(ABC Primetime, 1974 - 1984)
[Happy Days was a retrospective sitcom -- looking back at the
supposedly simpler life growing up in small-town America in
the 1950s at the innocent age when even Rock and Roll was a
bit innocent...;
It was inspired by the success of George Lucas' 1950's
coming-of-age film "American Graffiti" which had re-established
an adult career for Ron Howard; Ron had previously played the
boy named Opie on the rural sitcom "The Andy Griffith Show" as
a child actor, so Ron was no stranger to TV;
Ron played the "all-American boy" character in the film and
the same kind of character in the TV series -- Richie Cunningham;
But what had begun with Ron Howard as the lead character
changed into a pop phenomenon when the character "Fonzie",
played by Henry Winkler -- started generating heat;
The Fonzie character was more or less the "anti-Richie" --
where Richie was clean-cut and freckle faced, Fonzie was
the Greaser (as in the musical Grease) with slick-backed
hair and motorcycle-riding Brooklyn-esque teen-idol charm;
But the cast was a great ensemble and professional enough to
withstand the change of focus on Fonzie; the other venerable
actors were Tom Bosley who played Mr. Cunningham, Richie's
dad, and Marion Ross who played the mother, Mrs. Cunningham;
Other younger castmembers were Erin Moran who played Richie's
sister Joanie, Anson Williams who played a friend named
Potsie Weber, and Donny Most who played another friend with
the unlikely name of Ralph Malph;
During its 10-year run, the popular series went through a
few changes; Ron Howard got opportunities to direct films and
left after six years; a Latin young man was added to the cast
with the name of "Chachi" Arcola played by Scott Baiao, and
the show endured another four years;
This series became an "anchor" of the ABC lineup on Tuesday
nights for a decade, and helped establish ABC as the most
"youth-oriented" network for a time...
Two spin-off series based upon characters in "Happy Days"
kept alive the franchise -- "Laverne and Shirley" and
"Joannie Loves Chachi"]
[This THEME was of course one of the first Rock and Roll hit
songs, and the recording played on the air was the original
1955 hit version by Bill Haley and the Comets; it was used
only behind the opening Main Titles the first two seasons.
Originally publisher James Myers used the pseudonym of
Jimmy De Knight on the music to share in co-writer royalties.]
Composers: Max Charles Freedman (ASCAP) and
James E. Myers (ASCAP)
1978 Publisher: Myers Music, Inc. (ASCAP)
2001 Publishers: Capano Music (ASCAP)
of Gibbstown, NJ;
Myers Music, Inc. (ASCAP)
c/o Sony/ATV Tunes, LLC
of Nashville, TN; and
Robert W. Cinque (ASCAP)
of New York, NY
Copyright Date: Mar. 31, 1953; EP 70 269.
Renewal Date: Jan. 26, 1981; RE-77-714.
Recordings:
[this THEME was written expressly for the series, using the
style of the early 1950s Rock and Roll with a little doo-wap
Rhythm and Blues thrown in for good measure...It was used
over the End Credits the first two seasons, and after that
was used both for the Main Title opening and the End Title
closing...it became a chart hit single in 1976]
Composers: music by Charles Fox (BMI) and
lyric by Norman Gimbel (BMI)
1978 Publisher:
2001 Publisher: Bruin Music Company (BMI)
c/o Famous Music Publishing
of Los Angeles, CA
Copyright Date: Mar. 25, 1974; Eu 470 259;
Renewal Date:
Recordings: