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| Frances Bey and Henry Winkler on Happy Days. |
The backstory of ace mechanic and ladies' man Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli (Henry Winkler) kept changing on Happy Days for the simple reason that no one behind the scenes had ever planned out who this character was, what he had been through, or what he would eventually do with his life. It all just sort of happened haphazardly over the course of 11 seasons, with the writers reinventing and redefining the character as they went along and retconning parts of his past as they deemed necessary.
The character of Fonzie wasn't even part of Happy Days' original pilot in 1972. He was only added by network decree after the success of the movie American Graffiti (1973) and the stage musical Grease (1971). Those stories featured tough greaser dudes, they figured, so Happy Days should have one, too. In his early days, Fonzie had an air of mystery. He was a man of few words whose life was deliberately kept vague. But then, America fell in love with him, and we wanted to learn a lot more about him. The show obliged.
Eventually, some basic facts about Fonzie's past emerged from the ether. He had been abandoned by both his parents -- first his father, then his mother -- at an early age. How early? It varies from episode to episode. But it definitely happened. The writers are sure of that. At some point in his teen years, he struck out on his own and has been living independently ever since.
In the 10-year interim between his abandonment and his independence, Fonzie was raised by his kindly Grandma Nussbaum. We actually got to meet this sweet, elderly caretaker in a classic 1975 episode called "Fonzie Moves In." Lillian Bronson played her in that show, then retired from acting after a 30-plus-year career. We didn't see much (or any) of Grandma Nussbaum for a few seasons after that, but Fonzie frequently mentioned her and kept her alive in our imaginations.
Finally, in Season 9, we got a whole episode about Grandma Nussbaum, appropriately titled "Grandma Nussbaum." With Lillian Bronson unavailable, the role went to Canadian character actress Frances Bey, who went on to numerous iconic film and TV roles in the decades that followed. You may know her from Seinfeld, The Middle, Happy Gilmore, or numerous David Lynch projects. Who knows? Maybe Happy Days was the big break Frances needed in her career.
Was it worth it to bring Grandma Nussbaum back onto our screens after nearly seven years? Find out on the latest installment of These Days Are Ours: A Happy Days Podcast.