Garry Marshall, a giant of TV comedy whose long list of credits include such landmark series as Happy Days, The Odd Couple and The Dick Van Dyke Show and also helmed several feature films including Pretty Woman, has died. He was 81.
A recipient of two WGA career honors — the Valentine Davies Award and Paddy Chayefsky Laurel Award — Marshall also co-created and wrote the classic 1970s comedies as Happy Days spinoffs Laverne & Shirley and Mork & Mindy. The former co-starred his sister Penny Marshall was the No. 1 primetime series in back-to-back seasons, and the latter made a star of Robin Williams. With those and Happy Days, Marshall had a hand in creating, writing and producing three of the four top-rated TV series of 1978-79.
Earlier that decade, Marshall was the executive producer of The Odd Couple and co-created sitcoms Blansky’s Beauties, Angie, Makin’ It, The Brian Keith Show and yet another Happy Days spinoff in Joanie Loves Chachi.
By the 1970s, Marshall already was a veteran of the TV comedy game, having written multiple episodes of such series as Make Room for Daddy, The Joey Bishop Show, The Lucy Show, Love, American Style and The Dick Van Dyke Show.
He also helmed several feature films including Pretty Woman and the recent holiday-themed films Mother’s Day, New Year’s Eve and Valentine’s Day and had dozens of acting credits dating to the 1960s.
