FEATURE image: Late afternoon at Leon’s Frozen Custard in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. June 2017. Author’s photograph. (4.53mb, DSC_0728).
Leon’s original sign. By victorgrigas – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Leon’s is a family-owned drive-in in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, that opened 83 years ago – in 1942. The building was remodeled in the early 50’s and is what is seen today. Leon’s was inspiration for the original Arnold’s Drive-In in the 1970’s ABC television sitcom, Happy Days, that was also set during the 1950’s in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
The World Famous Leon’s. “The World Famous Leon’s” by nixter is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0.
The Happy Days season 2 intro settles into the warm glow of Arnold’s Drive‑In, where the cast dances, jokes, and moves through the set like regulars in a familiar hangout. The sequence plays over a freshly recorded version of “Rock Around the Clock”, a choice that instantly anchors the show in a 1950s jukebox mood. The season 2 also marks a shift in the show’s rising star power: Henry Winkler’s Arthur “Fonzie” Fonzarelli steps into the opening credits beside Ron Howard, reflecting what would be his iconic popularity with viewers.
Although the tune is the same one Bill Haley & His Comets first cut in 1954, the version heard in Happy Days wasn’t that original hit. The song had begun modestly as the B‑side of a single that only reached No. 23, but everything changed when it blasted through the opening credits of Blackboard Jungle in 1955. Practically overnight, it became a cultural earthquake, soaring to No. 1 that July and helping ignite the rock‑and‑roll era.
Nearly twenty years later, in the fall of 1973, ABC asked the band to re‑record the song specifically for the new TV series. When Happy Days became an instant sensation, viewers went hunting for the version they heard each week—only to discover it wasn’t sold in stores. Their search sent them back to the original 1954 single instead, giving that two‑decades‑old record an unexpected second wind and pushing it back into the Top 40 in 1974, a rare encore for a rock‑and‑roll classic.
Fonzi played by Henry Winkler was a new character for the ABC TV series. He had just 6 lines in the first episode of “Happy Days” whose debut broadcast was January 15, 1974. In the series, Fonzie’s full name was Arthur Fonzarelli and called that by Richie’s mom. The original family name of series’ creator Garry Marshall (1923-2016) was Masciarelli and changed before Garry was born by his father, a man of Italian descent. “TV Guide #1189” by trainman74 is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0.
At the 2024 Emmy Awards on September 15, Ron Howard and Henry Winkler reunited to mark Happy Days’ 50th anniversary. The longtime friends presented the award for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series from a lovingly recreated Arnold’s Drive‑In set, complete with a vintage jukebox, red‑leather booths, and classic sports pennants.
Ordering at Leon’s. “World Famous Leon’s Frozen Custard” by Thomas Hawk is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0.
Leon’s is still owned and operated by the original family. The main focus of the business is, and always has been, to serve the freshest and finest frozen custard available anywhere. The business is open all year round and they have full soda fountain service, a sandwich menu, daily special flavors and take-out service.
Leon’s at night. “Leon’s” by joseph a is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.
June 2017. Late afternoon at Leon’s, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Leon’s was inspiration for Arnold’s on Happy Days, a popular 1970’s TV series set in Milwaukee in the 1950’s. Author’s photograph. 4.53 mb
Arnold’s was the name of the local Milwaukee drive-in hang out for most of the characters in Happy Days. Fair Use.
Ron Howard Signs On (1973)
At just 19 years old, Ron Howard signed a seven‑year contract to star in Happy Days. At the time, he was juggling an unusually heavy load: filming American Graffiti, attending USC, and mapping out an early directing career.
Becoming Richie Cunningham
Cast as Richie Cunningham, Howard earned $3,500 per episode—roughly $25,000 in 2025 dollars. He had already played Richie once before, in the February 1972 Love, American Style segment that inspired the new series, but still had to audition again for the TV version. At the first read‑through, Howard reunited with Anson Williams (“Potsie”) and Marion Ross (Richie’s mother)—both of whom had appeared with him in the Love, American Style pilot. He also met the rest of the soon‑to‑be iconic cast: Tom Bosley (“Richie’s dad”), Donny Most (“Ralph Malph”), and Henry Winkler, a 28‑year‑old Yale School of Drama graduate who would become “Fonzie”
A 1970s TV Powerhouse
Alongside M*A*S*H, All in the Family, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and The Bob Newhart Show, Happy Days became one of the defining sitcoms of the 1970s. It aired for 11 seasons from January 15, 1974, to July 19, 1984 on the ABC network. There was a total of 255 half-hour episodes.
SOURCES:
Ron Howard & Clint Howard , The Boys A Memoir of Hollywood and Family, William Morrow, 2021, pp. 275-277.
https://leonsfrozencustardmke.com/ – retrieved March 2, 2025.
https://happydays.fandom.com/wiki/Arnold%27s_Drive-In – retrieved March 20, 2025.
