“Forgotten Hollywood”- Not So Happy Days…
Manny P. here…
Writer-director Garry Marshall, whose deft touch with comedy led to a string of iconic television classic hits, including Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley, and Mork & Mindy; and box-office success with Pretty Woman and Runaway Bride. The film maker also had an on-screen presence, using his New York accent and gruff delivery in colorful supporting roles. GARRY MARSHALL —->
Gary, brother of actress-director Penny Marshall, earned a degree in journalism from Northwestern University, and worked at the New York Daily News. But, he was better at writing punch-lines. He began his entertainment career in the 1960s selling jokes to comedians; and then moved to writing sketches for The Tonight Show with Jack Paar in New York. He caught the eye of Joey Bishop, who brought him to Los Angeles to write for his late-night talk show.
Sitcoms quickly proved to be Marshall’s forte. He and then-writing partner Jerry Belson turned out scripts for the most popular comedies of the 1960s, including The Lucy Show, Make Room for Daddy, The Dick Van Dyke Show, Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C., and Love American Style. In 1970, they turned Neil Simon’s Broadway hit, The Odd Couple, into a small screen sitcom starring Jack Klugman and Tony Randall. It ran for five seasons and proved the beginning of a sitcom empire. He rejected retirement, serving as a consultant on the CBS 2015 reboot of The Odd Couple.
Marshall and Belson detoured into screenwriting in 1967 with How Sweet It Is starring Debbie Reynolds, and followed it up with The Grasshopper with Jacqueline Bisset. He concentrated on directing with his later films, including Nothing in Common, Overboard, Beaches, and Dear God. In 1984, Marshall had a movie hit as the writer / director of The Flamingo Kid. The Princess Diaries in 2001 was another winner.
He had on-screen small roles in Goldfinger, Hocus Pocus, and A League of Their Own in film. On television, he guest-starred in The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show, Monk, The Simpsons, Two and a Half Men, Hot in Cleveland, and 24 episodes of Murphy Brown.
GARY MARSHALL’S
STABLE OF STARS
Marshall was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame for his contributions to the field. In 2012, he was inducted into the NAB Broadcasting Hall of Fame. He received a Laurel Award for Television Writing Achievement from Writers Guild of America. Marshall also has a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
The provincial Garry Marshall was 81.
Until next time> “never forget”
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