Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, February 6, 1991 TAG: 9102060600
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A/3 EDITION: EVENING
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: LOS ANGELES LENGTH: Medium
Thomas was pronounced dead early today at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center about a half hour after he suffered a heart attack at his Beverly Hills home, said hospital spokesman Ron Wise.
Thomas made a guest appearance on Saturday's episode of the series "Empty Nest" as an aging physician. He appeared to be in good health and recently completed a tour promoting his new book, "Make Room for Danny," said Norman Brokaw, chairman and chief executive officer of the William Morris Agency.
"It's hard to believe. He really wasn't sick," said Brokaw, Thomas' longtime agent.
Comedian Alan King, who said he heard about Danny Thomas when he was growing up in Chicago, said Thomas was "a very warm comedian."
Thomas' daughter, actress Marlo Thomas, was the star of her own TV comedy series, "That Girl," which ran from 1966 to 1971. She is married to talk show host Phil Donahue.
Danny Thomas once said good comedy could be summed up as "problems." He explained: "Give them problems the audience can identify with and people will care."
"Make Room for Daddy," renamed "The Danny Thomas Show" after its first three seasons, was one of the longest-running family comedies, running from 1953 to 1964. Thomas played a nightclub singer and comedian, Danny Williams.
Jean Hagen played his first wife, Margaret, followed by Marjorie Lord as his second wife, Kathy; Angela Cartwright played Kathy's daughter, Linda; and Rusty Hamer played his son, Rusty. Sherry Jackson and Penny Parker played his daughter, Terry.
The title came from a phrase used in the real Thomas household. Whenever Thomas returned home from a tour as a nightclub and radio comedian, his children had to shift bedrooms to "make room for Daddy."
Thomas founded St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn., in 1962 and regularly made appearances on behalf of the hospital. It is a leading research center dedicated to finding cures for children's cancer and other catastrophic children's diseases.
President Reagan presented the Congressional Gold Medal to Thomas in recognition of his activities to benefit St. Jude's.
When Thomas was a struggling entertainer, he had prayed to St. Jude, patron saint of hopeless cases. He vowed then that some day he would build a shrine to the saint.
Born Amos Jacobs in Deerfield, Mich., the comedian grew up in a large Lebanese Catholic family in Toledo, Ohio.
He was making a good living as a radio actor in 1936 when adopted a new name from brothers Danny and Thomas.
Thomas appeared on the big screen in "The Unfinished Dance," "The Big City," "Call Me Mister," "I'll See You in My Dreams," and the 1952 version of "Jazz Singer."
Thomas is survived by his wife, Rose Marie; daughters Marlo and Theresa, and son, Tony.
***CORRECTION***
Published correction ran on February 7, 1991.
The Associated Press incorrectly reported Danny Thomas' age in a Wednesday story. He was 79 when he died.
Memo: CORRECTION