Garry Marshall, who created some of the 1970s' most iconic sitcoms including "Happy Days," "The Odd Couple," "Laverne and Shirley" and "Mork and Mindy" and went on to direct hit movies including "Pretty Woman" and "The Princess Diaries," died Tuesday in Burbank, Calif. of complications from pneumonia following a stroke. He was 81.
Marshall went from being TV writer to creating sitcoms that touched the funny bones of the 1970s generation and directing films that were watched over and over: "Happy Days" helped start a nostalgia craze that has arguably never abated, while "Mork and Mindy" had a psychedelically goofy quality that catapulted Robin Williams to fame and made rainbow suspenders an icon of their era. "Pretty Woman" likewise cemented Julia Roberts' stardom, while "The Princess Diaries" made Anne Hathaway a teen favorite.
Marshall had one of his first substantial hits when he developed and exec produced an adaptation of Neil Simon's play "The Odd Couple" in 1970 for ABC. The show drew several Emmy nominations for outstanding comedy series and wins for stars Jack Klugman and Tony Randall over the course of its five-season run. (In 2015 Marshall served as a consultant on a CBS remake of the series that starred Matthew Perry and Thomas Lennon.)
Marshall penned the 1971 pilot for "Happy Days," which was recycled in 1972 as a segment of ABC's comedy anthology series "Love, American Style" called "Love and the Happy Days." George Lucas asked to view the pilot before deciding to cast Ron Howard, who starred in it, in "American Graffiti," released in 1973. "Happy Days" debuted as a series on the network in 1974, riding high on the wave of 1950s nostalgia generated in part by the success of "American Graffiti."
"Happy Days" spawned "Laverne and Shirley," which Marshall created with Lowell Ganz and Mark Rothman, and "Mork and Mindy," which Marshall created with Dale McRaven and Joe Glauberg. Both were as successful in the ratings as "Happy Days," with "Laverne and Shirley" No. 1 for two seasons and "Mork and Mindy" peaking at No. 3. "Laverne and Shirley" starred Cindy Williams and
Penny Marshall, Garry's sister, who would go on to her own successful career as a director of feature films, while "Mork and Mindy" began the career of star Williams. Garry Marshall shared an Emmy nomination, his fifth, in 1979 as "Mork and Mindy" drew a mention for comedy series.
As the architect of some of the longest-running situation comedies in television history – from The Lucy Show and The Dick Van Dyke Show, to Happy Days and Laverne & Shirley, to Mork & Mindy and The Odd Couple – he left an unforgettable mark on the medium, a blueprint that many have tried to replicate throughout the decades. That mark continued at the movies with Pretty Woman, Beaches, The Princess Diaries and New Year's Day to name just a few of his many, many hits. The winner of too many industry awards to count, his legacy lingers in the echoing laughter in so many living rooms and theaters.
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