"Fonzie Loves Pinky," Parts 1 and 2






It's September 21, 1976.  I am in third grade and among the many people who watched Mr. Cool fall in love in a one-hour special.  

Almost 45 years later, I am most struck by how Roz Kelly created such a vivid character in such a short amount of time, when most of Fonzie's other "girls" have been forgettable and interchangeable.  It helps that she just has to be introduced to the viewer and that Richie and Joanie inform us that she is an old friend of Fonzie's.  Winkler does a nice job of showing what an infatuated Fonzie looks like, but it is Kelly's Pinky Tuscadero, sassy, sexy, and arguably feminist, who steals the show.  She causes Fonzie to compromise on some of his sexist notions, out of love, and that is actually a good development for his character.  When Pinky is injured, the viewer and the characters are all concerned. 

Still, I'm not big on sports, even one shot outdoors, like the demolition derby, so I'm going with a B-.

Notes:
  • Doris Hess and Kelly Sanders would return as Tina and Lola for Part 3.  
  • This time Ken Lerner plays Rocco Millachi, while Michael Pataki is his brother the Count.
  • If I recall correctly, Roz Kelly and Henry Winkler didn't actually get along in real life, or maybe Garry Marshall didn't want Fonzie to settle down this early in the run, so we wouldn't see her after Part 3, although her sister Leather would later appear.  (And, without explanation, Pinky would have a cameo on Blansky's Beauties, which was set in '77.)
  • Arnold's has new management but the same name, with the introduction of Al Molinaro as "Alfred," the shy new owner.  Molinardo was already a veteran of GM shows, as a regular on The Odd Couple, and he had at this point played Father Gucci on the first season of Laverne & Shirley.
  • I have absolutely no idea how old Richie and Joanie are supposed to be in this episode, but she does get an updated picture in the opening credits.
  • It was Richie's idea for the Leopard Lodge to host the demolition derby.
  • I can't remember if it was previously WZAZ as the local television station, but Richie gets to not only cover the derby but do presumably live pre-derby interviews.  Maybe they were desperate for broadcast material.
  • Arthur Silver has a solo credit for Part 1 but co-wrote Part 2 with Michael Warren.

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