I was watching the old reruns my parents used to watch when I was a kid. It's hard to believe Danny Thomas has been gone almost 30 years. He still makes me laugh. No matter much time goes by he will always be missed.
Wow Danny Thomas' singing is phenomenal! So interesting those old commercials...I would so love to get my mitts on one of those classic Dodge sedans!!!
This was the time that they had to work to make people laugh. You can make things funny with no cuss words no extra skin showing no sex . And you can still make people laugh . Every time I hear Danny Thomas name I wonder if he ever realize how many children and their families he has helped . Just his name alone has has helped countless children an their families. Sure he is one of the biggest angles in heaven 😇
TWO episodes are presented here: the first , "Little League", originally aired on September 20, 1955 for Chrysler ['55 Dodge], with the "alternate sponsor"'s message at the end (Angela Cartwright did not begin appearing on the show until two years later, 'Luscious'). The second, "The Children's Governess", sponsored by American Tobacco ["Pall Mall"] {again, the "alternate sponsor" has their say in the final commercial break}, initially aired on February 1, 1955...
The 3 funniest kids in the history of television are these two, Sherry, Rusty and then in the later shows, Angela Cartwright. Angela played his step-daughter, Linda. The episode where her tooth needed to come out and Danny couldn't bring himself to do it, is one of the funniest things I've ever seen.
Angela Cartwright who played Kathy's daughter, Linda, was BRITISH! She was very convincing as a New York kid. I think she said she got vocal coaching from Danny himself on how to do a brash New York accent. Her real voice, which you can hear on some episodes of LOST IN SPACE that center on her Penny character, was a soft Mid-Atlantic English accent.
Yes, the pre-Marjorie Lord (or Jean Hagen, as i prefer to call them) episodes are from when the series was titled "Make Room For Daddy" and aired on ABC from 1953-57. The Lord/Cartwright years the show was called "The Danny Thomas Show' and aired on CBS, its most successful period (1957-64).
Also, "Danny Williams" had a few agents, one played by Jesse White (who, years later was the first Maytag repairman in commercials), essentially doing his "Cagey Calhoun" routine from Ann Sothern's "Private Secretary" series. The other agent was played by Thomas' production partner, Sheldon Leonard himself.
Jean Hagen was good as Danny's wife in these early episodes but the beautiful Marjorie Lord (who played Danny's wife to perfection on the later episodes and is more recognized today) is the mother of actress Anne Archer. Ann was in great films like "Patriot Games," "Fatal Attraction," and Clear and Present Danger," (with Clint Eastwood). Angela Cartwright later joined the series and went on to "Lost In Space," while her sister Veronica was in the first "Alien" film. Of course, Danny Thomas is the founder of the extraordinary St. Jude's Children's Hospital in Memphis where his daughter, former actress Marlo Thomas is the CEO today. Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley were the first donors to the facility. A hospital where no child's family ever pays a bill. Now why can't other hospitals similar to this aspire to that? If a sports figure is signed to a $20 million dollar contract why can't a small percentage automatically be deducted for a place like this? If a singer does a concert and nets $100 million why can't a small percentage of those earnings funnel over to a place like this -- where children need to go if they have cancer? A community service clause in the contract. Sorry for the commercial. A hospital like this should not have to ask for donations.
John LaStrada, The reason people don't automatically remove money from anyone's paycheck is because that's called Socialism, we have enough of that in America as it is. Now, if you gave artists the option when signing a contract for said 100 million dollars to donate a percentage of their draw... problem solved!
Thanks for the Info on the other sites! Always glad to find old forgotten series. Thank you also for remembering Mary Wickes name! I do remember the Jesse White and Sheldon Leonard characters, as well as Bill Dana and Jose Jiminez. I also remember the spinoff set in a hotel with Don Adams as the Hotel detective. Do you remember the Benny character, he was also a piano player? He was like a poor man's Bert Lahr! Thomas was the master of the spit-take! Mention Uncle Tonoose was coming spit-take!
Col Dodge commercial. I see a car very much like it at HB Donut Derelicts each Saturday morning. Rusty Hamer and Angela Cartwright were essential in this simple sitcom. Always watched it...
Also, the character of Puerto Rican hotel bellboy "Jose Jimenez," played by Bill Dana (like Pat Harrington, Jr.'s character of Italian golf pro "Guido Panzini," originated on Steve Allen's "Tonight"), got his episodic series start on Thomas' show (as an elevator operator in Danny's building), leading to a spin-off produced (as was Andy Griffith's show, Joey Bishop's sitcom, "Gomer Pyle" and other series') by Thomas & Leonard.
It's so wonderful to not only see the first episode of "Make Room for Daddy" and see the marvelous Jean Hagen. Most viewers are only familiar with Marjorie Lord; Jean Hagen's character was killed off after three seasons when she left the series in a dispute with producer Danny Thomas. Not only was her character killed off and replaced with Marjorie Lord as Danny's second wife, but those episodes were pulled from syndication after the series left the air.
