My Days Read online

  MY DAYS

  HAPPY AND OTHERWISE

  by

  Marion Ross

  with David Laurell

  Foreword by Ron Howard

  KENSINGTON BOOKS

  www.kensingtonbooks.com

  All copyrighted material within is Attributor Protected.

  KENSINGTON BOOKS are published by

  Kensington Publishing Corp.

  119 West 40th Street

  New York, NY 10018

  Copyright © 2018 by Marion Ross Enterprises, Inc.

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.

  Kensington and the K logo Reg. U.S. Pat. & TM Off.

  Library of Congress Card Catalogue Number: 2017955111

  ISBN: 978-1-4967-1515-9

  First Kensington Hardcover Edition: April 2018

  eISBN-13: 978-1-4967-1517-3

  eISBN-10: 1-4967-1517-9

  First Kensington Electronic Edition: April 2018

  For everyone—family, friends and fans—who has given me a life filled with happy days

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Dedication

  FOREWORD

  My Prologue

  Chapter 1 - My Beginnings

  Chapter 2 - My Family

  Chapter 3 - My Inspirations

  Chapter 4 - My Secret Becomes Known

  Chapter 5 - My New Life in California

  Chapter 6 - My Marriage

  Chapter 7 - My Move to Hollywood

  Chapter 8 - My Studio Contract

  Chapter 9 - My Days Between Two Worlds

  Chapter 10 - My Days of Successes and Struggles

  Chapter 11 - My Real-Life Role as Mom

  Chapter 12 - My Luckiest Airplane Ride

  Chapter 13 - My “Lovely” Big Break

  Chapter 14 - My Dream Becomes a Happy Reality

  Chapter 15 - My Happy Days

  Chapter 16 - My Boss Garry

  Chapter 17 - My TV Son Ron

  Chapter 18 - My TV Daughter Erin

  Chapter 19 - My Dear Henry

  Chapter 20 - My Funny Donny

  Chapter 21 - My Wonderful Friend Anson

  Chapter 22 - My Neighbor Scott

  Chapter 23 - My Real-Life Children

  Chapter 24 - My Right-Hand Woman Gwen

  Chapter 25 - My Happiest Days

  Chapter 26 - My Days (Which Just May Never End) at the Happy Days Farm

  My Epilogue and Acknowledgments

  FOREWORD

  Having already had the privilege of playing the son of one of television’s most iconic fathers, Andy Taylor, on The Andy Griffith Show, I was honored to have been given the opportunity to take on the role of the middle child of one of the medium’s all-time favorite mothers, Marion Cunningham, on Happy Days.

  As with any perfectly cast play, film or television show—and The Andy Griffith Show and Happy Days both easily qualify—it would be unimaginable to have had anyone other than Andy Griffith playing the part of Andy Taylor or any actress other than Marion Ross portraying Mrs. C.

  Television aficionados and die-hard Happy Days fans know that the show the world would come to embrace and love first aired on February 25, 1972, as a segment on ABC’s comedy anthology Love, American Style. Originally shot as a pilot, which wasn’t picked up, the episode segment was titled “Love and the Television Set,” later retitled “Love and the Happy Days” for syndication. The show was the brainchild of Garry Marshall, who believed that after surviving the turbulent 1960s and entering the 1970s with a scattered understanding of who we were and where we were going, Americans would be primed for a good healthy dose of nostalgia: a story about a family living in the simpler and idyllic postwar world of the 1950s.

  It was at the outset of the filming of that pilot that I first met Marion. At the time, the cast that would eventually transition into the Happy Days everyone now knows included her, Anson Williams and me. I was in my senior year of high school and had taken a week off to shoot the pilot. Having acted for as far back as I could remember, I was interested in pursuing a career as a director. The thing I remember more than anything else about doing that pilot was standing on the set with Marion while they were setting up a shot, and going through my mail. I had applied to USC’s film school, and there, amongst the envelopes I was sorting through, my eye caught one with the USC School of Cinema-Television as the return address. After I ripped open that letter and learned I had been accepted, Marion was the first person I shared the good news with. I recall her being just as excited as I was.

  Her excitement over my acceptance to USC, along with her support and encouragement for my dream to direct, could not have been more genuine if I had been one of her own children. That real excitement and heartfelt support would be something that I, and others, would continue to experience after Happy Days was picked up as a series by ABC.

  Marion always showed a grounded, fun, unpretentious and unforced way of cheerleading all of us during the run of the show. She was a positive and upbeat force, yet she always had just enough of a “wiseass” streak in her that she never made you feel her caring was forced or overly sentimental. The way Marion embraced and interacted with everyone was always very organic and totally genuine.

  As with The Andy Griffith Show, the cast and crew of Happy Days were truly like a family. We all got along well and cared for one another, which continues to this day. I have always felt that this played a huge role in how, unlike some other child actors, I have been able to maintain my sanity in what can sometimes be a crazy business. It was that compass of nurturing care and compassion instilled in me, first by my parents and then by the people I worked with—Andy, Garry, Marion and others—that has played a major role in my ability to positively navigate my way through my career, as well as my life.

