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Make Room For Danny
The popular entertainer chronicles his long and happy life in show business, describing his impoverished boyhood in Ohio, his Lebanese heritage, his rise to fame, and his friendships with Burns, Sinatra, Caesar, Berle, Benny, and others. Reprint.
320 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 10, 1991
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
October 11, 2025
An interesting story of Danny Thomas's life, filled with unusual details, but it falls short of being a great autobiography. It starts with a chapter that is kind of an overview of his life, then it goes chapter-by-chapter through the years of his upbringing and career, most of it bragging about his almost saint-like private life and successful career.
Danny's childhood was almost hard to believe--he had gone under four different first names, was born to a woman who had married at 15 and had five kids by age 23, Danny was allowed to live with an aunt who was his father's first love (living away from home from age 3 to 15!), dirt poor but Catholic educated he switched to public high school and then spent his days at the movie theatre instead of school (eventually dropping out and never finishing high school).
His professional life seems to be made more of good timing and social skills than talent. He was a storyteller who didn't fit the traditional standup comedian model so no one knew what to do with him. He had some success in clubs but it was connections, not his talent, that gave him the TV job that made him a star.
The big failure of the book is that he spends too much time retelling stories from his nightclub act, fills the pages with jokes (his own and others) and includes too few details about his family and television sitcom. It feels like half the book is made up of the story-jokes he would tell from the stage.
There are huge gaps in his personal life, and upon a repeat reading I became suspicious of whether he really was as pure as he claims to be. He likes to play up that everyone thinks he's a religious saint, but it seems like he may be hiding something because he never has any faults beyond a rare single moment of anger (though he had a reputation as a hot head). His devotion to St. Jude is kind of explained but seems out of place compared to the relatively minor times he prays to the saint. It raises more questions that provides answers for his devotion to the research hospital.
He has a short chapter on Marlo and it's evident that she rebelled against her mother's smothering, but it doesn't really explain Danny's impact on Marlo. He doesn't seem as emotionally excited about his daughters as he is with his famous producer son, yet even there we don't get a lot of detail. He also refuses to tell the date of his wedding, claiming his wife doesn't want people to know her age but leaving open the possibility that there may be another reason. He either doesn't have many family stories to tell (because he was traveling most of the year) or he is too private to share them.
There are some errors in what he states. He claims Make Room for Daddy was "only the second big situation comedy to emerge in television (I Love Lucy being the first." That, of course, is not true. There were others before he hit the airwaves (Father Knows Best, Ozzie & Harriet). Then Thomas says that "we invented the technique of the spin-off" when he piloted the Andy Griffith Show on the Danny Thomas Show. But it wasn't the first spin-off, nor was it really affiliated with the Thomas Show. Pete and Gladys was a true spinoff from characters on the series December Bride and premiered three weeks before Andy Griffith.
He doesn't stop bragging there (saying his sitcom was the first to use a warmup comedian after he started entertaining audiences in between setups) but he humble-brags about his production company, that made some of the greatest shows in early TV history. Yet there's very little in this book that explains what he did beyond providing some money.
It's an entertaining book for a fan of the star but makes me want an outside biographer to write the real story of this man who used his life to do so much good for people through the St. Jude Hospital, raised two children who became major players in show business, and who was almost as influential as Desi Arnaz in the early days of television comedy.
Read in 2009, 2019 and 2025.
Danny's childhood was almost hard to believe--he had gone under four different first names, was born to a woman who had married at 15 and had five kids by age 23, Danny was allowed to live with an aunt who was his father's first love (living away from home from age 3 to 15!), dirt poor but Catholic educated he switched to public high school and then spent his days at the movie theatre instead of school (eventually dropping out and never finishing high school).
His professional life seems to be made more of good timing and social skills than talent. He was a storyteller who didn't fit the traditional standup comedian model so no one knew what to do with him. He had some success in clubs but it was connections, not his talent, that gave him the TV job that made him a star.
The big failure of the book is that he spends too much time retelling stories from his nightclub act, fills the pages with jokes (his own and others) and includes too few details about his family and television sitcom. It feels like half the book is made up of the story-jokes he would tell from the stage.
