Marjorie Lord - # 118

Marjorie Lord, Sitcom Wife of Danny Thomas, Dies at 97

She was number 118 on the list.

Marjorie Lord, who starred as the cheery and supportive wife Kathy Williams on the showbiz-centered hit sitcom Make Room for Daddy/The Danny Thomas Show, has died. She was 97.

Lord, who joined the comedy in 1957 near the end of its fourth season and stayed through its finish in April 1964, died of natural causes on Nov. 28 at her home in Beverly Hills, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Survivors include her daughter, the Oscar-nominated actress Anne Archer (Fatal Attraction), from a marriage to actor John Archer (White Heat).

A former contract player at RKO and Universal with a long list of B-movies and TV shows to her credit, Lord was hired as Thomas’ second wife on the show (known as Make Room for Daddy for its first four seasons). Jean Hagan played his first wife, Margaret, who died between seasons three and four.

Lord’s Kathy was a widowed Irish nurse with a daughter, Linda (Angela Cartwright). She wed Thomas’ character — a nightclub singer-comic who spends a lot of time on the road — on the series’ fourth-season finale and always handled her spouse’s showbiz hyperactivity with aplomb.

The series, which aired on ABC and CBS, also co-starred Rusty Hamer as Thomas’ son, Rusty. (Hamer, who joined the show at age 6, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at age 42 in 1990.) Sherry Jackson, who played Thomas’ oldest child Terry, departed early in the sixth season.

Lord and everyone else got back together for the 1970-71 ABC revival Make Room for Granddaddy.

While making Make Room for Daddy, Lord put her movie career on the back burner. She made just one feature after the show ended, playing Bob Hope’s wife in the screwball comedy Boy, Did I Get a Wrong Number (1966), but worked often in the theater as an actress and director.

Earlier, Lord played the deadpan lead in two Bert Wheeler-Robert Woolsey comedies — On Again-Off Again and High Flyers, both released in 1937. She also appeared in Sherlock Holmes in Washington (1943) opposite her husband John, who played her fiance in the movie; Johnny Come Lately (1943) with James Cagney; and Riding High (1950), a Bing Crosby musical.

Marjorie Wollenberg was born on July 26, 1918, in San Francisco. She came to New York when her father, a cosmetics executive, was transferred, and at age 16 she landed a role on Broadway in The Old Maid, co-starring Judith Anderson and Helen Menken, Humphrey Bogart’s first wife.

She bounced back and forth between New York and California working in films and theater; at one point, she spent a year touring in Springtime for Henry with Edward Everett Horton.

Lord was active during the early days of live TV and guest-starred on such shows as The Lone Ranger, The Adventures of Kit Carson, Ramar of the Jungle and Hopalong Cassidy.

After her 14-year marriage to Archer ended in divorce in 1955, she starred in the play Anniversary Waltz, produced by Randolph Hale, who in 1958 would become her second husband. Thomas and producer Sheldon Leonard saw her in the play in Los Angeles and signed her to play a nurse for four weeks on Make Room for Daddy. It took just one episode for them to realize they had the next Mrs. Williams.

On the big screen, Lord also appeared in the serial The Adventures of Smilin’ Jack, based on the popular comic-book flying ace. Her other film credits include Forty Naughty Girls (1937), Moonlight in Havana (1942), The Argyle Secrets (1948), The Strange Mrs. Crane (1948), Masked Raiders (1949), The Lost Volcano (1950) and Rebel City (1953).

In 1957, Lord guest-starred on the first episode of the Western series Wagon Train, and years later she appeared with her daughter Anne in the 1978 CBS telefilm The Pirate, based on a Harold Robbins novel. Her last onscreen appearance came in a 1988 CBS telefilm, Side by Side, with her old friend Thomas.

Lord and Hale opened and ran Valley Music Theater in Los Angeles, but that business went under and he died of lung cancer in 1974.

She was married to L.A. banker Harry Volk, who helped found many cultural institutions in town, including the Music Center, from 1976 until his death in 2000.

Lord published a memoir, A Dance and a Hug, in 2004.

