Sep 21, 2021
Today on the Rarified Heir Podcast we are talking to sister & brother Kathleen Marshall and Scott Marshall, the children of writer/producer/director/actor Garry Marshall. Having grown up with Kathi and Scotty at elementary school in the valley in the free range seventies at the Oakwood School, Josh dives into this episode which is chalk full of arcane memories and bizarre moments. Garry Marshall, of course, was the creator of such TV blockbusters as The Odd Couple, Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley and Mork and Mindy. He also was the director of major motion pictures like Pretty Woman, The Princess Dairies and Beaches among many others. As an actor, his amazing Bronx accent and personality steals scenes in Lost in America, A League of Their Own, Murphy Brown and the psychotronic sixties film Psych-Out among others. The man never stopped moving and we hear why on this episode.
As free-range seventies kids, you couldn’t escape The Fonz’s “eeehhh,” Mork’s Laverne’s “Vodeo-do” or Mork’s “Shazbot, Nanu nanu” catch phrases. Even AC/DC’s Bon Scott referenced Robin Williams on the song “Night Prowler” from the 7 x platinum album Highway to Hell. Marshall’s shows made an indelible make on popular culture worldwide. So what was it like growing up with the man who helped define said pop culture? We hear about a Beatlemania-like crowd that almost killed Scotty at a Happy Days promotional event in Milwaukee, how their mother Barbara kept the kids grounded with her midwestern roots, how aunt Penny Marshall gave salt-n-pepper shakers away at Thanksgiving parties, Garry’s almost two decade long obsession with basketball games in his back yard and a truly bonkers story about how Eddie Van Halen saved the day by bringing a flying V guitar to Scott’s band Fred Zeppelin at a performance at the Oakwood Arts Festival. The “Atomic Punk” to the rescue! I ask you, what other podcast covers Frank Zappa, Jackie Gleason, cinematographer Haskell Wexler & Rob Reiner? It was a rollicking good time reconnecting with Kathi and Scotty as you will soon hear. So take a listen to the Rarified Heir Podcast.