Rusty Hamer facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Rusty Hamer
Hamer and Sherry Jackson in Make Room for Daddy in 1955
Born	Russell Craig Hamer (1947-02-15)February 15, 1947 Tenafly, New Jersey, U.S.
Died	January 18, 1990(1990-01-18) (aged 42) DeRidder, Louisiana, U.S.
Education	Palisades High School
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1953–1971

Russell Craig "Rusty" Hamer (born February 15, 1947 – died January 18, 1990) was an American actor. He was famous for playing Rusty Williams. This was the smart and funny son of Danny Williams (Danny Thomas) in the TV show Make Room for Daddy. The show aired from 1953 to 1964.

Rusty also played the role again in three special TV shows. He was also in the follow-up series, Make Room for Granddaddy. This show was on TV from 1970 to 1971.

Early Life of Rusty Hamer

Rusty Hamer was born in Tenafly, New Jersey. He was the youngest of three brothers. His father, Arthur Hamer, sold men's shirts. His mother, Dorothy Hamer, was a former silent film actress.

Rusty had two older brothers, John and Walter. People called him "Rusty" because his first name was Russell. He also had red hair and freckles, which matched the nickname.

Rusty Hamer's Acting Career

Rusty's parents were involved in local theater plays. Because of this, Rusty and his brothers also started acting on stage. When he was a very young child, Rusty could remember and tell stories. He also performed short skits for different groups.

Moving to Los Angeles and First Roles

In 1951, the Hamer family moved to Los Angeles. Rusty's father worked there as a sales representative. Sadly, his father passed away eight months after Rusty got his big TV role.

Soon after moving, Rusty's older brother John was noticed by an agent. This happened while John was acting in a play where Rusty also performed. The agent signed both boys for movie roles. The next year, Rusty got his first acting job in a 3-D Western movie called Fort Ti.

Becoming a TV Star on Make Room for Daddy

In 1953, a secretary for the famous entertainer Danny Thomas saw Rusty in a play. She was very impressed by how talented and charming the child was. She suggested that Thomas should try out Rusty for his new TV show, Make Room for Daddy.

Danny Thomas was also amazed by the 6-year-old Rusty. He chose Rusty to play his clever son, Rusty Williams. Thomas later said that Rusty was "the best boy actor I ever saw." He added that Rusty had a great memory and good timing.

Make Room for Daddy first aired on ABC on September 29, 1953. It received good reviews from critics. However, it did not get many viewers at first. After four seasons, the show moved to CBS. It was changed a bit and renamed The Danny Thomas Show. This new version quickly became very popular. It was one of the top 15 most-watched shows for its last seven seasons.

Trying a Singing Career

While The Danny Thomas Show was still on, Rusty tried to become a singer. He first sang a song in a 1956 episode of the show. In 1959, Rusty released his only song, called "Two-of-a-Kind." It was a "rockaballad" song.

This song was not a big success. Rusty never released another song after that.

Life After the Show Ended

By late 1963, The Danny Thomas Show had won many awards. It was still one of the top 10 shows on TV. However, Danny Thomas decided to end the show. He wanted to work on other projects.

After the show finished, Rusty was 17 years old. He went to Palisades High School. He found it hard to get used to public school. This was because he was used to having private tutors on the TV set.

Before he graduated in June 1964, Rusty was interviewed by a reporter. He said he wanted to keep acting. He hoped to get more serious acting roles. Rusty also planned to go to college. Danny Thomas, whom he saw as a second father, had advised him to do so.

About a year after The Danny Thomas Show ended, Rusty played Rusty Williams again. This was for three episodes of The Joey Bishop Show. In these episodes, Rusty was a college student. Rusty also appeared in a reunion special called The Danny Thomas TV Family Reunion.

In December 1966, Rusty had an accident. He was carrying a gun after a hunting trip. The gun fell and fired, injuring him. He had surgery and recovered. After this, he appeared in another reunion special in 1967.

During the late 1960s, Rusty tried to get acting jobs as an adult. He took acting classes. But he found it hard to get new roles. He became sad and unhappy about his acting career slowing down. To earn money, he worked for a delivery service. He also worked as a carpenter's helper. His only acting role that wasn't as "Rusty Williams" after 1964 was a guest spot on the TV show Green Acres in 1969.

Hamer (top left) in 1970 with co-stars in Make Room for Granddaddy.

In 1969, Rusty played Rusty Williams again in a third reunion special. This special was called Make Room for Granddaddy. It was very popular. Because of this, ABC decided to make a new weekly show with the same name.

The new Make Room for Granddaddy show started on September 24, 1970. But it was not popular with viewers. The show was canceled after one season. This was Rusty Hamer's last acting role.

Later Years and Struggles

In the 1970s, Rusty moved to southwestern Louisiana. He worked on an off-shore oil rig. He also delivered newspapers. In 1976, he moved to DeRidder, Louisiana. He wanted to be closer to his mother, Dorothy, who was ill. His mother lived with his older brother John.

John Hamer had opened a cafe in the area. In his last years, Rusty sometimes worked there as a cook.

In October 1981, Rusty met up with his old co-stars, Danny Thomas and Angela Cartwright. This reunion was shown on a TV special called What Became Of...?

Death and Legacy

On January 18, 1990, Rusty's brother John found him dead in his home in DeRidder, Louisiana.

John Hamer later shared that he believed Rusty was unhappy. He thought Rusty struggled because he could not continue acting as an adult. He also mentioned that Rusty had ongoing back pain and his mother's illness. These things may have made Rusty feel very sad and confused.

Rusty Hamer's body was cremated. No service was held for him. His ashes were spread at sea near Marina del Rey, California.

Hollywood Walk of Fame

On February 8, 1960, Rusty Hamer received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. This was for his work in television. His star is located at 6323 Hollywood Boulevard.

Helping Child Actors

Rusty Hamer's death helped people understand the challenges child actors can face. It inspired another former child actor, Paul Petersen. Paul Petersen was from the show The Donna Reed Show. He started a support group called A Minor Consideration.

This group works to make working conditions better for young actors. It also helps former child entertainers. They help them move from being famous kids to living adult lives.

Filmography