Joanie born after Pearl Harbor - mistake? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

DTF955 · 07-11-2008, 10:50 AM

I dont' recall (wow, it's been a long time) about Howard's military career, except he had a buddy who was black in one episode. But, I was just thinking about character ages, and wondering if Joanie's is a blooper.

Checked her Sweet 16 episode...okay, October 1978, so if we assume the show takes place 20 years earlier, as it always tried to do, that means she was conceived in late January of 1942, over a month after Pearl harbor. (Yes, given my Full House Chronology, I will readily accept the episode could "take place* earlier" and thus have her conceived in mid-December and born in mid-September. That's probably the best explanation.

I know Mr. C. could have just taken longer to be drafted, or not enlisted right away, but you'd think they'd have made mention of that somewhere. Or maybe they did, and I just enver saw it or don't remember it. All I remember is Howard saying Joanie's first word was "hardware" and he couldn't have heard her say that if he was at a mlitary base somewhere. (Though Mrs. C. could have told him that to make him feel better not being there.)

Speaking of which...
The kind of backstory I'm thinking of is like how my grandparents conceived my mom on their wedding night or soon after; my grandma took a train down to where my grandpa was stationed, they had their wedding, and she stayed near there a couple weeks.

That, by the way, brings up another funny story that would have been a cool story or even flashback for "Happy Days." See, my grandpa never went overseas since he got pleurisy, but he did get stationed in Georgia for a while before he was discharged. Soon after my mother was born, he wanted to go up and see his wife and new daughter...so he went AWOL for a week and a buddy covered for him. When he got back nobody had noticed he was gone; he was just like all the other recruits to the guys in charge. His buddy hadn't even had to make any excuses about where he was, then. (He wound up being honorably discharged a few months later.)

That would have made a great story for Howard; showing a little bit of "wild side" in him, yet how he, like Richie, is kind of "hum drum" at times, so nobody notices him.

Of course, a more logical backstory, with Joanie being conceived after America went into war, would have been Howard and Marion sharing one last romantic night before he goes off to enlist...and a few months later Marion calls and says what the result of that one last night was.

Feel free to use either of those in fanfiction, anyone.

robyrob · 07-11-2008, 11:08 AM

well, Howard and Marion went to college together (at least for a little while, I don't think Marion finished and have no idea if Howard did) then they got married in the bus station as Howard was being shipped out.

Not too much was ever said as to where Howard was stationed in the army, but they were quit clear on several occasions that he was a cook in the army, they implied that that's ALL he did in the army.

I don't know the timelines off the top of my head, but definitely Richie was about 4 years older than Joanie, so she would've been most likely conceived AFTER Howard got out of the army.

YoliUSA · 07-11-2008, 06:12 PM

IIRC, in the dance marathon episode (season 4), Howard makes some comment about Marion looking cute in her nurse outfit after he returns from WWII, and then Marion says "that's when we had Joanie", so it may imply that she was conceived after Howard returned from the war.

robyrob · 07-11-2008, 11:22 PM

Going by Home Movies (#190/191) at the beginning of season 9, they give the date as 1962 - and the events of this 2 part episode span the entire summer, so over two years after her sweet sixteen, and just before her senior year of highscool. Assuming the Westward Ho (#116-118) episodes at the beginning of season 6 take place in the summer, Joanie's birthday (#122) must be sometime in the fall, but sometime before Halloween (#124- The Evil Eye ) .

This would mean she was born in the fall of 1944.

Keep in min that Garry Marshall never intended to stick to a strict timeline - there a number of discrepencies throughout the series - during the first few seasons Richie seems to be stuck in a time warp; in the first episode he is a junior in high school, yet he doesn't graduate until the END of the fourth season.

