"Happy Days" Just a Piccalo (1981)

Director:

Jerry Paris

Writers:

Garry Marshall (creator)
Mark Rothman (written by)

TV Series:

"Happy Days" (1974)

Original Air Date:

24 November 1981 (Season 9, Episode 8)

Genre:

Comedy | Family | Music

Plot:

Joanie regrets agreeing to join a popular girls' club with friend Jenny Piccalo when the snobby club officers try to keep Jenny from passing the initiation ritual by altering it to include stealing a park statue. |

Plot Keywords:

1950s | Milwaukee Wisconsin | College | Milwaukee | Marriage

Cast

Henry Winkler	...	Arthur 'Fonzie' Fonzarelli
Marion Ross	...	Marion Cunningham
Anson Williams	...	Warren 'Potsie' Weber (credit only)
Erin Moran	...	Joanie Cunningham
Al Molinaro	...	Alfred 'Al' Delvecchio
Scott Baio	...	Charles 'Chachi' Arcola
Lynda Goodfriend	...	Lori Beth (credit only)
Tom Bosley	...	Howard Cunningham
Cathy Silvers	...	Jenny Piccalo
Phil Silvers	...	Roscoe Piccalo
Ed Peck	...	Police Officer Kirk
Teri Landrum	...	Stephanie
Tracie Savage	...	Marilyn

Trivia:

This episode marked the only time Cathy Silvers and her father Phil Silvers worked together.

Quotes:

Jenny Piccalo: [through a big smile, to her father] Am I in trouble, Daddy?
Roscoe Piccalo: [smiling back just as big] Of course you're in trouble, sweetheart. It doesn't mean I don't love you. We'll discuss things when we get home.

Sgt. Bilko visits the Cunninghams

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

In the last years of HAPPY DAYS there was a tendency to try to expand the show's stories by looking closer at the subsidiary characters. For instance there was an episode when Potsie Webber (Anson Williams) is having problems with his biology course, and has to pass the final examination (which he does by learning to memorize by singing the anatomical structures parts as a song). There were episodes dealing with Fonzie and his latest girlfriend of course, and of the members of the Cunningham family (except for the long missing older brother). But the episodes dealing with Joanie Cunningham (Erin Moran) usually dealt with her romance with Fonzie's nephew Chachi (Scot Baio). But in the middle years of the show a name cropped up as Joanie's madcap girlfriend Jennie Piccalo (Catherine Silver). For a years or so she was mentioned, but never appeared. Then Ms Silver popped up to be a regular for the last couple of seasons.

In this episode Jennie is arrested for trying to steal a statue in the park to get acceptance into a snobby sorority. Joanie gets involved in it too, so that both girls are captured by Police officer Kirk (Ed Peck). The Cunninghams (Marion Ross and Tom Bosley) are pretty upset about the stupid sorority prank, and they tell it to Joanie very clearly. But what happens is that Jennie is afraid to go home and face her father Roscoe.

It was the only time Roscoe Piccalo popped up in an episode of HAPPY DAYS. Roscoe turns out to be Catherine Silver's real life father, Phil Silvers. From the moment he steps into the familiar middle America house of the Cunninghams you can see that despite his friendly demeanor something's off. He and Mr. Cunningham have rarely held a conversation, so Tom Bosley is a little uncertain about what to say to his guest. But Silvers puts him at his ease. He has heard of the prank, and he is aware that this can't be winked at as normal hijinks.

There is a moving moment when Roscoe and Jennie have a private discussion, and (as the Silvers were a real father and daughter) the actual affection showed up. Roscoe is a little upset about the incident, but he tells Jennie he loves her. They will discuss the matter at home.

The Cunninghams thank Roscoe for being so forbearing with Jennie, and he leaves in apparent good will with Joanie's family. The door closes and the Cunninghams go into the kitchen. Slowly the door reopens and we see Roscoe looking more critically around the living room set. Holding out his hands, Silvers says, "What happened to good taste?!" Totally unexpected reason for hims seeming to be at a measure of ill-ease, and funny as a result.