@@im1who84u Sherry was very close to Jean Hagen and she lost interest in continuing after Jean left. She completed her contract, although her character did return with another actress when she got married.
Yes, thank you, and I'm aware of Hulu. Actually. many, if not most of these classic TV eps. on You Tube are public domain, whereas Hulu has actual rights to shows leased from copyright holders. There are some really rare, classic TV eps. on a site called TV4U dotcom, and also try Veoh dotcom which has not only original content but vintage TV as well, and their best asset--a great downloading tool!
This was rather common practice in those days, as with "The Andy Griffith Show" daytime reruns on its original network (CBS) being retitled "Andy Of Mayberry," "The Real McCoys" retitled as simply "The McCoys," and Dick Van Dyke's morning, CBS reruns called "The Dick Van Dyke Daytime Show." But once a series ceased production in prime time, the syndicated run reverted to the original title. And after a period this practice stopped anyway.
The series was co-sponsored by American Tobacco [Pall Mall] and Chrysler's Dodge division from 1954 through '56. 1) "Little League" [originally telecast on September 20, 1955]. Rex Marshall speaks for Dodge in the middle commercial. 2) "The Children's Governess" [February 1, 1955]. Ernest Chappell is Pall Mall's announcer.
Yes, Benny was his name, played by Ben Lessy. He was on the show its entire ABC run and into the first season of the CBS run. He was great too! Wickes character was "Liz," and also don't forget the maid "Louise," first played by Louise Beavers (who was also one of the several actresses who played "Beulah," a sort of black "Hazel") and longest by Amanda Randolph, whose sister Lillian was also a radio "Beulah," and may have been a radio "Beulah" herself.
In fact, it was from Thomas' faith (and the inspiration of the Catholic cardinal who officiated at his confirmation sacrament ceremony) he founded Saint Jude's Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, the mission of which is to treat children's catastrophic illnesses (regardless of a patient family's ability to pay for treatment). St. Jude is the patron saint of lost causes. I happen to be especially familiar with this, as my Catholic confirmation was at a St. Jude's Church.
To those who view black actresses having played domestic help as demeaning (which it may be, although they often got the funniest lines in comedies), I may only quote the first, black, Academy Award-winning actress, Hattie McDaniel: "I'd rather play a maid (and earn a pile of money in so doing) than be a maid!"
I don't knock any profession or begrudge anyone who does an honest day's work (nor even most who can't, don't or won't). Hey, life ain't easy. But that's why we need sitcoms--to make life a little easier to take, allow us an outlet for life's hardness, and to make fun of the ridiculous..
Then, of course, Danny's sitcom made one, last gasp at revival, moving back to ABC for "Make Room For Granddaddy" 1970-71, with Hamer, Lord & Cartwright, Sid Melton & Hans Conreid, but adding a grandson ("Terry's" kid) & piano player (played by ex-L.A. Ram Rosey Grier, which you doubtless knew, Sportsboy). I figure some of this may also be helpful to others discovering Thomas for the first time, as well to those of us revisiting Danny & his great series'. Plus TV Land has ceased its TV history.
The last really modern family show on TV I guess would be The Cosby show. That is why I think it was such a huge hit. It gave people a reminiscence of old TV.
Make Room For Daddy went through two leading ladies. The one in this show Jean Hagen also happens to be in Singing in the Rain. She wanted to leave the series during it's run. They had her die in a car accident which also hurt Danny. Marjorie Lord was a widow with a young daughter they met and fell in love. Terry the oldest daughter married the guy who would be Schneider on One Day at a Time. The actress later posed for Playboy! Great Series, and Hans Conried was Excellent!
I remember as a kid NBC ran Make Room For Daddy weekday afternoons on the Network level, this was just before they started airing the original Match Game and Name that Tune. You mentioned series showing up in syndication under different names. Bonanza was one such case as they were aired under the name Ponderosa!
It was also on Dana's series Don Adams began what essentially became his "Maxwell Smart" character (though by another name) and another regular (as hotel manager) was Jonathan Harris ("Dr. Smith" of "Lost In Space" fame). Thomas certainly gets credit for all this, in fact TV Land dedicated one of its "Moguls' episodes to him.
American Tobacco [Pall Mall] and Chrysler's Dodge division were the show's alternate sponsors in 1955. The first episode, "Little League", was originally telecast on September 20, 1955 under Dodge's sponsorship {the series won its first Emmy a few months before, and it was proudly displayed during the opening titles at the time}. The second, for American Tobacco, "The Children's Governess", first aired on February 1, 1955.
Next to Desilu, Thomas' was the most prolific TV series factory in Hollywood at one time, the difference being Thomas was a production chief, while Lucy & Desi actually owned the old RKO studios. In essence, all Thomas' shows were filmed at Desilu. The parallels of Desilu & Thomas also extended to the fact of Danny's sitcom continuing (as did "I Love Lucy" on "Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse") as a series of occasional, one-hour episodes when "The Danny Thomas Hour" aired on NBC 1967-68.
