Ron Howard was 5 years outdated when he made his movie performing debut in Anatole Litvak’s 1959 Hungarian Revolution drama “The Journey.” A yr later, the red-headed scamp acquired solid as Opie Taylor, the son of Mayberry, North Carolina sheriff Andy Taylor in “The Andy Griffith Present,” which had the impact of turning him into America’s child brother. Tv viewers watched Howard develop up all through the Sixties, so that they felt as if they’d a contact of pores and skin within the sport when he performed current high-school graduate Steve Bolander in George Lucas’ “American Graffiti.” Then he landed the function of Richie Cunningham within the ABC sitcom “Comfortable Days,” at which level he appeared like household. Everybody needed Howard to excel.
If, nevertheless, everybody was being trustworthy with themselves, it was laborious to see Howard’s performing profession lasting for much longer than “Comfortable Days.” He possessed restricted vary and could not appear to shake his pipsqueak persona. Happily, Howard had grown disinterested in performing and had his eyes set on directing. Earlier than getting solid in “Comfortable Days,” he’d enrolled in movie faculty on the College of Southern California. In actual fact, Howard practically returned to USC early within the run of “Comfortable Days” when the sequence was getting retooled attributable to scores struggles.
Whereas Howard caught it out on the sitcom till his contract was up, he managed to direct a film whereas nonetheless taking pictures the present (1977’s “Grand Theft Auto”) and wasted no time embarking on a full-time filmmaking profession as soon as he was freed from all “Comfortable Days” obligations. This labored out exceptionally properly for him (he gained the Finest Director Oscar in 2002 for “A Lovely World), however you is perhaps shocked to be taught that he refused the chance to hone his craft by directing a single episode of “Comfortable Days.”
Ron Howard was targeted on function filmmaking
When Howard appeared on The Smartless podcast with Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, and Sean Hayes in 2020, he revealed that his curiosity in directing was sparked by his early days on the set of “The Andy Griffith Present.” As he advised the trio:
“I used to be capable of be part of this present and be part of this course of which included the digital camera operators. At a sure level I spotted that the director was the one who form of acquired to hold with everyone, acquired to play with everyone. I simply grew to become intrigued.”
By the Seventies, Howard was savvy sufficient to know the distinction between directing an episode of tv and helming, say, “The Graduate.” He desperately needed to attempt his hand on the latter, however he didn’t see the trail to Mike Nichols’ masterpiece emanating from directing visitors on a tv sitcom. Howard additionally was respectful of his co-stars’ wants on “Comfortable Days,” and did not wish to hurl gunk right into a well-oiled machine. Jerry Paris was the go-to helmer on the sequence, and, in keeping with Howard, he knew higher than anybody how one can ship what viewers demanded from the present each week.
Howard’s persistence paid off, and whereas he is by no means directed a basic on the extent of “The Graduate,” at the very least we have “EDtv,” and that ain’t poverty!