The Truman Show is a 1998 comedy-drama film directed by Peter Weir and written by Andrew Niccol. The cast includes Jim Carrey as Truman Burbank, as well as Laura Linney, Noah Emmerich, Ed Harris and Natascha McElhone. The film chronicles the life of a man who discovers he is living in a constructed reality soap opera, televised 24/7 to billions across the globe.
The genesis of The Truman Show was a spec script by Niccol. The original draft was more in tone of a science fiction thriller, with the story set in New York City. Scott Rudin purchased the script, and instantly set the project up at Paramount Pictures. Brian de Palma was in contention to direct before Weir took over, managing to make the film for $60 million against the estimated $80 million budget. Niccol rewrote the script simultaneously as the filmmakers were waiting for Carrey's schedule to open up for filming. The majority of filming took place at Seaside, Florida, a master-planned community located in the Florida Panhandle.
The film was a financial and critical success, and Paramount's marketing approach for the film was similar to Forrest Gump. The Truman Show earned numerous nominations at the 71st Academy Awards, 56th Golden Globe Awards, 52nd British Academy Film Awards and The Saturn Awards. The Truman Show has been analyzed as a thesis on Christianity, simulated reality, existentialism and the forthcoming rise of reality television.
Contents[hide]
1 Plot
2 Cast
3 Production
4 Soundtrack
5 Themes
5.1 Religious analogy
5.2 Media
5.3 Psychological interpretation
5.4 Utopia
5.5 Hamlet
6 Release
6.1 Reaction
6.2 Awards
7 Fictional antecedents
8 "The Truman Show Delusion"
9 References
10 External links
//
[edit] Plot
The movie is framed around the television show "The Truman Show." Its main character, Truman Burbank, has lived his entire life since before birth in front of cameras for the show, though he himself is unaware of this fact. Truman's life is filmed through thousands of hidden cameras, 24 hours a day and broadcast live around the world, allowing executive producer Christof to capture Truman's real emotion and human behavior when put in certain situations. Truman's hometown of Seahaven is a complete set built under a giant dome and populated by the show's actors and crew, allowing Christof to control every aspect of Truman's life, even the weather. To prevent Truman from discovering his false reality, Christof has invented means of dissuading his sense of exploration, including "killing" his father in a storm while on a fishing trip to instill in him a fear of the water. However, despite Christof's control, Truman has managed to behave in unexpected manners, in particular falling in love with an extra, Sylvia, instead of Meryl, the actress intended to be his wife. Though Sylvia is removed from the set quickly, her memory still resonates with him, and he secretly thinks of her outside of his marriage to Meryl. Sylvia subsequently starts a "Free Truman" campaign that fights to have Truman freed from the show.
In the film's present, during the 30th year "The Truman Show" has been on the air, Truman discovers facts that seem out of place, such as a spotlight that nearly hits him (quickly passed off by local radio as an airplane's dislodged landing light) and a "Truman Show" crew conversation on his car radio that is describing his morning commute into work. These events cause Truman to start wondering about his life, realizing much of the town seems to revolve around him. Stress on Meryl to continue her role causes their marriage to unravel. Truman seeks to get away from Seahaven but is blocked by the inability to arrange for flights, bus breakdowns, sudden masses of traffic, and an apparent nuclear meltdown. After Meryl breaks down and is taken off the show, Christof brings back Truman's father, hoping his presence will keep Truman from trying to leave. However, he only provides a temporary respite: Truman soon becomes isolated and begins staying alone in his basement. One night, Truman manages to escape the basement undetected via a secret tunnel, forcing Christof to temporarily suspend broadcasting of the show for the first time in its history. This causes a surge in viewership, with many viewers, including Sylvia, cheering on Truman's escape attempt.
Christof orders every actor and crew to search the town, breaking the town's daylight cycle to help in the search. They find that Truman has managed to overcome his fear of the water and has been sailing away from the town in a small boat named Santa Maria (the name of the ship in which Christopher Columbus discovered the New World). After restoring the broadcast, Christof orders the show's crew to create a large storm to try to capsize the boat. However, Truman's determination eventually leads Christof to terminate the storm. As Truman recovers, the boat reaches the edge of the dome, its bow piercing through the dome's painted sky. An awe-struck Truman then discovers a flight of stairs nearby, leading to a door marked "exit". As he contemplates leaving his world, Christof speaks directly to Truman via a powerful sound system, trying to persuade him to stay and arguing that there is no more truth in the real world than there is in his own, artificial world. Truman, after a moment's thought, delivers his catchphrase, "In case I don't see you ... good afternoon, good evening, and good night," bows to his audience, and steps through the door and into the real world. The assembled television viewers excitedly celebrate Truman's escape, and Sylvia quickly leaves her apartment to reunite with him. A network executive orders the crew to cease transmission. With the show completed, members of Truman's former audience are shown looking for something else to watch.
[edit] Cast
Jim Carrey as Truman Burbank: Chosen out of five unwanted pregnancies and the first child to be legally adopted by a corporation. He is unaware that his daily life is broadcast 24 hours a day around the world. He has a job in the insurance business and a lovely wife, but he eventually notices that his environment is not what it seems to be. Robin Williams was considered for the role, but Weir cast Carrey after seeing him in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective because Carrey's performance reminded him of Charlie Chaplin.[1] Carrey took the opportunity to proclaim himself as a dramatic actor, rather than being typecast in comedic roles.[2] Carrey, who is normally paid $20 million per film, agreed to do The Truman Show for $12 million.[3] Carrey and Weir initially found working together on set difficult (Carrey's contract gave him the power to demand rewrites), but Weir was impressed with Carrey's improvisational skills, and the two became more interactive.[1] The scene wherein Truman declares "this planet Trumania of the Burbank galaxy" to the bathroom mirror was Carrey's idea.[4]
Laura Linney as Meryl/Hannah Gill: Hannah Gill plays Truman's wife, who holds a profession as a nurse at the local hospital. Since the show relies on product placement for revenue, Meryl regularly shows off various items she has recently "purchased," one of the many oddities that makes Truman question his life. Her role is essentially to act the part of Truman's wife and ultimately to have a child by him, despite her reluctance to accomplish either. Linney explains that "she was a child actress who never made it, and now she's really ambitious. Mostly she's into negotiating her contract. Every time she sleeps with Truman she gets an extra $10,000".[1] Linney heavily studied Sears catalogs from the 1950s to develop her character's poses.[5]
Noah Emmerich as Marlon/Louis Coltrane: Louis Coltrane plays Truman's best friend since early childhood. Marlon is a vending machine operator for the company Goodies, who promises Truman he would never lie to him, despite the latest events in Truman's life. Emmerich has said, "My character is in a lot of pain. He feels really guilty about deceiving Truman. He's had a serious drug addiction for many years. Been in and out of rehab"[1].
Ed Harris as Christof: The creator of The Truman Show. Christof remains dedicated to the program at all costs, often overseeing and directing its course in person (rather than through aides), but at the climax/resolution, he speaks to Truman over a loudspeaker, revealing the nature of Truman's situation. Dennis Hopper was originally cast in the role, but he left in April 1997 (during filming) over "creative differences." Harris was a last-minute replacement.[3] A number of other actors had turned down the role after Hopper's departure.[4] Harris had an idea of making Christof a hunchback, but Weir did not like the idea.[1]
Natascha McElhone as Lauren/Sylvia: Sylvia was hired as Lauren, one of several extras. She became romantically involved with Truman and tried to reveal to him the truth about his life, but she was thrown out of the show before she could do so. Thereafter, she protests against The Truman Show, urging Christof to release its lead.
Brian Delate as Walter Moore / Kirk Burbank: An actor who portrays Truman's father. When Truman was a boy, his character on the show was killed off to instill a fear of water in his son that would prevent Truman from leaving the set; however, he kept sneaking back into the show time and again. When Truman begins to question his staged life and tries to get away from it, the writers are forced to write a plot in which Kirk had not drowned but had suffered from amnesia.
Holland Taylor as Alanis Montclair / Angela Burbank: Truman's mother. Christof orders that she attempt to persuade Truman to have children.
Harry Shearer cameos as Mike Michaelson, news anchor host of TruTalk, an affiliate of The Truman Show. Paul Giamatti plays a control room director. Peter Krause portrays Truman's boss at his office.
