Garry Marshall Movies
The career of producer/director Garry Marshall has been marked by many peaks, the highest of which include such classic television sitcoms as The Odd Couple (1970-1975), Happy Days (1974-1984), and Mork and Mindy (1978-1982), and the phenomenally popular feature film Pretty Woman (1990). A Brooklyn native, Marshall (born Gary Marsciarelli) is the son of an industrial filmmaker and a dance instructor. His sister, Penny Marshall, is a comic actress and noted film director. Marshall majored in journalism at Northwestern University and subsequently served a stint in the army before becoming a reporter for the New York Daily News. He was also a jazz drummer in a band before becoming a television comedy scriptwriter for such artists as Joey Bishop and Phil Foster and the writer for Jack Parr on The Tonight Show.Marshall moved to Los Angeles in 1961, but he didn't make it big until he teamed up with writer Jerry Belson. Together, they penned numerous episodes for several sitcoms, notably The Dick Van Dyke Show and The Lucy Show. In 1970, Marshall produced The Odd Couple, which starred Jack Klugman and Tony Randall and was based on a popular Neil Simon play and movie. He reached his apex as a television producer during the '70s, with such hits as Laverne and Shirley (1976-1983) (a Happy Days spin-off starring sister Penny) and Mork and Mindy. In addition to his producing and television directorial efforts, Marshall occasionally appeared as a supporting actor.
In features, Marshall co-produced and co-wrote (with Belson) his first film, How Sweet It Is!, in 1968. A year later, the two produced and penned The Grasshopper. Marshall made his directorial feature film debut in 1982 with Young Doctors in Love, a comic look at daytime serials. As a film director, Marshall's output has received uneven critical reviews. Films such as the Goldie Hawn/Kurt Russell vehicle Overboard and the Bette Midler/Barbara Hershey melodrama Beaches (1988) had good box-office business, but were considered of average quality. 1990's Pretty Woman was Marshall's first big movie hit. Following its tremendous success, he tried his hand at a serious drama with Frankie and Johnny (1991) starring Al Pacino and Michelle Pfeiffer. Since then, Marshall's films have tended more toward sentimental and straight dramas such as The Twilight of the Golds (1997) and The Other Sister (1999). Marshall returned to comedy -- and to his teaming of Julia Roberts and Richard Gere -- in 1999 with Runaway Bride.
In addition to his work behind the camera, Marshall has occasionally appeared as an actor in films and television shows alike. During the mid-'90s, many TV audiences came to recognize him for playing Candice Bergen's ratings-crazy boss, Stan Lansing, on Murphy Brown. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
The fourth season of The Odd Couple continues to ask the question posed in the previous three: can two divorced men, compulsive neat-freak Felix Unger (Tony Randall) and confirmed slob Oscar Madison (Jack Klugman) live together in the same apartment without killing each other or driving one another crazy? Well . . .at least they haven't killed each other yet. The only new addition to the regular cast this season is Archie Hahn, playing Oscar's poker buddy Roger. Having proven their popularity in previous seasons, "flashback" episodes continue to abound: Season Three offers "This is the Army, Mrs. Madison", in which he recalls marrying his former wife Blanche (Bret Somers); "The Odd Holiday", wherein we learn the root cause of the split between Felix and his "ex" Gloria (Janis Hansen"; and "Cleanliness is Next to Impossible", in which one harkback sequence features Adam Klugman, real-life son of Jack Klugman, as "Little Oscar." And of course, Season Four has guest stars aplenty, virtually all of them as "themselves": Dick Clark in "The New Car", Jaye P. Morgan and Wolfman Jack in "The Songwriter", battle-of-the-sexes tennis pros Bobby Riggs and Billie Jean King in "The Pig Who Came to Dinner"; Hugh Hefner in "One for the Bunny"; Edward Villella, head dancer of the New York City Ballet, in "Last Tango in Newark". AND, for a change of pace, opera star Marilyn Horne plays a character other than herself (albeit with a magnificent singing voice) in "Vocal Girl Makes Good". ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Season Three of The Odd Couple begins with "Gloria, Hallelujah", introducing Elinor Donahue in the recurring role of Miriam Welby, occasional girlfriend of divorced photographer Felix Unger (Tony Randall. Which is not to say that the ex-wives of Felix and his sportswriter roomate Oscar Madison (Jack Klugman), played respectively by Janis Hansen and Bret Somers (then Mrs. Jack Klugman!), will not continue making significant appearances throughout the season. There have been a few changes made this year--not with the format or the basic character, but with certain casting choices. Doney Oatman takes over from Pamelyn Ferdin as Felix's daughter Edna in the episode "The Odd Father"; and Elvia Allman replaces Jane Dulo as Oscar's mother in "The Odyssey Couple". Ironically, actress Dulo appears this season as the wife of Oscar's poker-playing buddy Murray the Cop (Al Molinaro in "The Murray Who Came to Dinner". Having featured a pair of guest stars as "themselves" in the previous season, The Odd Couple upholds this tradition in Season Three. Howard Cosell is seen in the appropriately titled "The Big Mouth", sports legend Deacon Jones guests in "Felix's First Commercial"; and, in a brace of game-show takeoffs, Allen Ludden and Betty White are cast in the episode "Password", while Monty Hall does his standard emcee duties in "Let's Make a Deal". Steadily building a loyal fan base since its second season, The Odd Couple closed out its third year on the air as the 36th most popular TV show in the US. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
During its first season, The Odd Couple had been filmed movie-style with a single camera, and a prerecorded laughtrack was used. At the insistence of stars Tony Randall (Felix Unger) and Jack Klugman (Oscar Madison), the second season--and all seasons thereafter--were filmed before a live studio audience, utilizing three cameras in order to effectively capture the "feel" of a live stage presentation. This decision did wonders for The Odd Couple's overall popularity and appeal. . .to say nothing of its ratings. As before, the series focuses on the misadventures of two ill-matched roommates, slovenly sportscaster Oscar and neat-freak photographer Felix, who remain best friends despite their quarrels and personality conflicts. Of Oscar's perennial card-playing buddies Murray (Al Molinaro), Speed (Garry Walberg), Vinnie (Larry Gelman) and Roy (Ryan McDonald), only Murray will continue to show up on a regular basis, with the rest reduced to recurring characters and Roy disappearing entirely. Also gone are Felix and Oscar's kooky neighbors the Pigeon sisters, though Joan Hotchkis continues to show up from time to time as Oscar's girlfriend Dr. Nancy Cunningham. Making their first appearances this season are the two protagonists' much-discussed but hitherto unseen ex-wives; Janis Hansen as Gloria Unger, and Bret Somer (the then-wife of Jack Klugman) as Blanche Madison. Likewise, Pamelyn Ferdin and Willie Aames are seen respectively as Felix's daughter Edna and son Leonard; and in the episode "The Odd Couples", Jane Dulo is cast as Oscar's mother. Finally, Penny Marshall, sister of series producer Gary Marshall and later a prominent TV star and film director in her own right, makes her debut appearance as Oscar's ditzy secretary Myrna Turner in "You Saved My Life". For the first time, The Odd Couple serves up a couple of guest stars as "themselves"; opera singer Richard Fredericks in "Does Your Mother Know You're Out, Rigoletto?" and comedian David Steinberg in "The Odd Couple Meet Their Host". And upholding a tradition established in Season One, Season Two features a brace of flahback episodes, the first, "Speak for Yourself" recounting the initial meeting of Felix and Gloria, and the second, "A Night to Disremember" puts a "Rashomon" slant on the events leading to the divorce of Oscar and Blanche. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Overlooked when it first aired February 18, 1972, the made-for-TV Evil Roy Slade has gained a loyal and protective cult following in the past 20 years. The film was the second pilot for a never-sold TV western spoof created by Garry Marshall and Jerry Belson, Sheriff Who?. Actually, it was the second and third pilot, since Evil Roy Slade has been cobbled together from two hour-long films. John Astin is terrific in the title role, playing an outlaw so repulsive that, when he was orphaned and left stranded in the desert as a baby, even the wolves didn't want him! As an adult, Evil Roy Slade can't resist "going the extra mile" in his nastiness: while robbing a bank, he stops to pilfer a fountain pen chained to one of the desks, and the next shot shows Slade riding off into the sunset, dragging the desk behind him. Attempting to reform for the sake of pretty schoolmarm Betsy Potter (Pamela Austin), Slade simply cannot curb his crooked tendencies, so it's up to Dick Shawn as singing Sheriff Bing Bell ("Will somebody please answer that door?") to bring the criminal to justice. Shawn previously appeared in the original 1967 Sheriff Who? pilot as the "fastest interior decorator in the West"; in both films, he's almost unbearably funny. The Marshall/Belson script is full of hilarious running gags and throwaway jokes. Our favorite bit concerns railroad magnate Mickey Rooney's legendary stubby index finger: "They still sing about it around campfires at night," claims Rooney--and indeed, they do. The supporting cast includes such never-fail laughgetters as Milton Berle, Henry Gibson, Dom DeLuise and Edie Adams; also, keep a lookout for John Ritter and Penny Marshall in unbilled bits. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
"Can two divorced men share an apartment without driving each other crazy?" This is question posed in the first episode of the first season of The Odd Couple--and though the answer is an emphatic "No!", mismatched roommates Felix Unger (Tony Randall) and Oscar Madison (Jack Klugman) will manage to remain friends, and under the same roof, for the next five years. Unlike the 1965 play and 1968 movie version, which began as Felix moved in with Oscar, the TV version finds the two divorced buddies already dwelling in the same New York apartment--which during Season One is a fairly exact replica of the set used in the the movie. In fact, the fifth episode, "The Breakup", is a virtual replay of the play and movie's third act--and one of the few times that the TV show and its antecedents bore any sort of a close resemblance beyond the basic characters, premise and theme music. Appearing during Season One only are Monica Evans and Carole Shelley, reprising their stage and screen roles as Felix and Oscar's toothsome neighbors, Cecily and Gwendolyn Pigeon; and Ryan McDonald as Oscar's accountant and poker-playing buddy Roy. Introduced this season in the episode "Lovers Don't Make Housecalls" is Joan Hotchkis as Oscar's girlfriend Dr. Nancy Cunningham, who will continue making sporadic appearances until the middle of Season Two. Other supporting players of note include a young Albert Brooks, a post-Addams Family John Astin, and child actor Clint Howard (Ron's brother). And in "Bunny is Missing Down by the Lake", Pamelyn Ferdin, later cast as Felix's daughter Edna, is seen in a different role. Finally, we are treated to the series' first flashback episode, "The Jury Story", which explains how compulsive slob Oscar and nitpicky neat-freak Felix became best friends in the first place. Throughout its first season, The Odd Couple was lensed in "movie" fashion, with a single camera on a Hollywood sound stage, and with a recorded laughtrack added in post-production. All this would change--for the better--when the series entered its second season in the fall of 1971. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1969
- R
Christine (Jacqueline Bisset) is the young bank teller who is bored with her job and her husband. She leaves for Las Vegas where she scores a job as a chorus girl. The beautiful Christine does not have the talent to parlay the job into an upwardly mobile career. She marries an older man and becomes a "kept woman." Tommy Marcott (Jim Brown) is the greeter at a casino who poses for pictures with the guests and marries Christine. When Christine is invited to dinner by Roosevelt Dekker (Ramon Bieri), she is beaten up by her host. Tommy tracks down the construction magnate at a local golf course and beats him to a pulp. Danny (Corbett Monica) is the comic who gives Christine her first tour of Vegas and his bedroom. Christine hires a pilot to skywrite an obscenity that sums up her feelings about her experience. Joseph Cotten also appears in this drama of a naive young woman nearly swallowed up by the seamier side of the Las Vegas nightlife. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jacqueline Bisset, Jim Brown, (more)
