Danny Thomas Biography (1912-1991)

Original name, Amos Muzyad Jacobs; changed name to Danny Thomas, 1940; born January 6, 1912 (some sources say 1914), in Deerfield, MI; died of a heart attack, February 6, 1991, in Los Angeles, CA; son of Charles and Margaret Christen (Simon) Jacobs; married Rose Marie Cassanti, January 15, 1936; children: Margaret Julia (Marlo), Theresa Cecelia, Charles Anthony.

Nationality: American
Gender: Male
Occupation: actor, comedian, entertainer, producer
Birth Details: January 6, 1912; Deerfield, Michigan, United States
Death Details: February 6, 1991; Los Angeles, California, United States

Famous Works

Credits; Television Appearances; Series
Regular guest host, All Star Revue (also known as Four Star Revue), NBC, 1950-52.
Danny Williams, Make Room for Daddy, ABC, 1953-1957, later known as The Danny Thomas Show, NBC, 1957-64.
The Danny Thomas Hour (also see below), NBC, 1967-68.
Danny Williams, Make Room for Granddaddy (also see below), ABC, 1970-71.
Dr. Jules Bedford, The Practice, NBC, 1976-77.
Dr. Benjamin Douglas, I'm a Big Girl Now, ABC, 1980-81.
Uncle Jake Hatton, One Big Family, syndicated, 1986-87.
Credits; Television Appearances; Danny Thomas Specials
Host, The Danny Thomas TV Family Reunion, NBC, 1965.
Host, Danny Thomas Goes Country and Western, NBC, 1966.
Host, The Danny Thomas Special, NBC, 1966.
Host, The Danny Thomas Special, NBC, 1967.
Ali, Danny Thomas: The Road To Lebanon, NBC, 1967.
Host, The Danny Thomas Special, NBC, 1968.
Host, Danny Thomas: America I Love You, NBC, 1968.
Host, Danny Thomas Looks at Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow (also see below), CBS, 1970.
Credits; Television Appearances; Bob Hope Specials
The Bob Hope Show, NBC, 1970.
Bob Hope Special: Happy Birthday, Bob!, NBC, 1978.
Bob Hope Special: Bob Hope's All-Star Look at TV's Prime Time Wars, NBC, 1980.
Bob Hope Special: Bob Hope Presents a Celebration with Stars of Comedyand Music, NBC, 1981.
Bob Hope Special: Bob Hope's Thirtieth Anniversary TV Special, NBC, 1981.
Bob Hope Buys NBC?, NBC 1985.
Bob Hope Lampoons the New TV Scene, NBC, 1986.
Mr. Mills, NBC Investigates Bob Hope, NBC, 1987.
America's Tribute to Bob Hope, NBC, 1988.
Happy Birthday, Bob--Fifty Stars Salute your Fifty Years with NBC,NBC, 1988.
Bob Hope's Love Affair with Lucy, NBC, 1989.
Bob Hope's "Don't Shoot, It's Only Me," NBC, 1990.
Credits; Television Appearances; Specials
Host, The Comics, NBC, 1965.
Host, The Wonderful World of Burlesque I (also see below), NBC, 1965.
Host, The Wonderful World of Burlesque II (also see below), NBC, 1966.
Comedian, Guys `n' Geishas, NBC, 1967.
Prince Wolfgang, The Royal Follies of 1933, NBC, 1967.
Host, The Wonderful World of Burlesque III (also see below), NBC,1967.
The Tim Conway Special, CBS, 1970.
Co-host, City Versus Country, ABC, 1971.
Diana, NBC, 1971.
Confidant, Dinah in Search of the Ideal Man, NBC, 1973.
The Many Faces of Comedy, ABC, 1973.
George Burns Celebrates Eighty Years in Show Business, 1981.
Louise Mandrell: Diamonds, Gold and Platinum, 1983.
Getting the Last Laugh, ABC, 1985.
All Star Party for Clint Eastwood, CBS, 1986.
Bugs Bunny/Looney Tunes All-Star Fiftieth Anniversary, CBS, 1986.

