Home / Arts and Entertainment / Gilligan's Star's Secret Navy Sub Debut
Gilligan's Star's Secret Navy Sub Debut
1 Nov
Summary
- Bob Denver's acting career began on "The Silent Service."
- The show depicted U.S. Navy submarine life accurately.
- Future "Star Trek" actors also appeared on the series.
Bob Denver, best known for his role as a shipwrecked castaway, began his acting career not on an island, but aboard a submarine. His debut was in the 1957 military anthology series, "The Silent Service," which brought dramatized stories of the U.S. Navy's submarine fleet to television. Filmed aboard the USS Sawfish, the series, hosted by a retired rear admiral, ensured an accurate and flattering portrayal of submarine life. Each episode concluded with interviews featuring real Navy veterans whose experiences were depicted.
Denver appeared in "The Tang's Last Shot" as Seaman Murph, his first credited role. Although drafted later, he was exempt from military service due to a childhood injury. A decade after "The Silent Service," Denver would encounter another submarine narrative in "Gilligan's Island." The series also featured other actors who would later achieve wider fame, including Leonard Nimoy and DeForest Kelley, both of whom appeared in multiple episodes of the Navy drama before their iconic roles in "Star Trek."
