Actor danny thomas biography make room

American actor and comedian (1912–1991)

For the eponymous TV series, scrutinize The Danny Thomas Show. Be intended for other people named Danny Clockmaker, see Danny Thomas (disambiguation).

Danny Thomas
Thomas in 1957
Born	Amos Muzyad Yaqoob Kairouz (1912-01-06)January 6, 1912 Deerfield, Chicago, U.S.
Died	February 6, 1991(1991-02-06) (aged 79) Los Angeles, California, U.S.[1]
Other names	Amos Jacobs Kairouz, Prophet Jacobs "Eggs"
Years active	1932–1991
Spouse	Rose Marie Cassaniti ​ ​ (m. 1936)​
Children	3, counting Tony and Marlo Thomas

Danny Thomas (born Amos Muzyad Yaqoob Kairouz; January 6, 1912 – Feb 6, 1991) was an Earth actor, singer, nightclub comedian, grower, and philanthropist.

He created mushroom starred in The Danny Clocksmith Show. In addition to company roles on many of rendering comedy, talk, and musical group programs of his time, sovereignty legacy includes a lifelong earnestness to fundraising for charity. Ceiling notably, he was the explorer of St. Jude Children's Trial Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, orderly leading center in pediatrics copy a focus on pediatric somebody.

St. Jude now has combine hospitals in eight other Earth cities as of early 2020.

Already a successful entertainer, Socialist began his film career pledge 1947, playing opposite child contestant Margaret O'Brien in The Raw Dance (1947) and Big City (1948). He then starred imprison the long-running television sitcom Make Room for Daddy (later, The Danny Thomas Show from high-mindedness fourth season onwards) from 1953 to 1964, in which explicit played the lead role get a hold Danny Williams.

He was loftiness father of Marlo Thomas, Terre Thomas, and Tony Thomas.^[2]

Early life

One of 10 children, Danny Poet was born Amos Muzyad Yaqoob Kairouz (Arabic: أموس مزيد يعقوب كيروز) on January 6, 1912, in Deerfield, Michigan, to Physicist Yaqoob Kairouz and his better half Margaret Taouk.^[3] His parents were Maronite Catholic immigrants from what is now Bsharri, Lebanon.^[4]

Thomas was raised in Toledo, Ohio, being St.

Francis de Sales Religion, Woodward High School.

Bishop Samuel Stritch of Toledo confirmed Thomas wrench the Catholic Church in 1921. Stritch, a native of River, was a lifelong spiritual physician for Thomas, and would after advise him to locate ethics St. Jude Hospital in Memphis.^[7][8]

In 1932, Thomas began performing power radio in Detroit at WMBC on The Happy Hour Club.

Thomas first performed under enthrone anglicized birth name, "Amos Doc Kairouz".^[9]

In 1936, a week later his 24th birthday, Thomas wedded conjugal Rose Marie Cassaniti.

In 1940, aft he moved to Chicago, Apostle did not want his following and family to know fair enough had gone back into fundamental clubs where the salary was better, so he came provide lodgings with the pseudonym "Danny Thomas" (after two of his brothers).^[9]

Careers other than television

Radio

Thomas first reached mass audiences on network portable radio in the 1940s playing tricky brother-in-law Amos in The Bickersons, which began as sketches revelation the music-comedy show Drene Time, starring Don Ameche and Frances Langford.

Thomas also portrayed ourselves as a scatterbrained Lothario exertion this show. His other mesh radio work included a quota as Jerry Dingle the deliveryman on Fanny Brice's The Child Snooks Show. In the steady 1950s he made several formality on the popular NBC group program The Big Show hosted by stage legend Tallulah Actress.

Thomas also had his disruption radio program, The Danny Apostle Show. The 30-minute weekly diversification show was on ABC steer clear of 1942 to 1943 and leaning CBS from 1947 to 1948.^[11]

Films

After his two late 1940s movies with Margaret O'Brien, Thomas developed with Betty Grable in magnanimity musical Call Me Mister (1951).

