Rusty Hamer

About Rusty Hamer

Who is it?: Actor, Soundtrack
Birth Day: February 15, 1947
Birth Place:  Tenafly, New Jersey, United States
Cause of death: Self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head
Education: Palisades Charter High School
Occupation: Actor
Years active: 1953–1971

Rusty Hamer

Rusty Hamer was born on February 15, 1947 in  Tenafly, New Jersey, United States, is Actor, Soundtrack. A deadpan, freckle-faced, curly-haired child actor of the late 50s, Rusty Hamer entered films at age 5 and became a precocious TV celebrity the very next year, trading quips with top comedian Danny Thomas as his lippy, obnoxious son, on the hit sitcom, Make Room for Daddy (1953), in 1953. Playing 'second banana' to the star was no easy task, but this boy showed an incredibly sharp comedy sense for one so young. The show ran a healthy eleven seasons and, in 1964, Hamer, at age 17, found himself out of work for the first time. The talented kid had become an awkward teen and the offers dried up, immediately. He left Hollywood and came back only once, for Make Room for Granddaddy (1970), in 1971. The show was not successful, and nothing else came his way. The aimless, embittered man left for good this time and his life quickly fell apart. Left with no job skills, he had extreme difficulty finding direction, consequently living a wanderlust lifestyle, taking jobs that ranged from work on oil rigs to work in cafes. He became poverty-ridden, causing him to spiral into deep depression and, eventually, alcohol abuse, which led to an increasingly violent and delusional state. He shot himself to death in 1990 at the age of 42, chalking up another child star statistic who met a tragic, untimely end.
Rusty Hamer is a member of Actor

Does Rusty Hamer Dead or Alive?

As per our current Database, Rusty Hamer has been died on January 18, 1990(1990-01-18) (aged 42)\nDeRidder, Louisiana, U.S..

🎂 Rusty Hamer - Age, Bio, Faces and Birthday

When Rusty Hamer die, Rusty Hamer was 42 years old.

Popular As Rusty Hamer
Occupation Actor
Age 42 years old
Zodiac Sign Pisces
Born February 15, 1947 ( Tenafly, New Jersey, United States)
Birthday February 15
Town/City  Tenafly, New Jersey, United States
Nationality United States

🌙 Zodiac

Rusty Hamer’s zodiac sign is Pisces. According to astrologers, Pisces are very friendly, so they often find themselves in a company of very different people. Pisces are selfless, they are always willing to help others, without hoping to get anything back. Pisces is a Water sign and as such this zodiac sign is characterized by empathy and expressed emotional capacity.

🌙 Chinese Zodiac Signs

Rusty Hamer was born in the Year of the Pig. Those born under the Chinese Zodiac sign of the Pig are extremely nice, good-mannered and tasteful. They’re perfectionists who enjoy finer things but are not perceived as snobs. They enjoy helping others and are good companions until someone close crosses them, then look out! They’re intelligent, always seeking more knowledge, and exclusive. Compatible with Rabbit or Goat.

Some Rusty Hamer images

Famous Quotes:

"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 the 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."

Biography/Timeline

1951

Born in Tenafly, New Jersey, Hamer was the youngest of three sons of Arthur Walter John, Sr., a men's shirt salesman and Dorothy Hamer (née Chretin), a former silent film Actress. He had two elder brothers, John and Walter. As a child, Hamer was nicknamed "Rusty" because of his red hair and freckles. Due to his parents' involvement in community theatre productions, Hamer and his brothers also began performing in stage productions. As a toddler, Hamer memorized and recited stories and performed skits for Service club luncheons, women's clubs and church groups. In 1951, the Hamers moved to Los Angeles where Arthur Hamer worked as representative for a manufacturer of men's sport shirts (Arthur Hamer died eight months after his son was cast in The Danny Thomas Show). Shortly after arriving, Hamer's elder brother John was discovered by an agent while performing in a local stage production in which Hamer was also performing. The agent signed both boys to a film contract. The following year, Hamer won his first acting role in the 3-D Western Fort Ti, starring George Montgomery and Joan Vohs.

1953

In 1953, entertainer Danny Thomas' secretary saw Hamer in a stage production and was impressed by the child's talent and charm. She suggested that Thomas audition Hamer for a role in his upcoming sitcom Make Room for Daddy. Thomas was also impressed by the 6-year old and cast Hamer as his precocious and quick-witted son, Rusty Williams. Thomas later said of Hamer, "He was the best boy actor I ever saw in my life. He had a great memory...great timing and you could change a line on him at the last minute and he came right back with it." Make Room for Daddy debuted on ABC on September 29, 1953 and, while critically acclaimed, garnered poor ratings. After three seasons, the series moved to CBS where it was re-tooled and retitled The Danny Thomas Show. The retooled version quickly became a hit with audiences and was a Top 20 hit for its remaining seven seasons. During the run of The Danny Thomas Show, Hamer attempted to launch a singing career. He first performed a song in a 1956 episode of Danny Thomas entitled "The Talented Kid". In 1959, Hamer released his only single, a "rockaballad" called "Two-of-a-Kind" (with the b side "If Only Mother Would Let Me") written by Wally Gold and Aaron Schroeder, through Mercury Records. The single was a commercial failure and Hamer never released another single.

1960

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.

1963

By late 1963, The Danny Thomas Show had garnered five Primetime Emmy Awards (among other awards) and was still ranked in the Top 10. However, Danny Thomas announced that he had decided to end the show in order to produce and star in other projects. After the series ended, 17-year old Hamer enrolled at Palisades High School (years later restructured as Palisades Charter High School), but had difficulty adjusting to public school as he was accustomed to being privately tutored on the set. Shortly before graduating in June 1964, Hamer granted an interview with reporter Bob Thomas. He stated that he intended to continue his acting career and hoped to branch out into dramatic roles. Hamer said that he was under consideration for roles in several television series including Mr. Novak, Arrest and Trial and Ben Casey. Hamer also said that he planned to attend college on the advice of Danny Thomas, whom he considered a second father, since his own father had died in 1953.

1966

A year after The Danny Thomas Show ended, Hamer reprised the role of Rusty Williams in the reunion special The Danny Thomas TV Family Reunion, which aired on NBC. 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 after 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 post Danny Thomas Show acting role was a guest spot on the CBS sitcom Green Acres, that aired in November 1969.

1970

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. John Hamer had moved to the area and opened a cafe where, in his final years, Hamer occasionally worked as a short order cook.

1981

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.

1990

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.

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