[edit] Production
Andrew Niccol completed a one-page film treatment titled The Malcolm Show in May 1991.[6] The original draft was more in tone of a science fiction thriller, with the story set in New York City.[5] Niccol stated, "I think everyone questions the authenticity of their lives at certain points. It's like when kids ask if they're adopted".[7] In the fall of 1993,[8] producer Scott Rudin purchased the script for slightly over $1 million.[9] Paramount Pictures instantly agreed to distribute. Part of the deal called for Niccol to have his directing debut, though Paramount felt the estimated $80 million budget would be too high for him.[10] In addition, Paramount wanted to go with an A-list director, paying Niccol extra money "to step aside." Brian de Palma was under negotiations to direct before he left United Talent Agency in March 1994.[8] Directors being considered after de Palma's departure included Tim Burton, Terry Gilliam, Barry Sonnenfeld and Steven Spielberg before Peter Weir signed on in early 1995,[1] following a recommendation of Niccol.[7]
Paramount was cautious about The Truman Show, which they dubbed "the most expensive art film ever made" because of its $60 million budget. They wanted the film to be funnier and less dramatic.[1] Weir also shared this vision, feeling that Niccol's script was too dark, and declaring "where he [Niccol] had it depressing, I could make it light. It could convince audiences they could watch a show in this scope 24/7." Niccol wrote sixteen drafts of the script before Weir considered the script ready for filming. Later on in 1995, Jim Carrey signed to star,[5] but because of commitments with The Cable Guy and Liar Liar, he would not be ready to start filming for at least another year.[1] Weir felt Carrey was perfect for the role and opted to wait for another year rather than recast the role.[5] Niccol rewrote the script twelve times,[1] while Weir created a fictionalized book about the show's history. He envisioned backstories for the characters and encouraged actors to do the same.[5]
Weir scouted locations in Eastern Florida but was unsatisfied with the landscapes. Sound stages at Universal Studios were reserved for the story's setting of Seahaven before Weir's wife introduced him to Seaside, Florida, a master-planned community located in the Florida Panhandle. Pre-production offices were instantly opened in Seaside, where the majority of filming took place. Other scenes were shot at Paramount Studios in Los Angeles, California.[4] Norman Rockwell paintings and 1960s postcards were used as inspiration for the film's design.[11][12] Weir, Peter Biziou and Dennis Gassner researched surveillance techniques for certain shots.[11]
Weir saw The Truman Show as a chance to use the long-abandoned silent-era cinematic technique of vignetting the edges of the frame to emphasize the center. The overall look was influenced by television images, particularly commercials: Many shots have characters leaning into the lens with their eyeballs wide open, and the interior scenes are heavily lit, because Weir wanted to remind viewers that "in this world, everything was for sale."[11] Those involved in visual effects work found the film somewhat difficult to make, because 1997 was the year many visual effects companies were trying to convert to computer-generated imagery.[12] CGI was used to create the upper halves of some of the larger buildings in the film's downtown set. Craig Barron, one of the effects supervisors, said that these digital models did not have to look as detailed and weathered as they normally would in a film because of the artificial look of the entire town, although they did imitate slight blemishes found in the physical buildings.[13]
[edit] Soundtrack
The Truman Show
Soundtrack by Burkhard Dallwitz and Philip Glass
Released
June 2, 1998
Genre
Soundtrack
Length
56:32
Label
Milan Records
Professional reviews
Allmusic link
The original music for The Truman Show was composed by Burkhard Dallwitz. Dallwitz was hired after Peter Weir received a tape of his work while in Australia for the post-production.[14] Some parts of the soundtrack were composed by Philip Glass, including four pieces which appeared in his previous works (Powaqqatsi, Anima Mundi, and Mishima). Glass also appears very briefly in the film as one of the in-studio composer/performers.
Also featured in the film are Frederic Chopin's "Romance-Larghetto" from his first piano concerto, performed by Arthur Rubinstein, Wojciech Kilar's "Father Kolbe's Preaching" performed by the Orchestra Philharmonique National de Pologne and "20th Century Boy" performed by rockabilly band The Big Six.
[show]Track listing
#
Title
Writer(s)
Length
1.
"Trutalk"
Burkhard Dallwitz
1:18
2.
"It's a Life"
Dallwitz
1:30
3.
"Aquaphobia"
Dallwitz
0:40
4.
"Dreaming of Fiji"
Philip Glass
1:54
5.
"Flashback"
Dallwitz
1:19
6.
"Anthem - Part 2"
Glass
3:50
7.
"The Beginning"
Glass
4:06
8.
"Romance-Larghetto"
Frederic Chopin
10:42
9.
"Drive"
Dallwitz
3:34
10.
"Underground"
Dallwitz
0:56
11.
"Do Something!"
Dallwitz
0:44
12.
"Living Waters"
Glass
3:48
13.
"Reunion"
Dallwitz
2:26
14.
"Truman Sleeps"
Glass
1:51
15.
"Truman Sets Sail"
Dallwitz
1:55
16.
"Underground/Storm"
Dallwitz
3:37
17.
"Raising the Sail"
Glass
2:13
18.
"Father Kolbe's Preaching"
Wojciech Kilar
2:26
19.
"Opening"
Glass
2:14
20.
"A New Life"
Dallwitz
1:58
21.
"20th Century Boy" (performed by The Big Six)
Marc Bolan
3:07
[edit] Themes
See also: Religious perspectives on Jesus, Simulated reality, Existentialism, and Allegory of the cave
[edit] Religious analogy
Benson Y. Parkinson of the Association for Mormon Letters noted that Christof represented Jesus as an "off-Christ" ("Christ-off") or Antichrist. Parkinson further explained that Christof can be translated into Satan as megalomaniacal Hollywood producer. Truman and Sylvia are the only characters who use their real names on the show, which is to say their real names are also stage names.[15] Truman's search of evidence for the truth can be compared to a common man's opinion of life. Christof is willing to manipulate and use Truman for commercial gain, just as producers and directors sometimes use up their creative people and then discard them.[15] The conversation between Truman and Marlon at the bridge can be compared to one with Moses and God in the Bible.[15]
In "C.S. Lewis and Narnia for Dummies" by Richard Wagner, Christof is compared with Screwtape, the eponymous character of The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis.[16] In this example, Christof manipulates Truman for his own personal ends, much as Screwtape instructs his nephew Wormwood to manipulate his patient. Screwtape instructs Wormwood that he "should be guarding him like the apple of your eye."[17] Similarly, one of the workers in the control room wears a T-shirt that reads, "love him, protect him." Finally, both Truman and the patient leave the world: Truman by walking through a door and the patient by dying. Screwtape described the action in the book by saying, "He got through so easily! Sheer, instantaneous liberation."[17]
[edit] Media
"This was a dangerous film to make because it couldn't happen. How ironic".
——Director Peter Weir on The Truman Show predicting the rise of reality television[4]
In 2008, Popular Mechanics named The Truman Show as one of the ten most prophetic science fiction films. Journalist Erik Sofge argued that the story reflects the falseness of reality television. "Truman simply lives, and the show's popularity is its straightforward voyeurism. And, like Big Brother, Survivor, and every other reality show on the air, none of his environment is actually real." He deemed it an eerie coincidence that Big Brother made its debut a year after the film's release, and he also compared the film to the 2003 program The Joe Schmo Show: "Unlike Truman, Matt Gould could see the cameras, but all of the other contestants were paid actors, playing the part of various reality-show stereotypes. While Matt eventually got all of the prizes in the rigged contest, the show's central running joke was in the same existential ballpark as The Truman Show."[18] Weir declared, "There has always been this question: Is the audience getting dumber? Or are we filmmakers patronizing them? Is this what they want? Or is this what we're giving them? But the public went to my film in large numbers. And that has to be encouraging."[7]
Ronald Bishop of Sage Journals Online thought The Truman Show showcased the power of the media. Truman's life inspires audiences around the world, meaning their lives are controlled by his. Bishop commented, "In the end, the power of the media is affirmed rather than challenged. In the spirit of Antonio Gramsci's concept of hegemony, these films and television programs co-opt our enchantment (and disenchantment) with the media and sell it back to us."[19]
[edit] Psychological interpretation
An essay published in the International Journal of Psychoanalysis analyzed Truman as a prototypical adolescent at the beginning of the movie. He feels trapped into a familial and social world to which he tries to conform while being unable to entirely identify with it, believing that he has no other choice (other than through the fantasy of fleeing to a far-way island). Eventually, Truman gains sufficient awareness of his condition to "leave home" — developing a more mature and authentic identity as a man, leaving his child-self behind and becoming a True-man.[20]
[edit] Utopia
Parallels can be drawn from Thomas More's 1516 book Utopia, in which More describes an island with only one entrance and only one exit. Only those who belonged to this island knew how to navigate their way through the treacherous openings safely and unharmed. This situation is similar to the The Truman Show because there are limited entryways into the world that Truman knows. Truman does not belong to this utopia into which he has been implanted, and childhood trauma rendered him frightened of the prospect of ever leaving this small community. Utopian models of the past tended to be full of like-minded individuals who shared much in common, comparable to More's Utopia and real-life groups such as the Shakers and the Oneida Community.[21] It is clear that the people in Truman's world are like-minded in their common effort to keep him oblivious to reality. The suburban "picket fence" appearance of the show's set is reminiscent of the "American Dream" of the 1950s. The "American Dream" concept in Truman's world serves to keep him happy and ignorant.[21]
[edit] Hamlet