Jean Hagen played the first wife, Margaret, who lasted for three seasons. Hagen was unhappy playing straight man to Danny and the kids, and Danny didn't like her attitude and was more than happy to see her go. At the beginning of the fourth season, it was announced that Danny was a widower. He met Kathy (a widow with a young daughter) at the end of the fourth season and proposed to her and the fifth season started with the couple returning from their honeymoon.
@ivegotalongdong No, that's Danny's first wife, Margaret, and their daughter, Terry. A film actress named Jean Hagen played her. She didn't renew her contract after the show's 3rd season to go back to doing feature films (her husband also put pressure on her to quit, sadly). Her character died at the beginning of season 4. Danny married widowed Kathy in season 5. Linda was Kathy's daughter. The reruns have started with season 5 for so many years that many fans haven't seen Margaret.
The sad part is that some years back, the boy in this series was living in a town not too far from me & he committed suicide. I was shocked to find out who he was when they started talking about his career as an actor.
i have another episode of MRFD, from December 1955, announcing the 'new' Dodges' for 1956..the second episode was originally aired 2/1/1955, and neither of these episodes are the premiere from 1953...
Thanks for the Benny info Great stuff! I remember all the incarnations except the One hour episodes you mention. The Lucy Desi Comedy hour's were actually some pretty poor shows saved barely by some big name guest stars, Fred MacMurray, Cesar Romero, Ann Sothern, Rudy Vallee and Harry James and Betty Grable. Were the one hour Thomas epsisodes a similar situation? I remember Louise very well. Yes she played a Domestic but she played the character with dignity and was always given the same!
The older daughter, Terry, was written off after the 1957-58 season. The character returned two seasons later played by a different actress when Terry got married. She was written out again after that. She married the actor who played Schneider on One Day at a Time.
From which Tube user's channel is this video? There is no user info. which usually appears on the panel at the right. Also, the running time is untypically long for a Tube video (not that I'm complaining, for those of us who like to download). Will someone please explain what gives here? I have seen this with other Tube videos as well, all of them TV series-connected.
TV stars having their own anthology series was a common occurrence back in the late sixties as I recall. Bob Hope hosted one for Chrysler. I also remember Robert Young hosting a Summer replacement Anthology series on CBS, does that ring any bells?
The woman who was Danny's secretary was played by veteran character actress (and best friend of Lucille Ball) Mary Wickes, who also played "Miss Esther Cathcart" on the live action "Dennis The Menace" series with Jay North.
In the case of Desilu, their one-hour episodes, originally titled "The Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Show," were retitled for syndication as "The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour." Thomas' hour-length shows have not aired since their network run. I am hoping the company which put released a DVD set of Thomas series (beginning with Season 6) will someday include those hour-long episodes as bonus material. Write them if you agree--S'More Entertainment!
@themaskedreddemons Thank you for the information. Do you know where I might be able to find it? I looked on here and it doesn't look like it's ever been posted. Thanks again.
Angela Cartwright didn't appear until the show's fifth season when Danny married Kathy. Linda was Kathy's daughter. Sherry Jackson was Terry, Danny's oldest daugther. Terry and Rusty's mother was Margaret. Her character died after she and Danny Thomas couldn't get along and her portrayer, Jean Hagen, left when her contract was up after the third season.
To make things even more confusing, the syndicated, rerun episodes of both the ABC and early CBS years (which aired on NBC then) were retitled "Make Room for Daddy" so as not to confuse viewers watching episodes still airing on CBS in prime time.
RUclips has recently started to go into the direction of Hulu and other sites of that sort. They are running full TV episodes of certain shows. There was an article in the NY Times a few weeks ago. If you goto the menu at the top of the screen and click the shows tab you can follow it from there. I like the fact that they show some old B+W series like Jack Benny, and this one, but there are more current selections as well. Hope this helps!
No, "Make Room For Granddaddy" was ABC, "The Danny Thomas Show" from fall of 1957-64 was CBS, and "Make Room For Daddy" (the original series, not the syndicated rerun title) was also ABC. What I wrote was on NBC were special, one-hour eps of the sitcom (analogous to the one-hour eps. of "I Love Lucy" now called "The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour").. Those aired on a comedy/drama anthology series Thomas hosted called "The Danny Thomas Hour." But that was '67-'68, two seasons before 'Granddaddy."
You may still be proud of Danny Thomas. But, Jewish-appearing though his Anglicized name of "Amos Jacobs" may be, Thomas was Roman Catholic, confirmed as such in his hometown of Toledo, Ohio.
As great as she was in "Adam's Rib" and "Singin' in the Rain" with the same kind of dumb blonde voice, it was something that really dogged her film career, because it's the typecasting the studios expected from her. What a brilliant actress who left us 'way too soon!.
