Posted on 07/20/2016 4:13:03 AM PDT by Wolfie
Garry Marshall, ‘Pretty Woman’ Director, Dies at 81
If one were to count up the number of times any American — or maybe anyone anywhere — laughed in the last half-century, the person responsible for more of those laughs than anyone else might well be Garry Marshall, who died on Tuesday in Burbank, Calif. He was 81.
The lawyer Martin Garbus, who was a childhood friend of Mr. Marshall’s, said he died after a series of strokes.
It would be difficult to overstate Mr. Marshall’s effect on American entertainment. His work in network television and Hollywood movies fattened the archive of romantic, family and buddy comedies and consistently found the sweet spot in the middle of the mainstream.
It might be said that Mr. Marshall, who worked with A-list stars such as Lucille Ball in the 1960s and Julie Andrews and Anne Hathaway in the early 21st century (he directed them in the coming-of-age-as-royalty film “The Princess Diaries”), was among the forces that directed that very mainstream.
Beginning in the 1960s, his work in television alone included writing scripts for the well-remembered, star-driven comedies “Make Room for Daddy” (with Danny Thomas), “The Lucy Show” and “The Dick Van Dyke Show” and developing (with Jerry Belson) Neil Simon’s play “The Odd Couple” into the television series that starred Tony Randall and Jack Klugman as the mismatched roommates Felix, a neatnik, and Oscar, a slob.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
I saw him on Hallmark’s Home and Family show a couple of months or so ago. He was old, but still pretty peppy and funny. RIP.
he made good clean entertainment for all ages.. RIP
Never saw it. I avoid chick flicks (although sometimes, one is obliged to). I appreciate his work on The Odd Couple TV show and Happy Days.
He had a string of great family TV shows!
RIP and thanks for all the memories.
Prayers for the family.
If you watch Happy Days, they truly adjusted that on the fly. In the first couple of seasons, it was all about Ritchie and the Fonz was just a secondary character. Then they saw how popular Fonzie was and they adjusted the show to center it around him. That is, until he jumped the shark!
Bringing this back to politics, I always loved the scene in Happy Days when they were giving political speeches for the 1956 presidential election outside of Arnolds. Ritchie gives a normal, straight forward political speech for Stevenson, then the Fonz gives one for Eisenhower. Hey, I like Ike..... my bike likes Ike.... and that was the main thrust of the speech. Of course at the end, Ike’s side is handing out hot dogs so everyone (even the Stevens supporters) go over to the Eisenhower side to eat hot dogs and enjoy the company...
yeah it was a much better show at the beginning when the Fonz was on just for a few minutes a show, Joanie was real brat and all Ritchie and his pals could talk about was necking
First two seasons of happy days were the best. It got formulaic after that and Fonzie was a caricature of his earlier self.
I was very little at that time. My mom told me later that I liked the Fonz right away. I might have in general liked things the show makers didn’t want me to like as I was on the side of cylons for Battlestar Galactica.
Agree. Too many times the producers try to fix what isn’t broken.
Usually they try to work in something PC and it’s all downhill from there.
They certainly ruined that show.
Whatever happened to Richie’s older brother?
He glamorized a business that is generally tawdry and dangerous, which made it seem like a far better option than it is.
He won’t be missed, and there are (sadly) many who have every reason to curse him.
Worked with George Burns, Gracie Allen, Dick Van Dyke, Danny Thomas, Joey Bishop, Jack Paar, Lucy, Julie Andrews, Julia Roberts, Bette Midler... (got tired of typing but also directed many big names in Valentine’s Day in 2010) Not too shabby.
He went off to the Army, didn't he?
It started going downhill when they started playing to a live studio audience.
Marko
Charles "Chuck" Cunningham (Gavan O'Herlihy, Randolph Roberts) (seasons 1 & 2; 11 episodes) – The oldest son of Howard and Marion Cunningham and older brother of Richie and Joanie, Chuck is a college student and basketball player. He is rarely seen and disappears without explanation in season two. The character's disappearance gave rise to the pejorative term "Chuck Cunningham Syndrome", used to describe TV characters that disappear from shows without explanation and are later retconned to have never existed.
So interestingly, Happy Days has added three phrases to our everyday lexicon: Jump the Shark, Chuck Cunningham Syndrome, and Ehhhhhhhh!
Great pic! Too bad there’s no shark in it!
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