Garry Marshall, Happy Days Creator and Pretty Woman Director, Dead at 81

Garry Marshall, the legendary creator behind iconic sitcoms Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley, Mork & Mindy and The Odd Couple who went on to direct such hits as Pretty Woman, has died. He was 81.

Marshall died Tuesday in Burbank, Calif., of complications from pneumonia following a stroke, his rep confirmed to TVGuide.com.

Known for his ebullient, warm energy that permeated his projects, Marshall, a Bronx native, got his start as a writer on The Tonight Show Starring Jack Parr and The Dick Van Dyke Show. In 1970, he adapted Neil Simon's The Odd Couple for ABC, which went on on to earn three Emmy nominations for Best Comedy Series.

The Happy Days pilot was featured as a segment on the anthology series Love, American Style, and the show, starring Ron Howard and set in the 1950s, premiered as a series in 1974, making household names out of Henry Winkler and his leather jacket-clad character Fonzie.
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Marshall later admitted to, and happily discussed, coming up with the notorious 1977 episode in which Fonzie literally "jumped the shark" on water skis, a phrase now synonymous with things that have carried on past their prime.

"So we figured, well, Fonzie's gotta jump over something. What do we got? We can't have him jump over cars, so ... how about a shark? Sharks were big then! It was after Jaws, c'mon!" Marshall told The Guardian just last month. "And that phrase really took on a life of its own; it gets used in a political context, about ideas and products, and in every field it's applicable -- all from Fonzie! I mean, it was not our best episode, I'll be honest [another huge chuckle] but still. We jumped the shark -- leave him alone!"

Winkler paid tribute to Marshall on Twitter Tuesday night, thanking him for his "professional life."

Happy Days spawned a handful of spin-offs, including Laverne and Shirley, starring Cindy Williams and Marshall's sister, director/producer Penny; Mork & Mindy, which gave Robin Williams a platform to show off his manic antics; and the short-lived Joanie Loves Chachi.
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His other TV shows include Blanksy's Beauties, Angie, Out of the Blue and Hey, Landlord. Marshall served as a consultant on CBS' remake of The Odd Couple and guest-starred in an episode earlier this year.

As a filmmaker, Marshall put Julia Roberts on the A-list after casting her opposite Richard Gere in 1990's Pretty Woman. The trio reteamed for 1999's Runaway Bride. Marshall's other big-screen hits include Beaches, Overboard, The Flamingo Kid, The Princess Diaries, The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement, Valentine's Day (also with Roberts) and New Year's Eve. His final film, Mother's Day, which co-starred Roberts, opened this past April.

Marshall also acted and made frequent cameos in movies and shows, including The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show, Lost in America, Jumpin' Jack Flash, A League of Their Own, Hocus Pocus, Murphy Brown, Never Been Kissed, The Simpsons, Brothers & Sisters, The Sarah Silverman Program, Louie, Two and a Half Men, Brooklyn Nine-Nine and BoJack Horseman.

A five-time nominee, Marshall was induced into the Television Hall of Fame in 1997. He published his autobiography, Wake Me When It's Funny: How to Break into Show Business and Stay There, in 1995.

A memorial is being planned for Marshall's birthday on Nov. 13. He is survived by his wife, Barbara Sue Marshall, as well as three children and six grandchildren.