{Read} {PDF EPUB} ~download Wake Me When It's Funny How to Break into Show Business and Stay by Garry Marshall Milwaukee filmmaker taps nostalgia, and heart, in ABC documentary 'Happy Days of Garry Marshall' "Happy Days" and "Laverne and Shirley" producer Garry Marshall, right, poses with his sister, Penny Marshall, and the Bronze Fonz in Milwaukee in 2008. Garry Marshall is the focus of "The Happy Days of Garry Marshall," premiering on ABC May 12, 2020. (Photo: Associated Press) Making a documentary about TV and movie legend Garry Marshall may have been one of the sunniest projects of John Scheinfeld's busy career. "I did not find one person, in the year I worked on this project, who had a (negative) thing to say about him," said Scheinfeld, the Fox Point native who's made about 40 movies, nearly all of them biographical documentaries. Scheinfeld's latest project, "The Happy Days of Garry Marshall," debuts at 7 p.m. Tuesday on ABC, locally on WISN-TV (Channel 12). The title is an homage to Marshall's best-known creation, the Milwaukee-set sitcom "Happy Days." But it's also a tribute to Marshall's joyful approach to show business — and the stories he told on the big and small screen. "Garry doesn't do dark," Rob Lowe says in the documentary. Lowe got his first break when Marshall cast him in a pilot for a sitcom that never made it to air. He's not the only performer whose career got a jump-start from Marshall. Over a half-century of work in movies in television, Marshall — who died in 2016 at age 81, of complications of pneumonia after having a stroke — helped launch a surprising number of stars, from Henry Winkler (Fonzie on "Happy Days") and Michael McKean (Lenny on "Laverne & Shirley) to Julia Roberts ("Pretty Woman") and Anne Hathaway ("The Princess Diaries") — all of whom share stories about their mentor in "The Happy Days of Garry Marshall." In all, the two-hour documentary includes anecdotes, memories and testimonials from 29 stars. The only people who said no, Scheinfeld said, couldn't fit it into their schedules. "Old friends, new friends — they were all crazy about Garry," McKean says in the movie. "They would do anything he wanted." A coincidental Milwaukee connection. Scheinfeld got involved in the project through Marshall's family, who were looking at having a documentary made about his life and work. Some of the biggest challenges for any documentary — funding and distribution — weren't challenges after all: ABC came on board early, Scheinfeld said, since "Garry's TV shows helped propel ABC to the top" in the 1970s, and many of Marshall's hit movies were made for the network's corporate parent, Disney. About a quarter of "The Happy Days of Garry Marshall" is taken up with his involvement in "Happy Days" and its two spin-off hits, "Laverne & Shirley" and "Mork & Mindy." For Scheinfeld, the Milwaukee connection to those shows was a happy coincidence. When he was growing up in Fox Point, "I always thought it was really cool that somebody had set a TV show in my hometown," Scheinfeld said. Like Thomas L. Miller — one of the original producers of "Happy Days," who died last month at age 79 —Scheinfeld is a Nicolet High School grad; Miller's memories of Milwaukee gave the sitcom its Milwaukee accent. Fox Point native John Scheinfeld's latest documentary is "The Happy Days of Garry Marshall," debuting on ABC May 12. (Photo: Courtesy Beachwood Entertainment Collective) Marshall's accent, heard throughout the documentary thanks to narration borrowed from the audiobook edition of his memoir, is from the Bronx. But, Scheinfeld said, "I think he had a Midwest sensibility to him," something Marshall tapped to keep the stories he told onscreen grounded. From John Lennon to Garry Marshall. Scheinfeld doesn't always get to focus on such upbeat characters. Many of his best-known documentaries are about complicated, often difficult performers, as in "The U.S. vs. John Lennon," "Chasing Trane: The John Coltrane Documentary" and "Who Is Harry Nilsson (And Why Is Everybody Talkin' About Him?)" But there is a common denominator, he said. "As a filmmaker … I pick a project because it inspires me," Scheinfeld said. And Marshall's dogged efforts to make people laugh, for more than half a century, were compelling material. "I don't try to bend a subject to my style. I try to capture the spirit of my subject," Scheinfeld said. For this project, he added, "it's to capture the humor, the heart and humanity" of Marshall. Cindy Williams and Penny Marshall starred in the Milwaukee-set sitcom "Laverne & Shirley," one of the creations of Garry Marshall. The prolific producer gets a heartfelt tribute in "The Happy Days of Garry Marshall," airing on at 7 p.m. May 12 on ABC. (Photo: ABC photo archives) One of the things you take away from "The Happy Days of Garry Marshall" is just the huge number of hits he had, both in TV and the movies. The documentary doesn't take a "and-then-he-made … " approach, Scheinfeld said, because there was just too much material. But there are tastes of Marshall's impressive reach, from a look at his early years writing for "The Dick Van Dyke Show" to