The Terrible Catsafterme

MAKE ROOM FOR DADDY – SEASON 1 – ABC

NOTE: The series was titled “Make Room for Daddy” for the first three seasons, before becoming “The Danny Thomas Show.” During many of the syndicated runs, the title of the later episodes reverted to “Make Room for Daddy”

Music composed by Herbert W. Spencer and Earle Hagen

• 001. Uncle Daddy – 9/29/1953
  • Unavailable for viewing
• 002. Party Dress – 10/6/1953
  • Danny Williams (Danny Thomas), New York nightclub comedian and singer, argues with piano player Benny Lessy (himself) about having to rehearse in the afternoon, leaving him with less time to be with his wife Margaret (Jean Hagen), daughter Terry (Sherry Jackson), and son Rusty (Rusty Hamer). He especially espouses the joy of raising his 11-year old daughter and shows off a doll he is bringing home for her. When he gets home, he finds Margaret and the maid Louise (Louise Beavers) fussing over alterations on a new dress that Terry intends to wear to a school dance, and consequently Terry has no interest in the new doll. Danny adamantly objects to her going to a dance that age, causing Terry to retreat to her room in tears. Terry’s would-be date Donald Cooper (Walter Hamer) comes to see Terry, but Danny sends him on his way and tells him that Terry can’t go. Later while giving a bath to Rusty, Danny overhears Terry discussing her father with Margaret, who maintains that her father wants what is best for her, mostly because he doesn’t trust boys – since he was one – and knows that they are nothing but trouble. Danny thinks it over and expresses concern to Louise that his daughter might grow up to be an old maid if she never trusts in boys. Margaret sends Terry to butter up her father by telling him that he knows best, and that she’d rather stay home with him and play horsie. He tells her that she needs to get out and see boys because not all men are bad, and insists that she go to the dance. Donald is outside the door waiting, and says he knew it would work out because he always goes through this on his dates. Danny works at the Club Paul nightclub on the night of the dance, telling jokes about his daughter growing up, before singing Daddy’s Little Girl. He comes home that night and laments about his little girl growing up, but when Margaret has him peek in on her, she is clutching the new doll that he bought for her. 2/27/21

• 003. Second Honeymoon – 10/13/1953
  • Danny and Margaret are approaching their twelfth anniversary, and Margaret is arranging a second honeymoon that she doesn’t want to be interrupted, so she refuses to tell Danny where they are going. He can’t get the information out of the kids, but just before they leave, he finds the brochure for Atlantic City in their dog Laddie’s (Corky) mouth. As soon as they arrive, Danny gets a call from his manager Mac, and whatever he is asked, he declines. When Danny seems distracted and annoyed by the honeymoon suite, Margaret finally makes him tell her what Mac wanted. He tells her that their old friend Jerry Harris (Rhys Williams) had fallen on hard times and wanted him to do a show for him in Asbury Park. He reminds Margaret how Jerry had helped them secure jobs at his nightclub in the Catskills during their last honeymoon. She is annoyed at the notion of having another honeymoon ruined, so she finally storms out and says she’s going home. Danny performs at the Jerry Harris Rendezvous in Asbury Park and explains to the audience what the circumstances where of their friendship with Jerry. Via flashback, we see Danny and Margaret on their honeymoon working at Camp Kilcare in the Catskills, a lodge for singles to mingle. As Danny is the activity director, his boss Luther Gunther (Walter Catlett) that he is single… but he and Margaret, who is working as a waitress there, had just gotten married. Gunther keeps trying to get Danny to entertain guest Myrtle Potter (Shirley Mitchell), which is making Margaret jealous. This culminates in the dining room when Margaret dumps spaghetti on Myrtle’s hair. When Gunther lays into her, Danny comes to her defense and admits they are married… getting them both fired on the spot. Jerry Harris is a guest there, and comes to their rescue and defends them, and then offers them a job working at his nightclub in x. Back in the present, Danny tells the audience at club that he wishes the story were complete and that he could introduce them to his wife. Unbeknownst to Danny, she has snuck into the room and behind the piano, and Danny performs How Deep Is the Ocean? (How High Is the Sky?) for audience, the same song he had once tries to sing to her on their first honeymoon. They are surprised to learn that Jerry is now married to Myrtle. 2/27/21
• 004. Mother-in-Law – 10/20/1953
  • Danny is frantically working with his assistants Benny and Artie (Allan Ray), writing music and mother-in-law jokes for an upcoming nightclub opening. His mother-in-law Julia Sommers (Nana Bryant) shares with her friend how excited she is to go along, but Danny asks her to babysit for the kids instead. She is irritated that they don’t understand that she has outside interests, while Danny and Margaret think they are doing her a favor by letting her spend time with the grandkids. Danny works through the song Show Me a Rose with Benny, tries to get some good jokes of Artie, and is interrupted by his massage therapist Gus (Sheldon Leonard). Margaret then reminds Danny that they are supposed to be attending a benefit that night, so he asks Julia to spend another night with their kids. While they are at the benefit, Julia shares with Terry and Rusty about her career in Vaudeville with her late husband Harry, and even sings Your Eyes Have Told Me So and Moonlight Bay, while sharing some of their old jokes. When Danny and Margaret arrive home that night, the kids are waiting up, and criticize the parents for not letting their grandmother perform. When they hear that she has been reminiscing about her Vaudeville days, they get another babysitter and invite her to the nightclub opening. After singing My Mother’s Eyes and telling some mother-in-law jokes, Danny surprises Julia by inviting her onstage and inviting her to sing Moonlight Bay, and then joins her in some joke-telling, playing the part of her husband Harry. Julia is emotional, but then goes along with it and enjoys the spotlight. They invite her to the next event, but when she shows up at the apartment, she tells them that she’s had her memorable night and is ready to enjoy her grandchildren instead, and that she’s sent the babysitter home. 3/24/21
• 005. Anniversary – 10/27/1953
  • Margaret is planning a surprise dinner for her and Danny for their twelfth wedding anniversary, preparing a special dinner and sending the kids to her mother’s place with Louise. Danny however has completely forgotten and brings home Ben, Artie, his publicity man (Frank Gerstle), and the jockey Leo Patch (Pat Goldin) to play poker, thinking that it is the night that Margaret goes to the movies with her mother. Naturally when they all arrive, she is livid and storms out the house and picks up the kids. For two days in a row, she gives him the silent treatment and nothing he can do will snap her out of it. Danny can’t concentrate as he and Benny rehearse his rendition of Bye-Bye Blackbird, so he tells Ben via flashback about their first wedding anniversary, in the days that they were dirt poor and lived under a bowling alley that constantly woke up 7-week-old Terry. He only has enough money to buy her a gold watch that turns green for $5 and doesn’t have enough money to buy enough yarn to finish the socks she knits him. Danny feels that things aren’t going well and talks about quitting acting and returning to selling shoes. Margaret talks him out of it and the two sing I’ve Got the World on a String together, relishing their life together. In the present, Danny buys Margaret a diamond watch that she’s been eyeing at Tiffany’s and also finds the old watch from their first anniversary. He has Terry give her the watch since she won’t speak to him, but Terry accidentally gives her the old watch. This was enough to remind her of the old times and praise his sentimentality. Terry spills the beans however that he really bought her an expensive watch. He admits that he’s clueless but should have known how to gain her favor. He apologizes and says he’ll return the diamond watch, but Margaret says sentimentality goes only so far and is glad to keep the watch. They resume their anniversary celebration and head out for dinner. Robert Foulk is the stagehand. 3/24/21
• 006. Margaret, Non-Pro – 11/3/1953
  • Unavailable for viewing
• 007. The Visiting Englishman – 11/10/1953
  • An Englishman named Montague Brooks (John Hoyt) who Danny knew during the war comes to America to pursue his dream of being a magician after giving up his job as a piano player and composer. Margaret becomes irritated quickly when they overhear him cancel his reservations at a nearby hotel, and things become worse as he practices his magic and winds up breaking various items around the house. Margaret and Louise conspire on how to get rid of him by making his bed lumpy and burning his kidney pie dinner. Danny is aghast at the notion, but soon he joins the effort after three weeks of Montague losing his ties, cufflinks, and BVDs as he attempts to refine his magic. The kids are enchanted by him, even though they think he is a horrible magician. Margaret finally comes up with an idea to have her mother stay at the house, which would force Montague out. Before they enact the plan, they are told by Danny’s agent Jesse Leeds (Jesse White) how much they’ve inspired Montague and made him feel relaxed, so much so that he is thinking about returning to music. He also tells them how Montague lost his wife and two children during the bombing of Coventry while Montague was off fighting in the war. They both have a change of heart, and ask Montague to stay as long as he wants, but he is ready to return to his show business roots in England. He sings Waltzing Matilda for the kids before he leaves. Danny later fears that Margaret will be angry when he brings home another friend (Lock Martin) to stay over…but she is certainly taken aback when she sees that he is about seven feet tall. 7/20/21
• 008. The Sea Captain – 11/17/1953
  • With his birthday coming up, Danny cancels a photo session with Benny in order to spend more time with the kids, who forgot his birthday the year before. He sets up a tea party for them, but is disappointed when they want to rush down to the apartment basement and spend time with the janitor Captain Chris (Edgar Buchanan – billed as Captain Archie in the credits), who regales them with his tales of the sea. Danny goes down to break up their fun, but decides instead to surprise the kids by building them a ship in a bottle. However, after he and Benny finish the project, they have no idea hot to get the ship into a bottle, so Danny uses a giant pickle jar. Making matters worse, Captain Chris gives them a real ship-in-a-bottle. Danny’s optimism is raised when he finds out that the kids have been saving money, so he starts giving them more money for even the most menial tasks, thinking it will get him a nicer gift. However, on his birthday morning, he finds that the kids have forgotten his birthday again, and bought a new sweater for Captain Chris. Wanting to connect with them, he takes them to the Palace Theater to show them the backdrops and special effects. He tells them tales of Old Vaudeville and sings in Scottish accent like Harry Lauder, and also pays tribute to Al Jolson by singing Danny Boy, and then goes into There’s No Business Like Show Business. He then tells the rich history of show business make him proud he went into it, and that he wouldn’t want any other career. Danny later tells Margaret that the kids applauded, but probably weren’t that interested. The kids then invite Danny into their room, which they’ve decorated like the Palace Theater, and do their own sketch of the night that Danny was born, with each of the kids portraying Danny’s parents, who hope for their new baby son Danny to have a career in show business. The gift naturally impresses and touches Danny. Jinx Falkenberg and Donald Woods are the advertising pitchmen for Seidel. 7/20/21
• 009. Thanksgiving Story – 11/24/1953
  • Unavailable for viewing
• 010. Last Dollar – 12/1/1953
  • Unavailable for viewing
• 011. Margaret’s Job – 12/8/1953