There are huge gaps in his personal life, and upon a repeat reading I became suspicious of whether he really was as pure as he claims to be. He likes to play up that everyone thinks he's a religious saint, but it seems like he may be hiding something because he never has any faults beyond a rare single moment of anger (though he had a reputation as a hot head). His devotion to St. Jude is kind of explained but seems out of place compared to the relatively minor times he prays to the saint. It raises more questions that provides answers for his devotion to the research hospital.
He has a short chapter on Marlo and it's evident that she rebelled against her mother's smothering, but it doesn't really explain Danny's impact on Marlo. He doesn't seem as emotionally excited about his daughters as he is with his famous producer son, yet even there we don't get a lot of detail. He also refuses to tell the date of his wedding, claiming his wife doesn't want people to know her age but leaving open the possibility that there may be another reason. He either doesn't have many family stories to tell (because he was traveling most of the year) or he is too private to share them.
There are some errors in what he states. He claims Make Room for Daddy was "only the second big situation comedy to emerge in television (I Love Lucy being the first." That, of course, is not true. There were others before he hit the airwaves (Father Knows Best, Ozzie & Harriet). Then Thomas says that "we invented the technique of the spin-off" when he piloted the Andy Griffith Show on the Danny Thomas Show. But it wasn't the first spin-off, nor was it really affiliated with the Thomas Show. Pete and Gladys was a true spinoff from characters on the series December Bride and premiered three weeks before Andy Griffith.
He doesn't stop bragging there (saying his sitcom was the first to use a warmup comedian after he started entertaining audiences in between setups) but he humble-brags about his production company, that made some of the greatest shows in early TV history. Yet there's very little in this book that explains what he did beyond providing some money.
It's an entertaining book for a fan of the star but makes me want an outside biographer to write the real story of this man who used his life to do so much good for people through the St. Jude Hospital, raised two children who became major players in show business, and who was almost as influential as Desi Arnaz in the early days of television comedy.
Read in 2009, 2019 and 2025.
April 28, 2021
I was a fan of The Danny Thomas Show back in the 1950's and early '60's. I don't remember the first edition with Jean Hagan but watched when Marjorie Lord played Danny's wife. My favorite part of the show was the final credits because I loved listening to the arrangement of O Danny Boy played by the orchestra. I occasionally listen to it on YouTube.
But I also enjoyed Danny Thomas. His character, Danny Williams, was a little rough around the edges, certainly a different style of parenting from what one would see on Leave It to Beaver or Father Knows Best.
What I learned from this book is that Danny Thomas, in a sense, played himself on his show. His character was based on his real-life situation as an entertainer.
And what a life he lived! Unfortunately, most young readers of the 21st Century probably would not recognize many of the performers mentioned in this book. More's the pity. I suspect that Thomas' style of entertainment, (telling long stories), wouldn't appeal to them either. Indeed, some of them seemed a bit drawn out on the page. I read one review that said there were too many stories. I tend to agree, but as Thomas says in the book, the humor is "in the telling."
I would have liked to have learned more about St. Jude Children's Hospital. That is the living legacy of Danny Thomas.
I liked the book but I wanted to love it.
Three stars waxing
But I also enjoyed Danny Thomas. His character, Danny Williams, was a little rough around the edges, certainly a different style of parenting from what one would see on Leave It to Beaver or Father Knows Best.
What I learned from this book is that Danny Thomas, in a sense, played himself on his show. His character was based on his real-life situation as an entertainer.
And what a life he lived! Unfortunately, most young readers of the 21st Century probably would not recognize many of the performers mentioned in this book. More's the pity. I suspect that Thomas' style of entertainment, (telling long stories), wouldn't appeal to them either. Indeed, some of them seemed a bit drawn out on the page. I read one review that said there were too many stories. I tend to agree, but as Thomas says in the book, the humor is "in the telling."
I would have liked to have learned more about St. Jude Children's Hospital. That is the living legacy of Danny Thomas.
I liked the book but I wanted to love it.
