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 ...
Happy Days must hold the record for most characters that just vanished without a trace. There was Chuck Cunningham,Fonzie’s nephew,Spike,Bags,Marsha the waitress at Arnold’s,Sticks the drummer,Roger’s younger brother,Flip,the Cunningham’s niece,Kasey,Fonzie’s dog,Spunky.........
The final nail in the coffin was firing Cristina because she’s too old, and replacing her with the nitwit from The View.
I remember watching an interview with Garry Marshall a few years back and he said that when they were making episodes of “Laverne and Shirley”, he and his people simply took “Odd Couple” (the 1970 to 1975 TV series) scripts and reworked them for two female characters and 1950s Milwaukee. Sometimes, they were copied word for word in the dialogue. And nobody noticed the similarities (even the word by word) between the “Odd Couple” and “Laverne and Shirley” episodes.
BTW, I guess it goes without saying that “Laverne and Shirley” was that better of a show when the girls lived in Milwaukee and worked at the Shotz Brewery and Laverne’s dad ran “The Pizza Bowl”.
Happy Days was also the TV debut for Ted McGinley, who later became known as the “patron saint of shark jumping.”
You’re right...Chuck disappeared into the ether
Little boys everywhere breath a sigh of relief.
My wife LOVED H & F. She would record it and watch it every day. Because she usually watched it around the time I got home form work, I saw a lot of episodes, too. Once we heard the news that they had fired Christina Ferrare, neither of us has watched the show since.
I loved it. Lost count of how many times I watched it. Sure made me hate George.
Another celebrity death that crossed the wires last night was that of Lisa Gaye, the very pretty actress who was the sister of Debra Paget, and appeared in slews of 50s/60s tv-programs. Very religious, she eventually left the scene and lived quietly in Houston, like her sister, for years.
I think he came into Married With Children almost in the beginning and that show was a success. He was certainly funnier than the guy he replaced.
Yes but the caricature was destined to make lots of money for the studio thru royalties.
“Once we heard the news that they had fired Christina Ferrare, neither of us has watched the show since.”
Ditto!
RIP.
Did you see “Exit To Eden” ?
The ‘Prostitute with a Heart of Gold’ theme is very old.
When we lived in California, a little girl was kidnapped, molested and murdered in the Valley. For several years after, her relatives and friends of the family held a fundraiser softball game to bulk a new softball field in her name. Garry Marshall was always there and contributed pieces to the silent auction that went on during the game. One year we won the auction of Garry Marshall’s Dodger Stadium seats. The tickets were for the game where celebrities play a short softball game before the Dodger game. The seats were right behind home plate a couple of rows back.......best seats we ever had at Dodger Stadium. Garry Marshall was so friendly and ebullient at the small fundraiser games. I know the Hollywood community, and most of us fans, feel the loss of a genuine good guy. (BTW, the little girl who was murdered was named Nicole Parker. As far as I know, there is still a softball field dedicated to her, at the West Valley Pony League complex)
Reads like he worked extremely hard for his place in life.
RIP Mr Marshall
I was watching the pilot episode of Married with Children the other day when Marcy and Steve claimed that they had a child
Never heard from that kid again...
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