Evening star., 1947-11-09
A Promise Is Remembered
Danny Thomas, His Prayers Answered,
Builds Hospital Shrine
By Harold Heffernon

of the nicer sections of town. Dan
ny applied for a job and received
this retort:
Son, you're strictly Twelfth street
material. My advice for you is to
stay right there"
The rebuff, Danny says, hit him
harder than anything in his life.
He was desperate. His wife, with
new baby, wanted him to quit the
business and get into something
more lucrative. And now this hard
boiled advice from a friend!
"I walked down Woodward ave-
nue. with the tears streaming over
my face" Danny recalled. Il al
ways felt I had a talent for enter
tanning and that I could make a
career of it, but no one else thought
so. Then I remembered that st.
Jude card in my pocket. I f1sheo
it out and began praying. I made
a VOW right there in the street thai
if I made good 1 would build 2
shrine to him."
Between the Eyes.
Next day Danny received a phone
call from a friend in Chicago. A
trial awaited him there in a small
Chicago club. Danny filled the gas
tank and drove over. He became an
instantaneous hit. He went from
the small club to larger ones. His
salary from week to week was be-
ing doubled and trebled.
Suddenly, it all hit me right
between the eyes, said Danny,
smacking himself on the forehead
for emphasis. Here I was, finally
making good in a big way. But I
had almost forgotten my promise.
So I began making plans for that
shrine"
And now-f1ve years later-with
Hollywood screen career assured,
Danny Thomas shrine to his patron
saint is about to become a reality.
1t will be in the form of hospital,
located in the heart of the impov-
erished section of Alabama. Down
there" Danny explained, "the poor
people not only need faith in God,
they need faith in their fellow men"
Architects are busy preparing the
blue prints. and building will COM
mence shortly after January l.
Danny's opening venture will cost
$25 900, but he plans to add siz-
ably to this as his income increases.
And he isn't worried about the flu
ture.
AS for the permanent financing
and upkeep of the hospital, Danny
says it will be handled through 6
special arrangement he has made
for personal appearances. He will
go out on the road for eight weeks
cocll year, turning over all the pro-
ceeds to the undertaking.
1t Can't Miss.
The place can't miss" said Danny
confidently, but not boastfully.
Some day I'm going to have a mil
lion dollars, and the hospital will
get most of it,"
Danny was born on January 6,
1914, in Deerfield, Mich, of Roman
Catholic Syrian parents. His peo-
pie are pure Lebanese, descended
from Biblical times. He grew up
with his eight brothers and one
sister in Toledo, Ohio, where he first
demonstrated his peculiar talents by
appearing at local banquets as a
comic prodigy. 1t was in Detroit
he married pretty, 17-year-old
girl, Rosemarie, whom he met on
radio kiddie program.
This was way back in 1884, when
Danny was known by his real name
of Amos Jacobs. But when he re-
ceived an offer to appear in Chi
cago's 5100 Club the lad, afraid of
offending the family's good name,
chose the monikers of his two
brothers, Danny and Thomas.
The man with reverence and hope
in his heart has done all right. The
boys and girls who quaffed their
suds while Danny did his $2-a-night
stuff can see for themselves If they
come out this way. A sightseeing
bus will take them past a Beverly
Hills mansion where Danny. his wife
and two youngsters now live. But
Danny has never lost his touch. II
he drops into a beer parlor he's apt
to sing. dance or tell a story-thie
time for free.
(Released by North American Newspaper
Alliance)