 

Filmography

Film

Year       Title       Role       Notes    Ref

1937      High Flyers          Arlene Arlington               Musical comedy film directed by Edward F. Cline.             

On Again-Off Again          Florence Cole     Musical comedy film directed by Edward F. Cline.             

Forty Naughty Girls         June Preston      American comedy directed by Edward F. Cline    

Hideaway            Joan Peterson    Comedy film directed by Richard Rosson               

Border Café        Janet Barry          Western film directed by Lew Landers    

1939      The Middleton Family at the New York World's Fair          Babs      Directed by Robert R. Snody       

1942      Escape from Hong Kong                 Valerie Hale and Fraulein K          American comedy film directed by William Nigh.    

Moonlight in Havana      Patsy Clark          American romantic comedy film directed by Anthony Mann         

1943      Johnny Come Lately        Jane       Drama film directed by William K. Howard.          

Sherlock Holmes in Washington                 Nancy Partridge               

    The fifth film in the Basil Rathbone/Nigel Bruce series of Sherlock Holmes films.

    Directed by Roy William Neill.

Shantytown        Virginia Allen      Crime film directed by Joseph Santley    

Hi, Buddy             Mary Parker                      

The Adventures of Smilin' Jack    Janet Thompson               Serial based on comic strip directed by Lewis D. Collins and Ray Taylor          

1947      New Orleans      Grace Volcella    Musical romance film directed by Arthur Lubin  

1948      The Strange Mrs. Crane Gina Crane, alias of Jennie Hadley             Crime film-noir film directed by Sam Newfield                

The Argyle Secrets           Marta    Mystery romance directed by Cy Endfield             

1949      Masked Raiders                Gale Trevett aka Diablo Kid          Western directed by Lesley Selander      

Air Hostess          Jennifer White   Action drama directed by Lew Landers   

1950      Chain Gang         Rita McKelvey   American drama film directed by Lew Landers and written by Howard J. Green.

The Lost Volcano              Ruth Gordon      Adventure film directed by Ford Beebe

Riding High         Mary Winslow   Musical film directed by Frank Capra      

1951      Stop That Cab    Mary Thomas     Comedy, crime film directed by Eugenio de Liguoro         

Venture of Faith                               Drama directed by Frank R. Strayer         

1953      Mexican Manhunt           Sheila Barton     American crime film directed by Rex Bailey.         

Down Laredo Way           Valerie American western film directed by William Witney.         

1954      Port of Hell         Kay Walker         Drama directed by Harold D. Schuster    

1966      Boy, Did I Get a Wrong Number!               Mrs. Martha Meade        American comedy film directed by George Marshall.            

Television

Year       Title       Role       Notes    Ref

1949      Your Show Time                Guest    Episode: "The Real Thing" (S 1:Ep 8)        

1950      The Lone Ranger               Kitty McQueen Episode: "Bullets for Ballots" (S 1:Ep 35)                

1951      Hollywood Opening Night             Guest    Episode: "Hand on My Shoulder" (S 1:Ep 9)          

1952      Fireside Theatre                Sue Brown          Episode: "Brown of Calaveras" (S 4:Ep 33)            

Gwen    Episode: "Mirage" (S 4:Ep 41)     

China Smith        Ruth Cotton        Episode: "Devil-In-The-Godown" (S 1:Ep 6)           

Fireside Theatre                Catherine            Episode: "Visit from a Stranger" (S 5:Ep 5)            

Ford Theatre: All Star Theatre     Guest    Episode: "Edge of the Law" (S 1:Ep 6)     

1953      Fireside Theatre                Guest    Episode: "The Return" (S 5: 19)  

Schlitz Playhouse of Stars              Guest    Episodew: "The Devil's Other Name" (S 2:Ep 25)

Ford Theatre: All Star Theatre     Guest    Episode: "The Jewel" (S 1:Ep 35)               

Hallmark Hall of Fame    Sarah McCoy      Episode: "McCoy of Abilene" (S 3:Ep 4)  

Ramar of the Jungle        Lylia Webley       Episode: "Call to Danger" (S 2:Ep 6)         

1954      Ramar of the Jungle        Lylia Webley       Episode: "Blind Peril" (S 2:Ep 12)               

Four Star Playhouse        Bessie   Episode: "Operation In Money" (S 2:Ep 25)          