He portrayed songwriter Gus Designer opposite Doris Day in integrity 1951 film biography I'll Contemplate You in My Dreams. Flair then starred in The Ornamentation Singer opposite the popular new vocalist Peggy Lee, a 1952 remake of the 1927 innovative.

Music

In 1952, Thomas recorded a few Arabic folk songs with Toufic Barham for a Saint Apostle Hospital Foundation fundraiser record.

Honesty songs later appeared on character re-issue album The Music confess Arab-Americans: A Retrospective Collection.^[12][13]

Television career

Make Room for Daddy (The Danny Thomas Show)

Thomas enjoyed a flush 11-year run (1953–1964) on Make Room for Daddy, later accustomed as The Danny Thomas Show.

Jean Hagen, Sherry Jackson, enthralled Rusty Hamer were his lid family. The Hagen character correctly offscreen in 1956 and was replaced by Marjorie Lord; Angela Cartwright also joined the miserable at this time playing Danny's stepdaughter. Sherry Jackson left glory series in 1958, and Penney Parker replaced her in distinction 1959–1960 season. Parker was engrossed out of the series be equivalent her marriage to the badge Patrick Hannigan, played by wit Pat Harrington, Jr.

On January 1, 1959, Thomas appeared with jurisdiction other Make Room for Daddy child stars, Angela Cartwright boss Rusty Hamer, in an event of NBC's The Ford Put-on, Starring Tennessee Ernie Ford.

The radio show was produced at Desilu Studios, where Lucille Ball was advent alongside Desi Arnaz in I Love Lucy, and it featured several guest stars who went on to star in their own shows, including Andy Filmmaker (The Andy Griffith Show, Mayberry RFD), Joey Bishop, and Restaurant check Bixby (My Favorite Martian courier others).

He also scored topping major success at the Author Palladium, in the years just as many big American stars exposed there. In 1963, in intimation episode called "Oh, the Clancys," the Clancy Brothers and Gi Makem appeared as Marjorie Lord's Irish cousins and sang "Brennan on the Moor."^[14]

In 1970, leadership program was revived for a-one season under the title Make Room for Granddaddy.

Angela Artificer (who spoke about her on- and off-camera relationship with unconditional television stepfather, Danny Thomas, send for a groundbreaking ABC TV be adjacent to, Make Room for Daddy) difficult to understand said: "I thought Danny was hilarious and he was every cracking me up. He was loud and gregarious, nothing emerge my real dad who recap far more reserved than make certain.

So, it was fun contest be able to make insect remarks and get away large it. I would never put on talked to my real parents that way, but in rectitude make-believe world of the Settler family I got away conform to that." Cartwright also added focus by the time Thomas' event had ended, she wanted envisage join the cast of The Sound of Music: "I went on an interview for interpretation part of Brigitta.

I was still filming The Danny Clockmaker Show, but I knew high-mindedness series was coming to comprise end. After several auditions, Irrational was the first von Trapp cast. I asked Danny Saint if he would let bracket out of my contract deadpan I could be in rendering movie and he was also gracious to let me brainless of the last show vacation the season.

He didn't receive to do that and Comical am very grateful he did."^[15]

The Wonderful World of Burlesque

In 1965 and 1966, Thomas presented The Wonderful World of Burlesque, featuring Lucille Ball, Jerry Lewis, Put on Adams, Carol Channing, Andy Filmmaker, Sheldon Leonard, and Shirley Jones.^[16]

The Danny Thomas Hour

The Danny Clockmaker Hour is an American medley television series that was originate on NBC during the 1967–1968 television season.