  • Margaret is in a great mood, despite constantly having to pick up after Danny, because her old friend Lydia Miller (Jorja Curtright) is stopping by for a visit that afternoon. She reminds Danny that he used to know Lydia as well, and in fact was engaged to her at one time. Lydia is not a successful businesswoman who has run a cosmetics company that she and Margaret had started in college. While Danny is at work that day, Lydia and Margaret chat about their lives, with Lydia telling tales of her own private jets and rich lifestyle. She offers to make Margaret a manager of one of her own branches, but Margaret declines. After she leaves, the more she thinks about how fancy Lydia’s life is, the more upset she gets. When Danny gets home, Margaret gets irritated with him for dropping his shoes and coat on the floor, blaming Danny for not being supportive like Lydia’s husband had been. As Danny blows her off, Lydia gets more angry and tells Lydia that she is going to accept the job offer. She hires a governess for the kids, by Rusty quickly runs her off when he gives her a hot foot. Danny is forced to take both kids to the theater, where Rusty handcuffs himself to Danny before he goes on stage. Danny is forced to bring him into the show, and tells jokes about kids. He sings Me and My Shadow to the audience. That night at home, Lydia and Margaret are working late hours, as Margaret tries to get the kids to stop bothering her. While Margaret is getting the kids milk before bed, Lydia goes in to read a book to them and tuck them in. Upon leaving the room, Lydia fires Margaret so she can get back to her life taking care of her family. She tells Margaret to give Danny a kiss for her, as he ended up being not so dumb after all. When Danny gets home, Lydia insists that Danny make a mess so she can clean up after him. 1/15/22
• 012. Wonderland – 12/15/1953
  • Danny and Margaret are excited because they finally have the weekend off together, so they send the kids off to their grandmother’s place so that they can be alone. Just as they are ready to start their vacation, Danny’s new press agent Chips Collins (Harvey Lembeck) rushes in and plays them a snippet of the radio show Wishing Well on the radio, and they hear the radio host announce the winner of the contest that Chips volunteered Danny for. A woman named Eloise Adams (Spring Byington) has won a weekend spent in the home of celebrity Danny Williams. Although Chips tries to arrange for Eloise to stay at a nearby hotel, she won’t hear of it, and threatens to go to the newspapers and tell everyone that the contest was a fraud. Danny and Margaret have no choice but to let her stay. She starts to drive them crazy quickly, as she only seems to talk in quotes from the book Alice in Wonderland. When Danny tells her about his nightclub show, she says that she would like to see one, as it would be her first time. Instead of making her go to the nightclub, he offers to put on his show right in the living room, complete with jokes, stories, and singing. The next day, Roger Grayson (Dayton Lummis), the superintendent of the retirement home where she lives, comes to retrieve her and take her back. Danny and Margaret, who have become attached to Eloise, think that it is cold to spring it on her that she has to leave. They arrange to have a Mad Tea Party with her, with Danny acting as the Mad Hatter, and Margaret acting as the March Hare. This makes it more palatable for Mr. Grayson to take her back ‘through the looking glass.’ Danny promises that he will bring her back to the house the following week. 1/15/22
• 013. Christmas – 12/22/1953
  • Unavailable for viewing
• 014. Toledo – 12/29/1953
  • With Margaret back home taking care of her sick mother, Danny and the kids take an overnight train to his hometown of Toledo, where he grew up delivering newspapers for the Toledo Globe. He gets a letter from a fellow delivery boy named Charlie Patchok (Maxie Rosenbloom), now working for the circulation department. As he tells stories and shows them old pictures from his old neighborhood, he finds a letter from Rusty’s teacher that he has been caught spitting spitballs in class. He expresses his disappointment for how he is behaving in class and how he had high hopes for him. Eventually he gets the kids to sleep, and they arrive in Toledo in the morning. Danny rehearses his speech about how he became a success, which he intends to deliver to the current newsboys for the Toledo Globe. Danny’s old sixth grade teacher Miss Whittaker (Mabel Paige) who gives the kids an earful about Danny’s disruptive behavior in class, spitting spitballs and skipping school. Danny rushes her out as soon as possible. Charlie then stops by to see Danny, and the kids hear even more tails about how they used to play hooky from school and hang around the pool halls all day. Before he leaves, Danny finds out that Charlie is still selling the papers like he did as a kid, and only used the circulation manager’s stationary. The time finally comes for Danny to deliver his speech, but tells everyone that he amended it because he realized that success isn’t always defined as fame and money, but rather that you do your job as well as you can according to your ability. He goes on to say how his old teacher Miss Whitaker is a success because she is doing the same thing, shaping young minds. He also describes Charlie’s life as a success because he does what make him happy, and is good at his job. They all head out that night on the train, and the kids seem to have a higher degree of success for their father. 5/27/22
• 015. Margaret’s Jealousy – 1/5/1954
  • Rusty is running rampant all over the house taking photos with his camera. Margaret tells her mother about seeing the Broadway show The Seven Year Itch. After twelve years of marriage, she starts to wonder if Danny has ever experienced such an itch, but her mother reminds her that he skipped a poker game to take her to see the show. Still, she wonders why he found it so important to skip his game and see that particular show, unless he was trying to tell her something. Later, Danny takes Rusty to the theater, and he witnesses one of Danny’s old girlfriends, Irva Kruger (Adele Jergens) come into the theater, tell Danny how much she’s missed him, and plant a huge kiss on his lips. Rusty snaps a photo of this too, and later shows it to his mother. When Margaret confronts him with the photo, Danny has a hard time explaining it, but maintains it wasn’t his fault and he had no idea who the woman even was. Margaret remembers her, and informs him it was one of his old girlfriends. When Margaret catches Danny smiling in his sleep that night, she wakes him up, but then has a change of heart and tells her she realizes that Irva would never make a pass at Danny since he isn’t all that appealing. They wind up in another fight, and Margaret puts up a wooden screen between their beds. Danny tries to sing her The Glory of Love, but she just falls asleep. Margaret’s mother Julia tells Margaret that she needs to confront Irva, then admits that she actually has brought Irva back to their house. Irva apologizes for being so over-zealous when she say Danny and apologizes for causing so much trouble. She shows Margaret and her mother photos of her husband and four kids, and the two get along swimmingly and have dinner together. When Danny gets home, Margaret apologizes and says that she should have trusted him always. When Danny asks why she changed her mind, she says it is because she knows she can trust him implicitly. However, when Rusty shows him another photo that he took Irva when she came to see his mommy, it is now Danny who gets annoyed and puts up the wooden screen between their beds. This time it is Margaret who sings The Glory of Love to Danny. 5/27/22
• 016. Terry for President – 1/12/1954
  • Unavailable for viewing…
• 017. True Blue Benny – 1/19/1954
  • Unavailable for viewing…
• 018. Rusty Runs Away – 1/26/1954
  • Unavailable for viewing…
• 019. The Professor – 2/2/1954
  • Unavailable for viewing…
• 020. Burlesque – 2/9/1954
  • Unavailable for viewing…
• 021. Black Eyes – 2/16/1954
  • Unavailable for viewing…
• 022. Margaret’s Birthday – 2/23/1954
  • During their Wednesday Bridge Club, Margaret’s friends Helen (Shirley Mitchell), Elvira (Jacqueline deWit), and Grace (Marianne Stewart) brag about the great gifts that their husbands got for them for Valentine’s Day. When they ask what Danny got for Margaret, she is forced to show them the tape recorder that she received, an items that is much more useful to Danny than her. She claims that she doesn’t need gifts, but rather she enjoys the romance, warmth, and poetry she shares with Danny. Just then he bursts in like a bull in a China shop looking for orchestrations that he accuses Margaret of laying somewhere. He finally finds them just where she says they are and she assures the girl that his apology will be worth it, but then he blames her for laying other papers on top of them. Later he practices in his home with Benny. Danny suddenly turns sweet with her, but she tells him that he was Mr. Hyde when the girls were there, and acts like Dr. Jekyll in front of ‘nobody’. After she leaves, Danny talks to Benny about how he was going to get her perfume for her birthday, but since she has been asking for a mink, he is going to up the gift to a ring. They later listen to the tape player and find that Margaret had accidentally started recording and he overhears that she had been planning to ask for a mink, in order to get him to upgrade to a ring. When he hears this, he decides to just stick with the perfume. At rehearsal at the nightclub, Danny sings There’s Yes! Yes! in Your Eyes, with a written word version of Katie the Kleptomaniac. Just after Chips brings Danny the bottle of perfume, Margaret shows up at the club with a raincoat, umbrella, and rain boots since it is raining outside. Danny accuses her of doing that so he’ll get her a big gift for her birthday. She assures him that all she wants is a great big “I Love You” in front of witnesses. Margaret winds up sick in bed from making the trip, and the kids present her with their birthday gifts. When they ask him to give her his gift, Danny is embarrassed by the perfume, so he leaves and tells her that he has to pick up her gift. He invites all of her friends to come see her on her birthday, and while they are there, Danny has a reel-to-reel tape of himself telling her that she is getting a mink, but it won’t be in until the following week. He also tells her how much he loves her – in front of witnesses. He then sings You’ll Never Know on the tape, and then shows up to finish the sing live in the living room in front of the everyone. 9/19/22
• 023. The Matchmaker – 3/2/1954
  • Unavailable for viewing…
• 024. Night Club – 3/9/1954
  • Unavailable for viewing…
• 025. Terry’s Career – 3/16/1954
  • Unavailable for viewing…
• 026. School Festival – 3/23/1954
  • Unavailable for viewing…
• 027. Rusty’s Pal – 3/30/1954
  • Unavailable for viewing…
• 028. Julia’s Birthday – 4/6/1954
  • Unavailable for viewing…
• 029. Pittsburgh – 4/13/1954
  • Unavailable for viewing…
• 030. Danny’s Vacation – 4/20/1954
  • Unavailable for viewing…

SEASON 2

• 031. Family Troubles – 9/28/1954
  • Rusty is hoping that he can start to get an allowance like Terry, and asks his mother for a quarter a week. At first she agrees, but then will not commit until Danny approves. Since he is in a bad mood that morning, tired of eggs for breakfast, he refuses to commit to that much money, especially when he thinks about the amount of money this will cost over years. Meanwhile, his agent Jesse tells Margaret that Danny has been struggling with a lack of confidence in front of the audiences recently and the more nervous he gets, the worse the audience’s reaction is to him. Margaret suggests that the kids laugh at everything he says, but once they start laughing at positively everything, he quickly catches on that they have been coached to do so. However, Danny thinks that they have coached Rusty to do so in order to get that allowance that he wanted. Even the maid Louise tries to talk some sense into Danny, but he won’t listen to her either. Rusty later brings home some of his friends to see him perform a comedy team for them, charging five cents a person, seven in the ‘box’ seats. Once they are all seated, Rusty gets stage fright and won’t come out of his room. Danny goes in and preaches to him about presenting yourself confidently to the audience in order to capture them. As he’s telling Rusty this, he realizes he needs to take the advice himself. Rusty asks him to on in his place, so he goes out to the kids and gives them funny routine about cynicism coming from the audience, and about people who work hard for their money but never get to enjoy it. This performance leads to more confidence for his next performance, which goes over gangbusters. This then leads to Danny being invited to do a four week engagement at the London Palladium. He is now in such a good mood that he gives Rusty two quarters, a dollar to Terry, and $5 to Margaret… to repay her for the money that she used to hire the kids to watch his performance. Mark Sutherland is Rusty’s friend Harold. 9/19/22
