"Falter at the Altar"

"Falter at the Altar"
March 2, 1976
B-

Arthur Silver wrote this episode (his first of four) where Laverne almost marries her boyfriend of two months, Sal Malina (Paul Sylvan, who would return in the role five years later), until Shirley finally convinces her she shouldn't marry someone she doesn't love.  It's interesting that Laverne fears she'll never be proposed to again, which definitely wouldn't be the case.  And we again hear that her father, who hopes for a grandson, would've preferred a son rather than a daughter, although here he blames the doctor.

Note that Lenny is definitely Catholic, as the previous episode suggested, with the priest saying that Lenny has missed three years of Confession.  He doesn't really have a reaction to Laverne's impending marriage, but they do do the Stroll together when the cast and extras pair up at the end.  (And "Mona Lisa" is kept intact in an early scene so that Laverne can sing some of it later.)

In contrast, Carley (Shirmine?) is a viable if mild ship at this point.  He wins her a bunch of stuffed animals at the (unseen) carnival and when they kiss later, he bursts into song ("That's Amore" this time) after she kisses him.

Prolific Jay Sandrich (The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Cosby Show, etc.) does his only directing gig for this series.  Amusingly, Al Molinaro, who was Murray on 73 episodes of The Odd Couple and Al Delvecchio on 146 episodes of Happy Days and 17 of Joanie Loves Chachi, guest stars as Father Gucci.