May 18 - Ron Howard

Ron Howard of The Andy Griffith Show TV fame is directing a movie that comes out on Friday. Maybe you heard of it, The Da Vinci Code. Ron also directed the following great films: Splash, Parenthood, Apollo 13, Ransom, Cocoon, Backdraft, and A Beautiful Mind among others. I remember Ron singing “Gary, Indiana” in The Music Man as Winthrop Paroo. He was priceless.

He is the antithesis of child actors. He survived. How many movies tell you that no animals were hurt in the filming of this movie? What about the kids? Look at the Little Rascals. How many of them are still around? Just Robert Blake and you know he would be the last person of a Survivor: Child Stars reality series. The Hollywood Highway is littered with the corpses of past child actors: Dana Plato, Danny Bonaduce, Gary Coleman, ReRun, etc. Just watch True Hollywood Story on E!.

I have a three-fold connection to Ron Howard.

First, I played Marcellus Washburn (Buddy Hackett) in my high school’s production of The Music Man. Many said my interpretation brought tears to some in the audience.

Two, I met the real Jim Lovell, the character Tom Hanks played in Apollo 13 directed by Howard.. Capt. Lovell is a genuine person and is a true American Hero.

Three, I bumped into Ron Howard on a street corner in Century City, California in 1988. He was actually wearing a ball hat and sports coat. I was in a regular suit. We exchanged pleasantries. He asked if I was having a good day. I asked if Aunt Bee had forgiven him for killing that bird. We gave each other the guy nod and both went on to bigger and better things.

Good Luck Ron with the new movie. I’m sure Pinky Tuscadero is sleepless many nights wishing she had gone for Richie and not the Fonz.