- 1968
Two parents worry about the feelings of their love-struck teenage son in this engaging romantic comedy. Grif (James Garner) and wife Jenny (Debbie Reynolds) are concerned about their son Davey (Donald Losby). When his girlfriend is slated for a tour of Europe, the teenage boy is heartbroken. Grif, a photographer by trade, draws the assignment as a photo journalist to cover the girl's tour. Jenny is swindled by Mr. Tilly (Terry-Thomas) who takes her money as rent payment on a Riviera villa. The house is owned by a French playboy who allows the pretty mom to stay. Comedy ensues when a jealous Grif discovers wife Jenny in a bikini given to her by the amorous Frenchman. Prolific songwriter Jimmy Webb provides the music for this feature. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Garner, Debbie Reynolds, (more)
- 1968
This very short-lived series was later cited by TV Guide as one of the worst American sitcoms ever produced. It starred Peter Kastner as Timothy Blair, a young man desperately in love with an English ingénue named Julie Renfield (Patricia Brake). Timothy landed in hot water when his brother, the professional photographer Gene Blair (Garry Marshall!) was assigned to shoot pictures of west coast hippies for a London magazine; in a moment of complete catastrophe, the images were accidentally destroyed, so the desperate Gene convinced Timothy to dress in drag and pose for some photos as female model "Timmie" Blair. The Brits liked the photographs so much that they immediately summoned Tim to fly to the UK and headline a modeling assignment, a la Twiggy. Timothy agreed, for it gave him an excuse to be geographically close to Julie, but he soon found himself juggling dual lives - one as her suitor, the other as an incognito female impersonator. U.S. audiences didn't buy either, and the series tanked after four months. Marshall, of course, went on to be a successful television producer and movie director, but Kastner never quite lived down the ignominy associated with this series; it effectively ruined his career and made it extraordinarily difficult for him to get film or television work. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Kastner, Patricia Brake, (more)
- 1966
Comedian Godfrey Cambridge guest stars as federal agent Bond -- Harry Bond, that is -- who has been assigned to locate a supposedly deported gambler. It turns out that the best location for Bond's stakeout is the bedroom of Ritchie Petrie (Larry Mathews), meaning that Ritchie's dad Rob (Dick Van Dyke) must permit the government surveillance to be headquartered in his home. Though he has promised to stay out of the way of the feds, Rob cannot help but make a nuisance of himself as he expresses amazement and admiration over agent Bond's arsenal of high-tech gadgetry -- and as result, Bond's target may very well escape detection. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Godfrey Cambridge, Steven Geray, (more)
- 1966
Rob (Dick Van Dyke) comes across a crumpled network memo ordering his boss Alan Brady (Carl Reiner) to fire one of his writers. Certain that his job is on the chopping block, Rob reluctantly violates the edicts of his contract by looking for an outside writing assignment. His search leads to a bizarre encounter with neurotic ventriloquist Claude Wilbur (Paul Winchell) and an abusive, insulting -- and extremely popular -- hand puppet named Jellybean. And the moral of this episode? "Alan Brady may be many things, but he's certainly not nice!" ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carl Reiner, Paul Winchell, (more)
- 1966
Left alone in the house when Rob (Dick Van Dyke), Ritchie (Larry Mathews), and Jerry Helper (Jerry Paris) go off on a fishing trip, the normally sensible Laura (Mary Tyler Moore) gets an unexpected case of the jitters. It helps matters not at all when a nervous Millie (Ann Morgan Guilbert) shows up, making references to the Hitchcock film Psycho and mistaking tomato juice for blood. Before the night is over, the two terrified ladies become convinced that the house is about to be invaded by (at the very least) an axe murderer -- and wait till you see who the "villain" is! This episode was originally slated to air on March 16, 1966. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jerry Paris, Ann Morgan Guilbert, (more)