Author Gregory Feeley noted parallels with Hamlet by William Shakespeare. In each story, a charismatic young man of great potential, admired by everyone in his tiny, insular community, falls unaccountably prey to a mysterious malaise. Everyone wants him to feel better but assures him that he will recover only if only he stops questioning the status quo. His mother wishes him to stop worrying and enjoy life; so does the best friend who is maneuvered into his path at every turn. The love of a loyal woman is dangled before him, and he is urged to give up all thought of traveling elsewhere. But there is some mystery involving his beloved, dead father, who has made an electrifying appearance before him. And everything seems to be controlled by a second, seemingly father-like figure, who claims to have the protagonist's true interests at heart but who makes his continued inquiries increasingly perilous. Despite several changes — The Truman Show offers two Ophelia figures and replaces Horatio with a best friend who conflates Rosencrantz and Guildenstern — the thematic parallel seems marked. Truman, like Hamlet, is an everyman figure, driven to question the nature of existence despite the urgings of those around him.[22]
[edit] Release
[edit] Reaction
The Truman Show's original theatrical release date was August 8, 1998, but Paramount Pictures considered pushing it back to around Christmas.[23] NBC purchased broadcast rights in December 1997, roughly eight months before the film's release.[24] In March 2000, Turner Broadcasting System purchased the rights and now often airs the film on TBS.[25]
Paramount's marketing approach for The Truman Show was similar to the one employed for Forrest Gump.[7][clarification needed] The film opened in the United States on June 5, 1998, and earned $31,542,121 in its opening weekend. It became a financial success that grossed a total of $264,118,201 ($125,618,201 in North America and $138,500,000 in foreign countries).[26] The Truman Show was the eleventh-highest grossing film of 1998.[27]
Based on 96 reviews collected by Rotten Tomatoes, The Truman Show received an average 96% overall approval rating;[28], including a 90% among 20 critics in Rotten Tomatoes' "Top Critics" poll.[29] By comparison, Metacritic gave the film an average score of 90 from the 30 reviews collected.[30] Roger Ebert, comparing it to Forrest Gump, thought the film had a right balance of comedy and drama. He was also impressed with Jim Carrey's dramatic performance.[31] Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times wrote, "The Truman Show is emotionally involving without losing the ability to raise sharp satiric questions as well as get numerous laughs. The rare film that is disturbing despite working beautifully within standard industry norms."[32]
James Berardinelli liked the film's approach of "not being the casual summer blockbuster with special effects," and he likened Carrey's performance to those of Tom Hanks and James Stewart.[33] Jonathan Rosenbaum of the Chicago Reader wrote, "Undeniably provocative and reasonably entertaining, The Truman Show is one of those high-concept movies whose concept is both clever and dumb."[34] Tom Meek of Film Threat said the film was not funny enough but still found "something rewarding in its quirky demeanor,"[35] In a more negative assessment, Fernando F. Croce of Slant Magazine described The Truman Show as highly "overrated, definitely not the-movie-of-the-decade as so many have claimed."[36]
[edit] Awards
At the 71st Academy Awards, The Truman Show was nominated for three categories but did not win any awards. Peter Weir received the nomination for Best Director, while Ed Harris was nominated for Best Supporting Actor and Andrew Niccol was nominated for Best Original Screenplay.[37] Many believed Carrey would be nominated for Best Actor, but he was not.[1] In contrast, the film was an outstanding success at the 56th Golden Globe Awards. Carrey (Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama), Harris (Best Supporting Actor - Motion Picture) and Burkhard Dallwitz and Philip Glass (Best Original Score) all won their respective categories. In addition The Truman Show earned a nomination for Best Motion Picture - Drama, and Weir (Director - Motion Picture) and Niccol (Screenplay) also received nominations.[38]
At the 52nd British Academy Film Awards, Weir (Direction), Niccol (Original Screenplay) and Dennis Gassner (Production Design) received awards. In addition, the film was nominated for Best Film and Best Visual Effects. Harris was nominated for Best Supporting Actor, and Peter Biziou was nominated for Best Cinematography.[39] The Truman Show was a success at The Saturn Awards, where it won the Best Fantasy Film and the Best Writing (Niccol). Carrey (Best Actor), Harris (Best Supporting Actor) and Weir (Direction) also received nominations.[40] Finally, the film won speculative fiction's Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation.[41]
[edit] Fictional antecedents
Many science fiction stories have been based on the idea of a character's unwitting role as an actor in a reality show. An early example with many parallels to The Truman Show is Damon Knight's 1955 story "You're Another",[42] in which the protagonist, Johnny, discovers that he is the star of a "livie", a show watched by millions of people in the future, where a director and crew control the events in his life according to a script.
The plot of The Truman Show is also very similar to the plot of "Special Service" (The New Twilight Zone) where the main character is unknowingly the subject of a reality show.
[edit] "The Truman Show Delusion"
Joel Gold, director of psychiatrics at the Bellevue Hospital Center, revealed that by 2008, he had met five patients with schizophrenia (and heard of another twelve) who believed their lives were reality television shows. Gold named the syndrome after the film and attributed the delusion to a world that had become hungry for publicity. Gold stated that some patients were rendered happy by their disease, while "others were tormented. One traveled to New York to check whether the World Trade Center had actually fallen — believing 9/11 to be an elaborate plot twist in his personal storyline. Another came to climb the Statue of Liberty, believing that he'd be reunited with his high-school girlfriend at the top and finally be released from the 'show.'"[43]
In August 2008, the British Journal of Psychiatry reported similar cases in the United Kingdom.[44] The delusion has informally been referred to as "Truman syndrome," according to an Associated Press story from 2008.[45]
Monday, October 19, 2009
Happy Days
Cast
[edit] Full character list
Howard "Mr. C." Cunningham (Tom Bosley) Husband, father, business owner, lodge member, family man. Frequently seen reading the daily newspaper in his easy chair.
Marion "Mrs. C." Cunningham (Marion Ross) Wife, mother and homemaker. She was the only character whom Fonzie allowed to call him by his real first name, Arthur, which she always did affectionately.
Richie Cunningham (Ron Howard) Son and high school student. The protagonist for the first six years of the series. The character was written out of the show, leaving to join the United States Army, although Howard did return to make guest appearances as Richie during the show's final season. (1974-1980)
Joanie Cunningham (Erin Moran) Richie's younger sister. In early seasons she is a pre-teen sometimes snooping on Richie's activities.
Arthur "Fonzie" / "the Fonz" Fonzarelli (Henry Winkler) First written in as a minor character, but became a hugely popular breakout character and was made a series regular.
Warren "Potsie" Weber (Anson Williams) Richie's closest friend, and a talented singer. He is somewhat more carefree and "worldly" than Richie in early seasons. In later seasons his character evolves to increasingly emphasise his dimwitted side.
Ralph Malph (Donny Most) Richie's friend, and a self-styled comedian. Left with Richie to join the Army (1974-1980). Returned as a guest star in the final season.
Charles "Chachi" Arcola (Scott Baio) Fonzie's younger cousin and later, Al Delvecchio's stepson. Dated and eventually married, Joanie Cunningham.
Matsuo "Arnold" Takahashi (Pat Morita) In season one Arnold was a middle-age caucasian with about ten seconds of air time. Morita later depicted the owner of Arnold's Drive-In (1975-1976), stating he obtained the moniker when he purchased the restaurant and people mistook him for "Arnold". The character explained that it was too costly to buy enough letter signs needed to rename it "Takahasi". He moonlighted as a martial arts instructor, teaching self-defense classes at the drive-in after hours. Returned after Al Molinaro departed (1982-1983).
Al Delvecchio (Al Molinaro) Drive-in owner/cook (1976-1982). Married Chachi's mother, thereby becoming Fonzie's uncle. Molinaro had earlier played the passive cop Murray on "The Odd Couple"
Jenny Piccalo (Cathy Silvers) Joanie's boy-crazy best friend (1980-1983). Mentioned often in early episodes, but never appeared in person until the 1980 season. Returned as a guest star in the series finale. Jenny's father appeared in one episode, played by Silvers' real-life father Phil Silvers.
Lori Beth Allen Cunningham (Lynda Goodfriend) Richie's girlfriend and later his wife (1977-1982). Returned as a guest star in the final season.
[edit] Minor characters
Chuck Cunningham (Gavan O'Herlihy, Randolph Roberts) - Eldest son, college student and basketball player. Chuck's character was written out of series in season two. Fonzie's character took on the role of big brother to Richie and his friends.
Pinky Tuscadero (Roz Kelly) Former girlfriend of Fonzie.
Leather Tuscadero (Suzi Quatro) Musician. Sister of Pinky Tuscadero, and a former juvenile delinquent.
Roger Phillips (Ted McGinley) Marion's nephew and coach and teacher at Jefferson High. Introduced after Richie left the show. (1980-1984)
Flip Phillips (Billy Warlock) Roger's brother. (10th season only)
Krystal "KC" Cunningham (Crystal Bernard) Howard's niece. (10th season only)
Marsha Simms (Beatrice Colen) Carhop in first two seasons.
Spike (Danny Butch) Fonzie's even younger cousin. Made fleeting appearances before the introduction of Chachi.
Wendy (Misty Rowe) Another carhop from Arnold's in the first two seasons.
Louisa Arcola / Louisa Delvecchio (Ellen Travolta) Mother of Chachi Arcola and Fonzie's aunt. Married Al Delvecchio.
Melvin Belvin (Scott Bernstein) Nerdy classmate of Joanie and Chachi.
Eugene Belvin (Denis Mandel) Twin brother of Melvin Belvin. Also a nerd.
Bobby (Harris Kal) Friend of Chachi and Joanie seen in episodes after Richie and Ralph left the show.
Bill 'Sticks' Downey (Jack Baker) Friend of Richie, Potsie and Ralph and drummer for their band hence his nickname "Sticks".
Gloria (Linda Purl) Richie's occasional girlfriend in the second season.
Ashley Pfister (Linda Purl) Divorced mother who becomes Fonzie's steady girlfriend, but later broke up with him (offscreen) (1982-1983).
Heather Pfister (Heather O'Rourke) Ashley Pfister's daughter (1982-1983).