• 032. Tonsillectomy – 10/5/1954
  • Unavailable for viewing
• 033. Terry Takes Charge – 10/12/1954
  • Unavailable for viewing
• 034. Danny Has a Baby – 10/19/1954
  • Unavailable for viewing
• 035. Military School – 10/26/1954
  • Unavailable for viewing
• 036. Danny Lands in Pictures – 11/2/1954
  • Unavailable for viewing
• 037. Hollywood Trip – 11/9/1954
  • The Williams family and Jess arrive in Hollywood to being work on the movie that Danny has been cast in. Danny rehearses with Margaret, and then Terry, and then when Danny gets a phone call from the studio executive Mr. Hillie (Alan Reed), Terry and Rusty continue reading the parts. The whole family is excited at the prospect of living a more normal life in a house, with room for gardens, dogs, and bicycle riding, without Danny having to travel on the road all of the time. However, Danny gets a big disappointment when he gets to the studio and Mr. Hillie tells him they’re ready to sign contracts with him except for one thing… they want him to get a nose job. Danny is reluctant to do that right off the bat, so he refuses the contract. Hillie tries to get Jess to talk him into it, but Jess supports his decision, and they walk out together. When he gets home, he tells Jess that the family has gone out to look for houses. Danny sadly sings My Funny Valentine. When the family gets home, they tell him that they’ve found their dream house, and how it will be perfect for Margaret’s garden, Rusty’s dog, and Terry’s bicycle. Danny then has a change of heart about the nose job, so they don’t have to give up their dream house. He tells Margaret that he’s decided to get the nose job since it’s something he always wanted to do. He tries to convince her that it will be perfect for his new career in the movies. She is clearly taken aback, but believes it is something he wanted. He goes to see the doctor and meets Jess there. Jess reminds him that his fans like his personality and that it goes hand in hand with his face. He says they might like him as much if he looks like someone else. Back at home, Mr. Hillie stops by to talk to him, and Margaret tells him that he’s gone to the nose doctor. Hillie is thrilled that Danny has changed his mind, and in discussing it with Margaret, she figures out that it wasn’t Danny’s idea after all. Danny comes home with his nose bandaged up, causing Margaret and the kids to burst into tears. He then takes off the bandage and says this was the only way that he could tell how they really feel. He tells Mr. Hillie that his final decision is to not get the surgery. Hillie says he’s never faced a tougher customer than Danny and wishes him luck in his career. Margaret sings an encore of My Funny Valentine. Dorothy Hamer is the nurse. 12/5/22
• 038. Anniversary – 11/16/1954
  • Unavailable for viewing
• 039. Margaret’s Aunt – 11/23/1954
  • Unavailable for viewing
• 040. Terry’s Boyfriend – 11/30/1954
  • Terry comes home from school one day, positively glowing because class president Johnny Lane (Sammy Ogg) has asked her to the school dance. Danny thinks it is ridiculous how she is carrying on about it, and then gets frustrated because Terry starts monopolizing the phone while talking to her friends and bragging about her date. Danny sours even more on Johnny when he realizes that there have already been tickets printed for the dance indicating that he will be there in person to entertain the kids, although he has yet t0 be asked to do it. He believes that Johnny only asked Terry out in order to get him as a guest. He wants to tell this to Terry, but Margaret tries to convince him that it will crush her. Terry has invited Johnny over for dinner, and Margaret encourages Danny to make it easy on Johnny by offering to play at the dance before he even asks. After the dinner, Johnny starts hinting around that he’s still looking for an entertainer, and Terry volunteers him before Danny can get a chance to respond one way of the other. He tries to yell at Johnny, but Margaret holds him back and agrees on his behalf for him to play at the dance. Eventually Danny can’t take it anymore, and he tells Terry that Johnny was just using her to get to him. Terry doesn’t believe him, but he shows her the ticket that he’s had for a week. When Johnny comes over to invite her to go for a soda, she accuses him of using her and tells him that neither she nor her father are going to show up at the dance. After Johnny leaves, Terry bursts into tears and locks herself in her room. Danny feels guilty, and Margaret blams him for not understanding girls. Johnny shows up again and apologizes to Danny and asks to see Terry. She comes out of her room and gives him a cold reception, but he apologizes and tells her that he’d really like to take her to the dance whether her father plays or not. When Danny asks him about who they got for entertainment, Johnny tells him that they got Ronnie Jones and His Singing Dogs. Danny the volunteers to do the show after all, and he shows him a medley that he planned to perform, which includes the songs I’m Looking Over a Four Leaf Clover, (You May Not Be an Angel But) I’ll String Along with You, Breezin’ Along with the Breeze, If I Could Be with You (One Hour Tonight), and Birth of the Blues. Johnny tells him he was great… but they already booked the dogs. 12/5/22
• 041. Margaret Feels Neglected – 12/7/1954
  • After yet another party of Danny getting all of the attention and Margaret being ignored, she tells him how she feels the next morning. She also goes on about how the kids don’t appreciate her day-to-day work, but when Danny comes home from being out of town and gives them a gift, they fawn all over him. Danny has very little rebuttal for any of this. Jesse then stops by and acts concerned when he sees that Margaret has a cold, but then confesses he’s more worried that she’ll give it to Danny and cause him to lose his voice. Jesse talks privately to Danny about him getting Margaret to appear on a show called I Married a Celebrity, but Danny doesn’t think there is any way that she will be up for it unless they can use some sort of trickery. Danny later has a talk with the kids about making sure that they show their mother their appreciation for all they do for them. Naturally, the go overboard in thanking her for everything, and then applauding when she puts a new lightbulb in. Jesse stops by and brings her candy and makes a fuss about how great it is knowing her, and that he is only a bachelor because of the high standards she sets at being a housewife. Margaret tells them that there is no reason for all of this over-the-top niceness, but Danny says he really means it, and to prove it, he got her a spot on a national TV show. She buckles when she hears that it is I Married a Celebrity, and says she has no intention of going on the show and gushing about what a wonderful husband she has. However, she agrees to do the show… and only tell the truth. Danny is worried initially, but then plans to make a joke out of everything she says in order to act as if it where all rehearsed. He then plans to sing her a parody of the song You’re My Everything, which Margaret hates. On the day of the show, the host Steve Regan (Hy Averback) puts Danny in a crown and robe and sits him on the celebrity throne. Margaret comes out and speaks about him, but instead of insulting him, she says that her years with Danny have been the happiest of her life and that she wouldn’t trade them for anything. Danny then changes course and puts the crown and robe on Margaret, and then sings the actual romantic original version of You’re My Everything. The next morning, Margaret is buried in telegrams, but all of them say how great Danny was on the show. 1/10/23
• 042. Father of the Year – 12/14/1954
  • Unavailable for viewing
• 043. The Anna Maria Alberghetti Show – 12/21/1954
  • Unavailable for viewing
• 044. The New Year’s Show – 12/28/1954
  • Unavailable for viewing
• 045. Jesse’s Romance – 1/4/1955
  • Unavailable for viewing 
• 046. Terry Gets Her Own Room – 1/11/1955
  • Unavailable for viewing
• 047. Danny Goes on TV – 1/18/1955
  • Unavailable for viewing
• 048. Terry’s First Big Crush – 1/25/1955
  • Unavailable for viewing
• 049. The Children’s Governess – 2/1/1955
  • Danny and Margaret are going out of town to Boston, and Margaret hires a haughty governess named Mrs. Quincey (Norma Varden) to watch the kids. Furthermore, she wants to keep Mrs. Quincey on full time so that the kids can be raised with some discipline. She puts a lamp that her Grandmother gave her up high so the kids don’t break it. Danny is against the notion and would rather see Dorothy’s mother Julia come babysit the kids. In fact, Julia has heard they are going out of town and shows up to do the babysitting. Margaret has to delicately tells her that she doesn’t want to impose on her and would rather that they use Mrs. Quincey. Still, Grandma Julia refuses to leave, so Mrs. Quincey had to try and keep the kids on task with Grandma in the apartment as well. That night after Grandma leaves, Mrs. Quincey tells the children that they made a mess in the kitchen, so she locks up the cookie jar and sends them to bed early, telling them that they will remain in their bedrooms under lock and key. Grandma then returns, and the kids tell her that they are being held prisoner. Grandma takes over and creates a cleanup crew ‘train’ and they choo-choo their way into the kitchen to have it straightened up. When Danny and Margaret return to town, Mrs. Quincey tells them how out of control the kids are and that she cannot successfully guide them with Grandma there to contradict her. After Grandma goes home, the kids go to her house to visit her after school, and Grandma hints that if the kids might follow Mrs. Quincey’s guidance and rules to the tee, their parents might be begging to bring Grandma back. The next morning at breakfast, the kids wear their best clothes, which Danny find ridiculous, and show their best manners. Rust refers to his father as ‘pater’ and wears his Little Lord Fauntleroy outfit, while Terry corrects her father’s table manners and tells her mother that she needn’t trouble herself and make them breakfast. Later the kids refuse to play with their parents when Danny builds a bridge with Rusty’s erector set and Margaret offers to play with Terry’s doll. When Danny yells at them, Mrs. Quincey tells them that the kids are behaving with perfect deportment. Danny has had enough of her and fires her on the spot and tells Terry to invite her grandma over the next morning. Terry tells her that she has already invited her over that night. When she comes over, she tells Margaret that the lamp she put up was made from a cookie jar that young Margaret broke three times in a row. Margaret is surprised that she was that destructive as a child. Grandma convinces her to let the kids be kids for a while. Margaret has more patience than Danny when Rusty once again breaks the cookie jar, which Mrs. Quincey had already emptied. 1/11/23
• 050. Daddy’s Biography – 2/8/1955
  • Unavailable for viewing
• 051. Danny Tries Real Estate – 2/15/1955
  • Unavailable for viewing
• 052. Rusty Gets a Haircut – 2/22/1955
  • Unavailable for viewing
• 053. Terry’s Teen-Age Birthday – 3/1/1955
  • Unavailable for viewing
• 054. Peter Pan – 3/8/1955
