The Cast of "The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis"

Well, all the adults have been gone for quite a while, but now the younger stars of “The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis” are beginning to fall by the wayside.

Last week, it was Steve Franken, aged 80, of cancer. He played Chatsworth Osborne, Jr., a spoiled rich kid who speaks several languages, excels at esoteric sports and alternately teases and torments both Dobie and Maynard. Franken, a cousin of Senator Al Franken, appeared in numerous comedy and dramatic series through the 60’s and 70’s, and still did voice-overs for cartoons into the 2000’s, as well as small roles on various sit-coms between 1988 and 2007. He is survived by his wife Jean Franken and their daughter, plus two daughters from a previous marriage.

Then, over the weekend, Bob Denver, also aged 80, died from complications from cancer. Denver played Maynard G. Krebs, TV’s first “beatnik”, who famously yelped "Work!?!" He had several movie roles, but after Dobie Gillis, he went on to star in the title role he is most famous for, Gilligan’s Island, as the well-meaning first mate who could seldom do anything right. Denver was forver typecast, and he reprised the role numerous sequels and spin-offs. After a career of minor TV and movie roles, Denver moved to West Virginia and ran an FM radio station with his wife, Dreama Peery Denver. He often re-created the Gilligan character for guest spots on 80’s TV shows and movies. He is survived by her and his four children, who were at his bedside in North Carolina when he died.

Among the "youngsters" that are left:

Sheila James Kuehl (Zelda Gilroy, now age 71)
Warren Beatty (Milton Armitage, Chatworth Osbourne’s cousin, age 75)
Tuesday Weld (Thalia Menninger, age 69)
Dwayne Hickman (Dobie Gillis, age 78)