  When Happy Days took off and exploded into a national event, we became one of the highest-rated shows in television history. And yet, in spite of all the outside noise and commotion, the excitement, the pressures, the internal business factors that are a part of any production, everyone loved working together. We loved what we achieved as a family and as a team. There was always a strong “ensemble” feel in doing Happy Days, no matter who had the best lines in any given episode.

  I have always felt that in her own maternal and yet unobtrusive way, Marion had a lot to do with that feeling. The cast always felt free to talk to Marion, whether it was about a personal problem or a frustration on a professional level. She was a great listener and possessed the ability to defuse things in a totally uncontrolling way. Marion had an endearing way of offering advice, which stemmed from having no agenda other than being a caring and interested friend. While working with David Laurell, Marion’s writing collaborator on this book, I learned that during the run of Happy Days, Garry would rely on her if any ruffled feathers needed to be smoothed. When David told me that, I wasn’t surprised. It made perfect sense that Marion would be his go-to person to get the skinny and gain a better understanding of what was happening on the set, as well as in each of our minds and personal lives.

  Today, when I think back on doing Happy Days, a million wonderful memories flood my mind. Among those is a running inside joke between Marion and me. Whenever we did scenes together, between takes, she would lightly brush the tips of my ears with her fingers and whisper to me, “You should really get these ears fixed, dear. Just a little tuck is all you need, honey—just so they don’t pop out so much.”

  I never knew if she really meant that or not, but it became a little shared moment between us that, as with so many other things she would do, served as a tension breaker, made me laugh, and e
ndeared her to me.

  When I heard that Marion had finally decided to sit down and write a book about her life, I was thrilled. Yes, I thought. I’m sure many people will initially pick up this book simply because they grew up as a fan of Happy Days and loved her as Mrs. C, but more importantly, because by reading about her life, they will learn so much more about this inspiring woman.

  While she made a fantastic Marion Cunningham—one of the greatest television moms of all time—it is important for people to know that when one looks at the totality of her career, from the stage to the screen—large and small—she cannot be overestimated as an actress of extraordinary range. As they make their way through the pages of this book, readers will learn about the days that have made up her life and will discover that some of her most challenging and brilliantly played roles were those that played out, not on soundstages, locations or back lots, but in real life. They’ll learn of a determined young girl who harbored a secret dream and who blossomed into a woman who made that dream come true; of a spouse who, like so many others, found herself dealing with the difficulties the disease of alcoholism brings to a marriage; of a single mother with one foot in the world of raising children and the other in the demanding professional world of show business; of a beloved grandmother; and of the loving companion of a man who, late in her life, became her true soul mate. This is a remarkable story that will give readers insight into a Marion Ross they never knew, one who, during both her “happy days” and those that presented challenges, always handled everything with grace, dignity and wisdom, while making it all look so easy—when it clearly wasn’t.

  The ability to do that is the sign of a tremendously talented actress, but it is also an indication of the makeup of a woman who harbors an internal strength and wisdom that, I know for certain, will serve as an inspiration to those who get to know her better in these pages.

  The story of Marion’s days will reveal what those of us who have known her for many years already know: that she is a woman of great wit, a fantastic communicator who has always remained relevant, current and unfettered by false sentimentality, and a great person to confide in and seek advice from. They will discover that she possesses an insightful wisdom and a well-toned and balanced equilibrium in the way she has lived her life, both of which have formed her humanistic viewpoints.

  As one turns each page of this book, it will become clear why those of us who have had the pleasure of actually knowing Marion have sought and listened to the wisdom and advice she has imparted . . . for the most part. While I am grateful for so much of the advice she gave me, which was greatly appreciated and dutifully applied, no matter how many times she offered one certain suggestion, it never really resonated with me. That said, please do not ask me for a recommendation if you are seeking the services of a plastic surgeon who specializes in ear tucks.

  —Ron Howard

  My Prologue

  While the majority of my days have been happy ones, I have certainly had my share of those that were not. That’s life—everyone’s life. And no matter what fortunes or misfortunes we are born with, encounter along the way, or earn during the days we are given, the goal is to always make as many happy ones as possible.

  I have accomplished that goal.

  For as long as I can remember, from back when I was just a young girl growing up in Albert Lea, Minnesota, I have always viewed each one of my days as little empty stages that needed to be filled with all manner of wonderful adventures, stories and characters. In my bedroom, on the second floor of our little house on High Street, I would secretly dream of playing the lead role in those adventures, which would always include my taking curtain call bows in front of a standing audience, doing a dramatic scene in front of a camera with a famous actor, and signing autographs for adoring fans as I made my way into a theater for a star-studded Hollywood premiere. It was a dream that I held as a closely kept secret, because I knew if I ever made it known, my sister Alicia’s laughter would never cease.