  • While Danny is working in Toledo, Margaret takes the kids to see Peter Pan with Mary Martin at the Winter Garden Theater. They are so enamored with it that they are up until midnight having Margaret re-tell them the musical story. The next morning Danny is home and tells Margaret about the young paperboys he met who work hard for their families in the cold and bad weather, and how he wants to make sure that Rust is exposed to the harsh realities of life. However, Rusty comes floating out of his room as if he is flying, telling his father to make way for him as he has been sprinkled with pixie dust. In fact, he can talk of nothing else but Peter Pan as he flits around the house, and then ‘flies’ off to school. Danny wants to show him that people can’t really fly, so he calls up Mary Martin and asks if he can come to the theater. There he meets Mr. Kirby (Cecil Kellaway), who works backstage on the special effects. Danny himself puts on the harness that allows Peter Pan to fly, and he winds up getting stuck in it after floating around himself. He asks Mr. Kirby to come show Rusty the truth about how Peter flies onstage, so Kirby comes to dinner. Rusty tells him all about how he dreams that he is flying when he goes to sleep, and Kirby finds his belief so endearing and innocent that he changes course and tells Rusty that he does in fact make Peter fly by sprinkling him with pixie dust. He also tells him that the suitcase he had brought the harness in has nothing in it but his shadow. Danny naturally is irritated by this and goes to see Kirby at the theater the next day. Kirby reminds Danny that he has seen his act, and that people come to see him so that they might forget the troubles of the world and escape for a while. He says he had nearly forgotten how it was to see Peter Pan through the eyes of a seven-year-old. He tells Danny that if everyone loses their imagination, Danny might just be out of a job. Danny goes home that night and sings Never Never Land to the kids, and then surprises them with a big dog like Nana from the play, wearing the nurse outfit and all. 1/11/23
• 055. The Piano Teacher – 3/22/1955
  • Unavailable for viewing
• 056. The Newspaperman Show – 3/29/1955
  • Unavailable for viewing
• 057. The Philosopher – 4/5/1955
  • Unavailable for viewing
• 058. Father-Son Show – 4/12/1955
  • Unavailable for viewing
• 059. The Benefit Show – 4/19/1955
  • Unavailable for viewing
• 060. A Trip to Wisconsin – 4/26/1955
  • Margaret talks Danny into taking a trip to Baraboo, Wisconsin to visit her old family friends Will “Pop” (Will Wright) and “Ma” Finch (Kathryn Card), a couple who took care of her a lot as a child. Margaret thinks it will be a good time since it is Bazaar Week. Danny has no interest in going along, and fears that they will ask him for free entertainment, which he plans to refuse to do since he is on vacation. Once he arrives, he finds that neither of them has ever heard of Danny and have no intention of asking him to entertain. However, Mrs. Finch does ask Margaret to be on the decorating committee. The next day, they all go into town to show, and Danny hangs out on the front porch of the General Store, where Pop teaches him how to whittle while sitting in a rocking chair. Margaret and Terry head off to the committee meeting, but Rusty hangs back so he can go looking for arrowheads with his father. Danny then tells him that he wants to keep rocking and whittling, so he sends Rusty to catch up to his mother. Rusty, however, decides to go on his own to find arrowhead. Hours later, Danny, who is itching to get a train to get out of town, and Margaret realize that neither of them had Rusty. They start to panic, and Margaret sends out a search party since the quarry ha rattlesnakes. While everyone is out, Pop brings Rusty home, having rescued him from falling off a rock to a ledge. When Danny comes home, Rusty hides behind a chair and listens to his father talk about how he regrets not helping Rusty find arrowheads, how he is a good son, and if he saw him again, he’s give him anything he wants. Naturally, when Rusty makes himself appear, Danny is furious with him. Margaret and Terry then return from the search, they are thrilled to see Rusty, who blames Danny for not going with him. Danny hears Rusty’s tale about how everyone in town pitched in to try and find him and then rescue him. Danny has a change of heart over the kindness of the people in town and now wants to stick around and attend the bazaar. Ma finally asks him to participate in the bazaar…but only as a baking contest judge. Nevertheless, he joins Margaret and the Finches in a singing of I‘m in Favor of Friendship on the Bazaar stage. 1/12/23

SEASON 3

• 061. Davy Crockett – 9/13/1955
  • Unavailable for viewing
• 062. Little League – 9/20/1955
  • Rusty announces one morning that he has dreams of playing on the Coast Hardware Giants Little League baseball team. This gives Danny the idea to become the coach for the team. He thinks he can brush up on his skills on a vacant plot of land that he had purchase long ago. He decides to offer his services to the team managers and traders, so he attend their meeting. The guys (Herb Vigran, Bill Baldwin, and John Hubbard as George) tell Danny that they need a coach with experience and that Rusty didn’t even make the team. Danny tries to bribe them to let Rusty on the team, but the managers won’t bite. Danny then overhears the guys discussing where they are going to play, and how they had tried to lease the lot that Danny owns. Danny then reveals to them that he owns the lot and that he will let them play on it if they make him coach and put Rusty on the team. After they agree, Danny begins coaching the kids and comes home barely able to move after training them how to slide. The team ends up losing their first game 32-12, and most of the kids blame Rusty for his poor performance as shortstop and pitcher. The managers tell Danny that they need to cut their team down from 18 to 15 players, and they think that Rusty is the worst player on the team and needs to be cut. Danny then reminds them of his deal to let them use the field. They then leave it up to them to make the cuts and tell the boys. After Danny cuts two kids from the team and sends them to the Minors team, he comes home and tells Margaret that he’s going to cut Rusty as it wouldn’t be fair to cut a player that belongs on the team. Rusty knows he’s terrible, but he thinks he can only get better. Danny sings him the song Heart from Damn Yankees. Rusty then agrees to go down the minors. Danny tells Margaret how proud he is that Rusty is a chip off the old block and is willing to take one for the team. However, when the managers come over to see him and tell him that Joe DiMaggio has agreed to coach the team, Danny think he will a fine assistant coach. They say that they are only allowed one coach and suggest that he move to coaching in the minors. Danny is furious and says he’d rather sell the property to a parking lot company rather than allow them to play on it any longer. He later tries to call a real estate agent to sell the land for a lot, but when his family starts singing Heart to him, Danny agrees to let them keep playing on it. 6/27/23
• 063. Margaret Goes Home to Mother – 9/27/1955
  • Unavailable for viewing
• 064. Love Thy Neighbor – 10/4/1955
  • Unavailable for viewing
• 065. Rusty Gets a Job – 10/11/1955
  • Unavailable for viewing
• 066. Big Shot – 10/18/1955
  • Unavailable for viewing
• 067. Danny’s Palladium Offer – 10/25/1955
  • After Danny sings the song Learnin’ the Blues at the club, he finds Jesse nearby watching and inexplicably using an English accent. The reason turns out to be the he finally negotiated a deal for Danny to headline for two weeks at the London Palladium, which includes the stipulation that they will pay for Danny’s family to join him. Meanwhile back at his house, everyone is busy making plays for a date three weeks from now. Rusty is going to join the kid’s club the Chippewas, Terry has been asked to the Junior High Prom by the most popular boy in school Jimmy Burrows, and Margaret is arranging to have a dinner for her induction into the P.T.A. When Danny comes home and gives them the great news, they are all initially excited until they realize the date that his stint will begin, and then slowly back out one by one of going to England with him. Danny is incredulous that they would actually skip a trip to London and his show to attend their functions at home. He gets so angry that he tells him that he wouldn’t take them now if they begged him and that he is going to go alone. Danny becomes passive-aggressive with all of them, causing them all to feel even worse about not going. Rusty tells him that he will miss him and then asks for three dollars for the initiation. Terry asks for advice if her date tries to kiss her. He obliges them both with money and advice that the boy will never ask her out again if she kisses him. Later, Rusty finds out that the Chippewas have disbanded after the president of the club spent all the treasury money. Terry gets into a fight with her new boyfriend, so the dance is off. Margaret works to get her induction to the P.T.A. postponed. However, it is seemingly all for moot because Danny has had a change of heart and decided that he was being selfish to expect everyone to change their plans. He winds up having Jesse cancel his book at the Palladium. Danny tries to catch Jesse when he hears that his family now wants to go along on the trip. Unfortunately, it is too late because the company has plans to sue Danny if doesn’t show up as his contract dictated, and the family is now thrilled to go along. The maid Louise (Amanda Randolph) thwarts the kids’ plans to get special gifts out of ‘giving up’ their plans at home. 6/27/23
• 068. The London Palladium – 11/1/1955
  • Unavailable for viewing…
• 069. Sonnets from the Lebanese – 11/8/1955
  • Unavailable for viewing…
• 070. High Society – 11/15/1955
  • Unavailable for viewing…
• 071. The Smugglers – 11/22/1955
  • Unavailable for viewing…
• 072. Danny’s Old Girlfriend – 11/29/1955
  • Unavailable for viewing…
• 073. Louise’s Surprise Party – 12/6/1955
  • Unavailable for viewing…
• 074. Mr. Williams Goes Legit – 12/13/1955
  • Unavailable for viewing…
• 075. Danny Strikes Oil – 12/20/1955
  • Unavailable for viewing…
• 076. Terry’s Party – 12/27/1955
  • Terry has gathered her friends at her place to plan for a party for the upcoming weekend. When Terry suggests that they have her father tell some jokes, the kids all make it clear that they want no adult involvement with the party. When Danny comes home and Terry tells him what they are planning, he offers to help, only to be told that the kids will do all of the planning. He commends them for their effort, but as he hears some of their plans for having kids play the music, and food that includes hamburgers, hot dogs, potato salad, and pickles, he slowly starts to insert himself by offering to send get some fancy appetizers, have his friends from the club help cater and serve, and bring in a professional band. The kids do not like this idea and start to leave, leaving Terry to call her father a buttinsky. As Danny continues planning for the party, the kids start phoning to cancel their appearances at the party, citing obviously phony excuses. Margaret tells Danny that he really should stay out of the planning, but he thinks that Terry will ultimately thank him for saving the party. However, when he sees Terry, she tells him that he has ruined her life. Willy (Danny Richards, Jr.) stops by and tells Terry that he and the other kids got together and wanted to tell her that they were lying about their excuses, but that they wanted to cancel the party because her father became such a buttinsky. She takes exception to anyone calling her father names and throws him out and declares that she wants nothing more to do with this group of friends. Danny and Margaret become aware of the reason that she has begun to isolate herself from the friends, so Margaret suggests that Danny step in. Danny gathers Willy and the rest of the core group of kids (Lee Erickson, Mary Jane Saunders, B.G. Norman, and Auriela Galli) to go out for ice cream. He starts off by calling Willy’s father a cheapskate, which gets Willy angry. This is how Danny explains that someone talking about their parents can make some upset, the way that it did Terry. Once the kids understand and forgive Terry, Danny tells them how they can make it up to her to make them all happy. That weekend, several members of the group start showing up at Terry’s place, bringing along the snacks they originally discussed. A three-piece kids bands shows up with their instruments and starts playing Shake, Rattle, and Roll. Danny starts to join in the fun, but the realizes he is being a buttinsky, so he and Margaret retreat back to their room, leaving the kids to have fun on their own. 6/27/23
• 077. The Songwriter – 1/17/1956
  • Unavailable for Viewing…
• 078. Star of the Family – 1/24/1956
  • Unavailable for Viewing…
• 079. Margaret’s Cousin – 1/31/1956
  • Unavailable for viewing…
• 080. Like Father, Like Cousin – 2/7/1956
  • Unavailable for Viewing…
• 081. Wyatt Earp Visits the Williamses – 2/14/1956