I was just going to ask you if you remembered Make Room For Granddaddy! So the series ended it's run on NBC? For some reason I thought the shows with Melton and Carroll were CBS? Danny's son also went into TV production they did the Golden Girls Empty Nest and the show that Thomas played a Doctor on, was it the Practice? It was a sitcom and he had a moustache
I seem to remember an episode where the family was in Italy and Danny and company get taken by a little boy con man. At the end they realize that the little "truffatore" showed them more of the real Italy than they could see with ten tour guides. I *think* it was MRFD, but I may be wrong. Can anyone confirm?
Did not remember Terry being played by another actress. It was Sherry Jackson who posed in Playboy, she also was in a epsiode of Star Trek She had gone auburn haired by that time. A very pretty young lady. I do remember that there were two distinct set of sidekicks; the first was a bald guy named Benny and the woman who would go on to play the eldely Nun is Sister Act. The second was Sid Melton and Pat Carroll. Thomas does not get the credit he deserves as an early TV Pioneer!
Yes, but the actress (Penney Parker) who played "Terry Williams" by the period she married ''Pat Harrigan'' (played by Pat Harrington, Jr., who, you correctly noted played "Duane Schneider" on Norman Lear's "One Day At A Time," but more famously known from the original Steve Allen "Tonight" show) was not the original or most fondly-remembered actress to play "Terry." That actress was Sherry Jackson. So whom are you saying posed for "Playboy," Jackson or Parker?
What was especially sad is that this beautiful and super-talented actress could never fully escape being pigeon-holed in the "dumb blonde" image from her excellent Oscar-nominated performance in "Singin' in the Rain." It's also interesting to see Sherry Jackson, one of the great bombshell beauties of the sixties, who is still best known as Jacinta in the Warner Bros. film, "The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima."
@@DarthSideous63 Thanks. So when Sherry go married that is when she was written out of the show and pretty much never heard from again, right? I'll try and find that episode so I can watch it. I read that Sherry Jackson got along and liked Jean Hagen and when Jean left the show after her contract expired, Sherry wanted to quit also but was bound by contract for two more years. I'll have to look up Penny Parker.
Not sure why this is labeled "Season 1|Episode 1" The first episode is called "Little League" and it's "Season 3|Episode 2" The second is "The Children's Governess," Season 2|Episode 19
I was watching the old reruns my parents used to watch when I was a kid. It's hard to believe Danny Thomas has been gone almost 30 years. He still makes me laugh. No matter much time goes by he will always be missed.
Wow Danny Thomas' singing is phenomenal! So interesting those old commercials...I would so love to get my mitts on one of those classic Dodge sedans!!!
I love the season with Angela Cartwright. :D So adorable.
Thanks for posting this I am a fan of all old family shows.
The old shows are the best !!!
😮
thank you. brings back great childhood memories.
Loved the 2nd series, missed this series, but DT was great!!
I agree the old shows and music 🎶 1920s 1930s 1940s and 1950s 1960s. Are the best, 😊
I grew up with this show. It was my favorite. One of the Cartright girls was also in "The Sound of Music".
Angela (Linda) is in the movie.
And Angela Cartwright’s sister, Veronica Cartwright, was in the movie “Alien”. And an older Angela was also in the original tv show, “Lost in Space”.
This was the time that they had to work to make people laugh. You can make things funny with no cuss words no extra skin showing no sex . And you can still make people laugh . Every time I hear Danny Thomas name I wonder if he ever realize how many children and their families he has helped . Just his name alone has has helped countless children an their families. Sure he is one of the biggest angles in heaven 😇
Wow,this brings back memories! I loved Rusty Hamer!
TWO episodes are presented here: the first , "Little League", originally aired on September 20, 1955 for Chrysler ['55 Dodge], with the "alternate sponsor"'s message at the end (Angela Cartwright did not begin appearing on the show until two years later, 'Luscious'). The second, "The Children's Governess", sponsored by American Tobacco ["Pall Mall"] {again, the "alternate sponsor" has their say in the final commercial break}, initially aired on February 1, 1955...
Thanks for leaving the commercials in. That's what makes it awesome!
The 3 funniest kids in the history of television are these two, Sherry, Rusty and then in the later shows, Angela Cartwright. Angela played his step-daughter, Linda. The episode where her tooth needed to come out and Danny couldn't bring himself to do it, is one of the funniest things I've ever seen.
Angela Cartwright who played Kathy's daughter, Linda, was BRITISH! She was very convincing as a New York kid. I think she said she got vocal coaching from Danny himself on how to do a brash New York accent. Her real voice, which you can hear on some episodes of LOST IN SPACE that center on her Penny character, was a soft Mid-Atlantic English accent.
lovwe this show remember watching this on tv when i was young want moremake room for daddy
This was an excellent show
Yes, the pre-Marjorie Lord (or Jean Hagen, as i prefer to call them) episodes are from when the series was titled "Make Room For Daddy" and aired on ABC from 1953-57.
