The Untold Truth of “Laverne and Shirley”

Even behind the scenes of the squeaky-clean 1950s based spin-off of the classic sitcom “Happy Days,” there were some moments that the cast and crew would have liked to have kept quiet.

From feuds to off-screen rivalries, the cast of this show didn’t always get along like their famous characters.

Things aren’t always as they appear on TV, and the crew of “Laverne & Shirley” actually kept some secrets hidden about the production of the iconic show for years. But now, those secrets are out in the open and the truth about this classic show is ready to be known.

“Happy Days” Bad Girls

In the ‘50s, culture was a lot more clean-cut that it is today. Even wearing a skirt that bared a woman’s knees was cause for concern! So, although the characters Laverne DeFazio and Shirley Feeney may seem tame by today’s standards, they were truly wild women of the ‘50s.

Shirley Couldn’t Do a Midwestern Accent

California native Cindy Williams had some trouble nailing the Wisconsin accent that her character needed to have. All she could muster up was a New York accent that didn’t fit the show’s location.

Ultimately, creator Garry Marshall decided to let her scrap the accent altogether before the show aired.

The Original Upstairs Neighbors

Before there was Kramer on “Seinfeld,” there was the lovable duo Lenny and Squiggy on “Laverne and Shirley.” The pair wore their hair in ducktails, a style for bad boys of the era, but they couldn’t have been more harmless when interacting with their female counterparts.

The Set Was Recycled From Another Classic Show

“Laverne & Shirley” filmed at Paramount Studios in Los Angeles, California, which is the same studio where a lot of other television shows are filmed. “The Odd Couple” wrapped in 1975 and their set was repurposed for use on “Laverne & Shirley” in 1976.

The layout of the furniture even stayed the same!