Make Room for Daddy: Season 6 (1958)

One of the longest running family comedies of the 1950s, "Make Room For Daddy" ran from September 1953 until September 1964. The series was nominated for 14 Emmy® Awards, winning four, including "Best Situation Comedy" and "Best Actor" for Danny.

The series was a reflection of Danny Thomas' own life as an entertainer and the problems created by the frequent absences from his children. Even the title came from a phrase used in the real-life Thomas household: whenever Danny returned from a tour, his 2 daughters (Marlo and Terre) had to shift bedrooms to "Make Room For Daddy".

In the series, Danny plays nightclub entertainer Danny Williams, an occasionally loud and cantankerous, but ultimately warm and soft-hearted master of his domain. Constantly being upstaged by his bratty but loveable kids, played by Rusty Hamer, Angela Cartwright and Sherry Williams (whose role was taken over by Penny Parker), the ensemble also included beautiful Marjorie Lord as his understanding wife, and legendary character actor Hans Conreid as irascible Uncle Tonoose.

"Make Room For Daddy" was unique for many reasons, including how it portrayed the family life of an entertainer dealing with both industry and ordinary family issues. Another reason was its frequent appearances by top celebrities. In this Season 6 boxed-set, William Demarest, Jack Benny, Dinah Shore, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, Tennessee Ernie Ford, Shirley Jones, and Bob Hope are but a few legendary performers lending their talents. In addition, upcoming stars had recurring roles, such as Tony Bennett as Danny's cousin Steven from Toledo, and Annette Funicello as Italian exchange student Gina Minelli.

"Make Room For Daddy" served as a springboard for then little known talents like Joey Bishop and Bill Dana, both of whom wound up with their own Danny Thomas produced television series. Other Thomas produced series include the Dick Van Dyke Show, Gomer Pyle, Real McCoys and Mod Squad.

Please Make the Rest of the Series on DVD

I saw Danny Thomas in person in '73 and was impressed on what he had to say. He was a true Humanitarin.
I now have season five and six of the Make Room for Daddy series and would enjoy having all of the series.
I can remember watching some of them when they first aired on TV.
If there are other fans of Danny, Marjorie Lord, Angela Cartwright, or Rusty Hammer, please contact www.questarhomevideo.com and show them your interest and perhaps these other series will be produced. August 12, 2008

An Under-Appreciated Classic

This spring I purchased "Make Room for Daddy--the Sixth Season". I was surprised at how well this show is written, and quite frankly, I had forgotten how talented Danny Thomas was, and how funny Rusty Hamer was as his son. "Make Room For Daddy" is much smarter than most of the family sitcoms from that era. If there was a national station truly committed to "preserving our television heritage" and "Make Room for Daddy" were included in its lineup, I think it would find a whole new generation of fans, however since that is unlikely to happen, we need more complete seasons of "Make Room for Daddy". July 5, 2008

Tv comedy at it's best.

Being from England I'd never heard of this show before, and I don't think it's ever been shown on British TV, so I bought the set purely based on the reviews here and a little internet research. Wow! I've only watched the first disc so far but I'm hooked! Anyone who assumes that 50's comedies are going to be dull and twee should open their minds because much of the humour in this show (and others of the era) is reflected in the likes of The Simpsons, Seinfeld etc. A special mention must go to Angela Cartwright, a little girl who's comic timing makes her look like a real pro. Her performance here is incredible.
This is fast becoming one of my favourite comedies and I'd urge anyone looking for a classic to check this out. 5 stars and more... April 19, 2008

But Why Did Sherry go?

Great work bringing this season to DVD, but this is the season that poses a question I have been wondering ever since I was a kid watching this series. Why was Sherry Jackson removed from the series, later to be replaced by a lookalike actor (Penney Parker)?????She appears in three episodes then is just "gone", in the 1959-60 she returns as having come back from college and having graduated (what a short course!!)I read somewhere at one time that Jackson who had played his daughter since the series began, had become intimidated by Thomas as she matured and grew into a young woman and asked to leave. Does anyone know the real story? Would love to hear. March 6, 2008

Extremely enjoyable

This video is a must-have for anyone who remembers and enjoyed the classic family sitcoms of the 50's. The episodes are still funny today and the family values and high moral standards are a far cry from anything currently on television. February 14, 2008

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