- 1966
Rob (Dick Van Dyke) is supposed to watch a TV special in order to talent-scout for his boss Alan Brady -- and of course, Alan is certain to ask Rob what he thought of the show. At the same time, our hero is slated to attend a cousin's wedding in Albany. Sure enough, the TV set in Rob's hotel room conks out, forcing him to scramble around to locate another set in a hurry -- which gets him mixed up in a '60s rehash of an old French bedroom farce! This episode was originally slated to air on January 12, 1966. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom D'Andrea, Johnny Haymer, (more)
- 1965
Sue Randall, who played Miss Landers on the classic sitcom Leave It to Beaver, appears in this I Spy episode as Louise Richards, the wife of an American pilot captured by Communists. Louise exhorts agents Kelly and Scott to agree to the captors' demands and turn over double agent Eric Thorsten (Kurt Krueger) in exchange for her husband. But Thorsten is nowhere to be found -- and that's only one of the surprise twists in the story. First telecast on November 10, 1965, "No Exchange on Damaged Merchandise" was written by the celebrated team of Garry Marshall and Jerry Belson, normally specialists in situation comedy. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1965
Once again, Rob (Dick Van Dyke) flashes back to his Army days, specifically to that brief period in which he was known "Pitter-Patter" Petrie, middleweight boxing champion of Special Services. Thanks to the manipulations of his pal Sol Pomerantz (Allan Melvin), a reluctant Rob is scheduled for a bout with the motor pool's best pugilist, Boom Boom Bailey (Paul Stader) -- and since everyone, including his commanding officer, has wagered on the match's outcome, there's no way Rob can weasel out. And as for Laura (Mary Tyler Moore) -- well, to quote Rob, she's "no Lilli Palmer." Future sitcom producer Garry Marshall appears as the referee. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Allan Melvin, Ed Peck, (more)
- 1965
In another flashback to his Army days, Rob (Dick Van Dyke) recalls how his marriage to Laura (Mary Tyler Moore) was very nearly canceled. It seems that there was a charity raffle, with Laura as first prize. The winner of the raffle is a handsome corporal named Clark Rice (Van Williams), with whom Laura is not entirely unacquainted. (Continuity note: Allan Melvin shows up in his usual recurring role of Sol Pomerantz -- only here he's identified as Sam Pomerantz.) ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Van Williams, Allan Melvin, (more)
- 1965
Ritchie (Larry Mathews) plays an unusual game of "connect the dots," using a pen to connect the freckles on the back of his father, Rob (Dick Van Dyke). The result is a stunningly accurate outline of the Liberty Bell -- whereupon neighbor Millie (Ann Morgan Guilbert) suggests that Rob can cash in on this phenomenon. It seems that the famous newspaper column "Odd But True" is offering a 500-dollar prize for the oddest, truest item...and that's how Rob winds up in an outer office in the company of a man walking on his hands and another fellow jealously guarding a weird-looking potato! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ann Morgan Guilbert, Hope Summers, (more)
- 1965
Alan Brady (Carl Reiner) has signed on to star in the first comedy ever written by celebrated playwright Harper Worthington Yates (Strother Martin). During out-of-town tryouts, a nervous Alan decides that the play needs a lot more laughs, so he begs Rob (Dick Van Dyke) to join him for some last-minute rewriting. There's only one problem: no one is supposed to know what Rob is doing, so Alan has to improvise an elaborate -- and very hectic -- charade to "explain" Rob's sudden appearance. Listen for the audience's reaction to the line about famous play-doctor Dave Murrows, an obvious reference to real-life dramatist (and celebrated theatrical "fixer-upper") Abe Burrows. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carl Reiner, Strother Martin, (more)