Danny Fonzarelli (Danny Ponce) Fonzie's adopted son in the series finale.
Police Officer Kirk / Army Reserve Major Kirk (Ed Peck) Fonzie’s nemesis; eager to demonstrate his inflated sense of authority, and on the watch for delinquents and "pinkos" (communists).
[edit] Cast stats
Harold Gould (of Rhoda), was cast as Howard Cunningham in the Love, American Style episode sub-titled "Love and the Happy Days".
Donny Most was originally cast to play Potsie Weber. The Ralph Malph character was added to the show after producers decided to cast Anson Williams as Potsie.
Ron Howard, Marion Ross and Anson Williams are the only cast members who stayed with the show from its pilot, an episode of Love, American Style, to its conclusion.
[edit] History
Happy Days originated during a time of 1950s nostalgic interest evident in film, television, and music. The show began as an unsold pilot filmed in late 1971 called New Family in Town, with Harold Gould in the role of Howard Cunningham, Marion Ross as Marion, Ron Howard as Richie, Anson Williams as Potsie, Ric Carrott as Charles "Chuck" Cunningham, and Susan Neher as Joanie. While Paramount passed on making it into a weekly series, the pilot was recycled with the title Love and the Happy Days, for presentation on the television anthology series Love, American Style. In 1972, George Lucas asked to view the pilot to determine if Ron Howard would be suitable to play a teenager in American Graffiti, then in preproduction. Lucas immediately cast Howard in the film, which became one of the top-grossing films of 1973. Show creator Garry Marshall and ABC recast the unsold pilot to turn Happy Days into a series.
[edit] Production styles
The first two seasons of Happy Days were filmed using a single-camera setup and laugh track.
One episode of Season 2 ("Fonzie Gets Married") was filmed in front of a studio audience with three cameras as a test run.
From the third season on, the show was a three-camera production in front of a live audience (with the announcement by Tom Bosley that "Happy Days is filmed before a live audience" at the start of most episodes), giving these later seasons a markedly different style. A laugh track was still used, but only to sweeten the live reactions.
[edit] Sets
The show had two main sets: the Cunningham home, and Arnold's Drive-In.
In season 1 & 2, the Cunningham house was arranged with the front door on the left and the kitchen on the right, in a sort of triangle. Beginning with season 3, the house was radically rearranged to accommodate multiple cameras and a studio audience. However, the second season episode (mentioned above) in which Fonzie gets engaged was shot on the old set, but with multiple cameras.
The Cunninghams' official address is 565 North Clinton Drive, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.[1] Within the actual Milwaukee street grid, this would put the address somewhere in the center of Milwaukee County near the current day Interstate 94.
The house that served as the exterior of the Cunningham residence is actually located at 565 North Cahuenga Blvd (south of Melrose Avenue) in Los Angeles, just a few blocks from the Paramount lot on Melrose Avenue.
The Milky Way Drive-In, located on Port Washington Road in the North Shore suburb of Glendale, now Kopps, was the inspiration for the original Arnold's Drive-In. The Milky Way has since been demolished. The exterior of Arnold's was a 'dressed' area on the Paramount Studios lot, that has since been demolished, very close to the Stage 19, where the rest of the show's sets were located.
The set of the diner in the first season was a room with the same vague details of the later set, such as the paneling, and the college pennants. When the show was changed to a studio based filming, the set was redesigned and became the Arnold's that is most remembered. The set was largely opened to show the audience the scenes that took place within it. The Diner entrance was hidden, but allowed an upstage, central entrance for cast members. The barely seen kitchen was also upstage and seen only through a pass through window. The diner had orange booths, downstage center for closeup conversation, as well as camera left. There were two bathroom doors camera right, labeled 'Guys' and 'Dolls'. A Seeburg jukebox was positioned camera right, and a pinball machine was positioned far camera right, (anachronistically a 1973 'Nip It' machine, contrary to the show's '50s setting).
College pennants adorned the walls including Purdue and UWM, along with a blue and white sign reading 'Jefferson High School'.
Storylines dictated that the set would be destroyed by fire, and so in later seasons, a different Arnold's Drive-in emerged and lasted through the later years of the show. Differing in design, with wood paneling and stained glass, the set was not popular amongst viewers[citation needed], and was not how Arnold's was remembered[citation needed].
In 2004, two decades after the first set was destroyed, the Happy Days 30th Anniversary Reunion requested that the reunion take place in Arnold's. The familiar set was rebuilt by Production Designer James Yarnell. Built from the original ground plan, this was the first time that the Happy Days cast had been in this set since the 1970s.
[edit] Cast changes
[edit] Season 4
The most major character changes occurred after Season 4 with the addition of Scott Baio as Fonzie's cousin, Chachi Arcola. Originally the character Spike, mentioned as Fonzie's nephew (who's actually his cousin as he made it clear in one episode), was supposed to be the character who became Chachi.
Al Molinaro was added as Al Delvecchio the new owner of Arnold's after Pat Morita's character of Arnold moved on (after his character got married; Pat Morita left the program to star in a short-lived sitcom of his own, Mr. T and Tina, which was actually a spin-off of Welcome Back, Kotter. Morita would also star in a subsequent short lived Happy Days spin-off series entitled Blansky's Beauties). Al Molinaro also played Al's twin brother Father Anthony Delvecchio, a Catholic priest. Al eventually married Chachi's mother (played by Ellen Travolta) and Father Delvecchio served in the wedding of Joanie to Chachi in the series finale.
[edit] Seasons 8 onward
Lynda Goodfriend joined the cast as semi-regular character Lori-Beth Allen, Richie's steady girlfriend, in season 5, and became a permanent member of the cast between Seasons 8 and 10, after Lori-Beth married Richie.
After Ron Howard (Richie) left the series, Ted McGinley joined the cast as Roger Phillips the new Physical Education teacher at Jefferson High and nephew to Howard and Marion. He took over from the departed Richie Cunningham character, acting as counterpoint to Fonzie. Also joining the cast was Cathy Silvers as Jenny Piccolo, Joanie's best friend who was previously referenced in various episodes from earlier seasons who remained as a main cast member until the final season. Both actors were originally credited as guest stars but were promoted to the main cast during the 10th season after several series regulars left the show. The real focus of the series was now on the Joanie and Chachi characters, and often finding ways to incorporate Fonzie into them as a shoulder to cry on, advice-giver, and savior as needed. The Potsie character who had already been spun off from the devious best friend of Richie to Ralph's best friend and confidante, held little grist for the writers in this new age, and was now most often used as the occasional "dumb" foil for punchlines (most often from Mr. C. or Fonzie).
Billy Warlock joined the cast in season 10 as Roger's brother Flip, along with Crystal Bernard as Howard's and Marion's niece K.C. They were intended as replacements for Erin Moran and Scott Baio (who departed for their own show, Joanie Loves Chachi) and were credited as part of the semi-regular cast. Both characters left with the return of Moran and Baio, following the cancellation of Joanie Loves Chachi. Also leaving Happy Days in Season 10 for Joanie Loves Chachi was Al Delvecchio; Pat Morita returned to the cast as Arnold in his absence.
Note: Gail Edwards who previously guest starred in the episode “A Potsie is Born” was offered the role that Crystal Bernard would fill but was never told so by her managers, as they knew she’d take the role and they didn’t want her to be a “new character on an old show.” Later, Edwards would appear with Bernard in 93 episodes of It's a Living.
[edit] Guest stars
Buffalo Bob Smith and Clarabell the Clown came to town looking for Howdy-Doody look-alikes. The episode was so popular Smith launched, "The New Howdie Doodie Show" a year later.
Robin Williams appeared in an episode as Mork from Ork, "My Favorite Orkan" from Season 5. That episode had led into a series spin-off called Mork & Mindy.
Tom Hanks appeared in an episode as a character seeking revenge on Fonzie for pushing him off a swing when the two of them were in the 3rd grade. The confrontation occurs just as Fonzie was about to be given a community leader award. Years later in 1987, Hanks asked Winkler to direct his comedy Turner and Hooch, but creative differences between the two stars led to Winkler being fired from the job.
Herbie Faye appeared as "Pop" in the 1974 episode "Knock Around the Block".
John Hart (television's "The Lone Ranger" from 1952-54) made a guest appearance in an episode where Fonzie meets his childhood idol. In 1981, a new Lone Ranger movie was being filmed. Controversy arose, when original TV Lone Ranger, Clayton Moore, was banned by Jack Wangler Productions, from wearing the Lone Ranger mask. Therefore, Moore was scratched and Hart was hired.
Milwaukee Braves home run king Hank Aaron appeared in one episode.
Ralph's father was an optometrist, played by Jack Dodson, who also played Howard Sprague on Ron Howard's previous sitcom, The Andy Griffith Show.
Lorne Greene made a brief walk-on cameo during the first episode of Season 5, which took place in Hollywood.
Maureen McCormick, otherwise known as Marcia Brady on The Brady Bunch was "Hildie" in episode number 32 during Season 2.
[edit] Anachronisms
Various pinball machines manufactured in the early 1970s were seen in Arnold's, including a 1972 Bally produced machine called Nip-It. It is possible that the show's producers may have overlooked this, as pinball machines from the 1950s, commonly known as "woodrails", have a more wooden look compared to the machines used in the show.
