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On February 15, 1947, Rusty Hamer was born.
Hat tip, {redacted}
Rusty Hamer
Hamer and Sherry Jackson in Make Room for Daddy in 1955
Born: Russell Craig Hamer; February 15, 1947; Tenafly, New Jersey, U.S.
Died: January 18, 1990 (aged 42); DeRidder, Louisiana, U.S.
Education: Palisades High School
Occupation: Actor
Years active: 1953–1971
Russell Craig "Rusty" Hamer (February 15, 1947 – January 18, 1990) was an American stage, film and television actor. He portrayed Rusty Williams, the wisecracking son of entertainer Danny Williams (Danny Thomas), on the ABC/CBS situation comedy Make Room for Daddy (later retitled The Danny Thomas Show), from 1953 to 1964. He reprised the role in three reunion specials and the sequel series, Make Room for Granddaddy, which aired on ABC from 1970 to 1971.
{snip}
Career
{snip}
On December 27, 1966, Hamer underwent emergency surgery at Santa Monica Emergency Hospital after sustaining a gunshot wound to the abdomen when a gun he was carrying in a shoulder holster slid out, fell to the ground and discharged. Hamer was carrying the gun having just returned from an overnight hunting trip. After recovering, he appeared in a second reunion special, "Make More Room For Daddy", that aired during a segment of the NBC anthology series The Danny Thomas Hour, in 1967.
Throughout the mid to late 1960s, Hamer continued to attempt a transition into adult roles and, according to Danny Thomas, enrolled in acting classes, but was unable to land any acting jobs. By the end of the decade, he had grown increasingly bitter and depressed over his waning career. To support himself, he began working for a messenger service in Los Angeles and later worked as a carpenter's apprentice. Hamer's only non-"Rusty Williams" acting role post-1964 was a guest spot on the CBS sitcom Green Acres that aired in November 1969.
Hamer (top left) in 1970 with co-stars in Make Room for Granddaddy.
In 1969, Hamer again reprised his role as Rusty Williams in a third reunion special, Make Room for Granddaddy. The special aired on CBS on September 14. Due to the ratings success of the reunion specials, ABC created a weekly sequel series, also titled Make Room for Granddaddy, for their fall 1970 schedule. The series premiered on September 24, 1970, but failed to catch on with audiences. Make Room for Granddaddy was cancelled after one season. It was Hamer's final acting role.
Later years
In the 1970s, Hamer moved to southwestern Louisiana where he worked on an off-shore oil rig for Exxon and delivered newspapers. In 1976, he relocated to DeRidder, Louisiana, to be closer to his ailing mother, Dorothy, who was suffering from Alzheimer's disease and lived with his elder brother John. After moving to the area, John Hamer had opened a cafe where, in his final years, Rusty Hamer occasionally worked as a short order cook.
In October 1981, Hamer reunited with former co-stars Danny Thomas and Angela Cartwright. The reunion was televised as part of the ABC special What Became Of...?, that aired on October 25.
Death
On the night of January 18, 1990, John Hamer found his brother's body in his trailer home in DeRidder, Louisiana. Hamer had shot himself in the head with a .357 Magnum revolver.
John Hamer later said he believed that his brother had remained bitter over his inability to transition into acting as an adult. He also said he believed that his brother's chronic and debilitating back pain (for which Hamer refused to seek medical treatment) and their mother's illness had contributed to Hamer's depression. He stated:
Hamer's body was cremated and no service was held. His ashes were scattered at sea, three miles off Marina del Rey, California, with the ashes of Tommy Rettig in a combined ceremony after the latter's death in 1996.
Legacy
On February 8, 1960, Hamer was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his work in television. His star is located at 6323 Hollywood Boulevard.
Hamer's suicide raised awareness of the potential mental fragility of child performers and inspired fellow former child actor Paul Petersen, formerly of ABC's The Donna Reed Show, to establish the support group A Minor Consideration. The group seeks to improve working conditions for young actors and assists former child entertainers in making the transition from past fame to adult life.
{snip}
Hamer and Sherry Jackson in Make Room for Daddy in 1955
Born: Russell Craig Hamer; February 15, 1947; Tenafly, New Jersey, U.S.
