Fonzie's Getting Married was the 13th episode in the second season of Happy Days, and also, the 29th overall episode of the series. Co-written by Lowell Ganz and Mark Rothman, the episode, directed by Jerry Paris, first aired on ABC-TV on January 14, 1975.
This episode was also the first in the series to be filmed in front of an actual studio audience (likely as an experiment for audience responses), accented at the top of the show with Tom Bosley saying in voiceover: "Tonight's Happy Days was filmed before a live audience." It is evident that the experiment, if so, was successful, as beginning in Season 3, all episodes of Happy Days would be filmed in front of live audiences.
Synopsis[]
When Fonzie introduces his fiancée to the Cunninghams, Howard begins to suspect that she is keeping a secret from him.
Storyline[]
At Arnold's, Fonzie (interrupting Fats Domino on the jukebox, which he would normally never do) announces to everyone that he is getting married on Sunday and abruptly strolls to his "office". Richie, Potsie and Ralph follow Fonzie there and press him for who the bride is. They initially think that she's one of the many girls whose name is on the bathroom wall, but Fonzie tells them that she's a librarian named Maureen Johnson, and that she is "the one" because she meets all the criteria on his "perfect wife card", including:
- Good listener
- Good sense of humor
- No mustache
- ("a biggie") Must be "untried" (which the boys initially don't understand until Fonzie explains the woman has to be a virgin; the boys all think she might not be honest about it, but Fonzie asserts that "virgins don't lie")
- A high school diploma (or equivalent)
Fonzie then confides in Richie that, since the Cunninghams are the closest thing Fonzie has to a family, he wants them to meet Maureen Thursday evening at his house.
Once there, as they sit down to dinner, Howard seems to recognize Maureen and asks if they've met somewhere before. Maureen denies it, but when Marion goes into the kitchen to get the salad, Howard follows and confides in her that he recognizes Maureen as a stripper he saw at a hardware convention in Chicago. Marion plays it off, but then Howard tells her that if Maureen is the same woman, she will have a distinctive laugh similar to a seal. Back at the table, Howard tells a funny story which causes Maureen to laugh like a seal, just as Howard surmised.
After Fonzie and Maureen leave, Howard reveals to Richie what he has found out about Maureen. Richie plans to tell Fonzie before the bachelor party, but he can't bring himself to do it. Howard comes up with another plan: he hands Richie a newspaper ad of Maureen in costume (and wearing a mask) as "The Lone Stripper", headlining at a local burlesque. During his bachelor party, Richie calls Fonzie into the kitchen and shows him the newspaper ad. Suddenly agitated, Fonzie quickly ends the party and sends everyone out. Richie and Howard try to console him, but Fonzie refuses to believe that the picture is of Maureen, and Howard suggests that Fonzie go to the burlesque place and find out for himself. He agrees, but wants Richie and Howard with him.
The three of them sit through five other dancers before "The Lone Stripper" is introduced. Just moments into her routine, Fonzie can no longer stand the suspense and jumps on stage to unmask the stripper, only to discover that it is indeed Maureen!
Later, after the burlesque closes, as Howard and Richie again try to console Fonzie, he reveals that regardless of Maureen's true profession (and her dishonesty) he's still in love with her. When Howard and Richie leave the two alone to talk, Maureen, embarrassed about Fonzie finding out about her career the way he did, confides in him about how, unlike her friends, she had show business career aspirations rather than designs on settling down to be a wife and mother; she then tells him she got a lucrative job offer in Toledo (which may include having her own horse). Fonzie tries to steel himself to her leaving and claims she's giving up a good thing with him, which she admits, but nonetheless she says goodbye and leaves.
Fun Fact(s)[]
This is the very first episode in which Fonzie raps on the jukebox with his fist causing it to shut down (and then raps on it again to restart it).
Quotes[]
(after making the announcement at Arnold's)
- Richie: Hey, Fonz, was that for real out there?
- Fonzie: Did you guys hear me turn off the jukebox? Did you hear what was on the jukebox? Fats Domino! Would I turn off "The Fats"?!
- Potsie: It's for real!
(reading from his 'perfect wife' card)
- Fonzie: Four, and this is a biggie, she must be "untried".
- Potsie: What's 'untried'?
- Ralph: Dummy. It means she's never been in court.
- Fonzie: It means that she's gotta be pure. She's gotta be a virgin.
- Richie, Potsie & Ralph: Vir-r-gin...
(after learning the truth about Maureen)
- Howard (to Richie) : Did he talk to her?
- Richie: Just for a minute, and then she had to get changed.
- Howard: Well, what'd he find out?
- Fonzie: The only thing she's got on my list is "no mustache". (tosses away his "perfect wife" card)
Image Gallery[]
Guest starring[]
- Nellie Bellflower as Maureen Johnson/The Lone Stripper
- Simmy Bow as Nightclub Emcee
- Jack Perkins as Drunk in Nightclub
- Garry Marshall as Drum Player (uncredited)