mentoring the young Chris Pine on "The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement," 40 years later. Throughout, "The Happy Days of Garry Marshall" celebrates the good vibes of Marshall's work, suggesting his approach — he often compared what he did to recess — is especially welcome in a time when we all feel uncertain about, well, everything. "I think, more than ever, Garry's work is important," Hector Elizondo, who appeared in 18 of Marshall's movies, says in the documentary. "It gives you hope. It gives you inspiration. It gives you ice cream, a happy ending, juggling and a parade. What do you want? C'mon!" Robin Williams is Mork and Ron Howard take a break in the episode of "Happy Days" that debuted the iconic Williams character. "Mork & Mindy," which spun off from the episode, was one of the creations of prolific producer Garry Marshall, who is celebrated in the new special "The Happy Days of Garry Marshall," airing at 7 p.m. May 12 on ABC. (Photo: ABC photo archives) While the documentary was a year in the making, Scheinfeld acknowledged that Marshall's voice seems timely now, "having dealt with all the darkness and division … and now with all the attendant uncertainty." That could be why, when "The Happy Days of Garry Marshall" airs Tuesday night, it'll be the first entertainment documentary to air in prime time on ABC in 20 years, Scheinfeld said. Scheinfeld, who is living in lockdown in California, has two more documentaries that were supposed to be in theaters but got caught up in the shutdown during the coronavirus pandemic: "Herb Alpert Is … ," on the music industry legend: and "Sergio Mendes in the Key of Joy," about the Brazilian pop performer and bandleader. He's eager to get those movies into theaters, and to get back to other signs of normal life. Although he's lived in California for decades, he hangs onto his Wisconsin roots. Garry Marshall's Touching Final Interview with PEOPLE Reveals a Generous Man Who Cherished His Friends. Garry Marshall was one of the most beloved luminaries in Hollywood – as evidenced by the number of celebrities who are mourning his death Tuesday at 81. But the writer and director’s last interview with PEOPLE reveals just how important his personal relationships were to his success, and paint a picture of a loving grandfather and friend as well as an acclaimed Hollywood hitmaker. Speaking before the premiere of his last film, Mother’s Day , earlier this year, Marshall explained how his longstanding relationships with stars including Julia Roberts made casting easy. “Why I get along with them is I don’t call them, I bump into them,” he told PEOPLE, calling his strategy “the key to movies.” “Julia Roberts has a 10-year-old and I have a 10-year-old grandson,” he also said. “They play in the same little league, so there I am in the stands, cheering with Julia, and eventually between innings she’ll say, ‘What are you doing?’ ‘I’m doing Mother’s Day – You’re a mother!’ ‘Yeah? Okay.’ ” He went on to joke that he’d visit Roberts’s Malibu house with a script “and shove it in her mailbox.” “She reads it, goes ‘Okay, I could do something’ and she picks her part and that’s it,” he said. “That’s not usually the way show business works.” Roberts wasn’t the only longtime friend Marshall turned to for Mother’s Day . He also cast Kate Hudson, whom he had previously worked with on Raising Helen . He first met the 37-year-old when she was 7½, on the set of mom Goldie Hawn‘s movie Overboard . “It may sound corny, but I’m a corny guy,” Marshall said. “When I was doing Overboard , I would hold Kate Hudson in my lap and I’d say ‘Let’s yell ‘Action!’ for mommy! Look, mommy’s funny!’ So in this movie, I had her two sons there sitting in my director’s chair. ‘Here she comes – watch mommy, she’s going to be funny.’ So it was a circle.” Connecting circles was important to Marshall. He cast Chris Pine in The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement , and Chris’s father, Robert Pine, in Mother’s Day . That relationship made Marshall feel confident Pine would return for another Princess Diaries installment. “Chris Pine likes me, you know why? Because his father is in Mother’s Day !” he joked. “His father I know, I’ve seen him in plays. Chris Pine and my kids went to similar schools, so I knew him as a kid.” RELATED VIDEO: ‘Pretty Woman’ Director Garry Marshall Dies of Complications from Pneumonia at 81. Marshall’s warmth was evident on his sets, which he described as being “open” to everyone’s family. “I always meet everybody’s parents, and like kids to be running around,” he explained. “I love when they come to the set and say hello.” For Mother’s Day – a “feel-good movie” meant to “salute mothers” for all they do – his set seemed particularly full. “The kids were there,’ he said. “I had all my grandchildren there. Kate Hudson’s kids were there, Julia’s kids were there, Jason Sudeikis had his son there – it was quite that kind of set. I love the kids – they make me laugh.” Judging by the love Marshall’s been receiving after his death, the feeling appears to be mutual. “Beauty is only in the perspective eye