General Electric Theater                Millie     Episode: "That Other Sunlight" (S 2:Ep 17)            

Schlitz Playhouse of Stars              Guest    Episode: "Her Kind of Honor" (S 3:Ep 29)               

Hopalong Cassidy             Adele Keller        Episode: "Tricky Fingers" (S 2:Ep 26)       

Fireside Theatre                Guest    Episode: "Trial Period" (S 6:Ep 35)            

Cavalcade of America     Mrs. Field            Episode: "The Great Gamble" (S 3:Ep 20                

The Lone Wolf   Lori Race              Episode: "The Malibu Story (a.k.a. Malibu-Laguna)" (S 1:Ep 9)      

Ford Theatre: All Star Theatre     Liz           Episode: "Shadow of Truth" (S 3:Ep 3)    

Climax! Guest    Episode: "Epitaph For a Spy" (S 1:Ep 8)   

1955      Cavalcade of America     Lee Powell Coleman        Episode: "Take Off Zero" (S 3:Ep 14)        

Guest    Episode: "Decision For Justice" (S 3:Ep 15)            

The Lone Ranger               Clare Lee              Episode: "The Law Lady" (S 4:Ep 25)        

Henry Fonda Presents the Star and the Story       Joan       Episode: "Newspaper Man" (S 1:Ep 19)  

Loretta Young Show        Miss Cook            Episode: "A Shadow Between" (S 3:Ep 16)            

1956      TV Reader's Digest           Guest    Epispde: "Lost, Strayed, and Lonely" (S 2:Ep 21)

Wire Service       Phyllis Holley      Episode: "Hideout" (S 1:Ep 3)     

1957      Zane Grey Theater           Amy Marr           

    Episode: "Decision At Wilson's Creek" (S 1:Ep 28)

    Rerun as Frontier Justice (S 1:Ep 6) in 1958 with the same episode title.

               

Wagon Train      Mary Palmer      Episode: "The Willy Moran Story (Pilot)" (S 1:Ep 1)            

1957–64               The Danny Thomas Show              Kathy 'Clancey' O'Hara Williams                 Main cast            

1958      The Ed Sullivan Show      Kathy Williams Episode: "September 21, 1958: CBS's Stars of the 1958-59 TV Season" (S 11:Ep 2)          

Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse                Kathy Williams

    Episode: "Lucy Makes Room for Danny" (S 1:Ep 9)

    Also listed under The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour with the same episode title. (S 2:Ep 2)

               

1961      The Joey Bishop Show    Kathy Williams

    Episode: "This Is Your Life" (S 1:Ep 4)

    A spin-off of The Danny Thomas Show.

               

1967      The Danny Thomas Hour               Kathy Williams Episode: "Make More Room for Daddy" (S 1:Ep 9)            

1969      Love, American Style      Guest    Episode: "Love and the Single Couple" (S 1:Ep 13)             

1970–71               Make Room for Granddaddy       Kathy Williams

    Main cast

    Sequel to Make Room for Daddy (1953–1956)

    Make Room for Daddy changed its name to The Danny Thomas Show (1956–1964)

               

1975      The Missing Are Deadly Mrs. Robertson Television movie directed by Don McDougall.     

1978      Fantasy Island    Beth Shane         Episode: "Family Reunion / Voodoo" (S 1:Ep 4)   

The Pirate            Mrs. Mason       

    Made-for-television film directed by Ken Annakin.

    Based on the novel with the same name written by Harold Robbins.

1980      The Love Boat    Martha Rogers Episode: "April's Love/Happy Ending/We Three" (S 3:Ep 17)         

1987      Sweet Surrender              Joyce Holden     

    Main cast

    Short-lived American sitcom.

               

1988      Side by Side        Mrs. Hammerstein           Television movie directed by Jack Bender.            

Stage

Year       Title       Role       Theatre                Notes    Ref

1935      The Old Maid     Tina       Broadway            Replacement performer

1945      Signature             Nora Davisson   Original performer

1946      Little Brown Jug                Carol Barlow

1967      The Girl in the Freudian Slip         Paula Maugham