Biography
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