of the beholder.” (An analysis of Garry Marshall’s – Pretty Woman) Pretty is the same as beautiful. Right?. But people have different sets of standards when it comes to beauty. It is actually a broad thing to consider when you think about it. Beauty has no definite, shape, size or anything to consider, the reason why it is like that it’s because we’re all in from different perspectives. The movie directed by Garry Marshal produced from the book of J Lawton had been a smashing hit in the viewers back in the days. When you even beget to hear the tune of “pretty woman.” Everyone just sings to the tune and reviews the story. I hated “beauty” before. I hated the fact that someone has to be admired for that one thing that they possess, beautiful smile, good looks, a perfectly fine body, everything. When you see the real me – you have every thought to judge me as not beautiful. But, hold it right there. I did say it was back then – now. I’ve got a new definition of beauty that can fit for everyone – it’s called equality. “I have come to realize that making yourself happy is the most important. Never be ashamed of what you feel. You have the right to feel any emotion you want – and do what makes you happy. That’s my life motto.” – Demi Lovato. One thing that I have to tell everyone is that you deserve to love and be loved. Nobody is worth of hate or anything that will probably wreck them in the near future. We’ve all had stuffs in our life that brought us down, even the “so-called” beautiful people suffer the same way we do. You see that we often suffer. Because we’re ugly. Too fat, too skinny, too brain dumb – anything you can think of. Beautiful people also encounter the same things when you’re like beautiful in the eyes of society you are expected to play the same role everyday and flavor to all of it. Many “beautiful” people cannot be even taken seriously because, they are considered as idols, or worse, sex objects. Julia Roberts here is a hooker, she is the main female lead in the story. Alongside Richard Gere who is a famous businessman who sells business all his life – he doesn’t care about those feelings to consider at all – as long as he makes money, he does, he sells, he makes himself rise to the top?. Go. Nothing will stop that man. While Julia here is just this woman who’s engaged into prostitution – of course like most girls – she’s forced into that kind of job in order to get something out of her to live – survive life – rather. They’re known in the story as Richard and Vivian. They weren’t supposed to meet – he was just continuing with his everyday routine – supposed to stay in a hotel in a week for vacation, to take a break from his ex-girlfriend and all the stress about the job. But, fate played with them. He doesn’t know on how to control the car properly. He ended up to where Vivian and her friend – Kit de Luca. Kit told her to make a move on him – of course for money. She agreed to play the role – as always. It didn’t seem off to her at all. She was fixated to that idea all her life. This is supposed to be the typical “I fell for this prostitute story. I’ll make her mine and only mine kind of story.” But – it surprised me when it was more than that. Vivian was treated fine like a lady and for the first time – she felt respected. The film was initially conceived to be a dark drama about sex work in Los Angeles in the 1980s. The relationship between Vivian and Edward also originally harboured controversial themes, including the concept of having Vivian addicted to drugs; part of the deal was that she had to stay off cocaine for a week, because she needed the money to go to Disneyland. Edward eventually throws her out of his car and drives off. The movie was scripted to end with Vivian and her sex worker friend on the bus to Disneyland.These traits, considered by producer Laura Ziskin to be detrimental to the otherwise sympathetic portrayal of her, were removed or incorporated into the character of Kit. This was how the movie’s supposed to run. But instead the biggest conflict that faced here was when Edward told Philip that Vivian is indeed a hooker and Marshall wants to take her on his accord after Edward is considered to be “done with her.” Vivian hated the fact that just as when she is treated as a fine lady she was reminded – that she’s just a cheap hooker who’s begging sex for money on Edward and all the other men she’s been with. She got into a fight with Edward and wanted to disappear for good. But the shocking thing was Edward did fell in love with her and he wanted to treat her right and keep her for good. I have to admit – that in our society – nothing lasts forever. Including love, there are people who wanted to be with their desired crushes for the feeling of fame – completeness – popularity raise – whatever. But, this movie made me realize that true love still lies – there is still a chance probably that somewhere, somehow – there is someone who has the strong desire of doing all good things for you – whether you’re meant for single blessedness or with a partner. “ When I was a little girl, my mama used to lock me in the attic when