By Travis Johnson
Industry veteran Garry Marshall, who created a slew of popular sitcoms before moving into directing, has died of pneumonia at the age of 81.
Marshall was responsible for the wildly popular Happy Days, which also spawned Laverne and Shirley and Mork & Mindy. He began his feature directing career with 1982’s Young Doctors in Love and worked steadily until his major hit, Pretty Woman, in 1991, saw him recognised as one of Hollywood’s premiere romantic comedy directors. Recent years saw him directing the ensemble films Valentines Day, New Year’s Eve and Mother’s Day, to mixed critical reviews but decent box office numbers. Mother’s Day now stands as the final film of his long career.
He is survived by his wife and three children.
