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’d cut some slack with pilots. They’re still tweaking their concepts. Look at the pilot episode of Star Trek. Captain Pike turned into Captain Kirk.
:)
Good point
LaVerne’s husband?
The heart of gold aspect is not objectionable.
The depiction of a life where the clients are good looking and ddon’t have the prostitute doing things that they dislike is unrealistic. The idea that some john would rescue a prostitute from the life is far and away an exception - they need to get out themselves.
There was no depiction of disease, or internal tearing, or rashes, or the long litany of health problems which go with commercial sex.
The movie glamorized prostitution and made it enticing.
No sale.
You can say the same thing about La Traviata (which PW resembles and is the opera in the film they attend).
Captain Pike turned into Captain Kirk.
...
I read the other day that the actor who played Pike turned down the job for the regular series. He ended up doing low grade movies and died from the effects of an accident in one of them a few years later.
Who was Christina and who did she play?
...and in addition to "Happy Days" spinoffs "Laverne and Shirley" and "Mork and Mindy", there was another spinoff called "Blansky's Beauties", starring Nancy Walker as Howard Cunningham's cousin, Nancy Blansky. (It lasted 13 episodes.)
“Blansky’s Beauties”....Yep, I remember that. Man, I’m old.
Blansky’s Beauties 1977- with Caren Kaye as ‘Bambi’,along with Scott Baio and Lynda Goodfriend,who would go on to play Chachi and Lori Beth in ‘Happy Days, and Eddie Mekka,who would go on to be ‘The Big Ragu’ in Laverne & Shirley.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-HnvnnAvEg
I had the honor of meeting him a few times. A kind generous man who entertained millions. He will be greatly missed. I have no idea what you mean when you say that he “glamorized a business” and “made it seem like a far better option than it is.” Are you saying that entertainment isn’t a good option for people who have talent as entertainers?
Brother.
Read the headline.
I am saying glamorizing prostitution is a really bad thing.
So sorry! Completely missed that. Reading too fast. Yes I completely agree about that movie. Interestingly I read the original draft by J.F. Lawton, when it was titled “$3000.00”, for the amount she was paid for the weekend with the guy. It was a dark tale of exploitation and self-delusion, with an unhappy ending — no glamorization at all. Then Disney bought the script. Sigh.
RIP
So Penny is his sister, I thought daughter but I noticed he was too young.
I watched the first season or two of Happy Days then turned 16 and got my driver’s license.
That was it for nightly TV shows for about 10 years.
Oops. Just looked up the baseball complex and it was Mid-Valley Pony Baseball complex in Encino. Getting older is not easy sometimes. Memory slipping.
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