Thursday, March 28, 2024

TVLand Double Whammy Deaths: Gilligan Island’s Professor, Partridge Family’s Reuben Kincaid

Share

Thursday brought a TV land double whammy of death. RIP Russell Johnson, 89, known as “The Professor” from “Gilligan’s Island.”

At the same time, sadly, Dave Madden, aka Reuben Kincaid from “The Partridge Family,” passed away at age 82.

Each actor portrayed a memorable iconic character from late 60s and early 70s TV, when there were only 11 or so channels and color was a new invention.

Russell Johnson was the only passenger on the Minnow who had a brain, was serious and somehow navigated the choppy waters from Gilligan’s Island. The Professor was all business, and never seemed to understand that Hollywood movie star Ginger– played by Tina Louise– had a crush on him. I’ve seen Tina a couple of times lately. She’s still a siren, much younger than Johnson.

Dave Madden was more of a comic actor. Reuben Kincaid was the smarmy manager of the singing Partridges. He spent most of his time trading barbs with 10 year old Danny Partridge (Danny Bonaduce). Madden had great comic timing, and made the most of his bristling, sarcastic dialogue.

Both actors will be missed, but they live on in reruns and DVDs and on YouTube.

Roger Friedman
Roger Friedmanhttps://www.showbiz411.com
Roger Friedman began his Showbiz411 column in April 2009 after 10 years with Fox News, where he created the Fox411 column. His movie reviews are carried by Rotten Tomatoes, and he is a member of both the movie and TV branches of the Critics Choice Awards. His articles have appeared in dozens of publications over the years including New York Magazine, where he wrote the Intelligencer column in the mid 90s and covered the OJ Simpson trial, and Fox News (when it wasn't so crazy) where he covered Michael Jackson. He is also the writer and co-producer of "Only the Strong Survive," a selection of the Cannes, Sundance, and Telluride Film festivals, directed by DA Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus.
spot_img

Read more

In Other News