Ron Howard and the year after Happy Days - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

speech2003 · 02-11-2003, 05:30 PM

If Ron Howard wanted to be a director and that is why he left Happy Days in 1980 then why did he act in two for made tv movies in 1981, "Bitter Harvest" and "Fire on the Mountain"?

PeggySue · 02-12-2003, 01:00 AM

Hi Speech2003 and welcome to the Happy Days board! I am pretty new here too, and this is a nice place to hang around.

Regarding your question, bear with me, I can get long winded in my answers, but I will try.

I am a devoted fan of Ron and have followed his career, well, for years, but in this instance I can only speculate. I do know that Ron's interest was in directing for a long time before he left Happy Days, and his first directing opportunity was at age 23 with Grand Theft Auto in 1977. I believe it was on the A and E biography on Ron that his wife said that Ron was "always a big risk taker" and he decided to leave the security of Happy Days to pursue his dream to direct. It is likely hard to get directing jobs when obligated to a weekly TV show. So, once he left, no one was calling on him to direct anything, at least not right away. I don't think directing is something you just decide to do, and then people start calling, and I am sure Ron knew this, you have to work at it even if the results aren't immediate. However, his movie Night Shift was released in 1982, and I do believe I heard that it took 2 years to get that movie from concept to screen, as Ron was not at that point a movie director of any note. Thus, this would have been in production starting in the time period after he left Happy Days.

Additionally, he had already directed several TV movies, and these came about as a result of his first directing effort with Grand Theft Auto. While on Happy Days, he was under contract with NBC to do several TV movies as a director. He had also been sought after as an actor in TV shows and TV movies for many years, and I am just guessing that when he didn't have a directing opportunity available, he took acting jobs that were offered, especially when they not in the same vein as Richie and Opie. I am not sure, but he may have been under contract to act in a certain number of TV movies. When Ron was first starting out as a wannabe director, many people did not take him seriously due to his boy next door image as Richie and Opie, and I suspect that by acting in unexpected roles, it served to further his reputation as someone who had more range than to be an actor in TV sitcoms. TV actors are still like second class citizens compared to movie actors, and directing is really a step up the ladder compared to acting. So maybe by taking these acting jobs, it was something maybe to bargain with in trying eventually get directing jobs. Plus, these are not such a time committment as a weekly sitcom, and honestly, it kept up his visibility. Ron also was involved as a producer in various TV movies, including one with Donnie Most, Leo and Loree.

I have a copy of a People magazine from 1978, with Ron on the cover, and it says, something like, "believe it or not, that nice twerp from Happy Days is a hot shot director." Ron still gets dissed by people who refer to him as Opie, as if he was still 10 years old. He still has the TV image to live down, even though it also led to his current career.

By the way, have you seen Bitter Harvest? I taped it off of TV when it was rerun on a late show some years ago, and it is a great movie, and Ron's performance is really, really good, really riveting. I saw Fire on the Mountain when it was first on TV, but that was in the old days

before VCR's were invented, or at least before I could afford one. I don't recall much of the movie, but I have looked for it on Ebay. Recently, Ron's movie in which he directed Betty Davis, Skyward, sold for

81.00 on Ebay. It is very rare. I tried but was outbid!

There is a biography on Ron due in bookstores in March or April, maybe you will find more of your answers there. I will be in line day one for that book.

Hope this gives you some possible answers to your question. And, again, welcome!

PeggySue

¤I Love Clay Aiken¤ · 02-12-2003, 01:05 AM

Thanks PeggySue!

Chad22 · 02-12-2003, 01:07 AM

I Would like to add the interesting fact that Ron Howard played Richie on Happy Days

¤I Love Clay Aiken¤ · 02-12-2003, 01:11 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Chad Doody
I Would like to add the interesting fact that Ron Howard played Richie on Happy Days

Did not.

Wow, Chad. Thank you for informing me- I NEVER knew.

Chad22 · 02-12-2003, 01:13 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by •Shotz|NYC•

Did not.

Wow, Chad. Thank you for informing me- I NEVER knew.

Anytime

PeggySue · 02-12-2003, 01:16 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by •Shotz|NYC•
Thanks PeggySue!

soooo, Shotz is it?? Just what did you do with Ms.ConanO'Brien?? Is she

in the closet, with, uh, Chuck?? Shotz, or Shot?!! And the Mafia are gone, too!! Could be trouble in River City!

Witness protection program, anyone??

¤I Love Clay Aiken¤ · 02-12-2003, 01:20 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by PeggySue

soooo, Shotz is it?? Just what did you do with Ms.ConanO'Brien?? Is she in the closet, with, uh, Chuck?? Shotz, or Shot?!! And the Mafia are gone, too!! Could be trouble in River City!

Witness protection program, anyone??

Hehe- I got sick of MsConanOBrien, but now I miss it LOl. Yah, its in the closet- its in *ahem* good hands.

Its Shotz (Shotz Brewery) from Laverne & Shirley.

Mafia?? Gone??

No way jose!! LOl. Well, it died down a bit, but we're still representing!

dlemond · 02-12-2003, 01:31 AM

I always thought his first directing gig was the TV movie "Cotton Candy" (which he wrote also), but when I just checked IMDB it says that "Deed of a Daring-Do" was his first. I don't know what that is and there are no real details on the site.

