Wonderful Color Photos of Dawn Wells in the 1960s

Dawn Wells was an American actress best known for her role as Mary Ann Summers on the iconic 1960s TV show Gilligan’s Island. The show aired from 1964 to 1967 and became a cultural phenomenon, with Wells’ character, the sweet and wholesome farm girl, becoming a fan favorite. In the 1960s, Wells was seen as a classic “girl-next-door” figure, often dressed in casual outfits like shorts, crop tops, and modest swimsuits, contrasting with the glamorous, sophisticated style of her co-star, Tina Louise, who played Ginger Grant.

Evelyn (Steinbrenner) and Joe Wesley Wells welcomed Wells into the world on October 18, 1938, in Reno, Nevada. She first attended Reno High School, then she went to Stephens College in Columbia. She changed schools and enrolled at the University of Washington in Seattle, where she earned a degree in theater arts and design in 1960. On October 27, 1962, Wells married talent agent Larry Rosen. The couple split in 1967.

Wells won the title of Miss Nevada in 1959 and competed on behalf of her state in the Miss America 1960 competition in Atlantic City, New Jersey. She made her start in Hollywood on The Roaring 20s on A.B.C., in the movie New Interns, and in episodes of The Joey Bishop Show. In 1964, she landed the starring role of Mary Ann on Gilligan’s Island. Wells released Mary Ann’s Gilligan’s Island Cookbook in 1993.

She was in supporting roles in Palm Springs Weekend and The New Interns in the early 1960s before collaborating with Michael Dante in Winterhawk in 1975. After Gilligan’s Island, Wells began a career in theater, and as of July 2009, she had participated in about a hundred theatrical shows. In 1985, she also had a solo performance at the M.G.M. Grand Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. Wells was appointed MeTV. Network’s marketing ambassador in May 2016, just as the network started showing Gilligan’s Island reruns.

Dawn Wells died on December 30, 2020 in Los Angeles of Covid-19-related causes. She was 82.