Ron Howard: Part 1 of 5 - From Opie to Richie

Born on March 1, 1954, Ron Howard moved from early screen work into two of the most recognizable roles of 1960s and 1970s television. He first became widely known as Opie Taylor on *The Andy Griffith Show*, stayed with that series for all eight seasons, and added film credits including *The Music Man* and *The Courtship of Eddie's Father*. Then an unsold pilot on *Love, American Style* unexpectedly opened the door to *American Graffiti* and, soon after, to Richie Cunningham on *Happy Days*.

How did Ron Howard first reach national television?

Howard did not arrive on *The Andy Griffith Show* out of nowhere. In 1959, he received his first credited film role in *The Journey*. Around the same period, he was already working steadily in television. He appeared in *The DuPont Show with June Allyson* in the episode Child Lost, in *The Twilight Zone* episode Walking Distance, in a few first-season *Dennis the Menace* episodes as Stewart, one of Dennis's friends, and in several first- and second-season episodes of *The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis*. He also played Timmy, uncredited, in a 1960 episode of *Cheyenne*.

Those credits show that before 1960 Howard had already worked in anthology drama, fantasy television, and sitcoms. What followed was not a single guest spot that viewers forgot a week later. In 1960, he moved into a continuing role that would put him in front of a national audience for years.

What made Opie Taylor such an important early role?

In 1960, Howard was cast as Opie Taylor in *The Andy Griffith Show*, receiving screen credit as Ronny Howard. He played the son of Sheriff Andy Taylor, portrayed by Andy Griffith, for all eight seasons of the sitcom. The series aired on CBS from October 3, 1960, to April 1, 1968, and Howard was part of its full eight-season run.

The role brought Howard national attention. It also placed him inside one of the most durable comedies of its era. *The Andy Griffith Show* was known for its wholesome, old-fashioned quality, even though it was set in a contemporary period. In the ratings, it was unusually strong throughout its entire run, never ranking lower than seventh in the yearly Nielsen standings and finishing its final season at number one.

Because the series revolved around Andy Taylor and the town of Mayberry, Opie was a central recurring presence. Howard worked opposite Griffith, Don Knotts, Frances Bavier, and Jim Nabors. By the end of the 1960s, he had spent years in front of a national television audience, not as an occasional child guest star but as part of a long-running hit.

Which film roles stood out while he was still a child?

Howard's early screen work was not limited to one sitcom. During the run of *The Andy Griffith Show*, he also built a film resume. In the 1962 screen version of *The Music Man*, he played Winthrop Paroo, the child with the lisp. The film starred Robert Preston, Shirley Jones, and Buddy Hackett, and it became one of the biggest hits of the year. It was the third-highest-grossing film of 1962 and received six Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture.

That meant Howard was appearing not only in a successful television series but also in a widely seen studio musical. A year later, he starred in *The Courtship of Eddie's Father*. The 1963 film reunited him with Jones and paired him with Glenn Ford.

Taken together, *The Music Man* and *The Courtship of Eddie's Father* showed that Howard's early career was moving between television and studio features at the same time. By the time he reached his teen years, he already had years of professional experience in both formats.

How did an unsold pilot change his direction?

The next turning point did not begin as a series pickup. *Happy Days* started life as an unsold pilot. It had originally been produced as *New Family in Town*, but it was not picked up. Instead, the material was recycled as *Love and the Television Set*, a segment of the ABC anthology series *Love, American Style* that aired on February 25, 1972. For syndication, the segment was later retitled *Love and the Happy Days*.

The core idea was already there: Howard as Richie Cunningham alongside Marion Ross and Anson Williams. But the project did not immediately become a weekly series. That pause turned out to matter, because the segment did not disappear. Instead, it became the material George Lucas used to judge whether Howard could play a teenager in his next film.

That moment is the hinge. A pilot that Paramount had passed on became the bridge between Howard's child-actor years and the role that would define his television image in the 1970s.

Why did *American Graffiti* matter so much?

Lucas cast Howard as Steve Bolander in *American Graffiti*. Lucas had asked to see the pilot because he wanted to know whether Howard was suitable to play a teenager in the film, and he immediately cast him. Fred Roos, who had been a casting director on *The Andy Griffith Show*, suggested Howard for Steve. Howard accepted the role as a way to break out of the mold of his career as a child actor.

That choice placed him in one of the key ensemble films of 1973. *American Graffiti* featured Richard Dreyfuss, Cindy Williams, Charles Martin Smith, and Harrison Ford alongside Howard. The film received widespread critical acclaim and grossed $55 million, becoming the third-highest-grossing film of that year.

Most important for this story, the movie's success sent ABC back to the abandoned pilot idea. Lucas casting Howard in *American Graffiti* led the network to take a renewed interest in the pilot. The path from Opie Taylor to Richie Cunningham passed through a film that helped move Howard from child star to teenage lead.

What was the original idea behind *Happy Days*?

*Happy Days* premiered on ABC on January 15, 1974. Created by Garry Marshall, the series was set in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, during the 1950s and 1960s. Its first two seasons focused on the experiences and dilemmas of teenager Richie Cunningham, his family, and his high school friends.

Howard's Richie was the original center of the show. The character was described as a likable, buttoned-down boy and as a nice, soft-spoken teenager who often got into trouble trying to meet girls. That made him very different from the character who would eventually dominate much of the discussion around the series. Opposite Henry Winkler's Fonzie, Richie was the grounded figure at the heart of the original concept.

The role also made Howard a household name in a new way. Opie had been a child role inside a family sitcom centered on adults. Richie was the protagonist of a prime-time series built around teenage experience and 1950s nostalgia. It was the transition from child role to series lead.

How did Fonzie change the balance of the show?

One reason the early episodes worked is that Howard and Winkler developed an on- and off-screen chemistry on the *Happy Days* set. At first, though, Fonzie was a secondary character. The show's initial emphasis remained on Richie and his immediate world. That began to change when the ratings slipped during the second season.

Garry Marshall retooled the series. The new format emphasized broad comedy and gave more attention to Fonzie, described as a cool biker and high school dropout. The adjustment worked. *Happy Days* became the number-one program on television in the 1976-77 season, ending the five-year Nielsen reign of *All in the Family*.

The success also changed the show's internal balance. By season three, Winkler was top billed alongside Howard, and Fonzie had become the breakout figure. But Howard had already established Richie as the original lead of the series, and the contrast between Richie's buttoned-down presence and Fonzie's swagger remained central to how the show worked.

Why did Howard leave *Happy Days*, and what comes next?

Long before Howard stopped acting regularly, he had begun thinking about directing. He later attended the University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts, though he did not graduate, and he has said he knew from a young age that he might want to move behind the camera because of his experience as an actor.

In 1980, he left *Happy Days* just before the start of its eighth season to become a film director. That decision closed the screen chapter that had run from Opie Taylor through Richie Cunningham, but it did not end the connection completely. Howard returned for guest appearances in the show's eleventh season.

That departure is where Part 1 ends. Part 2 follows the Roger Corman deal that led to *Grand Theft Auto* and Howard's start as a feature director, the next step in a career that was already changing shape before he said goodbye to Richie.

This article is part of NewsCubby's five-part Ron Howard career series. For more, visit TV & Streaming, Movies, Entertainment, and find short videos on the Videos page.

Timeline

• **March 1, 1954:** Ron Howard is born in Duncan, Oklahoma.
• **1959:** He receives his first credited film role in *The Journey*.
• **Oct. 3, 1960:** *The Andy Griffith Show* debuts on CBS, with Howard as Opie Taylor.
• **June 19, 1962:** *The Music Man* premieres, with Howard playing Winthrop Paroo.
• **1963:** He stars in *The Courtship of Eddie's Father*.
• **Feb. 25, 1972:** *Love and the Television Set* airs on *Love, American Style*.
• **1973:** George Lucas casts Howard as Steve Bolander in *American Graffiti*.
• **Jan. 15, 1974:** *Happy Days* premieres on ABC.
• **1976-77 season:** *Happy Days* finishes as the No. 1 program on television.
• **1980:** Howard leaves *Happy Days* just before the start of season eight and later returns for guest appearances in the show's eleventh season.

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*ARCHIVE PHOTOS: Ron Howard as Richie Cunningham in a December 1973 ABC press photo for Happy Days (left), and Ron Howard and Henry Winkler as Richie and Fonzie in an August 1977 ABC press photo (right). Photos: ABC Television / Wikimedia Commons / Public domain (left); ABC Television / Wikimedia Commons / Public domain (right). Both cropped.*

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