Among the menagerie of civilians stranded on Gilligan’s Island were Hollywood star Ginger Grant (Tina Louise) and country girl Mary Ann Summers (Dawn Wells). Both women were inclined to wear skimpy outfits appropriate for a tropical island in the Pacific; that they also had the foresight to pack multiple outfits for what was supposed to be a three-hour boat ride is one of the many great mysteries that academics have spent countless hours contemplating since the show ended its three-season run in 1967.
Unfortunately, this set off all sorts of alarm bells for the censors at NBC. As Schwartz recalled:
“[On ‘Gilligan’s Island,’] One day I came home from having trouble with the censors about Dawn and Tina. They were worried about Tina’s cleavage and Dawn’s belly button because in those days you couldn’t show your belly button. My wife asked me what was wrong and I said, ‘Between Tina’s boobs and Mary Ann’s belly button, I can’t get a minute’s peace!'”
Over time, Schwartz and his team came up with an alternative solution. Louise mastered the art of subtly covering her midriff when the camera was on her, while Wells paired her tops with short shorts that hit just high enough to keep her belly button from poking its tiny head out and causing a riot. (This was identical to what “I Dream of Jeannie” did, outfitting Eden in a pair of high-waisted pink harem pants.)
As for Louise’s breasts, that required a combination of careful camera angles and trying to avoid dressing her in an excess of two-pieces or tops with deep V-necks. Surely it was fortunate that Ginger thought to feature pack all those extra clothes ahead of time, even if they seemed foreign at the time.
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