By the way, I just checked ebay and looked up Cotton Candy.
Check it out Ron fans:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...&category=1165

PeggySue · 02-12-2003, 01:32 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by •Shotz|NYC•

Hehe- I got sick of MsConanOBrien, but now I miss it LOl. Yah, its in the closet- its in *ahem* good hands. Its Shotz (Shotz Brewery) from Laverne & Shirley. Mafia?? Gone?? No way jose!! LOl. Well, it died down a bit, but we're still representing!

Ohhh. Shotz brewery. Duh. What was I thinking. But I was, uh, worried about MCOB, thank goodness no one was shot!

But there remains the matter of Chuck, for all eternity.

¤I Love Clay Aiken¤ · 02-12-2003, 01:36 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by PeggySue

Ohhh. Shotz brewery. Duh. What was I thinking. But I was, uh, worried about MCOB, thank goodness no one was shot!

But there remains the matter of Chuck, for all eternity.

LOl.

My poor Chuck!!!!!

PeggySue · 02-12-2003, 01:48 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by dlemond
I always thought his first directing gig was the TV movie "Cotton Candy" (which he wrote also), but when I just checked IMDB it says that "Deed of a Daring-Do" was his first. I don't know what that is and there are no real details on the site.

By the way, I just checked ebay and looked up Cotton Candy.
Check it out Ron fans:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...&category=1165

Hi, Dlemond! Deed of Daring-Do is actually a short film, about 3 minutes in length, that Ron submitted in a student film contest at age 16. He won second prize. Ron has described it in numerous biography type TV interviews, and it is usually shown in part as he describes it. His brother, father, and wife (girlfriend at time) are in it. The trick was that the contest required that the participant film something and not have the film developed, just send it in. Again, video cameras did not exist then. It was a very complicated little film as it required multiple camera setups and precise timing to get a simple but effective story told. I always wondered who won first place.

As for Cotton Candy, I have a copy from the same seller. It is very, very grainy, obviously a knockoff of a videotape. Hard to watch, but I am still kind of glad I got a copy.

dlemond · 02-12-2003, 01:50 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by PeggySue

Hi, Dlemond! Deed of Daring-Do is actually a short film, about 3 minutes in length, that Ron submitted in a student film contest at age 16. He won second prize. Ron has described it in numerous biography type TV interviews, and it is usually shown in part as he describes it. His brother, father, and wife (girlfriend at time) are in it. The trick was that the contest required that the participant film something and not have the film developed, just send it in. Again, video cameras did not exist then. It was a very complicated little film as it required multiple camera setups and precise timing to get a simple but effective story told. I always wondered who won first place.

As for Cotton Candy, I have a copy from the same seller. It is very, very grainy, obviously a knockoff of a videotape. Hard to watch, but I am still kind of glad I got a copy.

I watched Cotton Candy when it first aired on TV back in 1978.
Guess I'm kinding of dating myself, but I was a young kid.

speech2003 · 02-12-2003, 02:02 PM

Thanks for the welcome Peggy Sue.
I taped "Bitter Harvest" along time ago off Lifetime and had that copy for 10 years. Then I saw several off EBay and bid the highest on a copy. When I received it, it had scenes that weren't on my previous copy. I thought Ron did a great job in the movie.

I have been searching for "Fire on the Mountain" and finally found someone who had taped it along time ago off CBS Late Night. The movie is supposed to be 100 minutes in length, but the copy I have is about 70-75, plus there are alot of commercials in it. I have never seen it on ebay, but on videoeta.com, it said it would be released on DVD in April, and if you give them your email address, there will notify you when it comes out. Ron did a good job in that as well.

I also have "Act Of Love" which he made in 1980, and that is great performance as well.

I am related to him as his mom and my grandfather were first cousins, and that makes us forth cousins. I have never met him, but I have met his dad once, and his mom (before she past away) on numerous occasions.

dlemond · 02-12-2003, 02:29 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by speech2003
I have been searching for "Fire on the Mountain" and finally found someone who had taped it along time ago off CBS Late Night. The movie is supposed to be 100 minutes in length, but the copy I have is about 70-75, plus there are alot of commercials in it. I have never seen it on ebay, but on videoeta.com, it said it would be released on DVD in April, and if you give them your email address, there will notify you when it comes out. Ron did a good job in that as well.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I think videoeta made a mistake in confusing the title with the acutal movie.
Because a movie called "Fire on the Mountain" is being released on DVD on April 22, but it a documentary made in 1995 about World War II.

Here is the link to the title:
http://www.dvdplanet.com/product_lis...966&format=DVD

02-11-2003, 05:30 PM	#1
speech2003 Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Feb 05, 2003 Posts: 15	Ron Howard and the year after Happy Days If Ron Howard wanted to be a director and that is why he left Happy Days in 1980 then why did he act in two for made tv movies in 1981, "Bitter Harvest" and "Fire on the Mountain"?

02-12-2003, 01:05 AM	#3
¤I Love Clay Aiken¤ MISS APRIL Forum Addict Join Date: Jul 19, 2001 Location: Parsonsfield ME Shaws - Screwing my way up the employment ladder! Posts: 68,780	Thanks PeggySue!
	__________________ DAVID COOK FOR AMERICAN IDOL

02-12-2003, 01:00 AM	#2
PeggySue Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Dec 04, 2002 Location: PA Posts: 58	Hi Speech2003 and welcome to the Happy Days board! I am pretty new here too, and this is a nice place to hang around. Regarding your question, bear with me, I can get long winded in my answers, but I will try. I am a devoted fan of Ron and have followed his career, well, for years, but in this instance I can only speculate. I do know that Ron's interest was in directing for a long time before he left Happy Days, and his first directing opportunity was at age 23 with Grand Theft Auto in 1977. I believe it was on the A and E biography on Ron that his wife said that Ron was "always a big risk taker" and he decided to leave the security of Happy Days to pursue his dream to direct. It is likely hard to get directing jobs when obligated to a weekly TV show. So, once he left, no one was calling on him to direct anything, at least not right away. I don't think directing is something you just decide to do, and then people start calling, and I am sure Ron knew this, you have to work at it even if the results aren't immediate. However, his movie Night Shift was released in 1982, and I do believe I heard that it took 2 years to get that movie from concept to screen, as Ron was not at that point a movie director of any note. Thus, this would have been in production starting in the time period after he left Happy Days. Additionally, he had already directed several TV movies, and these came about as a result of his first directing effort with Grand Theft Auto. While on Happy Days, he was under contract with NBC to do several TV movies as a director. He had also been sought after as an actor in TV shows and TV movies for many years, and I am just guessing that when he didn't have a directing opportunity available, he took acting jobs that were offered, especially when they not in the same vein as Richie and Opie. I am not sure, but he may have been under contract to act in a certain number of TV movies. When Ron was first starting out as a wannabe director, many people did not take him seriously due to his boy next door image as Richie and Opie, and I suspect that by acting in unexpected roles, it served to further his reputation as someone who had more range than to be an actor in TV sitcoms. TV actors are still like second class citizens compared to movie actors, and directing is really a step up the ladder compared to acting. So maybe by taking these acting jobs, it was something maybe to bargain with in trying eventually get directing jobs. Plus, these are not such a time committment as a weekly sitcom, and honestly, it kept up his visibility. Ron also was involved as a producer in various TV movies, including one with Donnie Most, Leo and Loree. I have a copy of a People magazine from 1978, with Ron on the cover, and it says, something like, "believe it or not, that nice twerp from Happy Days is a hot shot director." Ron still gets dissed by people who refer to him as Opie, as if he was still 10 years old. He still has the TV image to live down, even though it also led to his current career. By the way, have you seen Bitter Harvest? I taped it off of TV when it was rerun on a late show some years ago, and it is a great movie, and Ron's performance is really, really good, really riveting. I saw Fire on the Mountain when it was first on TV, but that was in the old days before VCR's were invented, or at least before I could afford one. I don't recall much of the movie, but I have looked for it on Ebay. Recently, Ron's movie in which he directed Betty Davis, Skyward, sold for 81.00 on Ebay. It is very rare. I tried but was outbid! There is a biography on Ron due in bookstores in March or April, maybe you will find more of your answers there. I will be in line day one for that book. Hope this gives you some possible answers to your question. And, again, welcome! PeggySue

02-12-2003, 01:07 AM	#4
Chad22 Captain Juke N Jive Moderator Forum Addict Join Date: Nov 23, 2002 Location: Caribou, Maine Posts: 71,661	I Would like to add the interesting fact that Ron Howard played Richie on Happy Days

02-12-2003, 01:31 AM	#9
dlemond Hey, I know you. Moderator Forum Veteran Join Date: Dec 03, 2001 Location: New Jersey Posts: 6,751	I always thought his first directing gig was the TV movie "Cotton Candy" (which he wrote also), but when I just checked IMDB it says that "Deed of a Daring-Do" was his first. I don't know what that is and there are no real details on the site. By the way, I just checked ebay and looked up Cotton Candy. Check it out Ron fans: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...&category=1165

02-12-2003, 02:02 PM	#14
speech2003 Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Feb 05, 2003 Posts: 15	Thanks for the welcome Peggy Sue. I taped "Bitter Harvest" along time ago off Lifetime and had that copy for 10 years. Then I saw several off EBay and bid the highest on a copy. When I received it, it had scenes that weren't on my previous copy. I thought Ron did a great job in the movie. I have been searching for "Fire on the Mountain" and finally found someone who had taped it along time ago off CBS Late Night. The movie is supposed to be 100 minutes in length, but the copy I have is about 70-75, plus there are alot of commercials in it. I have never seen it on ebay, but on videoeta.com, it said it would be released on DVD in April, and if you give them your email address, there will notify you when it comes out. Ron did a good job in that as well. I also have "Act Of Love" which he made in 1980, and that is great performance as well. I am related to him as his mom and my grandfather were first cousins, and that makes us forth cousins. I have never met him, but I have met his dad once, and his mom (before she past away) on numerous occasions.