The Lord/Cartwright years the show was called "The Danny Thomas Show' and aired on CBS, its most successful period (1957-64).
Also, "Danny Williams" had a few agents, one played by Jesse White (who, years later was the first Maytag repairman in commercials), essentially doing his "Cagey Calhoun" routine from Ann Sothern's "Private Secretary" series. The other agent was played by Thomas' production partner, Sheldon Leonard himself.
This show is still awesome to watch :)
What nostalgia to see the 50's quite different from nowadays
Jean Hagen was good as Danny's wife in these early episodes but the beautiful Marjorie Lord (who played Danny's wife to perfection on the later episodes and is more recognized today) is the mother of actress Anne Archer. Ann was in great films like "Patriot Games," "Fatal Attraction," and Clear and Present Danger," (with Clint Eastwood). Angela Cartwright later joined the series and went on to "Lost In Space," while her sister Veronica was in the first "Alien" film. Of course, Danny Thomas is the founder of the extraordinary St. Jude's Children's Hospital in Memphis where his daughter, former actress Marlo Thomas is the CEO today. Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley were the first donors to the facility. A hospital where no child's family ever pays a bill. Now why can't other hospitals similar to this aspire to that? If a sports figure is signed to a $20 million dollar contract why can't a small percentage automatically be deducted for a place like this? If a singer does a concert and nets $100 million why can't a small percentage of those earnings funnel over to a place like this -- where children need to go if they have cancer? A community service clause in the contract. Sorry for the commercial. A hospital like this should not have to ask for donations.
I agree.
St Jude's was originally financed by the countries teens, inspired by Danny Thomas, collected quarters. We were rewarded by concerts in our cities.
St Jude's was originally financed by the countries teens, inspired by Danny Thomas, collected quarters. We were rewarded by concerts in our cities.
John LaStrada 9
John LaStrada, The reason people don't automatically remove money from anyone's paycheck is because that's called Socialism, we have enough of that in America as it is. Now, if you gave artists the option when signing a contract for said 100 million dollars to donate a percentage of their draw... problem solved!
Thanks for the Info on the other sites! Always glad to find old forgotten series. Thank you also for remembering Mary Wickes name! I do remember the Jesse White and Sheldon Leonard characters, as well as Bill Dana and Jose Jiminez. I also remember the spinoff set in a hotel with Don Adams as the Hotel detective. Do you remember the Benny character, he was also a piano player? He was like a poor man's Bert Lahr! Thomas was the master of the spit-take! Mention Uncle Tonoose was coming spit-take!
there aren't families like this anymore....that's why there aren't shows like these presently
westindianguy c
We exist just a phased minority sadly
Col Dodge commercial. I see a car very much like it at HB Donut Derelicts each Saturday morning. Rusty Hamer and Angela Cartwright were essential in this simple sitcom. Always watched it...
Fantastic episode of Make Room for Daddy !
Also, the character of Puerto Rican hotel bellboy "Jose Jimenez," played by Bill Dana (like Pat Harrington, Jr.'s character of Italian golf pro "Guido Panzini," originated on Steve Allen's "Tonight"), got his episodic series start on Thomas' show (as an elevator operator in Danny's building), leading to a spin-off produced (as was Andy Griffith's show, Joey Bishop's sitcom, "Gomer Pyle" and other series') by Thomas & Leonard.
I tend to like these early seasons better.
It's so wonderful to not only see the first episode of "Make Room for Daddy" and see the marvelous Jean Hagen. Most viewers are only familiar with Marjorie Lord; Jean Hagen's character was killed off after three seasons when she left the series in a dispute with producer Danny Thomas. Not only was her character killed off and replaced with Marjorie Lord as Danny's second wife, but those episodes were pulled from syndication after the series left the air.
All very interesting.
Do you know how Sherry Jackson was written out after she chose not to renew her five year contract?
@@im1who84u Sherry was very close to Jean Hagen and she lost interest in continuing after Jean left. She completed her contract, although her character did return with another actress when she got married.
@@Noveltooner Thanks.
So I am guessing they sent her off to college to explain her absence and then later married her off the show permanently.
I agree tv these days is all about Sex, Violence And trash....I miss these wholesome programs that actually had a real story with morals and values.
Loved it the first time I saw it........
Yes, thank you, and I'm aware of Hulu. Actually. many, if not most of these classic TV eps. on You Tube are public domain, whereas Hulu has actual rights to shows leased from copyright holders.
There are some really rare, classic TV eps. on a site called TV4U dotcom, and also try Veoh dotcom which has not only original content but vintage TV as well, and their best asset--a great downloading tool!
