— Ch. 1 · Childhood And Early Stardom —
Ron Howard.
~4 min read · Ch. 1 of 6
Ronald William Howard entered the world on the 1st of March 1954, in Duncan, Oklahoma. His father Rance Howard served three years in the United States Air Force at that time before taking the stage name Howard from his birth surname Beckenholdt. The family moved to California where young Ron attended Desilu Studios for tutoring while working in television. He appeared in June Allyson's CBS anthology series The DuPont Show with June Allyson during the early 1960s. A role as Stewart in Dennis the Menace brought him into the living rooms of millions of American families. By 1960 he had secured the part of Opie Taylor on The Andy Griffith Show. This character became a household name across eight seasons running until 1968. Howard also starred alongside Robert Preston and Shirley Jones in The Music Man film released in 1962. That movie earned critical acclaim and commercial success becoming the third highest-grossing film of its year.
Transition To Directing
Howard made his directorial debut with Grand Theft Auto in 1977 after cutting a deal with Roger Corman. He directed this low-budget comedy action film based on a script co-written with his father Rance. Before leaving Happy Days in 1980 he focused on directing films and television series. His big break came with Night Shift featuring Michael Keaton and Shelley Long in 1982. The film showcased his ability to handle comedies with ensemble casts including Henry Winkler from Happy Days. Splash followed in 1984 starring Tom Hanks and Daryl Hannah achieving both box office and critical success. Cocoon arrived in 1985 winning Best Supporting Actor for Don Ameche while earning financial returns. These early projects established Howard as a versatile filmmaker capable of handling multiple genres successfully.