  Those adventurous dreams that were played out in my carefully guarded secret became the cornerstone on which I built a life that would see those things become a reality. And, while I always fully expected those dreams to come true, so many times, and still to this day, it amazes me that those secret dreams did actually come to fruition.

  And so, having lived a life in which so many of my dreams did become a reality, I found myself constantly being told by my son, Jim Meskimen; my daughter, Ellen Kreamer; my longtime personal assistant, Gwen Berohn; and many others that the days of my life—those days filled with the dreams that would take me from Albert Lea to Mrs. C, along with the ones that brought the challenges and losses we all face—would make for an interesting story. While I spent many years rejecting that premise, in the late summer of 2015 I began to think that perhaps they had a point. Maybe—just maybe—I reasoned, there were those who loved to read stories about dreams coming true and, by reading the story of my days, would better understand the fact that no matter how blessed one may be—and I have certainly been blessed—the same path that fulfills our dreams also has many twists, turns, detours and pitfalls that must be navigated.

  To further convince myself that there may be those who would be interested in reading my story, I imagined the uncountable people, of all ages, I have encountered over the years who have told me how much they loved Happy Days. I thought of the many people who have told me I was one of the “TV moms,” like Harriet Nelson, Shirley Jones and Florence Henderson, whom they had always wanted their real mothers to be more like, or, in some cases, who was what they imagined a mother they had never had would have been like. I can’t tell you how many people, upon meeting me, have said, “You raised me!”

  Well, I thought to myself. Okay, if I am to sit down and write the story of my days, I would want the people who have played a part in what have been my very best days to be a part of this endeavor—my family, the people who are closest to me and, of course, the members of my Happy Days family. I have always thought of the people I worked with on Happy Days as my family—my team. Because of that, I couldn’t imagine putting the story of my days down on paper without having my family, along with my extended family and teammates, involved with the process.

  That all seemed well and good, until I realized something: whether I actually sat down with them to work on this book or asked them to write their thoughts about me, I would get what I imagined would sound like a flowery eulogy. I mean, yes, I made a living performing in front of audiences, but I also harbor a fairly good-sized streak of shyness and modesty, which would make it very difficult, if not impossible, for me to sit with my children, Garry Marshall, Henry Winkler, Ron Howard or any of my Happy Days family and ask them, “Okay, so what do you think of me?”

  To overcome that dilemma, my son suggested I seek the assistance of someone who knows their way around interviewing people, which led me to David Laurell. With a background in both broadcast and print journalism, David has conducted interviews and written award-winning stories about people from every walk of life imaginable since the early 1980s.

  After bringing David on board to help with the interviews, we decided he would provide the insight on what various people thought of me, and, in turn, I would then take the opportunity to share my thoughts and feelings about them. David decided that would be best presented in an interview format, which, throughout this book, is clearly delineated from my input.

  The willingness to be involved in helping me tell the story of my days by so many of the people who mean the most to me is what truly inspired me to fully embrace this project. It is a story that, simply put, could never have been told without them, because while I may have been the dreamer, it has been each one of them, in their own very special way, that has played a role in my dreams coming true.

  Chapter 1

  My Beginnings

  I was a strong child, both physically and in terms of will. I was athletic, was a good swimmer, and had a fiercely determined mind-set of how the wor
ld should work and the way things should be. I was also the holder of a secret—a big secret. My secret was a dream, one that has been shared by many young girls—to become a famous actress—although to me, being the determined and strong-willed person I was, it was far more than a girlish dream. It was my destiny.

  While my pragmatic streak always saw me harbor my secret as a prophetic destiny, I would, at times, also allow myself to be entertained by the “dreamy” aspect of it. Those moments would usually come in my second-floor bedroom or the basement of the small Albert Lea, Minnesota, wood-framed home I shared with my parents, my older sister, Alicia, and my younger brother, Gordon. It was in those rooms, when no one was around, that I would envision my hair and makeup being done, walking out on a stage and, beyond the glare of the footlights, seeing members of the audience riveted to my every move. I remember those thoughts as being so vivid, and of me being so confident, that once they became a reality, I knew exactly how to handle each moment with ease. From taking my bows to receiving well-wishers in my dressing room, signing autographs, and then being whisked off in a big shiny limousine to my beautiful home, I just always knew that I would know how to do those things.

  Why I had such an unwavering confidence of these things, and even a detailed understanding of how I would handle them, I guess can be explained only in how fiercely I was able to imagine things—to imagine a world of glittering excitement that was as far from our little Midwestern agricultural city as, well, as far as Albert Lea is from Broadway to the east and from Hollywood to the west.

  It was that secret dream of my future as a famous actress that filled every cell of my body with anticipatory excitement over how things would one day be. It was a future of which I was so assured—one that I had such an unwavering knowledge would come to be—that I was able to thoroughly enjoy my childhood, without any concern for how things would eventually play out.