Alan Hale Jr. on the heartwarming way he remembered his father, Alan Hale Sr.

"Dad's not dead, he's just gone," said Hale.

Warner Brothers

The death of a loved one can be hard to deal with, especially when the person you lost is a parent. This was someone who looked after you most of your life, and without them, you can feel a bit lost, no matter how old you are.

Luckily, there are ways to remember our loved ones, no matter how long they've been gone. Why do we keep home videos or scrapbooks? Because they allow us to revisit those we care about when they're not here anymore.

Alan Hale Jr. had a rare opportunity to revisit his father. Hale Jr.'s father, also called Alan, was a well-known film star. Hale Sr. starred in movies like The Trap and They Drive By Night.

During an interview with The Wisconsin State Journal, Hale Jr. explained that by watching his father's old movies, he connected with his parent

"Dad's not dead, he's just gone," said Hale.

In fact, Hale also mentioned that his father's films gave his grandchildren a rare opportunity to know the elder Hale.

"My kids all know their grandpa from his movies on TV," said Hale. "That's the silver lining of the silver screen."

Hale Jr., of course, is known for his role as The Skipper on the hit series, Gilligan's Island. The show has earned its own place in television history, and after Hale himself passed away, audiences would still flock to the series to revisit the actor and enjoy a few laughs.

"People have such a real affection for that show," said Hale. "It's been roasted, put in the oven, and torn to shreds by the critics, but it's still on TV and people still watch it. We made 110 episodes for the original three-year run, and it's been in syndication now for the last 12 years."

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3 Comments

Bapa1 1 day ago
Hale Sr. was in a movie with James Cagney called the Fighting 69th. Good movie. Senior and Junior looked and sounded so much alike.
MrsPhilHarris 3 days ago
Alan Hale Sr. was in a lot of movies in the 1930s and 1940s.
Yes, he was best remembered as Little John in the Errol Flynn version of Robin Hood! Fun Fact: footage was later used in a Bugs Bunny cartoon ["Naw, it can't be him!"]!
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