Danny thomas autobiography of benjamin

His professional life seems to be made more out of good timing than talent. He was a storyteller who didn't fit the traditional 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 and too little details about his family.

It feels like half the book is made up of the story-jokes he would tell from the stage. There's very little about his personal life and on the second read there are huge gaps. 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 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. Again, more questions raised than answers provided. 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 danny thomas autobiography of benjamin 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. He also could explain more about his production company, that made some of the greatest shows in TV history. There isn't a lot about that either--instead it's mostly the upbeat humor from his nightclub act and references to his childhood or ethnic relatives.

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. Len Knighton. I was a fan of The Danny Thomas Show back in the '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. Since its inception, St.

Jude has treated children from all 50 states and around the world, continuing the mission of finding cures and saving children. InDr. Peter C. Doherty of St. Jude's Immunology Department, was a co-recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for key discoveries on how the immune system works to kill virus-infected cells.

Jude's has grown to include eight affiliate hospitals across the United States. The Thomas children followed their parents into entertainment in various capacities— Marlo as an actress and producer, Tony as a television producer, [ 28 ] and Terre as an accomplished singer-songwriter. Thomas was initiated to Freemasonry [ 30 ] in Prudence Lodge No.

Thomas was one of the original owners of the Miami Dolphinsalong with Joe Robbiebut he sold his share soon after the purchase. In addition, he also played golf regularly since his youth. InThomas died after a heart attack at his home in Beverly Hills, a hospital spokesman said. Two days previously he had celebrated St. Jude Hospital's 29th anniversary and filmed a commercial, [ 38 ] which aired posthumously.

He is interred in a mausoleum on the grounds of the St. A stretch of roadway in Memphis is locally known as Danny Thomas Boulevard. The road, built in the s to partially reroute U. Highway 51 around downtown, runs from E. Crump Boulevard U. Jude Children's Research Hospital's campus on a viaduct.

Danny thomas autobiography of benjamin: Danny Thomas. Actor: The Danny

For Thomas' contribution to the television industry, in February he was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame located at Hollywood Boulevard. Thomas was a posthumous recipient of the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award. InDanny Thomas was appointed as a Special Deputy Sheriff by Ben Clark, who was a long-standing Riverside County Sheriff and a recognized "trail blazer" in terms of professionalizing the law enforcement profession in California and the United States.

On February 16,the United States Postal Service issued a first-class forever stamp honoring Thomas as an entertainer and humanitarian. The Danny Thomas Forever Stamp shows an oil-on-panel painting depicting a smiling, tuxedo -clad Thomas in the foreground and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in the background. Contents move to sidebar hide. Article Talk.

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Danny thomas autobiography of benjamin: Jack Benny was born

In other projects. Wikimedia Commons Wikidata item. American actor and comedian — For other people named Danny Thomas, see Danny Thomas disambiguation. Deerfield, MichiganU. Los Angeles, California, U. Rose Marie Cassaniti. Early life [ edit ]. Careers other than television [ edit ]. Radio [ edit ]. Films [ edit ]. Music [ edit ]. In fact, twice, in andhe made trips to Lebanon.

In his autobiography, Make Room for Dannyhe described his first trip to Lebanon.

Danny thomas autobiography of benjamin: He authored an autobiography, "Make Room

We drove that fifty miles up into the breathtaking mountains. I choked up when we finally got to Becheri. While some of it sounds a bit sugar-coated, this is his story as he wrote it. Fans of Danny Thomas will be delighted. The narrators are top-notch, but with talented performers like these, how could they be anything but wonderful?

Danny thomas autobiography of benjamin: Make Room for Daddy,

The pace is quick but easy to follow, with beginnings and endings on each side clearly noted by Marlo Thomas. Consider this audio presentation a very successful union of text and voice. More reviews by Danny Thomas with Bill Davidson.