The show, along with its spin-off Laverne & Shirley, took progressively more liberties in terms of hair and clothing styles, which began to look more contemporary with the show's 1970s and 1980s production years. The hairstyles of Potsie, Ralph Malph, and (later) Chachi were not reflective of the 1950s era for men. The characters all had hair over their ears, something that would have been considered very unmasculine during the 1964 era, before the advent of "Beatles" haircuts and the longer hair that followed.
The cars used in the smash-up derby sequence of the Pinky Tuscadero episodes would have been brand new or not even released yet when the episode was set.
Howard Cunningham (portrayed by Tom Bosley) can even be seen wearing an LCD digital watch during some episodes which aired in the early 1980s (LCD watches did not exist in the early 1960s).
Joanie Cunningham and Jenny Piccalo are seen wearing miniskirts, which were not a fashion trend in the early 1960s.
[edit] Neologisms
[edit] "Jumping the Shark"
Main article: Jumping the shark
This term has been used as a metaphor to describe something that had become an unintended mockery of itself. The term arose from one of the most famous of these plots, which involved Fonzie performing a water ski jump over a shark in an episode aired on September 20, 1977, during the show's fifth season. In later years, this episode has often been cited as the point where the series had passed its peak of quality and popularity. The phrase jumping the shark was later applied to popular culture phenomena in general. While the Fonz's literal shark jump gave rise to the phrase, some fans consider Happy Days to have had more than one such moment, occurring both before and after the stunt in question. Of particular note are the fire that destroyed the original Arnold's Drive-In and the departure of leading man Ron Howard, both of which happened after the notorious stunt involving the shark. Prior to this, the Fonzie character had become almost a comic book version of himself, battling alongside with (and subsequently romancing) a woman named Kat Mandu (portrayed by Quantum Leap actress/producer Deborah Pratt) and encountering space alien Mork from Ork (in a backdoor pilot for Mork and Mindy). Interestingly, although the series dipped slightly in viewership after Ron Howard's departure in 1980 (the show still remained a Top Thirty hit for three of its last four seasons), the Fonzie character became more grounded and "human" again—even venturing into a season of exploring domesticity and the trials of approaching middle age. Another figurative jumping of the shark occurred with the introduction of Ted McGinley, now notorious for serving as a replacement castmember on The Love Boat and Married… with Children as well.
[edit] The "Fonzie Effect"
Main article: List of breakout characters
The early Happy Days episodes centered on Richie and teenage friend Warren "Potsie" Weber, dealing with typical adolescent woes in 1950s Milwaukee, along with peripherally seen peers such as Ralph Malph, Bag, et al. During the first season, the character Fonzie was becoming a fan favorite, though he was originally intended to be a local high school dropout who was only occasionally seen. The character was given progressively more screen time by the writers, becoming a permanent cast member displayed in the second season opening credits. He quickly became the show's most popular character, and many episodes came to revolve around him. When the ABC management considered changing the name of the show to "Fonzie's Happy Days", the cast, including Winkler, protested along with producer/creator Garry Marshall, and the show's title remained unchanged.[citation needed]
[edit] "Chuck Cunningham Syndrome"
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The first two seasons of the series also featured Chuck, the Cunninghams' eldest child and Richie's older brother. The Fonz was initially meant to be a "juvenile delinquent" whom Richie and his friends would encounter, with Chuck taking on the mentoring role to Richie. After Fonzie attained breakout success and was repurposed to be more sympathetic and closer to Richie, the Chuck character was nearly superfluous, and his scenes were usually brief appearances "on his way to basketball practice." In fact, Chuck was originally a student at Marquette University on a basketball scholarship.[citation needed]
Chuck was written out during the series' second season with no explanation and was rarely referred to again. Scripts from later seasons implied the Cunninghams had two, not three children. However, in the third and fourth season recap versions of the Christmas episode, "Guess Who's Coming To Christmas", Fonzie—recalling his first Christmas with the Cunninghams—tells Arnold, and later, Al, that Chuck was "away at college." In a Happy Days reunion show from 2005, the cast mentioned that Chuck had won a scholarship to the "University of Outer Mongolia" to play basketball, as a sort of an inside joke. An officially circulated outtake from the final episode has Mr. Cunningham raising a glass to the entire cast and saying "to Happy Days." After taking a sip, he blurts out in mock surprise "Wait, where's Chuck?!" In the aired version, Mr. Cunningham specifies that he has two children (Richie and Joanie). The unexplained removal of a character in a TV series has come to be known as "Chuck Cunningham Syndrome". Later seasons saw the addition of other characters. Introduced in the second season episode "Not With My Sister, You Don't", Danny Butch played Fonzie's similarly dressed and mannered young cousin Raymond "Spike" Fonzarelli. Although he went on to make several more appearances, the character was felt to never completely catch on, and was reworked into that of Chachi at the start of the fifth season (see below).
At the start of the fourth season, Roz Kelly was brought in as Pinky Tuscadero, Fonzie's long-term girlfriend. Commercials for the subsequent season even began promoting Kelly's new character, but when discord occurred between her and the cast and producers, her character was dropped; the character was briefly mentioned in two subsequent episodes, one where her sister Leather Tuscadero (played by singer Suzi Quatro) came to town to start anew out of reform school, and when Fonzie was out of town at a demolition derby with Pinky.
Bill "Sticks" Downey, played by John-Anthony Bailey, was supposed to be added to the cast as a new member of Richie's band, on drums, and the gang at Arnold's but the character never caught on and only stayed for a few episodes.
During the first two seasons, a few actresses were brought in as potential long-term girlfriends for Richie. Laurette Spang was Richie's girlfriend Arlene in a couple of first season episodes. Richie dated Arlene Nestrock (Tannis G. Montgomery) in the pilot episode which only aired as an installment of Love American Style who admitted to Richie the only reason she dated him was because he had a television set. Arlene would return in the second season and through the use of flashbacks to the "Love American Style" pilot Richie explains to Potsie and Ralph how their date went. Later in the second season Linda Purl was brought in as Richie's girlfriend Gloria. Neither caught on storywise and Richie did not have a steady girlfriend until going to college and meeting Lori-Beth Allen (Lynda Goodfriend), a former classmate from Jefferson High. Linda Purl returned to the Happy Days fold in Season 10 as Fonzie's girlfriend Ashley Pfister (a divorced socialite of the wealthy Milwaukee Pfister family). The Pfisters were often also referenced on Laverne & Shirley as owners of many Milwaukee establishments, ie, Chez Pfister, The Hotel Pfister, Pfister Fong's.
The "Chuck Cunningham Syndrome" is not to be confused with "The Mike Douglas Kiss-off", a reference to a character whose departure is explained (e.g. getting married or going to college), but whose name is never again referenced, even by a family member. Mike Douglas was a "My Three Sons" cast member who was written-out of the show via marriage, but who seemingly vanished from existence, even while relatives got married, graduated, had children, etc.
[edit] Decline in popularity
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Happy Days remained a successful sitcom in terms of ratings for its entire run (far greater than the length of most sitcoms' full lives). One might point to the forward thinking of Garry Marshall who drafted a very young Scott Baio while the series was at #1 (in 1976-1977) without him, and seemingly in no need of a new, very young, character. Three years later, when Ron Howard and Donny Most left the series, it banished Anson William's Potsie to Mr. Cunningham's hardware store. The focal point then became the relationship of the Joanie and Chachi characters, helping to carry the series onward with ratings success. Of those final four seasons (the 8th, 9th, 10th, and 11th), Season 10 stands out as the oddest. Scott Baio and Erin Moran were spun-off into "Joanie Loves Chachi" (itself a rating success in terms of viewers, but failure in terms of the new-at-the-time "lead-in variable" - a gauge to see if a show is holding a high enough percentage of the show that aired just before it during the hour) and the production staff scrambled to bring in conspicuously similar Cunningham relatives to fill those spots. Season 10 marked the only full season where Fonzie entered into a monogamous relationship. With the return of the full cast (even including three guest spots by Ron Howard - a two-part episode (also strongly featuring Don Most's Ralph Malph character) plus the finale, "Passages"), the 11th season is arguably forgotten as a return to deeper storylines, stronger writing, and poignant moments.[citation needed]
[edit] Theme music
Seasons 1 and 2 of the series used a newly recorded version of "Rock Around the Clock" by Bill Haley & His Comets (recorded in the fall of 1973) as the opening theme song. This recording was not commercially released at the time, although the original 1954 recording returned to the American Billboard charts in 1974 as a result of its use on the show. The "Happy Days" recording had its first commercial release in 2005 by the German label Hydra Records. (When Happy Days entered syndication in 1979, the series was retitled Happy Days Again and used an edited version of the 1954 recording instead of the 1973 version).
The show's closing theme song in season 1 & 2 was "Happy Days," written by Charles Fox and Norman Gimbel. According to SAG, this version was performed by Jimmy Haas (lead vocal), Ron Hicklin, Stan Farber, Jerry Whitman and Gary Garrett (backing vocals), plus studio musicians.
From seasons 3-10, this replaced "Rock Around the Clock" at the beginning of the show. Released as a single in 1976 by Pratt & McClain, "Happy Days" cracked the Top 5. The show itself finished the 1976-77 television season #1, ending the five-year Nielsen reign of All in the Family.
