Film and television director Garry Marshall died Tuesday, his spokeswoman confirmed to ABC News. His sister Penny Marshall traveled from that show as Oscar’s secretary Myrna, to life as “Laverne” and then to becoming an equally adept director.
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Marshall died on Tuesday at a hospital in Burbank, California, of complications from pneumonia following a stroke, Michelle Bega said. “I’ve been doing it a lot of years”.
FILE – In this April 7, 1978 file photo, producers of the television comedy show “Happy Days”, from left, Ed Milkis, Tom Miller and Garry Marshall, are shown in Los Angeles.
The Happy Days pilot was featured as a segment on the anthology series Love, American Style, and the show, starring Ron Howard and set in the 1950s, premiered as a series in 1974, making household names out of Henry Winkler and his leather jacket-clad character Fonzie. Penny Marshal and Ms. Williams starred in Garry Mashall’s “Laverne & Shirley.’ In January 1979, Mr. Marshall had three of the top five comedies on the air with ‘Happy Days, ‘ ‘Laverne & Shirley” and ‘Mork & Mindy.’ DAMIAN DOVARGANES/ASSOCIATED PRESS …
A beloved figure in show business, Marshall leaves behind a legacy as a hitmaker on television and in films, a comedian with impeccable delivery, and a warm personality to those he encountered. He made his directorial debut on the 1982 comedy Young Doctors in Love starring Michael McKeon he it wasn’t long until he was churning out box office hits like Overboard (1987) starring Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell and the seminal weeper Beaches (1988) starring Bette Midler. He proved a hitmaker in film, too, helping make Julia Roberts a star with 1990’s Pretty Woman and continuing their success as a directing-acting team with 1999’s Runaway Bride. It is nearly impossible to imagine the world of 70s American television without Marshall. In the 2010s he had shifted to his holiday-themed romantic comedies including Valentine’s Day, New Year’s Eve and Mother’s Day, the last of which released just a couple of months ago. Thank you for your loyalty, friends and generosity.’ Winkler wrote on Twitter.
The funeral service will be private, but a memorial is being planned for his birthday on November 13.
Despite a long entertainment career, the folksy Marshall hardly seemed like a slick Hollywood type, from his NY accent to his ability to connect with the public with upbeat, heartfelt comedy.
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“We lost a attractive man and masterful story teller. Thank you for capturing so much joy on film, over and over”, Robin Williams’ daughter Zelda tweeted. Thank you for taking a chance on me.