  • Rusty is obsessed with the TV show The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp, and it is driving Terry crazy. Rusty is telling Petey all about the episode that he missed, while Terry is waiting for a phone call from upper-classman Steven Birchard, whom she hopes is going to ask her to the masquerade dance. Rusty keeps calling Steven a creep, while Terry insists that Wyatt Earp smells like horses. As they are arguing about him, Danny tells Rusty that he just saw Wyatt Earp earlier that day, that is the actor that plays him, claiming that Hugh O’Brien (himself) is an old friend. Both Rusty and Margaret request that Danny invite him to stop by. Rusty wants to impress his friends, and Margaret thinks he is quite a man. Terry has no interest in meeting… until he shows up in a suit, at which time Terry’s crush starts to shine through. Rusty however is disappointed that he doesn’t have a holster, boots, or a tin star. When O’Brien mentions that he would have liked to meet Rusty’s friends, Rusty invites a group of them in to see him. They are also disappointed that O’Brien is out of costume and demand their ten cents each back from Rusty. O’Brien tries to show how he can draw with one of the kids’ holsters, but it is so small that he has to wrap it around his leg and is unable to draw. Terry returns from dressing up in her room and joins the family for dinner. When Rusty continues to be rude to Terry, Mr. O’Brien has a talk with Rusty about how cowboys respected women, even sisters, back in the old west. Rusty is skeptical and says he’ll be nice to women when he’s in the west. The next day, Terry finds out that Steven has the mumps and is inconsolable that he won’t be able to take her to the dance, since all of her friends are expecting to come with an older date. Rusty goes off on his own and visits Mr. O’Brien at his hotel and asks him to take Terry to the dance, as he wants to be respectful of womenfolk, O’Brien has to disappoint him, as he’s waiting to catch his plane back to California. Rusty’s folks try to find out where Rusty is, but he will only tell them that he was playing in the street. Terry is still depressed about the dance, when Mr. O’Brien shows up in full Wyatt Earp garb. He tells Danny and Margaret that it was Rusty who told him about Terry. She gets dressed up in her fanciest dress and they go off to the dance together, with Wyatt showing Rusty how fast he can really draw with his own gun. After they are gone, Danny, Margaret, and Rusty adapt and sing the theme song to The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp. Johnny Crawford, Paul Engle, and Jerry Hartleben are among Rusty’s friends. 6/27/23 
• 082. Who Can Figure Kids? – 2/21/1956
  • With a big musical coming up at school, Danny finds a song called Alice Blue Gown for Sherry to audition with, but she is completely unenthusiastic about it. She tells her father that she has no interest in entering show business, and instead wants to do something important to contribute to society, like becoming a nurse, dressmaker, or social worker. She claims she only went through all of the dancing lessons for her father’s benefit. Terry says she’s old enough to make her own decisions, but Danny insists that she’ll do as he says. Meanwhile, Danny rehearses September Song with his orchestra, when his old friend from Vaudeville Frank Martin (Wally Brown) stops by and they run through the song Down by the O-HI-O. Frank has brought along his son Bob (Arte Johnson), because he wants to put him into show business. It is clear that Bob doesn’t share the same enthusiasm, but when his father asks him to go through one of his routines, Bob performs a rousing rendition of the song So What. Danny invites Frank, Bob, and his fiancé Ellen King (Diane Jergens). The kids arrive at Danny’s place first, and Ellen starts asking Danny and Margaret if it is fair if Frank keeps pressuring Bob to be in show business when he really wants to become a doctor. Bob explains that ever since his mother died, his father has hung his hat on him becoming a big star. This causes friction between Ellen and Bob. Danny suggests that Bob simply tells him the truth. Danny and Margaret try to tell Frank that Bob doesn’t want to be in show business, but Danny tells Frank that show business is no good for Bobby, because despite the fact that he has the talent, he has no love for performing. Frank turns to Bob to see if he will tell him he doesn’t want to be in show business. Bob tells his father that he will do just what his father wants him to and will work hard and get his name up in lights… and once it does, he will quit show business and start medical school and become his own man. Frank agrees with Danny that if his heart’s not in it. He tells him to go be a doctor and be the best one he can be. They decide to all have dinner, and Danny tells Bob to grab his scalpel so he can carve the lamb. Later, Danny comes home to find Terry dancing in the living room, now keen to be in the school play. He tells her that she’ll be a flop if her heart’s not in it, and that she should concentrate on being a dressmaker, social worker, or nurse. She resents his words and tells him that show business is just as important to humanity as food and shelter, and that it is in her blood just like it is in his. Danny laughs and tells Margaret that he’s brilliant for discovering that anyone you want your kids to do what you want, simply tell them not to do it. 10/22/23
• 083. Terry and the Sorority – 2/28/1956
  • Unavailable for viewing…
• 084. Danny and Jesse Split – 3/6/1956
  • Unavailable for viewing…
• 085. Terry Has a Date – 3/13/1956
  • Unavailable for viewing…
• 086. Don’t Yell at Your Children – 3/20/1956
  • One morning at breakfast, Rusty wants to try and steal away to school before his father can see a bad report from the school that he has to sign. Terry is working on a report of bad grammar, so she starts pointing out every mistake that he makes while speaking. Danny starts getting annoyed with being corrected, so Margaret tells her to leave the table with her books. She argues that Danny is permitted to read his newspaper. When Danny blames Margaret for the kids’ behavior, they begin to argue amongst themselves. As Danny is about to angrily head off to work, Margaret gives him a passionate kiss, leading him back into the living room. Margaret wants to talk to Danny about how their family has been yelling at each other too much. She suggests that they try to remain calm and deal with the kids diplomatically rather than threatening them with punishments. They try practicing on each other, but both realize how sickening it sounds. Nevertheless, they vow to give it their best effort. It isn’t long before Rusty has to father that he broke the window at Shelmeyer’s Bakery. Danny stifles his anger and agrees to pay for the window and forgives his son. Rusty is dumbfounded and goes and tells Terry what just happened. Terry then approaches her parents and tells them that she too had an unfortunate episode as well: she let her friends use all of mother’s expensive French perfume. Margaret starts to snap at her but reels it back in and forgives her as well. The kids start taking advantage and acting up, but the folks are able to maintain their composure. Danny questions when their restrain is going to start paying off. Terry and Rusty walk into the room and drop their coats in the middle of the living room floor. Danny questions which one of them put the frog in his bed and which one squeezed the toothpaste into his slippers. Danny fells that their children don’t love them anymore. Terry and Rusty feel the same way about their folks. Finally at breakfast the next day, Terry and Rusty tell them to stop pretending that they care whether they eat or not, and that they wish they were dead. Terry says that they have been acting like strangers over the past week, and that they acted indifferent to everything they did. Danny begins to raise his voice again and tells Margaret that this is a result of her stupid idea. Margaret reminds him of the pact, but he says he’s going to freely raise his voice and raise his kids. As they continue to fight amongst themselves, Terry and Rusty happily eat their breakfast. Danny dishes out his punishment for all of the things they’ve done, and likewise Margaret gives Terry her punishments. As Danny continues to punish him, Rusty tells him he doesn’t need to love them that much. Danny and Margaret do a pitch for the audience to visit their Dodge dealer. 10/23/23
• 087. Coats and Boots – 3/27/1956
  • Unavailable for viewing…
• 088. We’re Going to Chicago – 4/3/1956
  • Unavailable for viewing…
• 089. Danny Goes on USO Tour – 4/10/1956
  • Danny is working on auditioning piano accompanists to join him on an overseas USO tour in Japan. The first guy who shows up is a hippy hep cat named Doug Adams (Peter Leeds). Danny wants him to play When You’re Smiling straight, but he jazzes it up and scats along with it, and worse yet, he calls Danny every name there is but his own. After Danny scoots him on his way, Margaret suggests that Danny ask Harry Ruby (himself) to reunite with him for the tour. Danny thinks Harry has become too big to drop everything and go to Japan. Rusty brings home his friend Jimmy’s piano teacher Mr. Hofsteader (Billy Gilbert) to audition for the part. They try to play When You’re Smiling, but Hofsteader has too much flourish to play it in the rhythmic style. Hofsteader tells Danny that his singing has no style and is undignified. Hofsteader tries to show him how to hold his hands in a fancy style in front of him, so Danny sings it in a haughty German accent. After they agree to part ways, Margaret brings up Harry again, and this time Danny thinks it would be a good idea to talk to Harry to see if he has any suggestions. Meanwhile over at the Ruby house, Harry is lamenting to his wife Irene (Mabel Albertson) how he has nothing to do, and that he now spends too much time sitting around between songs. Margaret calls and asks Harry to have Danny bring home some beef after they meet. She mentions that he’s coming to ask about the USO tour. Harry becomes excited at the prospect of going on the tour. When Danny shows up, Irene gives him the meat he needs, and Harry gives Danny a song he wrote that they used to perform together. However, when Harry realizes that Danny merely wanted advice on who to ask to be his accompanist. Harry is insulted and takes back his song and his meat. Margaret and Ilene talks amongst themselves and both realize they have stubborn husbands, but that the whole argument was a misunderstanding since Danny had actually wanted Harry to play with him. The wives agree to each bring their husband to the nightclub Sirocco, and then as they are talking to each other, they reveal out loud that Harry wanted to go on the USO tour, and that Danny had wanted him to go. They make up and agree to go on the tour together. The club owner (Eddie Garr) introduces them to the crowd, and they perform the song So Long! Oo-Long (How Long You Gonna Be Gone?). 10/25/23
• 090. Danny’s Birthday – 4/17/1956
  • Unavailable for viewing…

THE DANNY THOMAS SHOW – SEASON 4 – CBS

• 091. Boarding School – 10/1/1955
  • Danny’s career is reaching new heights, but things aren’t going so well personally. For the past year after the loss of his wife, he has been acting as both father and mother to his two children. He is in a wheelchair because he fell over Terry’s sweater that had Rusty’s skates under them. His press agent Liz O’Neill (Mary Wickes) has been helping take care of him somewhat, and his maid Louise (now played by Amanda Randolph) has been seeing after the kids. Their punishment for the skates and sweater is that they can’t watch TV for the weekend, so they find a loophole and sit in front of the TV blindfolded. Danny’s friend Benny comes over and joins the kids in watching TV blindfolded. Danny tells him that it has just been too difficult taking care of the kids, as they look at him as an older brother, and sometimes a younger brother. He has called a woman named Mrs. Paris (Virginia Gregg) who runs a boarding school to come over to talk about sending them away where they can get the proper care they need. When she gets there, he tells her how hard he’s been struggling, so she agrees to take them. Danny tells both of the kids about the boarding school, introducing it as a fun place to stay with all kinds of activities and swimming and bowling, etcetera. They are quick to jump at the chance, thinking that it is somewhere that their father is going to take them. Danny wants to make it sound like it is their idea to go, while they keep telling Danny that he wants them to go. Eventually they pack up their things and leave, with Terry warning him not to eat salami sandwiches as it will make him need bicarb. Sure enough, he goes for the salami, and then has to ask Louise to get him the bicarb and soda. Danny quickly starts to feel lonesome, although he won’t admit it. When Rusty’s friend Charlie O’Hare (Rudy Lee) stops by to play with Rusty, Danny tries to keep him there to play with him. Once he makes his escape, Benny shows up and Danny asks him to go out to the movies and the Copa Club with him, which he’ll have to do on crutches. As they are heading out, Mrs. Paris and the kids stop by so that Rusty can pick up a puppet, which Danny has mindlessly carried from Terry’s room to the living room. While they are there, neither will admit that they miss each other. However, Rusty notes that it is really dark outside, so they agree it is more sensible if the kids spend the night there. Mrs. Paris tells Danny that they only have limited space at the boarding house, and she wants to reserve it for families who have real problems. She does not believe they fall into that category, and therefore, she will not be back to pick them up the next morning. Rusty wakes up in the middle of the night itching because he ate strawberries at the boarding house, so Danny has to scratch his back while reading the paper and smoking a cigarette. 10/25/23