For the show's 11th and final season (1983-84), the theme was rerecorded in a more modern style. Featuring Bobby Arvon on lead vocals, with several back-up vocalists, this version of the theme song is arguably not as popular with Happy Days fans as versions from the 3rd-10th seasons (among which there were several slightly different versions and edits). To accompany this new version, new opening credits were filmed, and the flashing "Happy Days" logo was reanimated to create an overall "new" feel which incorporated 1980s sensibilities with 1950s nostalgia (although by this time the show was set in 1965).
[edit] Production & scheduling
Jerry Paris, who played a role on The Dick Van Dyke Show and directed several episodes of that series, directed every episode of Happy Days from the third season on, except for three episodes in Season 3 ("Jailhouse Rock", "Dance Contest" and "Arnold's Wedding"). [2]
Until the show went out of production, reruns of the show were syndicated under the title Happy Days Again.
Happy Days was produced by Miller-Milkis Productions (later Miller-Milkis Boyett since Bob Boyett joined the company in 1980) and was the first ever show to be produced by Miller-Boyett Productions. It was also produced by Henderson Productions and is one of the popular shows produced in association with Paramount Television.
Happy Days still remains one of ABC's longest-running sitcoms (11 seasons), and one of the longest-running prime time programs in the network's history. It is also unique in that it remained in the Tuesday at 8:00 p.m. time slot for the series' first ten seasons. The network has not had an entertainment series that has run consistently in the same slot since.
Happy Days also proved to be quite popular in daytime reruns; they joined the ABC daytime schedule in 1975, airing reruns at 11:30 a.m. (ET), being moved to 11 a.m. in 1977, paired with Family Feud following at 11:30 a.m. It was replaced on the daytime schedule by reruns of its spin-off, Laverne & Shirley, in April 1979.
Happy Days also reruns on Five US in the U.K. between 4pm and 5pm GMT, it was shown on Channel 4 between the early 1990s to the early 2000s.
Happy Days began running on FamilyNet Television in January 2009 as part of a "Families on FamilyNet" evening programming block that also features My Three Sons and Family Ties.
Happy Days will rerun again on WGN America in 2010 by premiering in fall 2010.
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CBS programming head Fred Silverman scheduled Good Times directly against Happy Days during their respective second seasons in an attempt to kill the ABC show's growing popularity. However, he was named president of ABC in 1975, and so was given the task of saving Happy Days during its third season (which saw a rapid increase in ratings). This explains Happy Days appearing in the Top 20 for the 1973-74 and 1975-76 seasons, but being completely absent from the Top 20 in 1974-7
[edit] Full character list
Howard "Mr. C." Cunningham (Tom Bosley) Husband, father, business owner, lodge member, family man. Frequently seen reading the daily newspaper in his easy chair.
Marion "Mrs. C." Cunningham (Marion Ross) Wife, mother and homemaker. She was the only character whom Fonzie allowed to call him by his real first name, Arthur, which she always did affectionately.
Richie Cunningham (Ron Howard) Son and high school student. The protagonist for the first six years of the series. The character was written out of the show, leaving to join the United States Army, although Howard did return to make guest appearances as Richie during the show's final season. (1974-1980)
Joanie Cunningham (Erin Moran) Richie's younger sister. In early seasons she is a pre-teen sometimes snooping on Richie's activities.
Arthur "Fonzie" / "the Fonz" Fonzarelli (Henry Winkler) First written in as a minor character, but became a hugely popular breakout character and was made a series regular.
Warren "Potsie" Weber (Anson Williams) Richie's closest friend, and a talented singer. He is somewhat more carefree and "worldly" than Richie in early seasons. In later seasons his character evolves to increasingly emphasise his dimwitted side.
Ralph Malph (Donny Most) Richie's friend, and a self-styled comedian. Left with Richie to join the Army (1974-1980). Returned as a guest star in the final season.
Charles "Chachi" Arcola (Scott Baio) Fonzie's younger cousin and later, Al Delvecchio's stepson. Dated and eventually married, Joanie Cunningham.
Matsuo "Arnold" Takahashi (Pat Morita) In season one Arnold was a middle-age caucasian with about ten seconds of air time. Morita later depicted the owner of Arnold's Drive-In (1975-1976), stating he obtained the moniker when he purchased the restaurant and people mistook him for "Arnold". The character explained that it was too costly to buy enough letter signs needed to rename it "Takahasi". He moonlighted as a martial arts instructor, teaching self-defense classes at the drive-in after hours. Returned after Al Molinaro departed (1982-1983).
Al Delvecchio (Al Molinaro) Drive-in owner/cook (1976-1982). Married Chachi's mother, thereby becoming Fonzie's uncle. Molinaro had earlier played the passive cop Murray on "The Odd Couple"
Jenny Piccalo (Cathy Silvers) Joanie's boy-crazy best friend (1980-1983). Mentioned often in early episodes, but never appeared in person until the 1980 season. Returned as a guest star in the series finale. Jenny's father appeared in one episode, played by Silvers' real-life father Phil Silvers.
Lori Beth Allen Cunningham (Lynda Goodfriend) Richie's girlfriend and later his wife (1977-1982). Returned as a guest star in the final season.
[edit] Minor characters
Chuck Cunningham (Gavan O'Herlihy, Randolph Roberts) - Eldest son, college student and basketball player. Chuck's character was written out of series in season two. Fonzie's character took on the role of big brother to Richie and his friends.
Pinky Tuscadero (Roz Kelly) Former girlfriend of Fonzie.
Leather Tuscadero (Suzi Quatro) Musician. Sister of Pinky Tuscadero, and a former juvenile delinquent.
Roger Phillips (Ted McGinley) Marion's nephew and coach and teacher at Jefferson High. Introduced after Richie left the show. (1980-1984)
Flip Phillips (Billy Warlock) Roger's brother. (10th season only)
Krystal "KC" Cunningham (Crystal Bernard) Howard's niece. (10th season only)
Marsha Simms (Beatrice Colen) Carhop in first two seasons.
Spike (Danny Butch) Fonzie's even younger cousin. Made fleeting appearances before the introduction of Chachi.
Wendy (Misty Rowe) Another carhop from Arnold's in the first two seasons.
Louisa Arcola / Louisa Delvecchio (Ellen Travolta) Mother of Chachi Arcola and Fonzie's aunt. Married Al Delvecchio.
Melvin Belvin (Scott Bernstein) Nerdy classmate of Joanie and Chachi.
Eugene Belvin (Denis Mandel) Twin brother of Melvin Belvin. Also a nerd.
Bobby (Harris Kal) Friend of Chachi and Joanie seen in episodes after Richie and Ralph left the show.
Bill 'Sticks' Downey (Jack Baker) Friend of Richie, Potsie and Ralph and drummer for their band hence his nickname "Sticks".
Gloria (Linda Purl) Richie's occasional girlfriend in the second season.
Ashley Pfister (Linda Purl) Divorced mother who becomes Fonzie's steady girlfriend, but later broke up with him (offscreen) (1982-1983).
Heather Pfister (Heather O'Rourke) Ashley Pfister's daughter (1982-1983).
Danny Fonzarelli (Danny Ponce) Fonzie's adopted son in the series finale.
Police Officer Kirk / Army Reserve Major Kirk (Ed Peck) Fonzie’s nemesis; eager to demonstrate his inflated sense of authority, and on the watch for delinquents and "pinkos" (communists).
[edit] Cast stats
Harold Gould (of Rhoda), was cast as Howard Cunningham in the Love, American Style episode sub-titled "Love and the Happy Days".
Donny Most was originally cast to play Potsie Weber. The Ralph Malph character was added to the show after producers decided to cast Anson Williams as Potsie.
Ron Howard, Marion Ross and Anson Williams are the only cast members who stayed with the show from its pilot, an episode of Love, American Style, to its conclusion.
[edit] History
Happy Days originated during a time of 1950s nostalgic interest evident in film, television, and music. The show began as an unsold pilot filmed in late 1971 called New Family in Town, with Harold Gould in the role of Howard Cunningham, Marion Ross as Marion, Ron Howard as Richie, Anson Williams as Potsie, Ric Carrott as Charles "Chuck" Cunningham, and Susan Neher as Joanie. While Paramount passed on making it into a weekly series, the pilot was recycled with the title Love and the Happy Days, for presentation on the television anthology series Love, American Style. In 1972, George Lucas asked to view the pilot to determine if Ron Howard would be suitable to play a teenager in American Graffiti, then in preproduction. Lucas immediately cast Howard in the film, which became one of the top-grossing films of 1973. Show creator Garry Marshall and ABC recast the unsold pilot to turn Happy Days into a series.
[edit] Production styles
The first two seasons of Happy Days were filmed using a single-camera setup and laugh track.
One episode of Season 2 ("Fonzie Gets Married") was filmed in front of a studio audience with three cameras as a test run.
From the third season on, the show was a three-camera production in front of a live audience (with the announcement by Tom Bosley that "Happy Days is filmed before a live audience" at the start of most episodes), giving these later seasons a markedly different style. A laugh track was still used, but only to sweeten the live reactions.
[edit] Sets
The show had two main sets: the Cunningham home, and Arnold's Drive-In.
In season 1 & 2, the Cunningham house was arranged with the front door on the left and the kitchen on the right, in a sort of triangle. Beginning with season 3, the house was radically rearranged to accommodate multiple cameras and a studio audience. However, the second season episode (mentioned above) in which Fonzie gets engaged was shot on the old set, but with multiple cameras.