I was bad, which was pretty often. And I would- I would pretend I was a princess… trapped in a tower by a wicked queen. And then suddenly this knight… on a white horse with these colors flying would come charging up and draw his sword. And I would wave. And he would climb up the tower and rescue me. But never in all the time… that I had this dream did the knight say to me, “Come on, baby, I’ll put you up in a great condo.” – Vivian Ward. Guys. Let me tell you – one little thing. Every girl dreamed of becoming a princess. Being up in the castle crying for help, wearing this gown that fitted their personality with a match to their hair. To cut it short. A girl has always been fragile they’re afraid of people “breaking them.” They care too much on emotions and they tend to over think stuff, so if you got to grab a great girl who treats you right? – who loves you more than herself. Keep her, for she’s the best for you. And Girls. Of course I’m all for equality so you get to read my note as well. Never expect your guy – to always be strong – there are times that they are weak and probably there are days where they don’t reach your expectations. But, if they’re trying their best for you – you see that he does stuff that only you can see and witness –he’s yours to keep. They say that dealing with the opposite sex has always been so hard, for males we’re like the connect the dots puzzle and females were like the crosswords – males tend to look straight and females look for other stuffs to consider. But at the end of the day. They’re just both princes’ and princess’ there’s the presence of beauty for every little thing that they do. We just don’t see it – sometimes. Because we tend to rise up our pride and stand for our own understanding which is not clearly that good. “ So what happened after he climbed up the tower and rescued her . She rescues him right back.” There is a reason why it is called fairy tale. It’s tales of beautiful collection of stuffs – it may not be fairly possible but it’s not that impossible as well when you think things through and put stuff into action. Writing Lessons Learned from Garry Marshall’s “Happy Days in Hollywood” Garry Marshall is an entertainer, storyteller, but first and foremost a writer. I didn’t realize the extent of his talents until the day I listened to his Director’s Commentary on The Princess Diaries DVD. Afterward, I immediately ran out and bought his first book, Wake Me When It’s Funny . A delight, with its real-world insider info on what it takes to be a successful writer … in any biz. It’s all about story … whether it’s a screenplay, a novel, or a comedy skit. [image: Wikipedia] A few weeks ago I saw a Twitter post about Garry Marshall’s new book, My Happy Days In Hollywood . I immediately went online and ordered it, except this time I opted for the unabridged audio book version that is read by Garry Marshall himself. A real treat. It’s like sitting in a living room with Garry, while he personally tells you his story. The Writer. Garry Marshall was one of the sickly kids ever, because he was (and still is) allergic to almost everything. As a boy, his main goal was to get out of bed. But all that time in bed forced him to develop his talent for crafting stories. While all the other kids were outside playing, he’d lay in bed and made up stories to entertain himself. Scary stories made him scared, and depressing stories just made him depressed. So he quickly learned that amusing stories worked the best. He looked at life as comedy, and it stuck with him. Garry Marshall started as a professional writer for stand-up comedians on the New York City nightclub circuit. From there he went to Hollywood, first writing for Bing Crosby, and then for television shows such as The Danny Thomas Show, The Dick Van Dyke Show, I Love Lucy, The Odd Couple, Gomer Pyle, I Spy, and Love American Style. His time in the writing trenches eventually lead to producing and directing, fist television and later movies. The Producer, Director, & Actor Garry Marshall was the creator and producer of some of the most popular television shows from the 1970’s, including The Odd Couple, Happy Days, Mork and Mindy and Laverne & Shirley. Today, most people know Garry Marshall for his more recent work as a director (the The Princess Diaries movies, 1 & 2) and actor. What you might not realize, is that his writing skills helped shape (and in some instances make) successes through the rewrites he contributed to a script. One of his script-transformation successes was Pretty Woman (1990). The original screenplay was named Three Thousand , and was a dark story about a thirty-something hooker who falls in love with a wealthy businessman who leaves her, and then she kills herself. Disney execs didn’t think that story would do too well at the box office (duh), so they hired Garry Marshall to direct and “lighten the story up.” The rest is history. I could go on and on about his other successes as a director, producer and actor, but I don’t want to ruin your experience of reading, or listening to, Garry Marshall’s My Happy Days In Hollywood. Instead, I’ll cut to