This was rather common practice in those days, as with "The Andy Griffith Show" daytime reruns on its original network (CBS) being retitled "Andy Of Mayberry," "The Real McCoys" retitled as simply "The McCoys," and Dick Van Dyke's morning, CBS reruns called "The Dick Van Dyke Daytime Show."
But once a series ceased production in prime time, the syndicated run reverted to the original title. And after a period this practice stopped anyway.
The series was co-sponsored by American Tobacco [Pall Mall] and Chrysler's Dodge division from 1954 through '56.
1) "Little League" [originally telecast on September 20, 1955]. Rex Marshall speaks for Dodge in the middle commercial.
2) "The Children's Governess" [February 1, 1955]. Ernest Chappell is Pall Mall's announcer.
Yes, Benny was his name, played by Ben Lessy. He was on the show its entire ABC run and into the first season of the CBS run. He was great too!
Wickes character was "Liz," and also don't forget the maid "Louise," first played by Louise Beavers (who was also one of the several actresses who played "Beulah," a sort of black "Hazel") and longest by Amanda Randolph, whose sister Lillian was also a radio "Beulah," and may have been a radio "Beulah" herself.
i remember i used to watch this getting ready for work
In fact, it was from Thomas' faith (and the inspiration of the Catholic cardinal who officiated at his confirmation sacrament ceremony) he founded Saint Jude's Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, the mission of which is to treat children's catastrophic illnesses (regardless of a patient family's ability to pay for treatment). St. Jude is the patron saint of lost causes.
I happen to be especially familiar with this, as my Catholic confirmation was at a St. Jude's Church.
To those who view black actresses having played domestic help as demeaning (which it may be, although they often got the funniest lines in comedies), I may only quote the first, black, Academy Award-winning actress, Hattie McDaniel: "I'd rather play a maid (and earn a pile of money in so doing) than be a maid!"
I don't knock any profession or begrudge anyone who does an honest day's work (nor even most who can't, don't or won't). Hey, life ain't easy.
But that's why we need sitcoms--to make life a little easier to take, allow us an outlet for life's hardness, and to make fun of the ridiculous..
Then, of course, Danny's sitcom made one, last gasp at revival, moving back to ABC for "Make Room For Granddaddy" 1970-71, with Hamer, Lord & Cartwright, Sid Melton & Hans Conreid, but adding a grandson ("Terry's" kid) & piano player (played by ex-L.A. Ram Rosey Grier, which you doubtless knew, Sportsboy).
I figure some of this may also be helpful to others discovering Thomas for the first time, as well to those of us revisiting Danny & his great series'. Plus TV Land has ceased its TV history.
The last really modern family show on TV I guess would be The Cosby show. That is why I think it was such a huge hit. It gave people a reminiscence of old TV.
Make Room For Daddy went through two leading ladies. The one in this show Jean Hagen also happens to be in Singing in the Rain. She wanted to leave the series during it's run. They had her die in a car accident which also hurt Danny. Marjorie Lord was a widow with a young daughter they met and fell in love. Terry the oldest daughter married the guy who would be Schneider on One Day at a Time. The actress later posed for Playboy! Great Series, and Hans Conried was Excellent!
I remember as a kid NBC ran Make Room For Daddy weekday afternoons on the Network level, this was just before they started airing the original Match Game and Name that Tune. You mentioned series showing up in syndication under different names. Bonanza was one such case as they were aired under the name Ponderosa!
It was also on Dana's series Don Adams began what essentially became his "Maxwell Smart" character (though by another name) and another regular (as hotel manager) was Jonathan Harris ("Dr. Smith" of "Lost In Space" fame).
Thomas certainly gets credit for all this, in fact TV Land dedicated one of its "Moguls' episodes to him.
American Tobacco [Pall Mall] and Chrysler's Dodge division were the show's alternate sponsors in 1955. The first episode, "Little League", was originally telecast on September 20, 1955 under Dodge's sponsorship {the series won its first Emmy a few months before, and it was proudly displayed during the opening titles at the time}. The second, for American Tobacco, "The Children's Governess", first aired on February 1, 1955.
Danny Thomas with Mary Thomas. I did find incline idea where are our parlours if we feel the parchesi pinch more on receipts theirs
I hope you upload more eps. this really great show.
Next to Desilu, Thomas' was the most prolific TV series factory in Hollywood at one time, the difference being Thomas was a production chief, while Lucy & Desi actually owned the old RKO studios. In essence, all Thomas' shows were filmed at Desilu.
The parallels of Desilu & Thomas also extended to the fact of Danny's sitcom continuing (as did "I Love Lucy" on "Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse") as a series of occasional, one-hour episodes when "The Danny Thomas Hour" aired on NBC 1967-68.
Jean Hagen played the first wife, Margaret, who lasted for three seasons. Hagen was unhappy playing straight man to Danny and the kids, and Danny didn't like her attitude and was more than happy to see her go. At the beginning of the fourth season, it was announced that Danny was a widower. He met Kathy (a widow with a young daughter) at the end of the fourth season and proposed to her and the fifth season started with the couple returning from their honeymoon.