The Cunninghams' official address is 565 North Clinton Drive, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.[1] Within the actual Milwaukee street grid, this would put the address somewhere in the center of Milwaukee County near the current day Interstate 94.
The house that served as the exterior of the Cunningham residence is actually located at 565 North Cahuenga Blvd (south of Melrose Avenue) in Los Angeles, just a few blocks from the Paramount lot on Melrose Avenue.
The Milky Way Drive-In, located on Port Washington Road in the North Shore suburb of Glendale, now Kopps, was the inspiration for the original Arnold's Drive-In. The Milky Way has since been demolished. The exterior of Arnold's was a 'dressed' area on the Paramount Studios lot, that has since been demolished, very close to the Stage 19, where the rest of the show's sets were located.
The set of the diner in the first season was a room with the same vague details of the later set, such as the paneling, and the college pennants. When the show was changed to a studio based filming, the set was redesigned and became the Arnold's that is most remembered. The set was largely opened to show the audience the scenes that took place within it. The Diner entrance was hidden, but allowed an upstage, central entrance for cast members. The barely seen kitchen was also upstage and seen only through a pass through window. The diner had orange booths, downstage center for closeup conversation, as well as camera left. There were two bathroom doors camera right, labeled 'Guys' and 'Dolls'. A Seeburg jukebox was positioned camera right, and a pinball machine was positioned far camera right, (anachronistically a 1973 'Nip It' machine, contrary to the show's '50s setting).
College pennants adorned the walls including Purdue and UWM, along with a blue and white sign reading 'Jefferson High School'.
Storylines dictated that the set would be destroyed by fire, and so in later seasons, a different Arnold's Drive-in emerged and lasted through the later years of the show. Differing in design, with wood paneling and stained glass, the set was not popular amongst viewers[citation needed], and was not how Arnold's was remembered[citation needed].
In 2004, two decades after the first set was destroyed, the Happy Days 30th Anniversary Reunion requested that the reunion take place in Arnold's. The familiar set was rebuilt by Production Designer James Yarnell. Built from the original ground plan, this was the first time that the Happy Days cast had been in this set since the 1970s.
[edit] Cast changes
[edit] Season 4
The most major character changes occurred after Season 4 with the addition of Scott Baio as Fonzie's cousin, Chachi Arcola. Originally the character Spike, mentioned as Fonzie's nephew (who's actually his cousin as he made it clear in one episode), was supposed to be the character who became Chachi.
Al Molinaro was added as Al Delvecchio the new owner of Arnold's after Pat Morita's character of Arnold moved on (after his character got married; Pat Morita left the program to star in a short-lived sitcom of his own, Mr. T and Tina, which was actually a spin-off of Welcome Back, Kotter. Morita would also star in a subsequent short lived Happy Days spin-off series entitled Blansky's Beauties). Al Molinaro also played Al's twin brother Father Anthony Delvecchio, a Catholic priest. Al eventually married Chachi's mother (played by Ellen Travolta) and Father Delvecchio served in the wedding of Joanie to Chachi in the series finale.
[edit] Seasons 8 onward
Lynda Goodfriend joined the cast as semi-regular character Lori-Beth Allen, Richie's steady girlfriend, in season 5, and became a permanent member of the cast between Seasons 8 and 10, after Lori-Beth married Richie.
After Ron Howard (Richie) left the series, Ted McGinley joined the cast as Roger Phillips the new Physical Education teacher at Jefferson High and nephew to Howard and Marion. He took over from the departed Richie Cunningham character, acting as counterpoint to Fonzie. Also joining the cast was Cathy Silvers as Jenny Piccolo, Joanie's best friend who was previously referenced in various episodes from earlier seasons who remained as a main cast member until the final season. Both actors were originally credited as guest stars but were promoted to the main cast during the 10th season after several series regulars left the show. The real focus of the series was now on the Joanie and Chachi characters, and often finding ways to incorporate Fonzie into them as a shoulder to cry on, advice-giver, and savior as needed. The Potsie character who had already been spun off from the devious best friend of Richie to Ralph's best friend and confidante, held little grist for the writers in this new age, and was now most often used as the occasional "dumb" foil for punchlines (most often from Mr. C. or Fonzie).
Billy Warlock joined the cast in season 10 as Roger's brother Flip, along with Crystal Bernard as Howard's and Marion's niece K.C. They were intended as replacements for Erin Moran and Scott Baio (who departed for their own show, Joanie Loves Chachi) and were credited as part of the semi-regular cast. Both characters left with the return of Moran and Baio, following the cancellation of Joanie Loves Chachi. Also leaving Happy Days in Season 10 for Joanie Loves Chachi was Al Delvecchio; Pat Morita returned to the cast as Arnold in his absence.
Note: Gail Edwards who previously guest starred in the episode “A Potsie is Born” was offered the role that Crystal Bernard would fill but was never told so by her managers, as they knew she’d take the role and they didn’t want her to be a “new character on an old show.” Later, Edwards would appear with Bernard in 93 episodes of It's a Living.
[edit] Guest stars
Buffalo Bob Smith and Clarabell the Clown came to town looking for Howdy-Doody look-alikes. The episode was so popular Smith launched, "The New Howdie Doodie Show" a year later.
Robin Williams appeared in an episode as Mork from Ork, "My Favorite Orkan" from Season 5. That episode had led into a series spin-off called Mork & Mindy.
Tom Hanks appeared in an episode as a character seeking revenge on Fonzie for pushing him off a swing when the two of them were in the 3rd grade. The confrontation occurs just as Fonzie was about to be given a community leader award. Years later in 1987, Hanks asked Winkler to direct his comedy Turner and Hooch, but creative differences between the two stars led to Winkler being fired from the job.
Herbie Faye appeared as "Pop" in the 1974 episode "Knock Around the Block".
John Hart (television's "The Lone Ranger" from 1952-54) made a guest appearance in an episode where Fonzie meets his childhood idol. In 1981, a new Lone Ranger movie was being filmed. Controversy arose, when original TV Lone Ranger, Clayton Moore, was banned by Jack Wangler Productions, from wearing the Lone Ranger mask. Therefore, Moore was scratched and Hart was hired.
Milwaukee Braves home run king Hank Aaron appeared in one episode.
Ralph's father was an optometrist, played by Jack Dodson, who also played Howard Sprague on Ron Howard's previous sitcom, The Andy Griffith Show.
Lorne Greene made a brief walk-on cameo during the first episode of Season 5, which took place in Hollywood.
Maureen McCormick, otherwise known as Marcia Brady on The Brady Bunch was "Hildie" in episode number 32 during Season 2.
[edit] Anachronisms
Various pinball machines manufactured in the early 1970s were seen in Arnold's, including a 1972 Bally produced machine called Nip-It. It is possible that the show's producers may have overlooked this, as pinball machines from the 1950s, commonly known as "woodrails", have a more wooden look compared to the machines used in the show.
The show, along with its spin-off Laverne & Shirley, took progressively more liberties in terms of hair and clothing styles, which began to look more contemporary with the show's 1970s and 1980s production years. The hairstyles of Potsie, Ralph Malph, and (later) Chachi were not reflective of the 1950s era for men. The characters all had hair over their ears, something that would have been considered very unmasculine during the 1964 era, before the advent of "Beatles" haircuts and the longer hair that followed.
The cars used in the smash-up derby sequence of the Pinky Tuscadero episodes would have been brand new or not even released yet when the episode was set.
Howard Cunningham (portrayed by Tom Bosley) can even be seen wearing an LCD digital watch during some episodes which aired in the early 1980s (LCD watches did not exist in the early 1960s).
Joanie Cunningham and Jenny Piccalo are seen wearing miniskirts, which were not a fashion trend in the early 1960s.
[edit] Neologisms
[edit] "Jumping the Shark"
Main article: Jumping the shark
This term has been used as a metaphor to describe something that had become an unintended mockery of itself. The term arose from one of the most famous of these plots, which involved Fonzie performing a water ski jump over a shark in an episode aired on September 20, 1977, during the show's fifth season. In later years, this episode has often been cited as the point where the series had passed its peak of quality and popularity. The phrase jumping the shark was later applied to popular culture phenomena in general. While the Fonz's literal shark jump gave rise to the phrase, some fans consider Happy Days to have had more than one such moment, occurring both before and after the stunt in question. Of particular note are the fire that destroyed the original Arnold's Drive-In and the departure of leading man Ron Howard, both of which happened after the notorious stunt involving the shark. Prior to this, the Fonzie character had become almost a comic book version of himself, battling alongside with (and subsequently romancing) a woman named Kat Mandu (portrayed by Quantum Leap actress/producer Deborah Pratt) and encountering space alien Mork from Ork (in a backdoor pilot for Mork and Mindy). Interestingly, although the series dipped slightly in viewership after Ron Howard's departure in 1980 (the show still remained a Top Thirty hit for three of its last four seasons), the Fonzie character became more grounded and "human" again—even venturing into a season of exploring domesticity and the trials of approaching middle age. Another figurative jumping of the shark occurred with the introduction of Ted McGinley, now notorious for serving as a replacement castmember on The Love Boat and Married… with Children as well.
