Dateline Movie Spotlight: Garry Marshall

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Garry Kent Masciarelli or more popularly known as Garry Marshall was born on November 13, 1934 in the Bronx, in New York.  His father was an Italian named  Anthony Wallace Marshall and works as an industrial film director, while his mother was of German, English, and Scottish ancestry who works as a tap dance teacher named Marjorie Irene.  His father changed their surname from Masciarelli to Marshall when Garry was born on 1934.  Garry has two sisters, Penny Marshall who also became an actress and a director, and Ronny Marshall who became a television producer.

Garry Marshall attended Northwestern University where he studied journalism. He became a writer for The Daily Northwestern, Northwestern University's official school publication.

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He started out as a writer for the Tonight Show with Jack Paar.  

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Garry Marshall teamed up with Jerry Belson and the two became unbeatable writing partners for several television hit series like The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Joey Bishop Show, The Danny Thomas Show, and The Lucy Show with popular actress Lucille Ball.  The first television show that Garry and Jerry created together was Hey, Landlord in 1966, which stars Will Hutchins and Sandy Baron.

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On his own Garry Marshall created several successful sitcoms like Happy Days starring the young Ron Howard, Mork and Mindy with Pam Dawber and Robin Williams and Laverne and Shirley where his sister Penny Marshall stars as Laverne DeFazio and Cindy Williams as Shirley Feeney.

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In the early 1980s, he met Hector Elizondo and the two became very good friends since then.  Hector Elizondo would appear in all the films that Garry Marshall directed.  In all 18 films.

Garry Marshall has directed several successful movie hits like:

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Young Doctors in Love 

Released on July 16, 1982, Young Doctors in Love is a comedy movie making fun out of television medical series.  This is the first movie wherein Hector Elizondo would appear with Garry Marshall as its director. 

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Pretty Woman

Perhaps the most popular of all the films that Garry Marshall has directed, the romantic comedy Pretty Woman starring Julia Roberts and Richard Gere, it is also the most successful. Released in March 23, 1990, it is one of the highest-grossing films of that year.  A sequel was made after 9 years in 1999 titled The Runaway Bride with Julia Roberts and Richard Gere appearing in the title roles.

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The Princess Diaries

Released on August 3, 2001, The Princess Diaries is a comedy movie based on the novel by Meg Cabot of the same name.  It stars the legendary actress Julie Andrews and Anne Hathaway on her film debut starring as Mia Thermopolis, a teenager who suddenly discovers that she is a princess and she is about to become the heir to the throne of the small fictional European Kingdom of Genovia, which is ruled by her grandmother Queen Dowager Clarisse Renaldi (Julie Andrews). Its sequel The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement also became a hit to teenagers.

On July 19, 2016 at age 81, Garry Marshall died in a hospital in Burbank, California, due to complications of Pneumonia.  Our love and prayers goes to Garry Marshall,  a great actor, director, voice artist, a writer, producer, and a beloved comedian.

Garry Marshall also wrote a book with his daughter Lori Marshall titled My Happy Days in Hollywood - A Memoir.  It tells of his journey from his young days at the Bronx to his Hollywood days.  Get it on iBooks.

My Happy Days in Hollywood - Garry Marshall