Front row and center here is memorable Sterling Holloway, the voice of so many Walt Disney characters, playing Burt, a prisoner who has a trained pet pigeon?
Guess where the pigeon ends up?
Burt is obviously a kooky take-off on the "Birdman of Alcatraz." He's been sending the pigeon with messages to "Old Lady Hawkins," presumably one of his "supporters," but a storm throws the pigeon off course and he crash lands on the island.
IDEA! While nursing so-called Walter the pigeon back to health, the professor and the gang fit him with messages! When he flies back to Burt, he thinks its a bunch of nonesense the crazy old lady cooked up.
Best line department: Mr. Howell tells his wife, "Money talks and people listen. Take a message with lots of numbers!"
Accordingly, when Walter returns, Mr. Howell includes a fresh 1,000 dollar bill! DOESN'T WORK.
I agree with the last reviewer, there's a strange twist with the introduction of a giant spider, which looks more goofy than threatening. Walter naturally gets trapped in the cave with the spider and to the rescue comes reluctant Gilligan,the Skipper and the professor --who has designed a trap!
This funny episode could actually go on and on, and the spider is hilarious. If the thing talked, that would have been a blast! The spider was featured on LOST IN SPACE and VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA, and probably inspired by the legendary sci fi, TARANTULA (1955).
Michael Kane did a good job directing, although the spider is kind of dopey and clumsy. Kane, whose name was a nod to actor Michael Caine, is best known as a writer, who did the orignal story for SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT, PART II.
And even though the castaways don't get much traction with the pigeon, Burt is finally released from prison. Once again, as is the tradition, there's a happy ending --for someone else!
Sterling Holloway is so much fun to watch, and that famous voice! He would next appear in an Elvis Presley film, LIVE A LITTLE, LOVE A LITTLE, as a milkman? Interestingly, Sterling, who got his start in movies playing country bumpkins and soda jerks in the 1920s, was probably the oldest actor with the most experience to appear on the show. Great trivia question.
From SEASON 3 EPISODE 28 remastered color dvd box set.