19 delightful behind-the-scenes photos from 'Happy Days'

There were smiles all around the set. Even the dog was smiling.

The Everett Collection

Happy Days was all about nostalgia. In the 1970s, American pop culture was suddenly looking back fondly at the 1950s. American Graffiti, Sha-Na-Na and Grease had folks daydreaming of drag racing, ducktail haircuts and poodle skirts. 

It's no wonder Happy Days was such an immediate hit. The sitcom tapped into something real. The feeling lasted for an entire decade, as the show ran from 1974 to 1984.

We all know the Cunninghams like family. The Fonz, Potsie and Ralph feel like old high school chums. Peeking behind the scenes, the camaraderie oozes out of the photos. There are smiles all around, despite a work schedule that had them rockin' around the clock.

Let's look at some photos from the set.

Image: The Everett Collection

The cast often played baseball together. Even guest star Tom Hanks suited up for the Happy Days squad at one point!

Image: The Everett Collection

"Wait… which one of us is supposed to turn into Superman?"

Image: The Everett Collection

The 1982 episode featured cameos from sitcom royalty. Harriet Nelson of Ozzie and Harriet and Jane Wyatt of Father Knows Best joined Marion Ross in the beauty parlor. What a trio of sitcom moms!

Image: The Everett Collection

Cathy Silvers and Erin Moran appear just as tight as Jenny and Joanie.

Image: The Everett Collection

Choreographer Shirley Kirkes shows Erin Moran and Scott Baio how to dip.

Image: The Everett Collection

Here's a look at the Arnold's set.

Image: The Everett Collection

Eat your heart out, Karate Kid.

Image: The Everett Collection

The gang poses outside of their "high school."

Image: The Everett Collection

Don Most knows he was about to blow up as a pop star.

Image: The Everett Collection

Just chilling, perhaps modeling some slacks.

Image: The Everett Collection

Happy Days was hardly a bomb, guys.

Image: The Everett Collection

The one and only Robin Williams poses on set when filming one of his Mork cameos.

Image: AP Photo / Nick Ut

Producers Ed Milkis, Tom Miller and Garry Marshall sit in their office in 1978. Photos from Happy Days and Laverne & Shirley hang on the wall.

Henry Winkler sits in his motel room in Santa Rosa, California, in 1977. He's talking by phone to the Senate subcommittee on alcoholism and drug abuse during a hearing in Washington. His phone call to D.C. followed a videotaped statement in which he said that while in college he "chugged" water instead of beer and was respected for it.

Image: The Everett Collection

Spunky is a Fonz's best friend.

Image: AP Photo / Reed Saxon

Tom Bosley, a.k.a. Mr. Cunningham, embraces his real-life wife Patricia Carr Bosley, as the TV Mrs. C, Marion Ross, hangs around in a back-stretching apparatus.

Image: AP Photo / Damian Dovarganes

Marion Ross applies lipstick in a truck mirror in 1998, in the Studio City section of L.A. She had just driven the 1955 truck from San Diego to use it on her Happy Days Farm.

Image: AP Photo / Wally Fong

We'll miss you, Erin.

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7 Comments

AllisonWunderland 46 months ago
Just got through watching the first episode for the summer lineup! 😍🤗 Thanks MeTV 😎
rmauro659 46 months ago
Happy Days and Mash are two of the best tv shows to ever grace a TV.
Sheree 46 months ago
So many memories. I loved this show. I remember the episode with Harriett Nelson and Jane Wyman. If only . . . . . .
Connie Sheree 46 months ago
Her name was Jane WYATT.
Edward 46 months ago
Watched it once when it first aired. "I" thought it stunk to high heaven. Only show worse is mash. Comedy in a war zone ? Yeah right. Those writers, obviously, never served in actual combat.
bugalito Edward 29 months ago
I was trying to imagine what it's like to have no sense of humor and hate everything but I couldn't do it. Obviously takes an extreme amount of misery. Lighten up bucko
Moriyah 46 months ago
One of the characters look like a younger version of Link from Good Mythical Morning!
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