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LA Times

‘Make Room for Daddy’ Was a Must-See for Millions of Baby Boomers Growing Up. Marjorie Lord, Who Played the Mom in the Series, Dies at 97

Dec 14, 2015  •  Post A Comment

Marjorie Lord, best known for co-starring with Danny Thomas in the popular 1950s sitcom “Make Room for Daddy,” has died of “natural causes” at the age of 97, the Los Angeles Times reported on Saturday. Lord died on Nov. 28, 2015 at her home in Beverly Hills, the newspaper said, giving no explanation as to why Lord’s family delayed making public the announcement of her death.

Interestingly, the sitcom – also known as “The Danny Thomas Show” – did not become a huge hit until Lord joined the program as a regular in its 5th season. Before then, the show was never in the ratings of the Top 30 series for the season. However, for the season when Lord joined the show as a regular – the 1957-’58 season – the sitcom finished second in the season-long ratings, behind “Gunsmoke.” The series ran until 1964.

Danny Thomas played Danny Williams in the show, and his first wife in the sitcom was played by Jean Hagan, who is best remembered for playing Lina Lamont in the classic “Singing in the Rain” a year before appearing in “Make Room for Daddy.” She left the sitcom in 1956. Lord played Danny Thomas’ second wife in the show, Kathy, according to the authoritative reference book “The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows” by Tim Brooks and Earle Marsh.

Notes the Times, Lord’s “gracious style was a counterweight to Thomas’ comedy. ‘She melted him, and in life, too, he was completely melted by her,’” Lord’s daughter, actress Anne Archer, said.

Marjorie-LordMarjorie Lord, along with Danny Thomas, (left) and guest-star Jack Benny in an episode of “The Danny Thomas Show” (aka “Make Room for Daddy”)

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