- 1965
When he finds out that Rob (Dick Van Dyke) wants to purchase a fur coat for Laura (Mary Tyler Moore), helpful Buddy (Morey Amsterdam) offers to arrange for Rob to get the coat wholesale from his pal. Despite the temptation of getting his hands on a "Nunzio original," Rob is queasy about entering into Buddy's scheme -- but he does anyway. The upshot of this transaction involves a "hot" mink that is several sizes too large for Laura. This was the final episode of The Dick Van Dyke Show's fourth season. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lou Krugman, Peter Brocco, (more)
- 1965
Normally, Rob (Dick Van Dyke) and Laura (Mary Tyler Moore) would be proud of the fact that their son, Ritchie (Larry Mathews), knows better than to strike a girl. However, the problem is a girl is striking Ritchie -- in fact, little Priscilla Darwell (Tracy Stratford) considers the day wasted when she doesn't beat Ritchie to a pulp! This crisis leads to a zany encounter with Priscilla's parents (Bernard Fox, Doris Singleton), and the ultimate revelation of the motive behind the girl's unladylike pugnaciousness. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bernard Fox, Doris Singleton, (more)
- 1965
When Rob (Dick Van Dyke), Buddy (Morey Amsterdam), and Sally (Rose Marie) each receive an unexpected 1,200 dollars, the intrepid trio decide to invest in a growing business. The most attractive prospect would seem to be the bargain shoe store owned by Buddy's Uncle Lou (Lou Jacobi). Unfortunately, running a business in this case translates to getting the business -- especially when Rob is stuck with the job of shoe clerk on an unusually busy day! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lou Jacobi, Milton Frome, (more)
- 1965
After he, Buddy (Morey Amsterdam), and Sally (Rose Marie) have labored for hours on this week's "Alan Brady Show" script, Rob (Dick Van Dyke) proceeds to lose the only copy of the script at Grand Central Station. Fortunately, the precious manuscript is recovered by a seedy bum (Gene Baylos); unfortunately, the bum demands a 2,500-dollar ransom for the script's safe return! It's a toss-up as to which moment in this episode is the funniest: Rob's encounter with haughty hobo Hilyard Decker (Tiny Brauer), or the superb climactic scene with legendary standup comic Gene Baylos. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1964
In the first episode of a two-part story, the staff of "The Alan Brady Show" is invited to put on a performance for the men in the state penitentiary. The convict arranging the show is Lyle Delp (Don Rickles), who turns out to be an old friend of Rob (Dick Van Dyke) and Laura (Mary Tyler Moore). In flashback, Rob recalls how he and a pregnant Laura first met Lyle when the hapless habitual criminal tried to hold them up at gunpoint (or rather, "comb-point") in a stalled elevator. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1964
Bachelorette Sally (Rose Marie) is both flattered and confused when she starts receiving such gifts as a rose that smells of pastrami from a secret admirer. It turns out that Sally is being wooed by Bert Monker (Sid Melton), a shy bachelor. Can it be that Sally has finally found the "fella" of her dreams -- or is it possible that simply being two lonely people is not a firm foundation for matrimony? Trivia note: future Mary Tyler Moore co-star Gavin MacLeod was originally cast as Bert Monker (and billed as such in the TV Guide listings) but was forced by previous commitments to pull out at the last minute. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sid Melton, Frank Adamo, (more)
- 1964
In another flashback to the early days of the Petries' marriage, Laura (Mary Tyler Moore) is nervous over the prospect of meeting Rob's (Dick Van Dyke) parents for the first time. To calm herself, she takes some nerve medicine prescribed to her friend Millie (Ann Morgan Guilbert). Unfortunately, the pills turn out to be "uppers," resulting in an extremely hyperactive Laura during a riotous dinner with Rob's mom and dad. Watch for the moment in which the flashback is "fast-forwarded," anticipating home video technology by nearly two decades! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