@ivegotalongdong No, that's Danny's first wife, Margaret, and their daughter, Terry. A film actress named Jean Hagen played her. She didn't renew her contract after the show's 3rd season to go back to doing feature films (her husband also put pressure on her to quit, sadly). Her character died at the beginning of season 4. Danny married widowed Kathy in season 5. Linda was Kathy's daughter. The reruns have started with season 5 for so many years that many fans haven't seen Margaret.
The sad part is that some years back, the boy in this series was living in a town not too far from me & he committed suicide. I was shocked to find out who he was when they started talking about his career as an actor.
i have another episode of MRFD, from December 1955, announcing the 'new' Dodges' for 1956..the second episode was originally aired 2/1/1955, and neither of these episodes are the premiere from 1953...
Thanks for the Benny info Great stuff! I remember all the incarnations except the One hour episodes you mention. The Lucy Desi Comedy hour's were actually some pretty poor shows saved barely by some big name guest stars, Fred MacMurray, Cesar Romero, Ann Sothern, Rudy Vallee and Harry James and Betty Grable. Were the one hour Thomas epsisodes a similar situation? I remember Louise very well. Yes she played a Domestic but she played the character with dignity and was always given the same!
You got that rght! Todays shows are all nothing but trash!!
1979cl1 you are so right.
This was an excellent show !
Surprisingly, this is still very funny!
The older daughter, Terry, was written off after the 1957-58 season. The character returned two seasons later played by a different actress when Terry got married. She was written out again after that. She married the actor who played Schneider on One Day at a Time.
From which Tube user's channel is this video? There is no user info. which usually appears on the panel at the right.
Also, the running time is untypically long for a Tube video (not that I'm complaining, for those of us who like to download).
Will someone please explain what gives here? I have seen this with other Tube videos as well, all of them TV series-connected.
It says ampopfilms uploaded this.
Just curious.....if the show was aired in Jan. 1953, why does the commercial feature a '55 Dodge?
This is actually from Season 3, Episode 2; aired 20 Sep. 1955
Miss Quincey is played by Norma Varden, who played Frau Schmidt, the von Trapp's housekeeper, in the Sound of Music.
TV stars having their own anthology series was a common occurrence back in the late sixties as I recall. Bob Hope hosted one for Chrysler. I also remember Robert Young hosting a Summer replacement Anthology series on CBS, does that ring any bells?
The woman who was Danny's secretary was played by veteran character actress (and best friend of Lucille Ball) Mary Wickes, who also played "Miss Esther Cathcart" on the live action "Dennis The Menace" series with Jay North.
In the case of Desilu, their one-hour episodes, originally titled "The Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Show," were retitled for syndication as "The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour." Thomas' hour-length shows have not aired since their network run.
I am hoping the company which put released a DVD set of Thomas series (beginning with Season 6) will someday include those hour-long episodes as bonus material. Write them if you agree--S'More Entertainment!
@themaskedreddemons Thank you for the information. Do you know where I might be able to find it? I looked on here and it doesn't look like it's ever been posted. Thanks again.
What ever happened to good comedy. Danny Thomas was a great performer. I just can't believe that little Rusty committed suicide at such a young age.
So, with ads imbedded in these clips, how is this any different from TV? RUclips has gone down the tubes.
Someone please make a time travel machine 😞
Its so funny to hear her voice after watching 'Singin in the Rain'
Angela Cartwright didn't appear until the show's fifth season when Danny married Kathy. Linda was Kathy's daughter. Sherry Jackson was Terry, Danny's oldest daugther. Terry and Rusty's mother was Margaret. Her character died after she and Danny Thomas couldn't get along and her portrayer, Jean Hagen, left when her contract was up after the third season.
Want more Of Make Room For Daddy was it ever on late nite radio?
To make things even more confusing, the syndicated, rerun episodes of both the ABC and early CBS years (which aired on NBC then) were retitled "Make Room for Daddy" so as not to confuse viewers watching episodes still airing on CBS in prime time.
RUclips has recently started to go into the direction of Hulu and other sites of that sort. They are running full TV episodes of certain shows. There was an article in the NY Times a few weeks ago. If you goto the menu at the top of the screen and click the shows tab you can follow it from there. I like the fact that they show some old B+W series like Jack Benny, and this one, but there are more current selections as well. Hope this helps!
No, "Make Room For Granddaddy" was ABC, "The Danny Thomas Show" from fall of 1957-64 was CBS, and "Make Room For Daddy" (the original series, not the syndicated rerun title) was also ABC.
What I wrote was on NBC were special, one-hour eps of the sitcom (analogous to the one-hour eps. of "I Love Lucy" now called "The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour")..
Those aired on a comedy/drama anthology series Thomas hosted called "The Danny Thomas Hour." But that was '67-'68, two seasons before 'Granddaddy."
