15 Surprising Facts About ‘Happy Days’

7. ‘Happy Days’ Actually Came Before ‘American Graffiti’

Many people think Happy Days was an offshoot of the George Lucas hit movie American Graffiti, which featured Ron Howard in a similar role. While American Graffiti actually came out first, it was that movie’s success and interest for the time period that encouraged the studio to revisit the Happy Days show which had been put on the shelf.

8. Fonzie and Pinky Didn’t Really Mesh

The concept of bringing in tough girl Pinky Tuscadero as a female version of Fonzie was more of an idea with a lot of press behind it than any sort of reality. The character, played by Roz Kelly, had a three episode romance with the Fonz, but she didn’t end up meshing with the cast and producers and was quickly written out of the show.

9. Bill Haley Recorded a Special Version of the Theme Song

The original theme song for Happy Days was “Rock Around the Clock” by Bill Haley & His Comets, but the hit version was only used for the first episode. After that a specially recorded version was used for the next two seasons. Later on, the theme song “Happy Days” was written and performed by Charles Fox and Norm Gimbel for the opening and closing credits.