Alan Hale Jr. (born Alan Hale MacKahan; March 8, 1921 – January 2, 1990) was an American actor and restaurateur.[1] He was the son of actor Alan Hale Sr.[1] His television career spanned four decades, but he was best known for his secondary lead role as Captain Jonas Grumby, better known as The Skipper, on the 1960s CBS comedy series Gilligan's Island (1964–1967),[1] a role he reprised in three Gilligan's Island television films and two spin-off cartoon series.
Alan Hale MacKahan was born in Los Angeles, California. His father was character actor Rufus Edward MacKahan,[1] who used the stage name of Alan Hale, and his mother was silent film actress Gretchen Hartman.[1] His father appeared in more than 235 films and had a successful screen career, both as a leading man in silent films and as a supporting actor in sound movies.[2] Hale Jr. was in the silent movies as a baby.
In 1931, Hale made his Broadway stage debut in Caught Wet. The play opened on November 4 and closed later that month. He made his screen debut in Wild Boys of the Road which was released in 1933. Although his role was deleted from that film's final release, he still received screen credit for his performance.[5] He later appeared in roles in To the Shores of Tripoli (1942), Yanks Ahoy (1943), Sweetheart of Sigma Chi (1946), and When Willie Comes Marching Home (1950). During the late 1940s and early 1950s, he frequently appeared in Gene Autry films and also had a recurring role from 1950 to 1952 on The Gene Autry Show.[6]
The year 1957 proved to be an especially busy one for Hale on television series. In addition to performing the role of Shawnee Bill on the WesternWanted Dead or Alive, he played a folksy rancher, Les Bridgeman, in "Hired Gun", an episode of the ABC/Warner Brothers series Cheyenne. Later that year Hale landed another starring role in the syndicated television series Casey Jones, which lasted for thirty-two half-hour episodes before its cancellation in 1958. Then, from 1958 to 1960, he was cast in a recurring role on Rory Calhoun's CBS WesternThe Texan. Hale also returned to the series Cheyenne in 1960 to portray the character Tuk in the episode "Road to Three Graves".
Hale as the Skipper on Gilligan's Island (1964–1967)
In 1964, Hale won the co-starring role as the Skipper on the CBS sitcom Gilligan's Island. The series aired for a total of 98 episodes from 1964 to 1967. His character proved to be the most prominent role of Hale's career, as the show continued in reruns. The popularity of the show typecast its actors, making it difficult for them to successfully pursue different roles. Hale did not mind being so closely identified with the Skipper.[7] According to series creator Sherwood Schwartz, he often visited children in hospitals dressed as the Skipper.
Hale performed as well in additional feature films during the 1970s and the 1980s. He starred in The Giant Spider Invasion (1975) and Angels Revenge (1978). In 1983, Hale co-starred in comedy-drama film Hambone and Hillie, starring Lillian Gish. The following year, he had a role in the comedy Johnny Dangerously and became a spokesman for a car dealership in Victoria, British Columbia.[8] In 1987, Hale starred in the horror film Terror Night. Later that same year, he made his final film appearance in a cameo role with Bob Denver in Back to the Beach.
Other ventures
In addition to acting, Hale co-owned Alan Hale's Lobster Barrel, a restaurant he opened in the mid-1970s. The Lobster Barrel was located on La Cienega Boulevard on Los Angeles's Restaurant Row. According to Hale's agent, Hale was "phased out" of the business in 1982. He later opened Alan Hale's Quality and Leisure Travel office.[1]
Personal life
Hale was married twice; his first marriage was on March 12, 1943,[3][better source needed] in Hollywood to Bettina Reed Doerr, with whom he had four children: Alan Brian, Chris, Lana, and Dorian. The couple later divorced.[4][9] In 1964, Hale married former singer Naomi Grace Ingram, to whom he remained married until his death.[10][11]
Death
Hale died on January 2, 1990, of thymus cancer at St. Vincent Medical Center in Los Angeles at age 68. His body was cremated, and his ashes were sprinkled into the Pacific Ocean.[2][12] His Gilligan's Island co-star Dawn Wells was in attendance, representing the surviving members of the cast.
For his contribution to the television industry, Alan Hale Jr. has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame located at 6653 Hollywood Boulevard.[13]
^Aaker, Everett (2006). Encyclopedia Of Early Television Crime Fighters: All Regular Cast Members In American Crime and Mystery Series, 1948–1959. McFarland. p. 246. ISBN0-7864-2476-1.
