Ralph Malph
Encyclopedia
Ralph Malph is a character on Happy Days
played by Don Most.
Ralph was a practical joker and often used novelty items such as whoopie cushions, Groucho glasses
, spring-loaded eyeball glasses, and joy buzzers.
In the first season, Malph's girl-chasing was the primary focus of his character. He would occasionally get dates but generally he was not very successful at it, although he was more successful than Richie Cunningham and Potsie. As the seasons progressed, he was shown to be easily frightened and often panicked greatly at the least and greatest occurrences. Originally the series tended to focus on Richie and Potsie, often in schemes to attract women, with Ralph as a third wheel. In the early seasons, Ralph was considerably "cooler" than Richie and Potsie, being a member of the gang, The Gems, and having a hot rod car. As the series shifted its focus to concentrate more on breakout character
Fonzie
and his friendship with Richie, Ralph was more often paired with Potsie. This was evident even more when the characters graduated from high school, when Ralph and Potsie rented and shared an apartment together, and they would often have arguments. In the first episode of this arrangement, "The Apartment", Richie also moved in with them, but due to the pair's continual squabbling, Richie decided to move back home.
In one episode where they were feuding, ""Ralph vs. Potsie", they divided the apartment with white tape and assigned each other one side of the room. They eventually would patch up their differences. Malph would sometimes say, "You're such a Potsie!"
Ralph returns home after being honorably discharged from the U.S. Army in the episode entitles "Welcome Home" and he decides to become an optometrist just like his father. Ralph goes off to college and this serves as his last appearance in Happy Days.
One small continuity error remains with the character of Ralph's father. Originally, his father owned a woman's dress store in town and his name was Harry Malph (played by Mike Monahan in the first season episode "Because She's There"), but when the show shifted to a studio audience format in the third season, Ralph's father was shown to be an optometrist, Mickey Malph, played first by Alan Oppenheimer
and then subsequently and more famously by Jack Dodson
. Additionally, in the same first season episode, Ralph's mother was named Hazel and was played by Gracia Lee; from the third season onward, however, she was referred to as Minnie Malph, and her character was never shown on camera again.
Some of Don Most's other work has had hidden tribute to Ralph Malph. In an episode of Dungeons & Dragons, Most's character of Eric the Cavalier is telling jokes in a town square which are either ignored or subject to angry responses. The DVD of Dungeons & Dragons said that Eric's attempt at stand up comedy was tribute to Ralph Malph.
Happy Days
Happy Days is an American television sitcom that originally aired from January 15, 1974, to September 24, 1984, on ABC. Created by Garry Marshall, the series presents an idealized vision of life in mid-1950s to mid-1960s America....
played by Don Most.
Background of Character
He usually had two things on his mind, girls and jokes. His jokes usually got little or no reaction from any other character, yet he continued his catchphrase, "I still got it!".Ralph was a practical joker and often used novelty items such as whoopie cushions, Groucho glasses
Groucho glasses
Groucho glasses, often called funny glasses or beaglepuss, are a novelty disguise that caricature Groucho Marx. Typically consisting of black horn-rimmed glasses with attached eyebrows, large plastic nose, and bushy moustache, Groucho glasses were marketed as early as the 1940s. Groucho glasses...
, spring-loaded eyeball glasses, and joy buzzers.
In the first season, Malph's girl-chasing was the primary focus of his character. He would occasionally get dates but generally he was not very successful at it, although he was more successful than Richie Cunningham and Potsie. As the seasons progressed, he was shown to be easily frightened and often panicked greatly at the least and greatest occurrences. Originally the series tended to focus on Richie and Potsie, often in schemes to attract women, with Ralph as a third wheel. In the early seasons, Ralph was considerably "cooler" than Richie and Potsie, being a member of the gang, The Gems, and having a hot rod car. As the series shifted its focus to concentrate more on breakout character
Breakout character
A breakout character is a fictional character in different episodes, books or other media that becomes the most popular, talked about, and imitated. Most often a breakout character in a television series captures the audience's imagination and helps to popularize the show, sometimes inadvertently...
Fonzie
Fonzie
Arthur Herbert Fonzarelli is a fictional character played by Henry Winkler in the American sitcom Happy Days . He was originally a secondary character, but eventually became the lead...
and his friendship with Richie, Ralph was more often paired with Potsie. This was evident even more when the characters graduated from high school, when Ralph and Potsie rented and shared an apartment together, and they would often have arguments. In the first episode of this arrangement, "The Apartment", Richie also moved in with them, but due to the pair's continual squabbling, Richie decided to move back home.
In one episode where they were feuding, ""Ralph vs. Potsie", they divided the apartment with white tape and assigned each other one side of the room. They eventually would patch up their differences. Malph would sometimes say, "You're such a Potsie!"
Ralph returns home after being honorably discharged from the U.S. Army in the episode entitles "Welcome Home" and he decides to become an optometrist just like his father. Ralph goes off to college and this serves as his last appearance in Happy Days.
One small continuity error remains with the character of Ralph's father. Originally, his father owned a woman's dress store in town and his name was Harry Malph (played by Mike Monahan in the first season episode "Because She's There"), but when the show shifted to a studio audience format in the third season, Ralph's father was shown to be an optometrist, Mickey Malph, played first by Alan Oppenheimer
Alan Oppenheimer
Alan Oppenheimer is an American character actor and voice actor. He has performed numerous roles on live-action television since the 1960s, and has had an active career doing voice work in cartoons since the 1970s.-Early life:...
and then subsequently and more famously by Jack Dodson
Jack Dodson
Jack Dodson Born John S. Dodson in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was an American television actor best remembered for the milquetoast character Howard Sprague in The Andy Griffith Show and its spin-off Mayberry R.F.D. From 1959 until his death in 1994, Dodson was married to television art director...
. Additionally, in the same first season episode, Ralph's mother was named Hazel and was played by Gracia Lee; from the third season onward, however, she was referred to as Minnie Malph, and her character was never shown on camera again.
Some of Don Most's other work has had hidden tribute to Ralph Malph. In an episode of Dungeons & Dragons, Most's character of Eric the Cavalier is telling jokes in a town square which are either ignored or subject to angry responses. The DVD of Dungeons & Dragons said that Eric's attempt at stand up comedy was tribute to Ralph Malph.