In case anyone is wondering about why Danny is in a wheelchair and on crutches in these early Season 4 episodes:

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=110&dat=19560716&id=tFJOAAAAIBAJ&sjid=dzwDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6175,3550560

I haven't seen those episodes in many decades but I remember his broken leg, so just recently I looked it up because I wanted to know when it occurred. Cozi TV just began airing in my area about three weeks ago and they had already shown the "broken leg" episodes. In one 4th season episode Rusty commented Danny had gotten his strength back and that's why I looked up the broken leg.

When Me TV began airing "Make Room For Daddy/The Danny Thomas Show", they started with the marriage proposal at the end of the 4th season. I was so excited to see Cozi was showing the all the 4th season. Then I found a few early episodes (with Margaret) on Hulu and watched all of them. Like I said, I remember the earliest episodes but haven't seen them for so long, it was like seeing old friends after 50 years!

Interesting to learn from that article Marlo (daughter Margret) was 18. Danny was a father at age 24.

Since my above post, I've seen the "broken leg" episodes. I always remembered seeing Mary Wickes on the show and was so happy to see her featured so often.

While watching Friday's episode on Cozi (Kathy and Danny began dating), I realized that the early episodes also featured Louise Beavers as Louise, and that people watching from the 4th season wouldn't know that. So not only are Jean Hagen and the kids slighted by not airing the first three seasons, but so is Louise Beavers! How very sad. Louise Beavers does appear in the episodes on Hulu.

Amanda Randolph was great as Louise, but Louise Beavers was also beloved in the role and gave it her special touch. I really missed her when she left the series in 1955.

An interesting Louise Beavers/Amanda Randolph connection was that they both played the role of Beulah, a housekeeper, on the Beulah series. Amanda and her sister Lillian Randolph each had a turn playing Beulah on radio. Louise played the role on television (1951-1952). Other famous women played the role on radio and TV: Hattie McDaniel, Ethel Waters. Beulah solved problems that her employers were unable to solve. Butterfly McQueen and Ruby Dandridge also had roles in the first television season.