You may still be proud of Danny Thomas. But, Jewish-appearing though his Anglicized name of "Amos Jacobs" may be, Thomas was Roman Catholic, confirmed as such in his hometown of Toledo, Ohio.
As great as she was in "Adam's Rib" and "Singin' in the Rain" with the same kind of dumb blonde voice, it was something that really dogged her film career, because it's the typecasting the studios expected from her. What a brilliant actress who left us 'way too soon!.
How about her in "Asphalt Jungle"?
I was just going to ask you if you remembered Make Room For Granddaddy! So the series ended it's run on NBC? For some reason I thought the shows with Melton and Carroll were CBS? Danny's son also went into TV production they did the Golden Girls Empty Nest and the show that Thomas played a Doctor on, was it the Practice? It was a sitcom and he had a moustache
Wonder what Danny would have thought about hawking cigarettes today
I seem to remember an episode where the family was in Italy and Danny and company get taken by a little boy con man. At the end they realize that the little "truffatore" showed them more of the real Italy than they could see with ten tour guides. I *think* it was MRFD, but I may be wrong. Can anyone confirm?
this is the tv baseball hall of tv shows for the sanfrancisco giants opening season. go giants.
Danny Thomas was Catholic.
She is not until later. This wife dies and Danny remarries. That wife has the little girl.
Did not remember Terry being played by another actress. It was Sherry Jackson who posed in Playboy, she also was in a epsiode of Star Trek She had gone auburn haired by that time. A very pretty young lady. I do remember that there were two distinct set of sidekicks; the first was a bald guy named Benny and the woman who would go on to play the eldely Nun is Sister Act. The second was Sid Melton and Pat Carroll. Thomas does not get the credit he deserves as an early TV Pioneer!
she was also on an episode of "Gomer Pyle"
Yes, but the actress (Penney Parker) who played "Terry Williams" by the period she married ''Pat Harrigan'' (played by Pat Harrington, Jr., who, you correctly noted played "Duane Schneider" on Norman Lear's "One Day At A Time," but more famously known from the original Steve Allen "Tonight" show) was not the original or most fondly-remembered actress to play "Terry." That actress was Sherry Jackson.
So whom are you saying posed for "Playboy," Jackson or Parker?
Sherry Jackson posed for Playboy
"Second grade sex addicts" It is such a shame that our children are exposed to so many grown-up things.
Danny Thomas was great
Sherry Jackson grew up to be a gorgeous gal.
great looker as teenager in 2nd series
@@yaelsegal807 didn't she appeared in PLAYBOY centerfold
MAKE ROOM FOR DADDY/THE DANNY THOMAS SHOW will be on MeTV starting on September 3, 2012!!
What was especially sad is that this beautiful and super-talented actress could never fully escape being pigeon-holed in the "dumb blonde" image from her excellent Oscar-nominated performance in "Singin' in the Rain." It's also interesting to see Sherry Jackson, one of the great bombshell beauties of the sixties, who is still best known as Jacinta in the Warner Bros. film, "The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima."
Sherry was also pretty hot as an android in a Star Trek episode.
Funny how a Jewish Lebanese Arab was the star of such a show in the racist 50s. Very proud of Danny!
@coolbreeze161 Actually, Miss Thomas is older than that, though she looks great.
For fans of Make Room For Daddy, know that Sherry Jackson will be at the Mid Atlantic Nostalgia Convention in Hunt Valley, MD Aug 9-11.
@rpgmaster619 The episode ws VENETIAN MELODY, broadcast April 1, 1963.
The girl's name was Piccola Pupa.
Both Jean Hagen's and Sherry Jackson characters were phased out of the show's memory.
+DarthSidious63 Sherry turned up as late as 1970 in the Make Room For Granddaddy pilot.
They "phased out" Jean Hagen by killing her in a car accident.
How did they phase out Sherry Jackson?
@@im1who84u They replaced Sherry Jackson with a lookalike Penney Parker. Then she married a character played by Pat Harrington Jr.
@@DarthSideous63 Thanks. So when Sherry go married that is when she was written out of the show and pretty much never heard from again, right?
I'll try and find that episode so I can watch it.
I read that Sherry Jackson got along and liked Jean Hagen and when Jean left the show after her contract expired, Sherry wanted to quit also but was bound by contract for two more years.
I'll have to look up Penny Parker.
With a name like Amos Alphonsus Muzyad Yakhoob ...it's no wonder he changed his name.
gotta love those cigarette commercials
Along w/The Donna Reed Show, correct?
Don't forget the names like "scooter","scout",and "wink"!@williamg2552.
Individual serving cereal boxes.
Not sure why this is labeled "Season 1|Episode 1"
The first episode is called "Little League" and it's "Season 3|Episode 2"
The second is "The Children's Governess," Season 2|Episode 19
great show. poor rusty.. shot himself in real life . such a wonderful character.