• 092. The Nelson Eddy Show – 10/8/1956
  • Danny tells the kids that their ‘uncle’ Jesse is coming over to discuss who will be replacing him in the nightclub act while he is incapacitated with his broken leg. The kids assure Danny that no comedian can replace him and that the crowd will truly be disappointed of someone else takes his place. He acts humble to the kids, but privately fantasizes about a newsboy (Eddie Ryder) announcing that the nightclub has flooded with tears by people expecting to see him. The kids then him that he is better than almost every other comedian with a few exceptions, and then they list a long list of comedians who he doesn’t surpass, including Milton Berle and Jimmy Durante. Jesse arrives and tells Danny that there is a huge list of comedians lined up to step in for him as a favor, but Danny seems to reject all of the suggestions. He doesn’t think Milton Berle could do it in the small venue because his voice is too loud. He shoots down Jimmy Durante because he doesn’t think they should replace one big nose for another. Danny then suggests operatic singer Nelson Eddy (himself), then private pictures the newsboy announcing that the masses are clamoring for his return. When Nelson Eddy comes over to see Danny and tell him that he is surprised that Danny chose him instead of a big-name comedian, Danny assures him that he would be just the type of entertainment that audiences would like to see. When Nelson suggests that he open with a rousing number and then tell some jokes, Danny suggests that he open with long, slow number, again picturing the newsboy saying that Nelson Eddy has opened the show, and the nightclub has now closed. Danny attends the opening and surprised by the crowd’s enthusiastic reception when he sings (It’s Gonna Be a) Great Day. He then moves into some jokes about his style is old-fashioned and he’s surprised that the young crowd knows him. He then pulls out a guitar and performs the humorous singalong called I Wish I Was that included the added lyrics, “I wish I had Danny William’s dough…” Nelson gets a standing ovation, but this prompts Danny to leave early, as he again pictures his newsboy saying that Nelson Eddy was a smash hit, while Danny Williams has been canceled. Nelson comes to see Danny, who is ready to tell him how he really feels, but then Nelson tells him that he would never have had the courage to perform if it wasn’t for Danny’s encouragement. Jessie stops by as well and tells him that all of the reporters are giving Danny the credit for being a great showman, and that it was a stroke of genius to invite Nelson Eddy to perform in his place. Danny starts to tell everyone that he must have a sixth sense when it comes to these things. He then pictures the newsboy, but before he can say anything, Danny attacks him with a broom. Later, Danny tells Rusty to go to bed when he keeps reading the rave reviews of Nelson’s performance, but he stops him when one of the reviews says that Nelson wsa no substitute for Danny Williams. However, when Rusty starts to keep reading it, the story begins to praise Nelson again, so Danny sends him on to bed. George Neise is the emcee. 2/27/24
• 093. Problem Father – 10/15/1956
  • Despite still being on crutches, Danny works on some new material for Benny, Liz, and Louse in his living room, singing How Little We Know and telling jokes about anti-intellectualism. Terry is annoyed by all of the noise and the fact that everyone is constantly telling jokes. She is getting ready for a date with a proper boy named Roger Haynes (Ray Stricklyn) and wants to see a more “dignified quiet” in the house before they leave for their dinner party at his parents’ house. Terry goes on about how her father (Parley Baer) is an investment banker with a seat on the stock exchange. She is afraid that her father will embarrass her in front of Roger, but Danny insists on meeting him anyway. Danny demands that Roger have Terry home by midnight. That night Danny is pacing around the living room in his wheelchair when they are still not home twenty minutes after midnight. Liz encourages Danny to act like a gentleman with his daughter, since all kids go through thinking that their parents are worse than their friends’ parents are. When they finally arrive home, Danny does his best to be civil with Terry, but he grabs Roger’s tie and demands that he follow his directions about having his daughter home on time. When he doesn’t let go, Liz has to cut the tie to free him. Terry cries that she’s never been so humiliated and storms off to go to bed. The next morning, cooler heads have prevailed, and Danny apologizes to Terry for losing his cool, saying that he was only worried about her. He also tells her that he sent Roger a new tie and called to apologize to him as well. He also says that he talked to Roger’s mother (Peg La Centra) and invited them over for dinner. Terry is again mortified that Danny will sing and tell jokes and embarrass her all over. Danny promises to act cultured, refined, and proper in front of the Haynes. When the guests arrive, everyone does their part to act dignified including Benny and Liz. Benny keeps quoting the stock market prices to Mr. Haynes. However, Mr. Haynes is more interested in sharing a funny lobster story. This time, it is Roger who becomes embarrassed and pleads with his father to stop telling the story. Mr. Haynes explains that Roger is afraid to hear him tell a story poorly, when Mr. Williams is one of the greatest storytellers of all time. Mr. Haynes reveals that he has seen Danny in nightclubs in several cities and is a great fan. He asks Danny to do his bus routine, and Danny agrees. Terry pleads with him to stop the story, and instead to tell the story of the girl who wanted to mold her father into what she thought he should be, but that she should learn that everyone has different tastes and behaviors. Danny says that the end of the story is predictable, and that the father loves his daughter. Danny decides to go through his new routine with the song How Little We Know. However, before they can start, Rusty wakes up and demands that everyone display a “dignified quiet.” 2/27/24
• 094. Be a Pal to Your Son – 10/22/1956
  • While Danny is working on an original song Don’t Say Goodbye, Say Farewell, he is interrupted by Rusty and his friend Tommy Raskin (Rudy Lee) playing spacemen. With Terry away visiting their Aunt Laura, Rusty gets upset that he can’t his father to pay attention to him. Tommy’s father Hal (Philip Ober) seems to give him all of the attention he needs, and even lets his son call him by his first name. Danny gets to meet Hal and sees how he plays with the boys and pretends to be dead when they shoot him with his space gun. He asks if he is okay with taking Rusty to the zoo with Tommy and invites Danny to go as well. Danny acts as if he is relieved to get rid of Rusty, so Hal speaks privately to Danny and tells him that he may not be spending enough time with his son, and then relates a story about a boy who married the wrong woman because his father had no influence to talk him out of it since he was never a pal to his son. Although Danny blows him off, he has a vision of Rusty being taken in by a young vamp named Delilah (Anna Marie Nanasi aka Ahna Capri) who has taken over Rusty’s life. He winds up expelled and knocking over his own piggy bank to buy her a fur coat. Rusty pushes the blame to Danny and accuses him of not being a pal to him, but only a mere father. Danny decides then and there that he needs to be more of a pal to his son. Danny tries to tell Rusty that he’s going to try and be more of a pal to him, but Rusty thinks he is being accused of something he didn’t do, causing more chaos than good. Later, Tommy comes to Danny and tells him that he was mugged of a dollar by a smaller boy named Stanley Walsh. He doesn’t want his own father to know he is scared of the boy because he is afraid of disappointing him since he had taught Tommy to stand up for himself. When Hal comes over to get him, Tommy can’t face him and runs out of the room crying. Danny has to explain that it isn’t always beneficial to be a pal, and that in some cases, Tommy needs an authority figure to protect him and not someone who is an ‘equal’. Danny suggests that Hal has been too much of a pal to his son, while Danny hasn’t been enough. Danny suggests that Hal needs to start by having Tommy call him ‘Dad’ rather than his first name. Later, Rusty manipulates his father into taking him to the movies by telling him that he had told his friends that he can get his father to take him whenever he wants, and that they had made fun of him. Rusty and Tommy then laugh when Danny acquiesces, and Rusty says that is why he didn’t want his father to be a ‘pal’, as he would have felt bad about tricking a pal like that. 2/27/24
• 095. Den Mother – 10/29/1956
  • Danny is rehearsing Don’t Blame Me with Benny when Rusty comes into the room doing his front rolls and back rolls for his achievement tests for the Cub Scouts. Terry also comes downstairs in a new dress and takes Danny’s attention off of Rusty. He is offended that his father seems more interested in Terry. Rusty then asks Danny to fill in the job at the Cub Scouts of becoming a replacement Den Mother. Danny tells him that this a job for a woman, but Rusty gives him such a guilt trip that he agrees to go the next meeting and volunteering to be the next Den Mother. He goes and talks to some of the other mothers including Mrs. Albright (Rita Lynn), Mrs. Shaffer (Shirley Mitchell), Mrs. Brown (Evelyn Scott), and Mrs. Jackson (Madge Meredith). All of the other mothers think the notion is ridiculous and poke fun at him. Mrs. Albright thinks that the fact that he plays in shoddy nightclubs will disqualify him from raising refined young men. She also says that she would be willing to do the job as den mother, so they ladies and Danny all agree to think about the situation and vote again the following week. Mrs. Albright comes by Danny’s place to talk to him and suggests that Danny withdrawal from the election and threatens to take the Cub Scout Council. Danny says that if the women don’t want him, they just won’t vote for him. She tells Danny that she will fight him every inch of the way. When she starts to insult the behavior of Rusty as well, Danny asks her which child is hers. She confesses that she has no children and that she only wants to be involved in the boys’ lives because she couldn’t have children. Danny is ultimately voted to be the next den mother, but then he starts talking to the ladies about all of the changes he wants to make to the Cub Scouts, including how to steal hubcaps off of cars. When the ladies criticize his ideas, he tells them that he’s probably not the best man for the job. Mrs. Albright knows what he is doing and gives him a kiss on the cheek and thanks him. Danny tells her that the mothers all need to stick together. Danny is happy to end up with the job of Assistant Den Mother so he can still be involved with Rusty’s life. 2/28/24
• 096. Terry at the Crossroads – 11/5/1956
