Dawn Wells

Dawn Elberta Wells (October 18, 1938 – December 30, 2020) was an American actress known for her role as Mary Ann Summers on the CBS sitcom ''Gilligan's Island''.

Early life

Wells was born to Evelyn (née Steinbrenner) and Joe Wesley Wells in Reno, Nevada, where she attended Reno High School. Her father owned a local Reno construction company called "Wells Cargo" (not to be confused with the trailer manufacturer). After high school graduation, Wells attended Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri, where she majored in chemistry. She transferred to the University of Washington in Seattle, where she graduated in 1960 with a degree in theater arts and design. She was a member of the Alpha Chi Omega sorority.

Career

In 1959, Wells was crowned Miss Nevada and represented her state in the Miss America 1960 pageant in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

In Hollywood, Wells made her debut on ABC's '' The Roaring 20s'' and the movie ''The New Interns'' and was cast in episodes of such television series as '' The Joey Bishop Show'', ''77 Sunset Strip'', ''Cheyenne'', ''Maverick'', and ''Bonanza.''

Wells appeared as a guest star on ''Wagon Train'', ''Tales of Wells Fargo'', ''87th Precinct'', ''Surfside 6'', '' Hawaiian Eye'', '' Ripcord'', ''The Everglades'', '' The Detectives'', ''Bonanza'', '' It's a Man's World'', '' Channing'', '' Laramie'', '' Burke's Law'', ''The Invaders'', ''The Wild Wild West'', ''The F.B.I.'', ''Vega$'', ''The Love Boat'', ''Fantasy Island'', ''Matt Houston'', '' ALF'', ''Herman's Head'', '' Three Sisters'', '' Pastor Greg'', and ''Roseanne''.

''Gilligan's Island''

She took her signature role of Mary Ann on ''Gilligan's Island'' in 1964. She reprised her character in the various ''Gilligan's Island'' reunion specials, including the reunion cartoon spin-off ''Gilligan's Planet'' and three reunion movies: ''Rescue from Gilligan's Island'', ''The Castaways on Gilligan's Island'', and ''The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan's Island''. She also reprised her character in a 1992 episode of ''Baywatch'', "Now Sit Right Back and You'll Hear a Tale".

In 1993, Wells published ''Mary Ann's Gilligan's Island Cookbook'' with co-writers Ken Beck and Jim Clark, including a foreword by Bob Denver. Alan Hale Jr., who played The Skipper on ''Gilligan's Island'', contributed a family recipe ("Kansas Chicken and Dumplings") to her cookbook. Hale's character was the inspiration behind such concoctions as Skipper's Coconut Cream Pie, Skipper's Navy Bean Soup, and Skipper's Goodbye Ribeye, and he is depicted as Skipper Jonas Grumby in numerous photographs throughout the book. She said in a 2014 interview with GoErie.com, "Alan could not have been kinder to a young actress. He was a real peach."

In 1997, Wells starred as her ''Gilligan's Island'' character in a music video for the song "Mary Ann" by the pop-punk band Squirtgun (Lookout Records labelmates of Green Day). The song describes an infatuation with Mary Ann and sings praises to the wholesome character, specifically choosing her over Ginger. The video reached the top 40 of MTV's Alternative Music charts, and was featured as part of a variety of alternative-themed music video programs.

In 2005, Wells consigned for sale her original gingham blouse and shorts ensemble from her signature role. Beverly Hills auction house Profiles in History sold it for $20,700.

In 2014, Wells released ''What Would Mary Ann Do? A Guide to Life'', which she co-wrote with Steve Stinson. The book was released to coincide with the 50th anniversary of ''Gilligan's Island''.

A recurring theme, in the form of a rivalry, developed from the show that posed the question, mainly to men, as to which one of the female stars they preferred: Ginger or Mary Ann? Wells embraced the good-natured rivalry. During a 2014 interview with the ''Vancouver Sun'', Wells said that she had a T-shirt that read: "Ginger or Mary Ann, the ultimate dilemma." The question of which of these two characters men prefer endured long after the end of the series. "You can go anywhere and say 'Ginger or Mary Ann?' You don't have to say what show it is. Everybody gets it. And I always win."

Film

Wells had small roles in the early-1960s films ''Palm Springs Weekend'' and ''The New Interns'', and later starred with Michael Dante in the independent 1975 film ''Winterhawk'', playing a Western settler kidnapped by a Native American chief. Her other films include ''The Town That Dreaded Sundown'', ''Return to Boggy Creek'', ''Lover's Knot'', ''Soulmates'', ''Forever for Now'', and ''Super Sucker''. In fall 2011, she began filming ''Silent But Deadly'' (originally titled ''Hotel Arthritis''), a comedy horror film released in 2012.

Theater

Following ''Gilligan's Island'', Wells embarked on a theater career, appearing in nearly one hundred theatrical productions as of July 2009. She spent the majority of the 1970s and 1980s touring in theater productions, notably the second national (bus and truck) tour of Neil Simon's '' Chapter Two'' (in the role of Jennie Malone), and replacing Lorna Luft as Sonia Walsk in the second national tour of ''They're Playing Our Song''. She also had a one-woman show at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas in 1985.

MeTV

In May 2016, Wells was named Marketing Ambassador to MeTV Network, which had begun airing reruns of ''Gilligan's Island''.

Humanitarian activities

For several years, Wells operated a business, Wishing Wells Collections, making clothing for people with limited mobility. She was the founder of the Idaho Film and Television Institute, a not-for-profit (501(c)(3)) educational organization with "a vision of education, technical training and economic development in Southeastern Idaho." She organized SpudFest, a regional annual family movie festival, and promoted Idaho Potatoes.

Wells lent her support to the Denver Foundation, a West Virginia charity chaired by Dreama Denver, widow of Wells' ''Gilligan's Island'' co-star Bob Denver. In November 2009, she appeared at the Denver Foundation's Christmas Wish Celebrity Auction, helping to raise funds for the disabled and disadvantaged in West Virginia.

Personal life and death

Wells married Larry Rosen, a talent agent, on October 27, 1962. The couple had no children and divorced in 1967.

In 2018, a GoFundMe page was set up to help Wells cope with financial trouble from medical care after a fall.

In June 2020, Wells' manager revealed in court documents that Wells was suffering from dementia.

Wells died from COVID-19-related causes in Los Angeles on December 30, 2020, at age 82, during the COVID-19 pandemic in California. The week prior to her death, she had a Happy New Year video prerecorded to be released on the holiday.

Filmography

Sources:

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Wells, Dawn
1938 births
2020 deaths
20th-century American actresses
21st-century American actresses
Actresses from Los Angeles
Actresses from Reno, Nevada
American film actresses
American musical theatre actresses
American stage actresses
American television actresses
Deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic in California
Miss America 1960s delegates
Miss Nevada winners
People from Teton County, Idaho
Reno High School alumni
Stephens College alumni
University of Washington School of Drama alumni