IMDb > "Make Room for Daddy" (1953)

"Make Room for Daddy" (1953) More at IMDbPro »TV series 1953-1965

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Overview

User Rating:
7.4/10   104 votes
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Up 66% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Contact:
View company contact information for The Danny Thomas Show on IMDbPro.
Seasons:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | unknown full episode list
Release Date:
29 September 1953 (USA) more
Genre:
Plot:
Danny Williams, a successful nightclub singer, encounters a variety of difficult or amusing situations... more
Awards:
Won 5 Primetime Emmys. Another 16 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(3 articles)
Mm@M: A Place in the What?
 (From FilmExperience. 2 November 2009, 9:29 AM, PST)

Celebrity birthdays for the week of Sept. 6-12:
 (From Filmicafe. 2 September 2009, 2:29 PM, PDT)

User Comments:
A Neglected Milestone in Television Comedy! more (5 total)

Cast

 (Series Cast Summary - 5 of 51)
Sherry Jackson ... Terry Williams (104 episodes, 1953-1961)
Danny Thomas ... Danny Williams (99 episodes, 1953-1964)
Rusty Hamer ... Rusty Williams (96 episodes, 1953-1964)
Marjorie Lord ... Mrs. Kathy "Clancey" Williams / ... (75 episodes, 1957-1964)

Angela Cartwright ... Linda Williams / ... (65 episodes, 1957-1964)
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
The Children's Hour (USA) (working title)
The Danny Thomas Show (USA) (new title)
more
Runtime:
30 min
Country:
Language:
Aspect Ratio:
1.33 : 1 more
Sound Mix:

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
First television series for theme composer Earle Hagen. more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Hollywood Screen Tests: Take 2 (1999) (TV) more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
13 out of 14 people found the following comment useful.
A Neglected Milestone in Television Comedy!, 11 January 2003
Author: Tom Sanchez from Los Angeles, California

"Make Room For Daddy" aka "The Danny Thomas Show" was one of the cornerstones of situation comedy. It was the longest running situation comedy in American television history (11 years in prime time) until "Cheers" tied it for longevity.

"Make Room For Daddy" was a milestone in showing how families truly behaved: indulgent parents, manipulative children and relatives,the trials of balancing a career and home life, ethnic pride vs. assimilation into American society. No other situation comedy of the period came close to such honest depictions of American family life.

The show provided the perfect showcase for Danny Thomas. He never found anything else that effectively showcased his comedy. His supporting players were excellent actors, including and especially, the child actors playing his children (Sherry Jackson, Rusty Hamer, and Angela Cartwright). The scripts were generally excellent. The show ended its run only because Danny Thomas was tired of it, not due to falling ratings.

"Make Room For Daddy" gave showcase roles for many up-and-coming players:

Pat Harrington, Jr., Annette Funicello, Pat Carroll, Piccola Pupa, Bill Dana (as the memorable Jose Jimenez). Thomas was generous enough to provide the great Hans Conreid his most memorable character besides the classic work he did on the Jay Ward cartoons.

"Make Room for Daddy"'s success helped create Desilu Productions as the first major television company in America and allowed Danny Thomas to become the most prolific television comedy producer of all time. Such shows as "The Andy Griffith Show", "Mayberry RFD","The Dick Van Dyke Show", "That Girl", "I Spy" (an action series laced with comedy)were all products of Danny Thomas and his business partner, Sheldon Leonard (who had a recurring role in "Make Room for Daddy").

Lastly, "Make Room for Daddy" featured Jean Hagen and Marjorie Lord with their best-remembered television roles.

"Make Room for Daddy" deserves belated ranking with the great television shows of all time. Nothing less!

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