Posted on 04/19/2011 2:02:26 PM PDT by iowamark
They were once so happy they brought joy to millions of households all over the world.
But the cast of Happy Days are currently far from being anything close to happy. In fact they are angry.
For they are claiming that CBS has deprived them of much-needed money the network made from the merchandising bonanza the show spawned.
They are now suing for fraud and breach of contract.
The legacy of the show, which was one of the most popular on television for a decade, lives on even 30 years after it ended.
Happy Days T-shirts, playing cards, mugs, board games, lunch boxes and dolls are still popular items in many countries of the world.
But it was when the Happy Days slot machines were brought into casinos that the cast started to wonder where their share was...
The cast members involved are Anson Williams, who played Potsie Weber, Don Most who played Ralph Malph, Marion Ross who played Marion Cunningham and Erin Moran who played Joanie Cunningham....
Marion Ross told CNN: 'It takes a lot to make me angry because so often my expectations are so low. But the other day someone came up to me and said, "You must be cleaning up on those casinos". And I said, "Well, what are you talking about?" And he said, "If you get five Marions, you get the jackpot".'
She lost her California home to foreclosure recently and said the money would have made a difference....
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
I never realized that Bill Maher played Ralph Malph.
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/happy-days-cast-sues-cbs-179852
“”The show originally ran on ABC from 1974 until 1984 and has been a staple in TV syndication and on various cable outlets since. It was originally produced by Paramount, but after a corporate split in 2005 became part of CBS Studios.””
Happy Days cast to CBS, “Sit on it!”
Hmmm.....Same CBS Charlie Sheen is screaming at...
So the cast wants to copyright ‘jump the shark’ ?
Didn’t Happy Days run on ABC?
I have no sorrow for Ron Howard.
It seems to me that the “older” sitcoms were all screwed out of royalties.
Now a days, everyone one has at least 5 attorneys representing them, knowing the “industry” will try to screw them every chance they get.
The old timers expected honesty and got stabbed in the back for it.
Marion Ross lost her home to foreclosure? How does that happen?
The article lists the members who are suing and it appears Ron Howard and Henry Winkler are not involved.
>>>I never realized that Bill Maher played Ralph Malph.
He didn’t. The actor’s name is Don Most.
How instructive that we must read the BRITISH media to learn this USA news.
>>>Marion Ross lost her home to foreclosure? How does that happen?
Poor financial management. Same reason many former pro sports players end up on skid row.
According to the original article the cast is claiming they had been promised 2.5% of net merchandising revenues if shown in a group appearances, 5% for solo appearances. CBS is claiming they made only a few thousand dollars that way. The CBS accounting sounds, er, fishy given what a meme Happy Days is. But I don’t know if Happy Days merchandising is the near billion dollar business it would have to be in order for the cast to be due millions a year. And for the cast to have ignored money of that magnitude? Why didn’t they have a law office to represent them from the word go?
Another sucker in the housing bubble who bought too much house with an overextended mortgage.
Somebody really cleaned up on those family friendly sitcoms in those days and it wasn’t the actors.
Prolific directors have a habit of not wanting to PO a major network. Both probably think that having a major network mad at them could cost more in the future then they would ever get from this lawsuit.
The show was originally on ABC but CBS could own the rights to it now.
It was also a case that if you wanted to work in Hollywood, you had to pretty well live in Hollywood and those houses, even back then were pretty expensive.
It was also a case that if you wanted to work in Hollywood, you had to pretty well live in Hollywood and those houses, even back then were pretty expensive.
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