Three stars waxing
March 29, 2013
I read this years ago as he was a close friend of the family... what a wonderful memoire and all of it so much fun to read. Like David Niven's The Moon's A Balloon, these men were talented, funny and damn good story tellers.
December 31, 2019
I was a child when Danny Thomas' show, "Make Room for Daddy", was on TV and it was one of my favorites. Still is. I knew about his accomplishments, especially St. Jude's, but it was most interesting to hear about them in his own words. He was truly "one of the greats"!
July 27, 2008
I love him. It's probably because his hospital saved my life. I read this book a lot of years ago and I remember liking it because it made him seem more of a real person to me rather than an icon.
April 4, 2023
A refreshing book for it's focus on the best in life, including God and family. I enjoyed not having to wade through filthy language and sickening disclosures from the memoirs of a-moralistic people whom I had hoped to, at least, respect. Danny Thomas was an established comedian by the time I was born and his long running t.v. program is only barely remembered but it was a gem. "Make Room for Daddy" emphasized family values and did it in a humorous way. Good good book. Sadly Danny Thomas passed away in 1991.
September 1, 2024
I knew very little about Danny Thomas before I discovered "The Danny Thomas Show" on Catchy Comedy network, but I'm really glad that I found this book.
The most interesting part was the beginning where he writes about his childhood.
I also really liked his recollection of the time he spent on his show. He spoke very highly of his TV son, Rusty Hamer and their relationship.
The last 1/4 of the book was kind of slow for me, but overall this is a great book.
The most interesting part was the beginning where he writes about his childhood.
I also really liked his recollection of the time he spent on his show. He spoke very highly of his TV son, Rusty Hamer and their relationship.
The last 1/4 of the book was kind of slow for me, but overall this is a great book.
April 27, 2023
Strong, clear biography with lots of laughs. This made very clear his association with St Jude’s Research Hospital for Children. I also learned a lot about his Arabic/Lebanese roots. e.g. His birth name was Muzyad Yakhoob. He went through several name changes before becoming Danny Thomas. I was also surprised to learn that he grew up in the Toledo, Ohio area.
May 6, 2023
2.5 stars
May 27, 2020
I read "Make Room for Danny" years ago. Thought it would be nice to read again and write a review. Danny Thomas writes of growing up in large family. then being raised by his aunt and uncle. He decided he wanted a career in "show biz" he found his talent was story telling. He eventually found fame. Years later he starred in "Make Room for Daddy" When He was trying to get his career started he prayed to st. Jude and promised he would build him a shrine if he became famous. Years later he made good on his promise and was behind building St Jude hospital for children with cancer. He writes of the many famous friends he made as well. A fun read. I was happy to read this book again.
September 8, 2012
Thomas's autobiography is short and to the point. Most interesting was personal information about his life from his birth as Muzyad Yahkoob in a Lebanese/Sicilian family, to the late 80's when the book was written. His friendships with the superstars of the era, George Burns, Jan Murray, Frank Sinatra etc. lead to many fun stories about the early days of his career. Though I knew he was spokesman for the St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital, I had no idea of his involvement for the inception and creation from the beginning. Interesting trip down memory lane.
November 12, 2017
A book about the man who started St. Jude because of a promise he made to St. Jude if St. Jude would get him a job. WOW. I am not catholic but I know he has done something so wonderful for countless children and families. Danny Thomas truly knew what it meant to be a Christian, to help take care of those who cant help themselves. All the amazing things St. Jude still does today is wonderful and a blessing from GOD.
January 1, 2015
I liked this book. Danny Thomas looked like and reminded us of our dad, who was also Lebanese. The book captured some of the all-so-familiar customs and the pictures were delightful to see. I liked it.
August 22, 2012
Reads as Danny Thomas' "walk down memory lane" - from his meager start as a no-name comedian to his rise to the top of comedy in the 60's/70's. Not very introspective but very entertaining.
January 27, 2016
Kind of slow going at times. But learned that he helped found St. Jude's Childrens Hospital and did a lot more than just "Make room for Daddy".
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews