Ron Howard: Child Actor-turned-Director

Ron Howard began his career as a child actor, appearing in The Andy Griffith Show (1960-1968) and The Music Man (1962), continuing later as a teenager in Happy Days (1974-1984) and American Graffiti (1973). Early on, however, he developed an interest in directing and decided to pursue it. Today his nearly 60-year show business career is best known, not for work  as a television child star, but as an accomplished movie director.

Born in Duncan, Oklahoma on March 1st, 1954, Ronny Howard was born into a show business family. His father, Rance Howard, was a director, writer, and actor, and his mother, Jean Speagle Howard, was also an actor. He appeared as a baby with his parents in the film Frontier Woman in 1955. When Ronny was four years old, his family relocated to Hollywood (in 1958), where his younger brother, actor Clint Howard was born. In Hollywood, the Howards rented a house on the block of the Desilu Studios where young Ronny would make his television big break as Opie Taylor in “Andy Griffith,” (which was filmed at Desilu). Prior to being cast in “Andy Griffith,” Howard also made his first credited film appearance at five years of age in the film The Journey (1959). During his run on “Griffith,” he appeared in the Warner Bros. film adaptation of Meredith Wilson’s The Music Man (1962) as Winthrop Paroo, the younger brother of Marian Paroo the librarian (played by Shirley Jones). The year after that film he was reunited with Jones in the film The Courtship of Eddie’s Father (1963). 

The Howards lived in Hollywood for three years, and later moved to Burbank where Ron attended John Burroughs High School. And after that he attended the University of Southern California’s Cinematic School of Arts, but didn’t graduate. At age 15, he appeared in the Disneyland record Story and Song from The Haunted Mansion, and after his appearance on the record, he acted in the live-action Disney film The Wild Country (1970), opposite Steve Forrest, Vera Miles, and his brother Clint. His time at USC was interrupted when he was cast by George Lucas (who would later become his directing mentor) in “American Graffiti.” The next year he landed the role of Ritchie Cunningham on Happy Days (1974-1984). 

During his run on “Happy Days,” he became very close with co-stars Henry Winkler and Tom Bosley. After the first two season on the show, he married his high school sweetheart Cheryl Alley in 1975. In 1977, he made his directorial debut with the low-budget Grand Theft Auto, the same year his mentor George Lucas released Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (1977). His wife, Cheryl, brother, Clint, and father Rance, all had roles in the film, as did his television mother, Marion Ross. He finally left “Happy Days,” in 1980, after six seasons and a total of 167 episodes, to permanently focus on his directing career (He did return for the series finale in 1984).

After directing the made-for-television movies Cotton Candy (1978), which he co-wrote with his brother, Clint, Skyward (1980), and The Time Crystal (1981), Ron finally directed his second theatrical film Night Shift (1982), which starred Michael Keaton, Shelley Long, and his “Happy Days,” buddy, Henry Winkler. His first child, actress Bryce Dallas Howard, was born the same year that “Time Crystal,” aired on television. After that film, he was hired by the Walt Disney Studios to direct the film Splash (1984) a fantasy/romantic comedy which starred Tom Hanks and Daryl Hannah. “Splash,” would be a special film for both Disney and Ron Howard because it would be the first film ever to be produced by Disney’s division company Touchstone Pictures, founded by Walt Disney’s son-in-law, Ron Miller, and it would also be Ron Howard’s first of five collaborations with Tom Hanks. (“Splash,” was also a huge hit, and later led to Disney producing The Little Mermaid (1989)). Ron Howard’s next film would be Cocoon (1985), which became the first film where he directed an actor in an Oscar-winning performance. (Don Ameche, won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar that year for his performance as Art Selwyn in the film.) The film also won the Oscar for Best Visual Effects. Ron Howard also became the father of twin girls that year, Jocelyn Howard Carlyle, and Paige Howard. He had a fourth child, a son, Reed Cross Howard in 1987.