the chase, with the practical lessons I learned from his autobiography. These are lessons that any writer/actor/artist can use to set their career on the success track. Because as one person so aptly stated… Garry is allergic to everything but success. Ten Valuable Lessons. Garry Marshall’s books offer a wealth of life experiences that writers, actors, and artists of all kinds can apply to their careers. Here are ten of my favorite: Go to school (take classes and seminars), learn and improve your craft. To succeed in Hollywood (or as a writer) you must be prepared for failure and rejection. You have to feel it’s noble to fail and learn to rationalize, because you are going to get rejected. Allow yourself 30 minutes a day for self-pity. Then get back to your writing. You’ve got to try different things (write different types of stories), hit or miss. Developing friendships in the industry is important. It’s not always who you know , but you never know when it will help. Besides, it makes everything so much more fun. Pain + time = humor The key to directing (or writing) is don’t take it too seriously. Life is more important than show business (writing). Spend your money going to film festivals (writing conferences). You might meet someone who will further your career. The real power in Hollywood (publishing industry) is to have passion for your project. That passion radiates and convinces others to believe in it (and you!) too. The Purpose of Our Craft. Garry Marshall said he wants to be remembered “ for making films that make you feel good … even if you don’t want to .” How about you? How do you want to be remembered as a writer? Penny Marshall. Penny Marshall spent her early years as Laverne on the sitcom Laverne and Shirley . In 1985, Marshall's friend, Whoopi Goldberg, convinced her to pursue a career in directing, starting with the movie Jumpin' Jack Flash . The film wasn't a hit, but it launched Marshall's career. She went on to direct Big , Awakenings , A League of Their Own and Riding in Cars With Boys . Early Life. Born Carole Penny Marshall on October 15, 1943, in New York City, Marshall grew up in the Bronx with parents Tony Marshall, a director and producer, and Marjorie Marshall, a dance teacher. Penny's Italian-American father changed the family's last name from Marsciarelli to Marshall before she was born. Penny had two siblings, older brother Garry and sister Ronny, whom she would later follow into show business. After spending her entire childhood in the Bronx, Marshall "wanted to get out," following graduation from Walton High School in 1960. "I didn't care where," she said. She ventured west to the University of New Mexico, where she studied math and psychology, and enlisted friends and teachers to help her lose her thick Bronx accent. "Obviously, they failed," she later quipped in her distinctive New York cadence. While in college, she took up with a campus football player named Michael Henry and became pregnant with their daughter, Tracy. She married Henry and dropped out of school. Marshall worked as a tap dancer and secretary to support the young family, but when the marriage ended a few years later, she decided to move to Los Angeles to try to break into show business. While there, she reunited with her brother Garry, who was working as a comedy writer, and her sister Ronny Hallin, who was a casting director and producer. Penny Marshall and her brother, Garry, in 2004. Photo: Vince Bucci/Getty Images. Early TV Roles. It was a rough ride at first. The few television commercials she booked focused on her less-than-glamorous looks, featuring her as the "before" in before-and-after ads for supposedly transformative beauty products. By 1971, after several years in Los Angeles, Marshall landed a recurring role as secretary Myrna Turner on The Odd Couple , a show her brother wrote. Marshall scored two appearances on The Mary Tyler Moore Show before scoring a larger role on another of her brother's series, Happy Days . Marshall joined the actress Cindy Williams in playing Laverne DeFazio and Shirley Feeney, respectively, double dates of Fonzie and his pal. Audiences responded so enthusiastically to the wisecracking women that Garry Marshall created a spin-off series based on their characters. 'Laverne and Shirley' Laverne and Shirley , a sitcom chronicling the lives of two women working in a Milwaukee brewery, ran from 1976 to 1983 and became a big hit with audiences. The show was also a family affair. Besides the obvious roles played by Garry and Penny (who directed some episodes in addition to starring in the show), mom Marjorie wrote music for the sitcom, and dad Tony played Penny's brewery boss, Mr. Shotz. "The Marshall family business works because the Marshalls are a family in business together," sister Ronny Hallin said, explaining the family's successful collaborations. "We each make up for the others' weaknesses." Marshall married the actor and director Rob Reiner in 1971, when he was 23 and she was 27. When Reiner's role as Meathead on All in the Family ended while Marshall's success on Laverne and Shirley continued to grow, the