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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2015
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PANORAMA
THE SUMTER ITEM
‘Still on That Freakin’ Island’ BY NICK THOMAS Tinseltown Talks
F
ans of the often zany 1960’s television sitcoms will instantly
recognize “Gilligan’s Island” star Dawn Wells who played Mary Ann Summers, the perky Kansas farm girl shipwrecked on an uncharted Pacific island with six other castaways, including a professor, a movie star and a millionaire. Fifty-one years after the show first aired, some still speculate on the castaways’ fate. Wells offers one possibility in her recent short film, “She’s Still on That Freakin’ Island.” “I’ve just started a production company called CarterWells Entertainment, and we were looking for projects,” said Wells from Los Angeles. “Terry Ray, a writer and actor, approached me with the idea of doing a short film about Mary Ann and I just loved it.” Despite the obvious connection to the popular TV series, Wells says she and Ray refrained from using the characters’ names to avoid any copyright issues. The film opens with Wells sitting on the beach sipping coconut cocktails, as a waterlogged man in tuxedo (Ray) scrambles ashore through the waves, having fallen off a boat. Their conversation drifts into quaint “Gilligan’s Island” references, providing a dose of nostalgic charm for fans of the show. “There’s a reference to ‘Pass the Vegetables, Please,’ a popular episode where everyone gets superhuman powers after eating vegetables grown from radiated seeds that Gilligan finds,” explained Wells. There’s also some witty payback for the writers of the well-known first season theme lyrics which famously relegated Wells and Russell Johnson, who played the professor, to “the rest” in the opening credits. “Fans will appreciate that,” laughed Wells, indicat-
ing that her wardrobe was another subtle nod to co-star and longtime friend Johnson. “He always wore a pale blue shirt during the show’s run. So I went to Goodwill for a similar one, sewed on some patches, and wore it.” While Mary Ann was sometimes seen wearing “short shorts,” Wells, who turned 77 this year, complemented the shirt with blue jeans for the film. “I actually have a pair of the original shorts from the show, but I’m not sure if they would fit me now.” The film, just under six minutes, was shot in one day by the crew of four, including Leonard Carter as direcPHOTO PROVIDED tor, cinematographer and edIn this still from Dawn Wells’ new short film, Terry Ray is washed ashore onto “Gilligan’s Island” after falling itor. The team rolled onto a overboard from a cruise ship. Wells recently started a production company, and “Still on the Freakin’ Isstretch of California beach land” is her first project. between Malibu and Paradise Cove around 8 a.m. on Oct. 20. “Everyone involved just volunteered their time, and we finished by mid-afternoon,” recalled Wells. “Filming was fairly straight forward with the sound from the wind and waves being the only technical difficulties.” While shooting, Wells observed some 50 seagulls nearby at the water’s edge. “Suddenly, a baby seal crawled up onto the beach and the birds surrounded it as it flapped its little tail,” she said. “It lay there for about 45 minutes then disappeared into the water again. It felt like we were really on an island with no one else around.” After posting the film on her Facebook page (see www. dawnwells.com), fans seemed delighted. “An adorable riot!” wrote one. “It is too darn cute,” claimed another. “After all these years, ‘Gilligan’s Island’ is still loved around the world,” said Wells. “It was a show about www.sleepinn.com seven people from various walks of life who were thrown together and had to adapt to get along despite their differences. That’s a lesson we can all learn.” View “She’s Still on That Freakin’ Island” video here: http://bit.ly/1NEb0ZA Nick Thomas teaches at AuHometown Jewelers since1935 burn University at Montgomery, Alabama, and has writ444 N Guignard Drive ten features, columns, and in(inside the Piggly Wiggly) SUMTER terviews for more than 600 magazines and newspapers. 803.775.1209 Follow @TinseltownTalks
The
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TOUR, FROM PAGE C1 The den with its stone fireplace has a sitting area to gather for fellowship and an area where they enjoy holiday treats and playing games. A vintage Christmas tree is decorated with their children’s handmade ornaments and trinkets picked up through years of travel. The wall bookcases feature a large snow village collection. The dining room has original hand-painted French wallpaper and the dining room table is set with Christmas china, all ready for the family Christmas dinner. Of the two upstairs bedrooms, the largest was where Caroline, Sarah and Katherine shared beds and memories over the years. Unlike their brother, Will, whose bedroom is downstairs, the daughters learned the fine art of communal living in spacious, feminine quarters. The large kitchen still has the original working double-oven from 1962. And, as all the holiday guests know, the Hancocks keep a cubby-style counter filled with Christmas candies. Of course, there seems to be a well-worn path to this special place in the home.
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WEDGEFIELD, S.C. Nestled in a quiet corner property at the crossroads of S.C. Highway 261 and the Wedgefield Road is the Wedgefield Presbyterian Church, where it’s been since 1881 and is a landmark church now. Once known as “the church in the pines,” its exterior deep green and white color scheme and chapel doors make it perfect for holiday decorating in seasonal colors. The sanctuary’s tall windows and high ceiling produce restful, filtered natural light augmented by antique kerosene oil lamps that line the sanctuary walls and light the foyer. When Christmastime comes, sanctuary wreaths hung from the windows on long broad streamers of bright red ribbon offset the lime green of the interior paint and carpeting. Christmas at the Presbyterian church in Wedgefield is a Christ-centered season that begins with an observance of Advent, four weeks of preparation for the great celebration of the gift of the Christ child. While the congregation prepares spiritually to deepen in faith, hope and love, the worship space is also transformed by the candlelight of an Advent wreath. Then, in a special evening Joy Gift service, the families of the church “trim” the sanctuary chrismon tree with handmade symbols of the Christian faith. The height of the season comes with a Christmas communion, which this year will be celebrated on Dec. 27. From a treasure of what is new and what is old comes the Christmas tradition at the Wedgefield Presbyterian Church, where keen eyes will see signs of the way things were when “church” was the center of community and the Sabbath Day, holy. -- The Rev. Jody Foster
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