07-11-2008, 10:50 AM	#1
DTF955 Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Mar 15, 2002 Posts: 408	Joanie born after Pearl Harbor - mistake? I dont' recall (wow, it's been a long time) about Howard's military career, except he had a buddy who was black in one episode. But, I was just thinking about character ages, and wondering if Joanie's is a blooper. Checked her Sweet 16 episode...okay, October 1978, so if we assume the show takes place 20 years earlier, as it always tried to do, that means she was conceived in late January of 1942, over a month after Pearl harbor. (Yes, given my Full House Chronology, I will readily accept the episode could "take place* earlier" and thus have her conceived in mid-December and born in mid-September. That's probably the best explanation. I know Mr. C. could have just taken longer to be drafted, or not enlisted right away, but you'd think they'd have made mention of that somewhere. Or maybe they did, and I just enver saw it or don't remember it. All I remember is Howard saying Joanie's first word was "hardware" and he couldn't have heard her say that if he was at a mlitary base somewhere. (Though Mrs. C. could have told him that to make him feel better not being there.) Speaking of which... The kind of backstory I'm thinking of is like how my grandparents conceived my mom on their wedding night or soon after; my grandma took a train down to where my grandpa was stationed, they had their wedding, and she stayed near there a couple weeks. That, by the way, brings up another funny story that would have been a cool story or even flashback for "Happy Days." See, my grandpa never went overseas since he got pleurisy, but he did get stationed in Georgia for a while before he was discharged. Soon after my mother was born, he wanted to go up and see his wife and new daughter...so he went AWOL for a week and a buddy covered for him. When he got back nobody had noticed he was gone; he was just like all the other recruits to the guys in charge. His buddy hadn't even had to make any excuses about where he was, then. (He wound up being honorably discharged a few months later.) That would have made a great story for Howard; showing a little bit of "wild side" in him, yet how he, like Richie, is kind of "hum drum" at times, so nobody notices him. Of course, a more logical backstory, with Joanie being conceived after America went into war, would have been Howard and Marion sharing one last romantic night before he goes off to enlist...and a few months later Marion calls and says what the result of that one last night was. Feel free to use either of those in fanfiction, anyone.
	__________________ Full House Chronology - at the webite "Tanner Central" among others (or e-mail fullhousechron (at) aol.com. "If Baseball Integrated Early," about baseball integrated fromt he beginning, & other works at baseballwhatifs (at) aol.com

07-11-2008, 11:08 AM	#2
robyrob certified wackball#3 Moderator Forum Icon Join Date: Aug 03, 2003 Location: hiding under the third booth at Arnold's Posts: 58,182	well, Howard and Marion went to college together (at least for a little while, I don't think Marion finished and have no idea if Howard did) then they got married in the bus station as Howard was being shipped out. Not too much was ever said as to where Howard was stationed in the army, but they were quit clear on several occasions that he was a cook in the army, they implied that that's ALL he did in the army. I don't know the timelines off the top of my head, but definitely Richie was about 4 years older than Joanie, so she would've been most likely conceived AFTER Howard got out of the army.
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07-11-2008, 06:12 PM	#3
YoliUSA Fan of the Classics Forum Veteran Join Date: Jun 13, 2002 Location: In a galaxy far, far away... Posts: 5,290	IIRC, in the dance marathon episode (season 4), Howard makes some comment about Marion looking cute in her nurse outfit after he returns from WWII, and then Marion says "that's when we had Joanie", so it may imply that she was conceived after Howard returned from the war.
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07-11-2008, 11:22 PM	#4
robyrob certified wackball#3 Moderator Forum Icon Join Date: Aug 03, 2003 Location: hiding under the third booth at Arnold's Posts: 58,182	Going by Home Movies (#190/191) at the beginning of season 9, they give the date as 1962 - and the events of this 2 part episode span the entire summer, so over two years after her sweet sixteen, and just before her senior year of highscool. Assuming the Westward Ho (#116-118) episodes at the beginning of season 6 take place in the summer, Joanie's birthday (#122) must be sometime in the fall, but sometime before Halloween (#124- The Evil Eye ) . This would mean she was born in the fall of 1944. Keep in min that Garry Marshall never intended to stick to a strict timeline - there a number of discrepencies throughout the series - during the first few seasons Richie seems to be stuck in a time warp; in the first episode he is a junior in high school, yet he doesn't graduate until the END of the fourth season.