marriage hit the rocks. The couple divorced in 1979. Marshall's career also faced challenges when Laverne and Shirley ended in 1983. Marshall found that few good roles followed. Penny Marshall as Laverne in 'Laverne and Shirley' Photo: Getty Images. Behind the Camera. In 1985, Marshall's friend Whoopi Goldberg convinced her to take over the director's chair for the movie Jumpin' Jack Flash . Though the film wasn't a smash at the box office, it launched a successful new chapter of Marshall's career: directing. With her next picture, the Tom Hanks smash Big (1988), Marshall became the first female director ever to gross more than $100 million at the box office with one movie. Penny Marshall directing Whoopi Goldberg in Jumpin' Jack Flash. Photo: 20th Century Fox Film Corp. Her next movie, Awakenings , was nominated for a Best Picture Academy Award in 1991. Marshall didn't win the award, but her stature as a director continued to grow. Her crowd-pleasing 1992 film, A League of Their Own , which cast Geena Davis, Rosie O'Donnell and Madonna as players in a short-lived women's professional baseball league, also grossed more than $100 million, making Marshall the first woman with two such blockbusters to her credit. Marshall's films have tended to pull on the heartstrings, a style that some critics have dismissed as corny emotional manipulation. Marshall is unapologetic. "I like corny," she said. "I like what moves me." After directing the 2001 Drew Barrymore film Riding in Cars With Boys , Marshall mostly turned her energy toward producing and acting in cameo roles. She is an avid collector of sports memorabilia and holds season tickets to both of Los Angeles' pro basketball teams, the celebrity- magnet Lakers and the less-glamorous Clippers. In 2009, Marshall's agent denied reports that Marshall was battling cancer. Though multiple tabloid outlets reported that her health was failing, she did not speak publicly about her alleged illness. It was later revealed that she did have cancer, and her personal struggle will be one of the many topics covered in her new memoir. Titled My Mother Is Nuts , the book was published in the fall of 2012. Death. Marshall passed away from complications from diabetes on December 17, 2018, at her Hollywood Hills home in California. Fact Check. We strive for accuracy and fairness. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us! ‘Happy Days’: Creator Garry Marshall’s Original Name for the Series Got Blasted by Focus Groups. “Happy Days” is a television show that beloved by millions of fans. Whether you watched the show when it originally aired or watched it as reruns, chances are you loved it. With its unique cast of characters and humorous storylines, this television show remains great entertainment to this day. The show ran on ABC for 11 seasons. It premiered in 1974 and ended its popular run in 1984. According to Fox News, the show that made its viewers long for the happy days of the 1950s almost wasn’t called “Happy Days” at all. Garry Marshall, the show’s creator, originally did not have the name “Happy Days” in mind. According to the article, Marshall planned to call the show “Cool.” As it happens with many television shows even to this day, the show – and its title – were put to the test of focus groups. And, those groups reportedly did not like the title “Cool” for the show one bit. Marshall reportedly talked about the change in the show’s name in his book, “Wake Me When It’s Funny.” In that book, according to the article, Marshall wrote: “Test audiences thought (“Cool”) was about Eskimos who might have smoked.” Original Title for ‘Happy Days’ Was ‘Cool’ That show might be a funny idea, actually. However, “Cool” was not the best title for the show we know as “Happy Days.” Even though Fonzie, played by Henry Winkler, was the definition of “cool,” it’s difficult to imagine the show being known as anything other than “Happy Days.” Also, you can just hear the theme song playing in your head when you think about the show. “Sunday, Monday, Happy Days / Tuesday, Wednesday, Happy Days / Thursday, Friday, Happy Days / The weekend comes, my cycle hums / Ready to race to you,” part of the lyrics say. You can check out one version of the show’s theme song and opening credits below. During the development of this classic television show, Marshall and company worked diligently to make it into the success it became. Key to that success, many would argue, was the casting of Henry Winkler as Fonzie. It’s difficult to imagine anyone other than Henry Winkler playing “The Fonz” on the show. However, he wasn’t the only actor considered for the part. Micky Dolenz, a Hollywood star and member of the popular band The Monkees, also auditioned to be Fonzie. Luckily for Winkler – and fans of “Happy Days” – Marshall thought Dolenz was too tall to play the part. Marshall reportedly wanted all the actors in the cast to be of similar height. Since Dolenz was six feet tall, they decided to cast Winkler because he is shorter. Isn’t it funny how things work out? Winkler’s work as Fonzie is one of the most iconic portrayals in the history of television.