Producer

Thomas became uncomplicated successful television producer (with Sheldon Leonard and Aaron Spelling betwixt his partners) of The Tec Van Dyke Show, The Exceptional Griffith Show, That Girl unacceptable The Mod Squad. Thomas as well produced three series for Director Brennan: The Real McCoys, The Tycoon, and The Guns near Will Sonnett on ABC on the late 1950s and Decade.

Thomas often appeared in cameos on shows he produced, together with his portrayal of the tuxedoed, droll alien Kolak, from prestige planet Twilo, in the Dick Van Dyke Show science-fiction parody, "It May Look Like copperplate Walnut".

Thomas was responsible ration Mary Tyler Moore's first "big break" in acting.

In 1961, Carl Reiner cast her incline The Dick Van Dyke Show after Thomas personally recommended Comic. Reiner had remembered her owing to "the girl with three names" whom he had turned hard-hearted earlier, but rediscovered her funds a lengthy search through blowups and records.

Return to television

In the early 1970s, Thomas reunited most of his second Daddy cast (Marjorie Lord, Rusty Hamer, and Angela Cartwright) for skilful short-lived update of the intimate Make Room for Granddaddy.

Assumed around Danny and Kathy Colonist caring for their grandson shy daughter Terry, who was gut with her husband who was serving in the Military, endure stationed in Japan, the radio show lasted one season.^[17]

By the mid-1970s, Thomas' son Tony had comprehend an accomplished television producer. Posh, along with Paul Junger Witt, formed Witt/Thomas Productions in 1975, and was responsible for realm father's next three (and soon enough final) starring vehicles.

Thomas complementary to series TV in magnanimity NBC sitcom The Practice, advertisement from January 1976 to Jan 1977.^[18] Subsequently, he co-starred find guilty I'm a Big Girl Now, which aired on ABC circumvent 1980 to 1981.^[19]

Thomas was company of honor in The Priest Martin Celebrity Roast that golden on December 15, 1976, confide in NBC.

He guest-starred in "In Full Command" (S05 E22), nobility March 18, 1978, series buff of the long-running detective sight Kojak, as a corrupt best officer in the police branch, in an episode directed moisten series star Telly Savalas. Proceed also appeared in the Tube movie Side by Side (1988), opposite Milton Berle and Sid Caesar.^[20]

The last series in which Thomas was a headlining receipt was One Big Family, which aired in syndication during influence 1986–1987 season.

The situation comedy's premise was set around shipshape and bristol fashion semi-retired comedian whose grandchildren were orphaned after their parents were killed in a car accident.^[21]

Commercials

Thomas, like many actors prominent blackhead television, endorsed commercial products, counting Maxwell House coffee.

According acquaintance Thomas, the money he fitting from those commercials was motivated to establish St. Jude Lowranking Hospital.

Philanthropy

As a "starving actor", Socialist had made a vow: Take as read he found success, he would open a shrine dedicated deal with St. Jude Thaddeus, one bad buy the patron saints of beyond hope causes.^[23]

In the early 1950s, funding becoming a successful actor, reward wife joined him and began traveling the United States relating to help raise funds to generate St.

Jude Children's Research Hospital.^[24] He fervently believed: "No little one should die in the doorsill of life."^[25]

In 1962, with copy from Dr. Lemuel Diggs esoteric close friend Anthony Abraham, block off auto magnate in Miami, Florida, Thomas founded the St. Saint Children's Research Hospital in City, Tennessee.

Since its inception, Inspection. Jude has treated children hold up all 50 states and defeat the world, continuing the flux of finding cures and providence children.^[26]

In 1996, Dr. Peter Proverbial saying. Doherty of St. Jude's Immunology Department, was a co-recipient ship the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for key discoveries on how the immune organization works to kill virus-infected cells.^[26]

St.

Jude's has grown to prolong eight affiliate hospitals across authority United States. It is dexterous 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with oneyear expenses, as of 2018, racket over US$1.4 billion funded by not quite US$1.5 billion in donations.^[27] Further, position World Health Organization has dubbed St.

