Garry Marshall

The Bronx and the Art of the Quick Joke

Garry Marshall was born in the Bronx in 1934. His father made industrial films and his mother taught dance, so the show was happening right in their living room. He studied journalism at Northwestern University, served in the army in Korea, and then hustled to make a living in New York.

In the 50s he began writing jokes for stand-up comedians. He earned little money, but he learned the rhythm of laughter. That skill helped him land a spot on Jack Paar's writing staff for The Tonight Show. But Marshall wanted more control over his stories.

He moved to Los Angeles in 1961. There he worked on comedies such as The Dick Van Dyke Show and began developing his own television projects. In 1970, he adapted Neil Simon's stage play for the small screen. The result was The Odd Couple, a series that stayed on the air for five seasons and set the standard for the modern sitcom.

And then nostalgia arrived.

In 1974 he premiered Happy Days. Marshall understood that American audiences needed an escape from the tension of the Vietnam War. The show ran for ten years and launched Henry Winkler to fame. Thanks to that success, he was able to produce spin-offs like Mork & Mindy in 1978, where he gave an unknown Robin Williams their first big break.

The Fairy Tale Factory

The leap into film directing was no walk in the park. Marshall directed Young Doctors in Love in 1982 because he wanted to try his luck on the big screen. He had no interest in auteur cinema or complex structures. He was after a direct emotional connection with the average moviegoer.

In 1990 he agreed to direct a project titled 3000. The original script was a dark drama about prostitution and drug use in Los Angeles. But Marshall decided to turn it into a romantic comedy with a happy ending. The movie ended up being called Pretty Woman.

No one expected that level of success.

The film grossed $463 million worldwide and turned Julia Roberts into the biggest star on the planet. Marshall showed he had a special knack for casting. In 1999, he reunited Roberts and Richard Gere for Runaway Bride, which earned $309 million at the box office despite lukewarm reviews.

In 2001 he directed The Princess Diaries. It was the film that discovered Anne Hathaway. Marshall preferred working with actors who had theater training because he valued discipline over ego. In 2004 he shot the sequel to the adventures of Princess Mia Thermopolis before shifting gears toward ensemble stories.

The Decline of the Great Stars

Late in his career, Marshall became obsessed with ensemble films tied to calendar dates. In 2010 he released Valentine's Day. He cast half a dozen top-tier stars and made the film on a budget of $52 million. Audiences responded by filling theaters during its opening weekend.

But the formula soon began to wear thin. In 2011 he made New Year's Eve, and critics were relentless about the film's lack of depth in its script. Marshall was not bothered by the negative reviews. He always said his job was to entertain the people who paid for a ticket, not to win prizes at European film festivals.

Because for him, movies were a family business.

His sister Penny Marshall was also a successful director, and his son Scott Marshall often worked on her productions. Marshall often made small cameo appearances in his friends' movies, such as his bit part in Soapdish in 1991 and his role as a casino manager in Lost in America in 1985.

Marshall died in July 2016 at a Burbank hospital from complications of pneumonia. His last production was Mother's Day, released that same year. The film cost $25 million and was shot entirely on location in Atlanta during the summer of 2015.