In a statement, the spokeswoman said Marshall passed away “at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, July 19 from complications of pneumonia following a stroke at a hospital in Burbank, California”.
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He turned Julia Roberts into a Pretty Woman and a Runaway Bride, kept Goldie Hawn from sinking Overboard and transformed Anne Hathaway into the star of Princess Diaries.
Garry, of course, was one of those truly important people one is blessed to meet in one’s lifetime. “Garry Marshall gave me one of the best experiences I ever had in my career”. He adapted the play “The Odd Couple” into a television show in 1970, and in 1979 he had three sitcoms on the air: “Happy Days”, “Laverne and Shirley” and “Mork and Mindy”, which starred Robin Williams. The Bronx-born Marshall started his career as a TV writer in the “60s for shows like The Dick Van Dyke Show and Lucille Ball’s follow-up t o I Love Lucy, The Lucy Show”.
He made his directorial debut in 1967 with TV show “Hey, Landlord” and went on to create some of the 1970s’ most iconic sitcoms including “Happy Days”, and “The Odd Couple”.
At a time when America was emerging from an unpopular foreign war and coping with divisive race issues, Marshall offered TV viewers both escape and commonality. Other films he directed in the 1980s include “The Flamingo Kid” and “Beaches”.
As Variety notes, Happy Days made phrases such as The Fonz’s “Ayyy” part of the country’s popular parlance.
Garry Marshall’s movies have that quality of bringing a warmth to your heart and a smile to your face.
“The world has lost a great man, a comedy icon and a wonderful friend”. But the moment that will perhaps tug at the heartstrings the most is how she closes out her tribute to her friend, declaring, “I’m going to do my best to be just like you”. “I love you. On the wings of Angels, rest now”.
Actor Rob Lowe tweeted, “Garry Marshall hired me at 15 years old”.
What are your thoughts on Garry Marshall’s death? He changed our lives. “Thank you for my professional life”, Finkle wrote. The world-renowned Hollywood personality was a father to three children and was Wednesday to his wife Barbara for 53 years.
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His funeral will be private however a memorial will take place in Garry’s honor on his birthday – November 13th.
