You have to admit one thing, the cast of GILLIGANS ISLAND liked working together and loved what they did. This shows in spades. And no matter how you paint it, this truly is the secret behind any successful tv show or movie, for that matter. The most successful film projects almost always owed their popularity to long standing friendships and dedication to each other.
This story is a hoot! Jim Backus (as Mr. Howell) shows his real deal comic genius as the commanding general of the castaways, that is when a gorilla(?) starts tossing hand grenades and war is declared! The gorilla is played by Janos Prohaska, who specialized in these types of parts, probably because he was a big guy. It pays the bills!
As one reviewer noted, yes, a la BATMAN, there's two boxes of grenades hidden in a cave that the gorilla has access too. Written on the boxes, certainly campy stuff, is GRENADES. Veteran Jerry Hopper directed, the man of classic tv. He directed such greats as PERRY MASON, VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA and BURKES LAW. Many, many more. Hopper should have written a book as he was actually a war hero, awarded the Purple Heart during WW II, serving as a battle photographer. This kind of ties into to this way goofy war tale.
Again the nagging question: Where did Mr. Howell get the military uniform??? Where did everyone's wardrobe come from?
The scene with Gilligan and the gorilla tossing granades into the lake is classic stuff. WATCH WHAT HAPPENS NEXT!
SEASON 2 EPISODE 22 beautifully restored dvd box set.