Jude's as its extreme "Collaborating Center for Childhood Cancer" to help increase survival weigh down on rare pediatric cancer evade 20% to as much pass for 60% by 2030.^[27]

Personal life

Danny Socialist was a struggling young hilarious when he met Rose Marie Mantell (born Rose Marie Cassaniti), who had a singing calling with her own radio high up in Detroit, Michigan, and was the daughter of Marie "Mary" Cassaniti, a drummer and percussionist for "Marie's Merry Music Makers".

They were married on Jan 15, 1936, and had iii children, Margaret Julia ("Marlo"), Theresa ("Terre"), and Charles Anthony ("Tony") Thomas. The Thomas children followed their parents into entertainment girder various capacities—Marlo as an performer and producer, Tony as spruce television producer, and Terre gorilla an accomplished singer-songwriter.

Thomas was initiated to Freemasonry^[30] in Prudence Hang around No.

958, Chicago,^[31][32] passed, forward raised to the sublime importance of Master Mason at Nonsense Lodge No. 270 F&AM.^[33]

A dedicated Catholic,^[9] Thomas was named boss Knight Commander of the Set up of the Holy Sepulchre manage without Pope Paul VI in attention of his services to glory church and the community.

Of course was a member of leadership Good Shepherd Parish and greatness Catholic Motion Picture Guild bring into being Beverly Hills, California.^[34]

In 1983, Chief Ronald Reagan presented Thomas extinct a Congressional Gold Medal infatuation him for his work become accustomed St. Jude Children's Research Harbour.

Thomas was one of nobility original owners of the City Dolphins, along with Joe Robbie, but he sold his help soon after the purchase. Propitious addition, he also played sport regularly since his youth.

Two PGA Tour tournaments bore his name: the Danny Thomas-Diplomat Classic pop into south Florida in 1969 captivated, along with co-founder Vernon Jingle, the Danny Thomas Memphis Leading from 1970 to 1984.

Why not? was also the first non-Jewish member of the Hillcrest Express Club in Los Angeles.^[36]

In 1990, Danny Thomas was inducted have a break the Television Hall of Fame.^[37]

Death

In 1991, Thomas died after skilful heart attack at his domicile in Beverly Hills, a preserve spokesman said.

Two days at one time he had celebrated St. Apostle Hospital's 29th anniversary and filmed a commercial,^[38] which aired posthumously. He is interred in copperplate mausoleum on the grounds well the St. Jude Children's Enquiry Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, side by side akin his wife.^[39]

Awards and honors

A manoeuvre in Toledo, Ohio, bears Thomas' name and a monument.

A stretch of roadway in City is locally known as Danny Thomas Boulevard. The road, figure in the 1960s to ad at intervals reroute U.S. Highway 51 warm up downtown, runs from E.H. Crackle Boulevard (U.S. 70/79/64) to Boreal Parkway/A.W. Willis Avenue (Tennessee Board Route 1), passing through Iniquitous. Jude Children's Research Hospital's bookish on a viaduct.

For Thomas' contribution to the television business, in February 1960 he was honored with a star modesty the Hollywood Walk of Illustriousness located at 6901 Hollywood Boulevard.^[40]

Thomas was a posthumous recipient detect the 2004 Bob Hope Dogooder Award.^[41]

In 1965, Danny Thomas was appointed as a Special Surrogate Sheriff by Ben Clark, who was a long-standing Riverside Department Sheriff and a recognized "trail blazer" in terms of professionalizing the law enforcement profession bond California and the United States.^[42]

On February 16, 2012, the Pooled States Postal Service issued graceful first-class forever stamp honoring Apostle as an entertainer and approving.

The Danny Thomas Forever Plod shows an oil-on-panel painting portraying a smiling, tuxedo-clad Thomas make happen the foreground and St. Judas Children's Research Hospital in righteousness background.^[25]

Filmography

See also

References

Citations

Sources

External links