In 1986, Ron Howard founded the film company Imagine Entertainment with Brian Grazer, in which they began producing films released under the labels of Tri-Star, Universal, Fox, and other various companies. (That same year, he reprised his trademark role as Opie Taylor in the television movie, Return to Mayberry). The first Imagine Entertainment film directed by Howard was Willow (1988), which was written and executive produced by George Lucas, and released under Lucasfilm ltd, and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. After “Willow,” he directed Parenthood (1989) and then Backdraft (1991), with Kurt Russell, Far and Away (1992), with Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman (it led to their marriage), and The Paper (1994) which reunited him with Michael Keaton. Tom Hanks joined him again the next year in Apollo 13 (1995), which earned him the Director’s Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures. 

In 2000, he directed the live-action adaptation of Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas with Jim Carrey as the Grinch—his first fantasy-based film since “Cocoon.” His father, brother, and daughter, all played citizens of Whoville in that film. Ron Howard finally reached the pinnacle of his career, when he was nominated for and won the Best Director Oscar for A Beautiful Mind (2001), a drama based on the life of mathematician John Nash. Despite it not being the status quo in filmmaking, he filmed every scene in that movie in chronological order. The film also won the Oscars for Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Supporting Actress for Jennifer Connelly for her performance as Nash’s wife, Alicia, and Best Motion Picture of the Year. Ron Howard dedicated his Oscar win to his mother, Jean Speagle Howard, who had tragically passed away just the year prior. Howard jokingly claimed that his mother had said that he would win the Best Director Oscar for every film he made. There is also a special dedication to his mother at the end of “The Grinch,” which reads “For Jean Speagle Howard,” who liked Christmas the most.”

In 2004, Ron Howard produced The Alamo (2004) for Touchstone Pictures under the direction of John Lee Hancock. In 2006, he reunited with Tom Hanks for the third time on The Da Vinci Code, and he directed Hanks again in “Da Vinci Code’s,” prequel Angels & Demons (2009) and sequel Inferno (2016). In 2008, he directed Frost/Nixon, his first film based on a Broadway play. The film starred Michael Sheen as David Frost and Frank Langella as Richard Nixon, both of whom had originated their respective roles on Broadway. (Langella also won a Tony for the performance.) The film earned five Oscar Nominations, including Best Picture, Best Actor for Langella and Ron Howard’s second Best Director Nomination. In 2013, he teamed up with Chris Hemsworth in the biopic Rush and he directed Hemsworth a second time with In the Heart of the Sea. His most recent directorial was this past summer’s Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018), which was produced by Lucasfilm, ltd, and released under Disney.

Ron Howard’s work makes it easy to see that he is unbelievably passionate about telling stories. A family-based man, he often casts his family in his movies. From genre to genre, Ron Howard continually proves his status as one of Hollywood’s best directors—all from the child T.V. actor who got interested in making movies. 

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’s 50th part 2

One might easily confuse “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang,” for being a Disney movie, because like most Disney movies, it is a family-oriented movie-musical with an imaginative and heartwarming story with memorable characters and brilliantly well-written music. But while it is not Disney, it can easily be ranked in the legacy of family movie-musicals created by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) with the likes of The Wizard of Oz (1939) and Singin’ in the Rain (1952). And it’s timeless. This blog continues our tribute to MGM’s Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968) with the last 25 facts. Please feel free to comment if you’d like.