  • Danny sings What’ll I Do at the piano before realizing it is time to send Rusty to bed. As Rusty heads up, Terry comes down for her date with a Junior named Bob Sheppard (Gary Gray) to go bowling. Danny criticizes how she is dressed and tells her that she needs to dress more ladylike. Terry tells her father that she hopes that he will ask her to the Junior Prom, and Danny thinks it is outrageous that he hasn’t asked her yet. Terry pleads with Danny not to say anything to Bob, so he doesn’t speak a single word at first. Once they start talking, Danny finds out from Bob that Terry spots him 20 pins in bowling, strikes him out at softball, and beats him in tennis. The next morning, Terry tells her father that Bob never asked her out to Prom. When Danny presses Terry on the subject, she says that she wouldn’t want to go with him anyway and asks that he drop the subject. Danny starts to worry about Terry not getting dates, so he asks Liz to work with her on how to be more feminine. She thinks that it is talking about the ‘birds and bees’ is more a job for a parent, so Danny agrees to do the talking himself. After he talks to her about being more feminine and singing her the song The Girl That I Marry. Terry tells him that she just wants to be himself, but he gives her pointers on how to make a guy feel big and important. Terry says it isn’t worth it to go through all of that to get a boy to like her. She vows to beat Bob Sheppard even worse the next time they bowl. Danny feels defeated in the matter and that he simply can’t communicate with a girl. The next time Bob comes over to pick up Terry for bowling, she comes down downstairs in a pretty dress and tells Bob that she’d rather go to Coney Island where they can ride the scary rollercoasters, and he can protect her. She compliments his muscles and his clever sayings. Danny is proud of his achievement. 3/3/24
• 097. Danny Goes to Texas – 11/12/1956
  • Terry is staying with her Aunt Laura in Philadelphia, and Danny is bored at home and nursing his broken leg with Rusty. Benny stops by to rehearse with Danny, and Jesse is right behind him and offers Danny a job to play a one-night event for a birthday party in Texas for a millionaire offering him a huge amount of money. Danny balks at the job as he thinks he is too big for such a small venue. Jesse tells him that he’s driving everyone crazy and needs to get out of the house. He also assures him it will be a big audience if the amount he is offered is any indication. When Danny implies that he might need a new agent, Jesse calls his bluff and hands him the phone so that he can call a new agency, but instead Danny calls Benny and tells him to get ready for a trip to Texas. Danny, Benny, and Rusty fly into Texas and are picked up by the farmhand Buck (Robert Anderson) and brought to the gigantic ranch of Mrs. Enright (Minerva Urecal). Danny is offended when Buck tries to set him them up in the bunkhouse since they are merely hired help. Danny speaks to Mrs. Enright and demands that he is treated like a guest. Danny threatens to return to the airport and fly home, but she tells him he will have to walk across the scorching desert if he wants to leave. Once he has no choice but to stay, she tells Danny that she will be the only one in the audience for her birthday party as she doesn’t like anyone, and no one likes her. While Danny wants to leave, Mrs. Enright takes a liking to Rusty, and she gives him the cowboy hat and boots that belonged to her late son Petey, who died in the war. Danny wants Rusty to give the items back, but Rusty tells Danny about her son and the fact that she will be alone for her birthday. Danny softens and tells Rusty that they will stay and entertain her, but Mrs. Enright now doesn’t want him there. Danny sends Rusty outside and speaks to Mrs. Enright and asks why she would want to throw a party for herself when she seems so unhappy. She says the party is not for her but doesn’t want to talk anymore about it. When he asks why she sent for him specifically, she tells him that he was the last one with her son shortly before he was killed. It turns out that Danny had entertained the troops on Petey’s birthday, and he told his mother that it was one of the greatest birthdays he ever had. Danny wants to entertain her but wants to round up some neighbors and have a real party. Mrs. Enright called Buck to round them all up and take them to the airport, but Danny insists on telling her a story about a grieving mother who dreamed of her son carrying a heavy sack. He tells his mother that the sack is filled with the tears that have been cried for him. Mrs. Enright decides to have Buck take them all and round up the neighbors for a party. Along with the Ken Darby Quintet (themselves), Danny performs the song This Then Is Texas from the film Giant. The episode is sponsored by Dial Soap, and Danny Thomas does promotion for the product. Kimberly Clark will be the following week’s sponsor and presents a commercial for Delsey Tissue. 7/11/24
• 098. The Diary – 11/19/1956
  • While Danny is rehearsing with Benny and working with Liz on a magazine article, he runs across some of Terry’s junk on the piano including her diary. Danny tells Liz he changes his mind about doing a publicity gig of judging a beauty contest in St. Louis because his kids need him. As if to be contrary to what he said, Rusty runs in and says hello before being ready to leave again. Danny makes him stop so that they can chat about any problems he might be having, but the only problem is that he needs to get to baseball practice. When Terry comes home, the only think she says is that she wishes she was dead. Benny and Liz suggest that Danny read her diary to find out what is wrong with her. Danny finally gives in and takes a peek inside, only to find out that she said how much of a principled man her father is. He doesn’t find out anything else before Terry gets a call from a boy named Dick and seems to cheer right up. However, when she finds her diary, she can tell by the ribbon placement that someone has been reading it, and she immediately jumps to the conclusion that it must be Rusty. Terry jumps down Rusty’s throat and tells him that she will never forgive him, even though Rusty swears that he didn’t do it, and it crushes him that she won’t believe him. Liz and Benny think that Danny should intervene and tell Terry the truth, but he doesn’t want to disappoint Terry after all of the things she said about him. Terry continues to give Rusty the cold-shoulder, which makes him question how much of a worm he is if no one will believe him, even wondering if he might have amnesia. Danny imagines himself being held in stocks by policemen Benny and Liz, but he still will not admit that he read the diary. When Rusty is brought in and pleading for his father’s freedom, the police tell him that his father said that he read the diary. As the police are getting ready to Rusty’s head off, Danny finally admits that he did it. Back in reality, Danny brings home a new tennis racquet for Rusty and a new camera for Terry. He says that the gifts are only to soothe his aching conscience and then admits that it was him who read the diary. He apologizes and says he would have admitted it right away if Terry hadn’t gotten so angry at Rusty. Rusty says that his father now owes him one forgiving the next time he gets mad. Terry says she forgives him and that she’s sure that her friend Sandra will too, since it was actually her diary in the first place. Danny blows his stack and wonders why she had Sandra’s diary. Terry said that she and her friends always exchange diaries, as there’s no point in keeping one unless someone reads it. 7/11/24
• 099. Talented Kid – 11/26/1956
  • Danny is planning on a skit on TV with Rusty helping him with the act with patter and song. Liz is concerned that Rusty isn’t up for the task, especially when it comes to singing. Danny thinks that he’ll be fine since he has showmanship in his blood. When Rusty gets home, Danny gives him the good news that he is going to be on TV, but Rusty is more interested in playing football than practicing for the act. Danny tells Rusty that it is time for him to be groomed for the spotlight, but Rusty reiterates that he wants to play football. However, when Danny tells him that he will make enough money with this job to buy his own football uniform. Danny tries him out with singing Daddy, You’ve Been a Mommy to Me, but Rusty is completely off key, no matter what key Benny plays it. After a horrible session of trying to coach him, Danny finally realizes that his kid has no talent and tells him so. Danny decides to hold open auditions for kids to replace Rusty. Danny suffers through multiple auditions including a boy named Billy Brooks (Tony Thomas aka Anthony Charles Thomas) singing a horrible rendition of I’m Looking Over a Four-Leaf Clover. Then a colleague of Danny’s named Chick (George O’Hanlon) shows up with his son Herbie (Barry Gordon), who is impressive in every sense of the word. He sings a rousing rendition of We Must Rock, Little Children, We Must Rock. Danny immediately hires Herbie, and they begin rehearsals. Herbie shows up at Danny’s place by himself since his father works as a watchman at the matinee. Herbie also tells him that he traveled to Boston by himself to see a play. Danny has Rusty take Herbie upstairs to play while they wait for Benny to arrive. Danny says that Herbie’s independence reminds him of himself when he was younger. However, Liz tells him that Danny only had those responsibilities to keep from starving when he was a kid, and now that he has the luxury of allowing Rusty to be a kid. Rusty tries to play cowboys and Indians with Herbie but doesn’t know how to play. Herbie says he never plays with the kids in his neighborhood because he can’t risk spraining his ankle or straining his voice. Rusty and Herbie argue over who knows more, but Rusty only knows about sports, and Herbie only knows about Broadway theaters. Danny tells both boys that they each know what they need to know, and they both have talents, even though they are both different kinds. Danny decides to cancel rehearsal for the day and gives him money for the doorman to send him home in a taxi. Danny then offers to take Rusty out for barbecue ribs. Rusty still laments that he has no talent, despite what Danny told them, and still has no football uniform. Danny realizes that he has tremendous talent as an actor who is hinting to his father that he wants a football uniform. Later at rehearsal, Herbie practices singing Daddy, You’ve Been a Mommy to Me. Rusty tells his father that he’s planning on leaving since he’s not wanted around there. Danny tells Rusty to take all of his junk and then gives him a box of new football equipment. Danny has Rusty try the song once more, but it only takes a few seconds before he sends him out to play football. Cappy Carey is Billy’s mother. 7/12/24
• 100. Danny’s Comeback – 12/3/1956
  • As Louise gets ready to leave for the day, Danny laments his broken leg and the fact that the doctor has told him that he should move around more. Once she leaves, Danny starts having Rusty wait on him hand and foot. Phil Brokaw (Sheldon Leonard), the other half of Danny’s management team Leeds and Brokaw, stops by and tells him that while Jessie is working a deal in Hollywood, he is going to be booking Danny, starting with a show next Thursday. Danny is resistant to get back to work while still in his crutches, but Brokaw says that he has already signed the contract. Danny says he isn’t going back to work until his ready and that it could still be a year or more. Brokaw says that if he can’t book a headliner to replace Danny, he will book a rookie named Yuki Schultz. Danny gets especially irritated when he finds out that Liz is going to be handling Yuki’s publicity, and then making matters worse, he hears that Benny is going to play for Yuki. Brokaw puts the final knife in his back when he asks if Yuki can borrow Danny’s tuxedo. Benny comes to see Danny and laments that it isn’t him who is opening at the club that night. When Danny finds out that Benny offered Yuki Danny’s signature song, We’re Strong for Toledo, he gets upset again. Meanwhile, Brokaw and Liz wait at the club for Danny to show up. They even have his food ordered for him, and sure enough, Danny shows up. Benny then comes to the table and tells everyone that Yuki chickened out and failed to show up. They all look to Danny to take his place, but Danny accuses them of being horrible actors and says he’s not falling for such a cornball routine. He yells at them and tells them how ridiculous they were to make up Yuki Schultz and says there is no way he is going to perform while he is on crutches, then gets up and storms off… without his crutches. Once he realizes it, his theme music starts playing, and he launches into his performance. He tells his jokes, ending with a story about a customer eating a lobster, and the sings his song Living the Life I Love. 7/12/24
• 101. My Fair Vocal Coach – 12/10/1956