[edit] The "Fonzie Effect"
Main article: List of breakout characters
The early Happy Days episodes centered on Richie and teenage friend Warren "Potsie" Weber, dealing with typical adolescent woes in 1950s Milwaukee, along with peripherally seen peers such as Ralph Malph, Bag, et al. During the first season, the character Fonzie was becoming a fan favorite, though he was originally intended to be a local high school dropout who was only occasionally seen. The character was given progressively more screen time by the writers, becoming a permanent cast member displayed in the second season opening credits. He quickly became the show's most popular character, and many episodes came to revolve around him. When the ABC management considered changing the name of the show to "Fonzie's Happy Days", the cast, including Winkler, protested along with producer/creator Garry Marshall, and the show's title remained unchanged.[citation needed]
[edit] "Chuck Cunningham Syndrome"
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The first two seasons of the series also featured Chuck, the Cunninghams' eldest child and Richie's older brother. The Fonz was initially meant to be a "juvenile delinquent" whom Richie and his friends would encounter, with Chuck taking on the mentoring role to Richie. After Fonzie attained breakout success and was repurposed to be more sympathetic and closer to Richie, the Chuck character was nearly superfluous, and his scenes were usually brief appearances "on his way to basketball practice." In fact, Chuck was originally a student at Marquette University on a basketball scholarship.[citation needed]
Chuck was written out during the series' second season with no explanation and was rarely referred to again. Scripts from later seasons implied the Cunninghams had two, not three children. However, in the third and fourth season recap versions of the Christmas episode, "Guess Who's Coming To Christmas", Fonzie—recalling his first Christmas with the Cunninghams—tells Arnold, and later, Al, that Chuck was "away at college." In a Happy Days reunion show from 2005, the cast mentioned that Chuck had won a scholarship to the "University of Outer Mongolia" to play basketball, as a sort of an inside joke. An officially circulated outtake from the final episode has Mr. Cunningham raising a glass to the entire cast and saying "to Happy Days." After taking a sip, he blurts out in mock surprise "Wait, where's Chuck?!" In the aired version, Mr. Cunningham specifies that he has two children (Richie and Joanie). The unexplained removal of a character in a TV series has come to be known as "Chuck Cunningham Syndrome". Later seasons saw the addition of other characters. Introduced in the second season episode "Not With My Sister, You Don't", Danny Butch played Fonzie's similarly dressed and mannered young cousin Raymond "Spike" Fonzarelli. Although he went on to make several more appearances, the character was felt to never completely catch on, and was reworked into that of Chachi at the start of the fifth season (see below).
At the start of the fourth season, Roz Kelly was brought in as Pinky Tuscadero, Fonzie's long-term girlfriend. Commercials for the subsequent season even began promoting Kelly's new character, but when discord occurred between her and the cast and producers, her character was dropped; the character was briefly mentioned in two subsequent episodes, one where her sister Leather Tuscadero (played by singer Suzi Quatro) came to town to start anew out of reform school, and when Fonzie was out of town at a demolition derby with Pinky.
Bill "Sticks" Downey, played by John-Anthony Bailey, was supposed to be added to the cast as a new member of Richie's band, on drums, and the gang at Arnold's but the character never caught on and only stayed for a few episodes.
During the first two seasons, a few actresses were brought in as potential long-term girlfriends for Richie. Laurette Spang was Richie's girlfriend Arlene in a couple of first season episodes. Richie dated Arlene Nestrock (Tannis G. Montgomery) in the pilot episode which only aired as an installment of Love American Style who admitted to Richie the only reason she dated him was because he had a television set. Arlene would return in the second season and through the use of flashbacks to the "Love American Style" pilot Richie explains to Potsie and Ralph how their date went. Later in the second season Linda Purl was brought in as Richie's girlfriend Gloria. Neither caught on storywise and Richie did not have a steady girlfriend until going to college and meeting Lori-Beth Allen (Lynda Goodfriend), a former classmate from Jefferson High. Linda Purl returned to the Happy Days fold in Season 10 as Fonzie's girlfriend Ashley Pfister (a divorced socialite of the wealthy Milwaukee Pfister family). The Pfisters were often also referenced on Laverne & Shirley as owners of many Milwaukee establishments, ie, Chez Pfister, The Hotel Pfister, Pfister Fong's.
The "Chuck Cunningham Syndrome" is not to be confused with "The Mike Douglas Kiss-off", a reference to a character whose departure is explained (e.g. getting married or going to college), but whose name is never again referenced, even by a family member. Mike Douglas was a "My Three Sons" cast member who was written-out of the show via marriage, but who seemingly vanished from existence, even while relatives got married, graduated, had children, etc.
[edit] Decline in popularity
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Happy Days remained a successful sitcom in terms of ratings for its entire run (far greater than the length of most sitcoms' full lives). One might point to the forward thinking of Garry Marshall who drafted a very young Scott Baio while the series was at #1 (in 1976-1977) without him, and seemingly in no need of a new, very young, character. Three years later, when Ron Howard and Donny Most left the series, it banished Anson William's Potsie to Mr. Cunningham's hardware store. The focal point then became the relationship of the Joanie and Chachi characters, helping to carry the series onward with ratings success. Of those final four seasons (the 8th, 9th, 10th, and 11th), Season 10 stands out as the oddest. Scott Baio and Erin Moran were spun-off into "Joanie Loves Chachi" (itself a rating success in terms of viewers, but failure in terms of the new-at-the-time "lead-in variable" - a gauge to see if a show is holding a high enough percentage of the show that aired just before it during the hour) and the production staff scrambled to bring in conspicuously similar Cunningham relatives to fill those spots. Season 10 marked the only full season where Fonzie entered into a monogamous relationship. With the return of the full cast (even including three guest spots by Ron Howard - a two-part episode (also strongly featuring Don Most's Ralph Malph character) plus the finale, "Passages"), the 11th season is arguably forgotten as a return to deeper storylines, stronger writing, and poignant moments.[citation needed]
[edit] Theme music
Seasons 1 and 2 of the series used a newly recorded version of "Rock Around the Clock" by Bill Haley & His Comets (recorded in the fall of 1973) as the opening theme song. This recording was not commercially released at the time, although the original 1954 recording returned to the American Billboard charts in 1974 as a result of its use on the show. The "Happy Days" recording had its first commercial release in 2005 by the German label Hydra Records. (When Happy Days entered syndication in 1979, the series was retitled Happy Days Again and used an edited version of the 1954 recording instead of the 1973 version).
The show's closing theme song in season 1 & 2 was "Happy Days," written by Charles Fox and Norman Gimbel. According to SAG, this version was performed by Jimmy Haas (lead vocal), Ron Hicklin, Stan Farber, Jerry Whitman and Gary Garrett (backing vocals), plus studio musicians.
From seasons 3-10, this replaced "Rock Around the Clock" at the beginning of the show. Released as a single in 1976 by Pratt & McClain, "Happy Days" cracked the Top 5. The show itself finished the 1976-77 television season #1, ending the five-year Nielsen reign of All in the Family.
For the show's 11th and final season (1983-84), the theme was rerecorded in a more modern style. Featuring Bobby Arvon on lead vocals, with several back-up vocalists, this version of the theme song is arguably not as popular with Happy Days fans as versions from the 3rd-10th seasons (among which there were several slightly different versions and edits). To accompany this new version, new opening credits were filmed, and the flashing "Happy Days" logo was reanimated to create an overall "new" feel which incorporated 1980s sensibilities with 1950s nostalgia (although by this time the show was set in 1965).
[edit] Production & scheduling
Jerry Paris, who played a role on The Dick Van Dyke Show and directed several episodes of that series, directed every episode of Happy Days from the third season on, except for three episodes in Season 3 ("Jailhouse Rock", "Dance Contest" and "Arnold's Wedding"). [2]
Until the show went out of production, reruns of the show were syndicated under the title Happy Days Again.
Happy Days was produced by Miller-Milkis Productions (later Miller-Milkis Boyett since Bob Boyett joined the company in 1980) and was the first ever show to be produced by Miller-Boyett Productions. It was also produced by Henderson Productions and is one of the popular shows produced in association with Paramount Television.
Happy Days still remains one of ABC's longest-running sitcoms (11 seasons), and one of the longest-running prime time programs in the network's history. It is also unique in that it remained in the Tuesday at 8:00 p.m. time slot for the series' first ten seasons. The network has not had an entertainment series that has run consistently in the same slot since.
Happy Days also proved to be quite popular in daytime reruns; they joined the ABC daytime schedule in 1975, airing reruns at 11:30 a.m. (ET), being moved to 11 a.m. in 1977, paired with Family Feud following at 11:30 a.m. It was replaced on the daytime schedule by reruns of its spin-off, Laverne & Shirley, in April 1979.
Happy Days also reruns on Five US in the U.K. between 4pm and 5pm GMT, it was shown on Channel 4 between the early 1990s to the early 2000s.
Happy Days began running on FamilyNet Television in January 2009 as part of a "Families on FamilyNet" evening programming block that also features My Three Sons and Family Ties.
Happy Days will rerun again on WGN America in 2010 by premiering in fall 2010.
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CBS programming head Fred Silverman scheduled Good Times directly against Happy Days during their respective second seasons in an attempt to kill the ABC show's growing popularity. However, he was named president of ABC in 1975, and so was given the task of saving Happy Days during its third season (which saw a rapid increase in ratings). This explains Happy Days appearing in the Top 20 for the 1973-74 and 1975-76 seasons, but being completely absent from the Top 20 in 1974-7
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