Leo and Loree

Executive produced and co-written by Ron Howard, this feature stars Happy Days alumni Donny Most and Linda Purl as two actors in Hollywood who fall in love. Most's Leo is made a clown to unglue humourless Loree, whose depression is based on her being the daughter of a Hollywood "superstar" Christina Harper (Shannon Farnon). The screenplay by Howard and James Ritz uses low comedy such as Leo being a champion belcher, as well party entertainment on the level of someone miming to Al Jolson. (That dates the writers). Leo and Loree's romance gets the usual A Star is Born conflict of careers, epitomised by an argument which is thought to be an acting class exercise, and for which they get applause. Director Jerry Paris uses awful songs by Jay Asher to tell us what we have already seen, but he allows the two leads to remain likeable. Most doesn't overdo his smarminess, and Purl, wearing a mannnish short hairstyle, bites her lip amusingly and has tentative fear in her voice when Loree asks Leo to live with her.

Ron Howard executive produced and co-wrote the original treatment for this gauche comedy wherein a strait-laced public relations man in Hollywood is suddenly saddled with his theater arts buddy from college, a starry-eyed terminal-juvenile who has driven out from Philadelphia to find acting work (amusingly, television appears to be his goal, not the movies). Donny Most is Leo--whose only talent appears to be belching on command--while the Loree half is Linda Purl, the daughter of a famous actress who wants to carve her own niche in show business. Howard, Most, screenwriter Jim Ritz, director Jerry Paris (who also appears), and Linda Purl all worked together on TV's "Happy Days" (Purl would become a regular two years later). This movie should have been a freeing artistic exercise, but instead it's bogged down in Sitcomville, lacking everything that made "Happy Days" a hit: warmth, good humor, funny characters, and far better writing. Most--sort of a cross between Danny Bonaduce and an early version of Bruce Willis' David Addison from "Moonlighting"--really eats up the camera; even when he's working hard at being sincere you can't believe it. Purl gives the movie a bit of polish, and director Paris lends some mildly funny satire to the proverbial L. A. audition cycle. The rest of "Leo and Loree"--including an excruciating pop music soundtrack--is utterly forgettable.