Garry Marshall's kids appeared in a bunch of Happy Days episodes

You can also hear Clint Howard yelling off-screen in "The Magic Show."

One of the most famous magic tricks Houdini ever performed was known as the milk can escape. In this daring act, the magician closed himself inside a giant milk can that was filled to the brim with water. The escape artist famously told the audience to hold their breath as long as they could while he attempted to break free of the milk can. It was a dangerous trick, but Houdini pulled it off.

As astonishing as this act was, Houdini wasn’t the only magician to successfully perform the milk can escape. Another magician known as the Amazing Randi successfully escaped the milk can, too, and this was the magician that Happy Days booked for a sixth season episode "The Magic Show."

The premise for this episode finds Howard Cunningham seeking a last-minute replacement for the Amazing Randi for a Leopard Lodge fundraiser for orphans. Because this is Happy Days, Fonzie becomes the natural choice to save the day, stepping in as magician, but not due to his own bravery.

Near the end of the episode, Fonzie is fretting over the kids' expectations backstage, not confident he can pull off the milk can escape. That's when two orphans, a boy and girl, walk backstage and tell the whole cast that the magic show is going great. When Richie thanks them but explains that the milk can escape is too dangerous for anyone to attempt. The orphan boy gives Fonzie the courage to try it when he says, "What about Fonzie? He can do anything!" True. He had jumped over a shark on water skis.

Take a close look at the boy in the scene at the top of the page. Does his face look a little familiar? Perhaps like a young Garry Marshall?

The orphans in this scene are played by Marshall's real son Scott and real daughter Kathi. Together, they appear in five episodes of Happy Days, starting with the second-season Halloween episode "Haunted." That's Kathi dressed as a princess in the inset image. The two later popped up the fourth-season episode "Fonzie’s Hero," the fifth-season episode "Fonsillectomy" (another Halloween tale), and this sixth-season episode "The Magic Show." Finally, the siblings guest-starred in the seventh-season episode "Fools Rush In," wherein Joanie notably goes on her first date with Chachi.

Kathi in ''Haunted''

Kathi actually appeared in one more episode without her brother, too, the eighth-season episode "Bride and Gloom." In that episode, she goes by her real name.

But "The Magic Show" was perhaps the biggest family affair if you're an attentive Happy Days fan. You probably did not realize a different actor's relative was on set that day.

Just before the orphans come in to convince Fonzie to attempt the milk can escape, you can hear someone off-screen shout, "We want danger! Give us the milk can escape!" Reports suggest the heckler in the audience goading Fonzie into the daring act is actually the voice of Clint Howard, Happy Days star Ron Howard's brother. Next time you rewatch, listen and tell us what you think: Is it Clint?

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2 Comments

WILD 32 months ago
That's it? I thought that you were going to show us pictures of them oin the episodes.
kidsmawme 42 months ago
After all these years, learning about this is sooo cool.” Love the show to this day.
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