Strother Martin, a legendary Western actor, made a memorable appearance on the beloved sitcom "Gilligan's Island" during its final season. What makes this guest star so intriguing is the sheer scope of his career, which spanned decades and included some of the most iconic Westerns of all time. With a filmography that rivals that of his peers, Martin's journey to "Gilligan's Island" is a testament to his enduring talent and versatility.
Martin's early career was marked by a rapid rise to prominence in the 1950s, with roles in popular shows like "Gunsmoke" and "Have Gun, Will Travel". His Western credits were extensive, and he even appeared in the lesser-known but highly regarded Western series "Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre". On the big screen, Martin's credits included the Western "Cowboy" and John Ford's "The Horse Soldiers", as well as the film noir classic "Kiss Me Deadly" and Disney's early cinematic universe debut, "The Shaggy Dog".
However, it was the 1960s that truly solidified Martin's place in Western cinema. He played a bounty hunter in Sam Peckinpah's "The Wild Bunch", a role that continued a longstanding collaboration with the director, who had written the "Gunsmoke" episode featuring Martin's first guest spot, "Cooter". Martin also starred in George Roy Hill's "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" and Henry Hathaway's "True Grit", both of which featured John Wayne. In fact, Martin acted opposite Wayne in six films, including "McLintock!" and "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance", which IMDb rates as Wayne's best Western.
What makes Martin's appearance on "Gilligan's Island" even more fascinating is the context of his career at the time. In 1967, he played a prison captain in "Cool Hand Luke", one of his most iconic roles. The same year, he guest-starred on "Gilligan's Island" in the episode "Take a Dare", playing a game show contestant who has sequestered himself on the island. This role, while seemingly out of place, is a testament to Martin's versatility and willingness to take on diverse characters.
The episode, "Take a Dare", is a delightful and ridiculous addition to the "Gilligan's Island" canon. Martin's character, George Barkley, is a man who has marooned himself on the island as part of a game show that rewards people with cash for putting themselves in tough situations. When he's discovered by the castaways, they see him as a potential means of escape. However, if the game show finds out he's not alone, he loses his money. Barkley goes to great lengths to keep the castaways a secret, including stopping them from using his two-way radio.
The episode comes to a delightfully ridiculous close when the castaways hatch a plan to keep a lookout for the boat being sent to collect Barkley, only for Gilligan to fail to report its arrival when the game show sends a helicopter instead. It's a brilliant and entertaining episode, and Martin's performance is a highlight. His ability to bring depth and humor to a seemingly minor role is a testament to his skill as an actor.
After "Gilligan's Island", Martin continued to add to his legendary Western credits. He appeared in one of Clint Eastwood's most important Westerns, "Hang 'Em High", and returned to "Gunsmoke" for a couple of episodes. However, it was his post-"Gilligan's Island" Western projects that truly solidified his place in Western cinema. In 1969, he starred in several movies that defined Western history, including "The Wild Bunch", "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid", and "True Grit".
Martin's career was a testament to his enduring talent and versatility. His ability to move between television and film, and to take on diverse characters, is a rare skill. His appearance on "Gilligan's Island" is a fascinating chapter in his career, and it serves as a reminder of his enduring legacy in Hollywood's Old West. In my opinion, Martin's performance on the show is a highlight of his career, and it's a pleasure to watch him bring depth and humor to a seemingly minor role. Personally, I think his ability to transition between Westerns and other genres is what makes him such a fascinating actor to study and admire.