Died: January 18, 1990 (aged 42); DeRidder, Louisiana, U.S.
Education: Palisades High School
Occupation: Actor
Years active: 1953–1971
Russell Craig "Rusty" Hamer (February 15, 1947 – January 18, 1990) was an American stage, film and television actor. He portrayed Rusty Williams, the wisecracking son of entertainer Danny Williams (Danny Thomas), on the ABC/CBS situation comedy Make Room for Daddy (later retitled The Danny Thomas Show), from 1953 to 1964. He reprised the role in three reunion specials and the sequel series, Make Room for Granddaddy, which aired on ABC from 1970 to 1971.
{snip}
Career
{snip}
On December 27, 1966, Hamer underwent emergency surgery at Santa Monica Emergency Hospital after sustaining a gunshot wound to the abdomen when a gun he was carrying in a shoulder holster slid out, fell to the ground and discharged. Hamer was carrying the gun having just returned from an overnight hunting trip. After recovering, he appeared in a second reunion special, "Make More Room For Daddy", that aired during a segment of the NBC anthology series The Danny Thomas Hour, in 1967.
Throughout the mid to late 1960s, Hamer continued to attempt a transition into adult roles and, according to Danny Thomas, enrolled in acting classes, but was unable to land any acting jobs. By the end of the decade, he had grown increasingly bitter and depressed over his waning career. To support himself, he began working for a messenger service in Los Angeles and later worked as a carpenter's apprentice. Hamer's only non-"Rusty Williams" acting role post-1964 was a guest spot on the CBS sitcom Green Acres that aired in November 1969.
Hamer (top left) in 1970 with co-stars in Make Room for Granddaddy.
In 1969, Hamer again reprised his role as Rusty Williams in a third reunion special, Make Room for Granddaddy. The special aired on CBS on September 14. Due to the ratings success of the reunion specials, ABC created a weekly sequel series, also titled Make Room for Granddaddy, for their fall 1970 schedule. The series premiered on September 24, 1970, but failed to catch on with audiences. Make Room for Granddaddy was cancelled after one season. It was Hamer's final acting role.
Later years
In the 1970s, Hamer moved to southwestern Louisiana where he worked on an off-shore oil rig for Exxon and delivered newspapers. In 1976, he relocated to DeRidder, Louisiana, to be closer to his ailing mother, Dorothy, who was suffering from Alzheimer's disease and lived with his elder brother John. After moving to the area, John Hamer had opened a cafe where, in his final years, Rusty Hamer occasionally worked as a short order cook.
In October 1981, Hamer reunited with former co-stars Danny Thomas and Angela Cartwright. The reunion was televised as part of the ABC special What Became Of...?, that aired on October 25.
Death
On the night of January 18, 1990, John Hamer found his brother's body in his trailer home in DeRidder, Louisiana. Hamer had shot himself in the head with a .357 Magnum revolver.
John Hamer later said he believed that his brother had remained bitter over his inability to transition into acting as an adult. He also said he believed that his brother's chronic and debilitating back pain (for which Hamer refused to seek medical treatment) and their mother's illness had contributed to Hamer's depression. He stated:
He hasn't really been happy since his early 20s. But he didn't show any signs of this happening. It was just all of a sudden. [...] He was a very unhappy, very confused young man. No one does something like that if he isn't confused. I've heard of a lot of child actors who have become unhappy with their lives after they've left the industry]
Hamer's body was cremated and no service was held. His ashes were scattered at sea, three miles off Marina del Rey, California, with the ashes of Tommy Rettig in a combined ceremony after the latter's death in 1996.
Legacy
On February 8, 1960, Hamer was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his work in television. His star is located at 6323 Hollywood Boulevard.
Hamer's suicide raised awareness of the potential mental fragility of child performers and inspired fellow former child actor Paul Petersen, formerly of ABC's The Donna Reed Show, to establish the support group A Minor Consideration. The group seeks to improve working conditions for young actors and assists former child entertainers in making the transition from past fame to adult life.
{snip}
Tue Dec 10, 2024: On this day, December 10, 1941, Tommy Rettig, "Jeff Miller" in the original "Lassie," was born.