The great Mary Ann vs. Ginger debate has raged since time immemorial. Or at least since 1964 when Gilligan’s Island first made its campy debut. Dawn Wells’ career began in Hollywood with a few TV show guest appearances which led to her roll as Mary Ann Summers, one of the subjects of the great debate. I had asked Bob to pick me up the signed photo seen at left at one of the Hollywood Collectors Shows during the late 1990’s – but I had never had the opportunity to meet her (as I did with castmate Russell Johnson).
My chance came on Saturday, March 14, 2010, when she appeared at the Chicago Hollywood Celebrity show. I also thought I’d take the opportunity to have her sign the great color cast photo from Gilligan’s Island below that had been sent to me by series creator Sherwood Schwartz in 1997, which the other subject of the great debate had signed for me as well.
Dawn Wells did in fact possess some of the down-home charm that gave her character the contest edge to boys who like the girl-next-door. But overall, I didn’t have the best experience with Dawn Wells. First, I had to barter my way with two of her handlers in order to get this one photo signed and get a picture with her – for a grand total of $35, reduced from $45. Outrageous. Naturally, she was out to lunch at the time I arranged this.
When I returned, the handlers remembered me, so there was no issue there – but after I waited in the line for ten minutes while she chatted with some freak, she told me that I would have to wait while she did an interview with some other freak. I declined her offer. She recanted.
We did summon a nice pose, but I was very unhappy with the way she scrawled her signature on this great photo, taking up much more room than necessary and bumping into Ginger’s signature. Man, this gal plays dirty in the great debate. Mary Ann looked great for being 71, but after this experience, I’m afraid I’ll still have to vote for Ginger.
Celebrity encounters from the March 2010 Chicago collector show will conclude in the next posting…
She does look good for 71. I guess smoking the “wicked weed” has helped preserve her.
Bill
June 13th, 2010