  • A woman named Elaine Bunson (Terry Saunders) comes to see Danny one after, but since he isn’t home, Rusty entertains her while waiting for Danny to return. He is instantly smitten by her, and she treats Rusty with utmost respect. Danny arrives home with Liz, who has arranged for Danny to take vocal lessons from Elaine for an upcoming outdoor musical comedy in which he is going to star. Danny is adamant about not needing the vocal coach, but he changes his mind when he sees how pretty Elaine is. Rusty warns his father that he saw her first. When Elaine shows up for her Danny’s first lesson, she lays it on the table that she’s not interested in any romantic advances and then chastises him for sending her poems and gifts. However, Danny realizes right away that the gifts came from Rusty. Their training session gets underway and Danny sings If I Loved You so she can hear his vocals. When Elaine takes over the singing in order to tell him how to project his voice, Danny is blown away by how powerful and magnificent her voice is. Immediately, he starts telling her that she needs to be on the stage. She tries to tell him that she isn’t interested in making performing her career, but he is stubborn and insists on arranging an audition with high-level opera impresarios in town. She adamantly refuses and tells him that one day she had wanted a career in opera, but after her husband passed away, she realized she needed something much more stable. When he keeps pressing, she ultimately tells him to butt out and runs out the front door crying. In light of this, Danny still brings around famous impresarios Rudolf Benelman (Steve Geray), Victor Waingraft (John Wengraf), and Thomas Bengham (Philip Tonge) and has them pose as his friends Moe the plumber, Mike the cab driver, and Manny, the butcher’s helper, respectively. He even puts them in the correct costumes, and then when Elaine arrives, they ask her to sing for them. She recognizes them immediately and tries to leave the apartment, but Danny won’t let her go until she sings. Rusty calls her upstairs and offers her refuge. Rusty tells her that he understands how she can be afraid because his father was afraid to return to the stage after his broken leg. He also admits that he’s had similar moments of fear. As Danny is showing the men out, Elaine comes down the stairs singing Habanera. The guys are all duly impressed and complimentary. Later, Rusty laments that they are going to miss her, but Danny tells him that they should be proud how they helped her along. When Danny’s new vocal coach, Miss Emerson (Edith Leslie) comes to the door, Danny sends Rusty away so that he is no longer competing with him. However, after seeing that she is giant hulk of a woman, he calls Rusty and tell him that his vocal coach is here. 11/16/24
• 102. Pride Takes a Holiday – 12/17/1956
  • Liz is working on a promotional piece for Ladies Home Magazine Danny, which highlights how he takes care of his children, acting as both their father and mother. He talks about how he has to be open to their problems and always ready to listen. However, when Rusty comes home and wants his attention, he tells Rusty to get lost. Once he realizes the irony, he gives Rusty the chance to tell him that their Cub Scoutmaster Mr. Alter (Claude Stroud) wants to know if Danny will act as the emcee for their Cub Scout talent show. Meanwhile, Terry also has a problem for Danny to help her with. Terry has helped plan a charity dance for school, but her friend Pam Story has been made the floor chairman, while Terry has been given the unenviable job as cloakroom chairman. Danny suggests that Terry should just quit the club after being disrespected in that fashion. Liz tells Danny that this is a bad precedent to act like a sore loser and cause herself to get a bad reputation. Danny reconsiders and tells Terry that he was wrong initially, and that even though her pride was hurt, she needs to put it aside and help the folks who need her. He says that sometimes one has to do jobs that they consider beneath them. Having given her some great advice, he goes to see Mr. Alter to find out what his role will be as emcee. Alter has everything written out for him and insists that Danny not improvise or stray from the brief cue cards that he is given. Danny keeps telling Alter that he would like to add some humor, especially a new joke about a fat lady going to buy a girdle, but Alter keep shutting him down and telling him that the children will provide the entertainment, and he is only there to introduce them. He goes home and tells Rusty that he’s not going to do the job because Alter doesn’t appreciate his talents. Rusty pleads with him that they’ve already printed up the tickets and promotion that has his name on it, which helped to drive the sales. Danny is adamant that he won’t do the show the way that Alter wants it, even though it puts Rusty in a bad spot with his fellow Cub Scouts. Liz points out the folly of his way, and when Terry comes home and tells her father how wise his advice was, and that by doing a great job in the cloakroom, her reputation has soared by taking a menial job and doing it better than anyone else has done. When Mr. Alter returns Danny’s call, Liz makes Terry stay in the room so she can witness the phone call. Danny has no choice but to tell Mr. Alter that he is all set to be there for the performance. During the show, Danny tries his best to stay with the script but occasionally veers off into the joke of the fat woman, only to be cut off by Mr. Alter. One boy named Douglas Schwab (Larry White) tap dances for the show, and then Rusty and his friend Phil Phillip (Phillip Phillips) does a call-and-response version of Sonny Boy, with Rusty dressed as a baby in a carriage. Danny tries his joke one more time before the curtain comes down on him. 11/17/24
• 103. Christmas and Clowns – 12/24/1956
  • Rusty is making a very hefty Christmas request list for himself, and Danny makes sure to let him know that Christmas is all about giving and not receiving. He says that there is nothing like the happiness one feels with making someone else feel happy themselves. They make a plan for their Christmas Eve dinner, with Louise planning to cook the three of them a 30-pound bird. Danny confesses to Terry that he just wants the three of them there for the holiday this year, as he is still reeling from his first holiday after Margaret’s passing. Terry agrees that she wants to be alone with the family as well. Officer Burton (Dick Wessel) stops by to tell the family that he will be looking out for any robbers that might be visiting houses while families are away for the holidays. Danny assures him that they will be staying home and then offers Burton his tip money. Burton thanks him and then tells him that he had to give Danny a parking ticket. Later, when Rusty speaks to the man who is delivering the Christmas tree, an out-of-work clown with the circus that just folded named Mike Kelly (George Tobias), and he finds out that Mike once worked with Danny at a carnival, he decides to take his father’s advice to heart and invite him for Christmas dinner. Mike is reluctant to come, mostly because some of the other out-of-work circus performers were planning to get together for dinner, so Rusty tells him to bring all of them as well. Mike isn’t sure if Danny will appreciate everyone coming, but Rusty assures him that his father has been espousing the spirit of giving a lot lately. Not long after Mike accepts the invitation and leaves, Rusty finds out from Terry that she and his father had both agreed not to have anyone over. On Christmas day, Danny sings Adeste Fideles while Terry gathers her gifts from under the tree. Rusty is a nervous wreck about telling his father about the plans he made and even suggests eating quickly and then leaving the house. It becomes clear why when Mike shows up, bringing along a juggler (Duke Johnson), two acrobats (John A Robinson, Vincent J. Bonofiglio), and two acrobatic dancers (Diane Robinson, Patricia Reid). Danny tries to be polite as he attempts to figure out who they are and why they are there. Once he realizes that Rusty invited them, he tells Terry about it, and the two of them tear through the house to visit Rusty in his room and tell him off. Mike and the others start to realize that they don’t seem to be wanted at the house. Danny berates Rusty for inviting people and not telling him, and Rusty responds that he wanted to surprise him after he had told Rusty how great it is to do things for other people to make them happy. He even tells his father that he is wrapping up some of the gifts that he received to give to them. Danny and Terry then feel guilty and agree to wrap up some of their own gifts to give the visitors, but Rusty tells him that he already did it for them. They rush downstairs singing carols with their arms full of gifts… only to find that Mike the others have left. They decide to suit up and go look for them, but as they are leaving, Officer Burton shows up with all of them rounded up. Although they had told him that they left Danny Williams’ house empty, he warns Danny that he doesn’t want to get involved with these types of people. Danny argues that they are among the first entertainers and should be treated with respect. He welcomes them back warmly and they all share a meal together. Afterward, the juggler, acrobats, and dancers each perform their own routines for Danny and the family. Mike the Clown tells Danny that he’s sorry they can’t give the family anything, but Danny tells them they’ve given them the greatest gift of all, one that comes from themselves. 11/23/24
• 104. Liz’s Boyfriend – 12/31/1956
  • Liz comes floating into Danny’s apartment on cloud nine one day, causing him and the kids to think that she might have been drinking. However, it turns out that she has met a man named Rod Fowler (Fredd Wayne) and is thrilled to be falling in love for the first time. Danny says that he will have to meet him to give his approval, but when Liz tells him that Rod is a big fan of Danny’s, he gives an instant approval. He does in fact invite them over, and while Rusty is playing checkers with Benny while waiting for her to arrive, Danny rehearses the song True Love to play for them when they arrive. When Liz and Rod arrive, Rod starts to fawn all over Danny and reveals that he had been trying to get a meeting with him to present some comedy material that he wrote. Between complimenting Danny and calling him a master of comedy, he keeps pushing himself as a writer and trying to arrange a meeting to discuss the material. He asks Danny to play golf over the weekend, and when Danny says that his leg isn’t fully recovered and recommends Benny as a player, Rod suddenly loses interest in playing. Eventually, it becomes clear to Liz that Rod has been using her to get to Danny and tells him that she is through with him. Danny advises Rod to leave, and Liz is heartbroken and feels foolish to have been used so blatantly. After she leaves, Danny doesn’t hear back from her for days. The kids want to set her up with the newsstand worker Mr. Shermahorn (Johnny Silver). Danny tells them that they should not be meddling in Liz’s private affairs. However, Danny then gets the idea to call his friend Pat to set Liz up with his cousin, accountant John Savich (Richard Deacon). Meanwhile, Benny shows up dressed to the nines, hoping that he can romance Liz when they all have a meeting. When Liz arrives, she laughs off Benny’s advances and declaration of love for her, thanks him for the effort but says she’s rather not talk about her love life. Then John Savich shows up with the obvious intention of wooing Liz at the direction of his cousin. As he is making his move on Liz, the kids bring home Mr. Shermahorn, who admits that the kids forced him to come under threat of taking their magazine business elsewhere. Liz is clearly embarrassed by the whole situation, so Danny asks the two guys to leave. Danny offers his apologies to Liz on everyone’s behalf, but she says that Danny and the others may have saved her life, making her feel for the first time that she was really one of the family. Knowing that she isn’t alone in the world, she will now have the patience to find a boyfriend. Savich and Shermahorn return briefly to reclaim the gifts that they had brought for Liz. Later, Benny arrives to see Danny and tells him that he met a girl, but that he then found out that she wants to meet Danny. Benny then believes that she was using him to meet Danny and further her career, but when it is revealed that the girl sells hats for a living. When Danny says that he couldn’t possibly help her career in that line of work, Benny says he needs phone her before she makes another date. 11/23/24

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