Garry Marshall

Garry Marshall (1934-2016) was a veteran producer, director and writer of film, television, and theater. After graduating from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, he went on to create, write and produce some of television’s most beloved situation comedies, including Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley, Mork & Mindy and The Odd Couple.

Marshall was passionate about live theater. His play Shelves was performed at the Pheasant Run Playhouse in St. Charles, Illinois, and The Roast, which he co-wrote with Jerry Belson, ran at the Winter Garden Theater in New York. In addition, he co-wrote Wrong Turn at Lungfish with Lowell Ganz, which he then went on to direct in Los Angeles with Hector Elizando, in Chicago, and off-Broadway with George C. Scott. At the request of Placido Domingo, he made his operatic directing debut at Los Angeles Opera in 2005 with his own adaptation of Offenbach’s The Grand Duchess, starring Frederica von Stade. In 2007, he joined the San Antonio Opera to direct Elixir of Love, which received rave reviews.

He directed 17 movies. Among them are Pretty Woman, Beaches, Overboard, The Princess Diaries 1 & 2, Runaway Bride, Valentine’s Day and New Year’s Eve. As an actor, he played many memorable roles, including the casino owner in Albert Brooks’ Lost in America, Mr. Harvey in his sister Penny Marshall’s A League of Their Own, and Irwin in his son Scott Marshall’s debut feature, Keeping Up with the Steins. In 1995, Marshall wrote his autobiography with his daughter Lori, called Wake Me When It’s Funny. Random House released their second book, My Happy Days in Hollywood. In 1997, Mr. Marshall built a theater in Burbank, California with his daughter Kathleen, called the Falcon Theatre. Happy Days: A New Musical made its debut there, co-produced by his sister Ronny Hallin, who also produced the TV series.