Jr. He gets mention on this sci-fi blog for his roles on the 1960s TV shows The Outer Limits, The Twilight Zone and The Invaders, and for roles in the 1950s monster movies The Space Children, Attack of the Crab Monsters, This Island Earth and It Came From  Outer Space. For me, these cheesy movies are a major part of my childhood and I agree with Ken Jennings' tweet from earlier this week.

I have three categories.

1. This is good.
2. This is bad.
3. I loved this when I was a kid, so I have no idea if it's good or bad.

Best wishes to the family and friends of Russell Johnson, from a fan. He is never to be forgotten.

3 comments:

  1. I may love the radioactive vegetables episode, or the discussion of taking a girl to the drive - in ("She didn't want to watch the picture! " but Russell Johnson will always be the man who tried to prevent Lincoln's assassination.

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    Replies
    1. You beat me to it. I'm glad he got steady work on Gilligan but his Twilight Zone is what he should be remembered for.

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  2. I liked Russell Johnson when he teamed up with William "Captain Kirk" Shatner for an episode of Boris Karloff's "Thriller" TV series. As for Johnson's past performances, I was scared shi*less the first time I saw "Attack of the Crab Monsters". That bug-eyed crab was incredibly stupid-looking, and yet it had a definite scare-factor. Crab monster? Just the phrase conjures up sheer terror. Farewell, Russell, you were the last man on "Gilligan's Island" to set sail on a "three hour tour", and you will be forever missed.

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Traveler! Have you news... FROM THE FUTURE?