It’s no secret I’m a fully-blown fan of the 1970’s TV series HAPPY DAYS. Well… the first five seasons anyway.
And as far as tv mums go, back when I was growing up (still doing that, btw!), the big three were always Mrs Brady (Florence Henderson 1934 – 2016) in THE BRADY BUNCH, Mrs Robinson (June Lockhart 1925 -) in LOST IN SPACE and Mrs Cunningham (Marion Ross 1928 -) in HAPPY DAYS.
It was a no-brainer that when Marion Ross released her autobiography titled MY DAYS: HAPPY AND OTHERWISE in 2018, I would go out and buy a copy. It just took me five years to get around to it.
Her story is of a child who ‘knew’ she was destined one day to become a star actress (she received her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame back in 2001) but didn’t end up fulfilling that ambition until later in life.
Her original dream was to become a theatre actress on Broadway. While still at school she managed to secure the services of a number of drama coaches – “all rather eccentric little old ladies” – and audition and appear in a number of plays.
After winning her first acting award – an ashtray (which she says she still has to this day) she was hooked.
Following her senior year, she enrolled at San Diego State University where she studied drama and acting for the next four years. This was the later half of the 1940’s.
She continued auditioning for roles and discovered she was good at accents. Enduring lean times and years of struggle, she continued accumulating many small, walk-on roles in films and doing live theatre.
Eventually landing a contract with PARAMOUNT PICTURES, this led to gaining the part of Patty, the best friend of the main character in the 1953 film FOREVER FEMALE.
More character parts followed –
but she would have to wait another 20 years for the breakout role that would put her in millions of living rooms around the world every night.
One of the more interesting anecdotes in the book – and there are many – involves the amazing series of connections, coincidences, and right-place-right-time serendipitous twists that led Ross from appearing as a featured extra in the 1970 movie AIRPORT to her role as Mrs Cunningham four years later in HAPPY DAYS (1974 – 1984).
HAPPY DAYS ran for 11 seasons for a total of 255 episodes and is the body of work Marion Ross is best remembered for.
Ross cites her all-time favourite episode as the third season ‘DANCE CONTEST’ in which she begins ballroom dancing lessons with Fonzie without her husband Howard’s knowledge.
I have always loved this episode as well.
Post HAPPY DAYS, Marion Ross secured recurring roles on these television series –
as well as regular voice over work on these animated series –
Marion Ross officially retired from acting in 2021. Her autobiography is a warm and confiding look back at her life and career.
Mrs Robinson and Mrs Cunningham are nearing 100 years of age!!
That scary thought did cross my mind as well Matt!
Absolutely awesome 👏 thank- you for reminding me through your story telling and wonderful descriptive language how brilliant of an actress Marion Ross was in her many roles🙏🏻 Gotta love Happy Days 🙏🏻
Anon, you have made my day with your feel-good comment.
Thank you. Marion Ross played Marion Cunningham. I’ve always thought there be that little bit of extra ‘fits like a glove’ feel for an actor playing a role where the character they are ‘inhabiting’ has the same first name as they do.
Mrs. C was always a hoot on the show.
Marion Ross did employ some good comedic skills in her ‘supporting’ role on that show, that’s for certain.
Pretty good career! Very enlightening. Hubby showed me Airport a few years ago and it was then that I saw where all the jokes from Airplane came from. Airport was riveting, though! I don’t recall seeing Mrs. Cunningham in it. But if she had no lines, then I wouldn’t have noticed her.
I also completely forgot that Florence Henderson was gone–and has been for a while. Way to bring me down, Glen. She passed away at Cedars-Sinai. A little side note: my husband had surgery there in 2017, and the room/suite he recovered in was only a tad bit smaller than our entire apartment. That place is amazing! lol All the stars go there, of course.
Have definitely heard of Cedars-Sinai.
Apparently they have 886 licensed beds, 2,100 physicians and 2,800 nurses.
I was about to say there’s nothing that big here in Australia but then I fact-checked (yep, it’s an addiction!) and discovered my local hospital here in Brisbane (known as RBWH – and Australia’s largest hospital) – has 989 beds, 1348 doctors and 4050 nurses.
They’re both huge, in other words!
Yeah! Size DOES matter!!