Kraft Salutes the George Burns Ninetieth Birthday Special, CBS, 1986.
Candid Camera: The First Forty Years, CBS, 1987.
A Conversation with Dinah, TNN, 1989.
Fifty Years of Television: A Golden Celebration, CBS, 1989.
Credits; Television Appearances; Pilots
The Andy Griffith Show, CBS, 1960.
Danny Williams, Everything Happens to Me, CBS, 1961.
Danny Williams, Make More Room for Daddy (also see below), NBC, 1967.
Danny Williams, Make Room for Granddaddy (also see below), CBS, 1969.
The Cracker Brothers, NBC, 1984.
Credits; Other Television Appearances
Man in airport, Three on a Date (movie), ABC, 1978.
Charlie Warren, Side by Side (movie; also known as Nothing's Impossible; [also see below]), CBS, 1988.
Empty Nest (episodic), NBC, 1991.
Also appeared on Zane Grey Theater, CBS, and on several episodes of That Girl, a comedy series starring his daughter, Marlo Thomas.
Credits; Television Work; Series; Executive Producer
(With Irving Pincus) The Real McCoys, ABC, 1957-62, then CBS, 1962-63.
The Joey Bishop Show, NBC, 1961-62.
(With Carl Reiner and Sheldon Leonard) The Dick Van Dyke Show, 1961-66.
The Joey Bishop Show, NBC, 1962-64, then CBS, 1964-65.
(With Leonard) The Bill Dana Show, NBC, 1963-65.
The Tycoon, ABC, 1964-65.
Rango, ABC, 1967.
(With Aaron Spelling) The Danny Thomas Hour, NBC, 1967-68.
(With Spelling) The Guns of Will Sonnet, ABC, 1967-69.
(With Spelling) The Mod Squad, ABC, 1968-73.
(With Spelling) The New People, ABC, 1969-70.
Make Room for Granddaddy (also see below), CBS, 1970-71.
(With Paul Junger Witt) The Practice, NBC, 1976-77.
Credits; Television Movies; Executive Producer
(With Spelling) The Ballad of Andy Crocker, ABC, 1969.
(With Spelling) Wake Me When the War Is Over, ABC, 1969.
(With Spelling) The Over-the-Hill Gang, ABC, 1969.
(With Spelling) The Over-the-Hill Gang Rides Again, ABC, 1970.
(With Spelling) Carter's Army, ABC, 1970.
Second Chance, ABC, 1972.
Remember When, NBC, 1974.
(With Ronald Jacobs) Three on a Date, ABC, 1978.
(With Spelling) The Return of the Mod Squad, ABC, 1979.
Side by Side, CBS, 1988.
Credits; Television Pilots; Executive Producer, Except Where Indicated
Producer, Make More Room for Daddy, NBC, 1967.
(And director with Spelling) Make Room for Granddaddy, CBS, 1969.
(With Spelling) The Monk, ABC, 1969.
(With Spelling) The Pigeon, ABC, 1969.
Second Chance, ABC, 1972.
(With Jacobs and Fernando Lamas) Samurai, ABC, 1979.
Producer with Jacobs, Starting Fresh, NBC, 1979.
(With Jacobs) Featherstone's Nest, CBS, 1979.
Credits; Television Specials; Executive Producer
The Wonderful World of Burlesque II, NBC, 1966.
The Wonderful World of Burlesque III, NBC, 1967.
Danny Thomas Looks at Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow, NBC, 1970.
Credits; Film Appearances
(Film debut), Mr. Paneros, The Unfinished Dance, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), 1947.
Cantor Feldman, The Big City, MGM, 1948.
Stanley, Call Me Mister (musical), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1951.
Gus Kahn, I'll See You in My Dreams (musical), Warner Bros., 1951.
Jerry Golding, The Jazz Singer, Warner Bros., 1953.
As himself, Looking for Love, MGM, 1964.
Don't Worry, We'll Think of a Title, United Artists, 1966.
Voice, Journey Back to Oz, Filmation, 1974.
Also provided a voice for the animated film The Cricket of the Hearth, 1968.
Credits; Radio Appearances
(Radio debut) The Happy Hour Club (amateur show), WMBC (Detroit, MI), 1932.
The Danny Thomas Show, CBS, 1944-49.
Also appeared with Fanny Brice, 1944, and on the Baby Snooks Show,1945.
Credits; Writings
(With Bill Davidson), Make Room for Danny (autobiography), Putnam,1991.

Further Reference

Periodicals

Hollywood Reporter, February 7, 1991.
New York Times, February 7, 1991.

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