The Gilligan's Island theme song once sparked a strange lawsuit

When it returned for its second season in September 1965, “Gilligan's Island” was broadcast in color for the first time. The show just crossed the line between CBS' transition from black-and-white to color, and so its first season is forever immortalized in monochrome, despite attempts to colorize it in syndication. But color wasn't the only new addition to the show in its second season. The iconic “Gilligan's Island” theme originally sung The Wellingtons were dropped for a brand new title track.

“The Ballad of Gilligan's Isle” was written by executive producer and show creator Sherwood Schwartz and songwriter George Weil, and recorded by The Wellingtons (who actually played band The Mosquitoes in a later episode of Gilligan's Island) in a mad rush at director Mel Shavelson's home studio. But for Season 2, the song had to include the names “Professor” and “Mary Ann”, which were previously called “the others” in the original Season 1 theme. This time, a group called the Eligibles took on the task, producing a new version of the classic sea shanty for the color debut of Gilligan's Island.

This is the version most fans will be familiar with, and the lyrics not only neatly sum up the whole premise of the show, but also introduce each member of the ensemble to the wonder of exciting yet utilitarian songwriting. Since then, the Gilligan's Island theme has been a beloved part of television history, immediately conjuring fond memories of the early 60s sitcom. Unless you happen to be a neighbor of billionaire Bill Gross. What does this one percenter and his neighbor's squabbling have to do with “The Ballad of Gilligan's Isle?” Let me tell you what remains an unseemly stain on the history of one of TV's greatest sitcoms and its legendary theme song.

“Gilligan's Island” theme song lyrics must have been ingrained in the memory of an entire generation, inextricably linked to the warm memories of gathering around the television to witness the surprises of Bob Denver Gilligan and the stuck-up crew. SS Minnow – so named To Newton Minow, chairman of the US Federal Communications Commission, who had drawn the ire of show creator Sherwood Schwartz by asking the networks to take more creative control over their programming.

But for one tech entrepreneur and his wife, “The Ballad of Gilligan's Island” will forever conjure up traumatic memories of enduring whistling fits from the titular billionaire neighbor. That neighbor is Bill Gross. Describes CNN As a “billionaire, bond investor, philanthropist and avid stamp collector,” Gross was the founder of one of the world's largest mutual funds, Pacific Investments Management Co (PIMCO). After retiring in 2019, Gross was apparently free to enjoy his Laguna Beach oceanfront property on an exclusive private strip of coastline. However, how CNN reports, things changed after Gross and his partner, Amy Schwartz, decided to build an art installation in their backyard.

Originally created by blown glass artist Dale Chihuly, the 22-foot-tall sculpture posed no problem for Gross' neighbor Mark Towfik, CEO of data center developer Nextfort Ventures. However, after Gross installed protective netting over the structure, Towfiq and his wife, Carol Nakahara, complained about their view of the ocean impoundment, eventually contacting the city of Laguna Beach to investigate. The city deemed the netting and lights that illuminated the sculpture a violation of city code and ordered Gross to seek the necessary permits to keep the sculpture.

You'd think that would be the end of it, but it was only the beginning, as Gross apparently planned to use the power of Sherwood Schwartz's immortal theme song in his ongoing battle against Towfiq and his wife.

Recording the “Gilligan's Island” theme song was as easy as the show itselfin which Sherwood Schwartz and The Wellingtons had just an hour to record the sea before being kicked out of Mel Shavelson's home studio. When the second season version was made, things were much less rushed. But this updated iteration of “The Ballad of Gilligan's Isle” would be the center of some hilarious antics when Bill Gross used it as part of his pathetic little war against Mark Tovfik.

According to ForbesWith a gross worth of $1.7 billion, the sheer wealth seems to trump the pettiness. According to Towfiq and his wife, after Gross was ordered to remove the net covering his art installation and obtain the proper permits, the billionaire began retaliating by playing “loud music and strange audio recordings at excessive levels” at various times of the day. night. The lawsuit, filed by Towfiq and Carol Nakahara, claimed that Gross would blast the “Gilligan's Island” theme song as part of their sonic offensive. According to The Wall Street Journalthe complaint also alleged that Gross and Amy Schwartz “started dancing on their balcony overlooking our property and made gestures to taunt us.”

Towfiq's lawsuit actually follows Gross and Schwartz's own complaint, filed on October 13, 2020, which alleged that Towfiq had “snooped” on Gross and Schwartz and sought an injunction against the CEO of Nextfort Ventures. Towfiq and Nakahara then filed a counterclaim on October 14, 2020, alleging that Gross and Schwartz launched a “targeted campaign of harassment and abuse” apparently using Gilligan and the gang as their rallying cry.

By the time Bill Gross and Mark Towfiq sued each other, they had apparently tried to resolve the issue, with Towfiq asking his neighbor to turn down the music only to receive the following message: “Peace on all fronts or ok (sic) just have the night gigs big boy .” According to The Wall Street JournalGross chose the TV theme song to start the psychological warfare, influenced Towfiq's memories of “Gilligan's Island”, and the tech entrepreneur recalled: “We had a black and white TV. I remember once a week we all It kind of ruined it for us, but it still is a good show.

However, Towfiq was mostly in the lead. How Los Angeles Times In 2022, Gross reportedly issued an apparent victory statement, claiming he was “pleased” with Laguna Beach's endorsement of his artwork, though the piece itself was never the issue — it was the netting that covered Towfiq's view. Gross also couldn't help but notice his neighbors in his statement, writing, “The approval of the Laguna Beach Design Review Board and the City of Laguna Beach reveals (Towfiq and Carol Nakahara's) true intentions in this rather ridiculous situation.” That statement is as strange as the rest of this debacle, seeing as Towfiq and Nakahara actually got the upper hand. Not only was Gross forced to remove the mesh that caused the problem, but he also withdrew his plans for a permanent glass and steel covering. Also, the billionaire was ordered not to illuminate the sculpture after 10 p.m

Additionally, an Orange County Superior Court judge found that Gross and his wife had offended their neighbors with their musical offensive, according to the LA Times, and ordered the couple to comply with Laguna Beach's noise laws. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Gross and his wife flouted those rules and were found in contempt of court, earning themselves community service.

Why did Gross choose the theme of “Gilligan's Island”? It remains unclear, but Sherwood Schwartz certainly had no idea when he wrote it that his sea shack was at the heart of this shameful little affair. Fortunately, no matter how many billionaires try to use the theme for nefarious purposes, “Gilligan's Island” remains one of the the best comedies of all time.