• Musician/actor Phil Collins says that he was one of the children who stormed the castle during Baron Bomburts’s birthday, but his part was edited out of the movie, because at the time he was wearing a bandage on his head that was covering a cyst.
• This film was negatively reviewed by critics and audiences at the time, and was also a financial flop, having a budget of $10 million and grossing only $7.5 million at the box office.
• Roald Dahl wrote the screenplay for this movie also wrote the screenplay for the James Bond film You Only Live Twice (1967).
• Around the time that he was offered to star in “Chitty,” Dick Van Dyke was also offered the role of Fagin in Columbia Pictures’ adaptation of Oliver! (1968). Van Dyke ultimately chose to star in “Chitty,” and Ron Moody, who had originated the role of Fagin in London’s West End Production, was cast in the film. (Moody also received a Best Actor Oscar Nomination for his performance in the film.)
• Prior to making “Chitty,” Dick Van Dyke also made the live-action Disney films, Lt. Robin Crusoe (1966) and Never a Dull Moment (1968) which was released the same year. Van Dyke would later say “This will out-Disney Disney,” about “Chitty.”   
• “Chitty,” is the first non-Disney film ever to feature songs by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman. The second was Paramount’s animated musical adaptation of the classic children’s book Charlotte’s Web (1973).
• Ian Fleming’s original book of Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang: The Magical Car told a slightly different story from the movie. It was about a family whose name was Pott, and how a man named Caractacus Pott and his wife Mimsie, and their two children, Jeremy and Jemima, and how they use the car to rescue a French candy maker and his family who are being held hostage by gangsters. 
• Roald Dahl’s screenplay revised the story into what it is in the movie. Dahl came up with the fictional country of “Vulgaria,” and everything about it, as well as the character name, Truly Scrumptious.
• It’s a possibility that the name Truly Scrumptious is actually a tribute to the names of “Bond girls,” i.e.: Honey Ryder, Pussy Galore, and Kissy Suzuki.
• Dick Van Dyke was also offered the chance to play Grandpa Potts in the original Broadway production of “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang,” but declined.
• Sally Ann Howes was interviewed by Rosie O’Donnell about “Chitty,” on The Rosie O’Donnell Show (1996-2002). During the interview, she explained that the “Doll on a Music Box,” sequence was difficult to film, but she was still able to film it in only one take.
• The character Caractacus Potts was named after the last independent ruler of England before the Roman conquest of Southern England.
• Prior to appearing in this movie-musical, Lionel Jeffries (Grandpa Potts) had also appeared as King Pellinore in Warner Bros. film adaptation of Lerner and Lowe’s Camelot (1967).
• “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’s” title song was used as a wake up call for Commander Pamela Ann Melroy and the Space Shuttle Discover crew on November 7, 2007.
• The song title “Toot Sweet,” is a play on the french expression “tout de suite,” which translates to “right away,” or “quickly.”
• Gert Frobe is not the only “James Bond,” actor to appear in “Chitty.” Desmond Llewelyn, who was the first actor to play “Q,” in James Bond played Coggins in “Chitty,” and Anna Quayle who played Frau Hoffner in Casino Royale (1967) played the Baroness Bomburst in “Chitty.”
• When The Hobbit trilogy (2012-2014) was in production, Peter Jackson, who is one of the current owners of the “Chitty” cars used was frequently seen near the WETA Workshop in New Zealand driving cast members of the trilogy in the car while playing the film’s title song through a sound system.
• Robert Helpmann played the Child Catcher and wore a top set of false teeth which he took out to make his face look more thin and bony. Not wearing his teeth also helped make his voice sound more creepy.
• The character of the Child Catcher was the inspiration for Marilyn Manson’s “Smells Like Children,” extended play record as well as the outfit that Manson wears on the cover of the record.
• The license plate on the Chitty car says “GEN 11” though it is pronounced “Genie,” a nod to the car’s magical capabilities.
• While making this movie, Dick Van Dyke was also offered the next James Bond role by Albert R. “Cubby,” Broccoli. Van Dyke said no and jokingly asked Broccoli if he had heard Van Dyke’s Cockney accent. Broccoli replied “Oh yeah, that’s right,” and he revoked the offer.
• Broccoli wanted to produce “Chitty,” primarily because he wanted to duplicate the success that Walt Disney had four years earlier with Mary Poppins (1964). It is because of Broccoli that “Poppins,” composers/lyricists Richard M. and Robert B. Sherman came onto the film along with conductor Irwin Kostal and choreographers Marc Breaux and Dee Dee Wood. Broccoli had hoped to re-team Dick Van Dyke and Julie Andrews, but while Dick Van Dyke signed on, for unknown reasons, Andrews said no.
• In the movie, the car can be seen driving around the English countryside. Those scenes were actually filmed in France simply for the sunshine.
• 20th Century Fox’s Family Guy (1998-present) parodied the “Me Ol’ Bamboo,” number from “Chitty,” in the “420th,” episode of the show which aired on April 19th, 2009.
• Truly Scumptious’ license plate reads “CUB 1,” which was inspired by Albert R. Broccoli’s nickname “Cubby.”