Sammy Davis Jr.
Acting
- Born:
- 1925-12-08
- Died:
- 1990-05-16
- Place of birth:
- Harlem, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA
Biography
Samuel George "Sammy" Davis, Jr. (December 8, 1925 – May 16, 1990) was an American entertainer. Primarily a dancer and singer, Davis was a childhood vaudevillian who became known for his performances on Broadway and in Las Vegas, as a recording artist, television and film star, and as a member of Frank Sinatra's "Rat Pack". At the age of four Davis began his career in vaudeville with his father and "uncle" as the Will Mastin Trio, toured nationally, and after military service, returned to the trio. Davis became an overnight sensation following a nightclub performance at Ciro's after the 1951 Academy Awards, with the trio, became a recording artist, and made his first film performances as an adult later that decade. In 1954, he lost his left eye in an automobile accident. Later the same year, he converted to Judaism. In 1960, he appeared in the first Rat Pack movie, Ocean's 11. After a starring role on Broadway in 1956's Mr Wonderful, Davis returned to the stage in 1964's Golden Boy, and in 1966 had his own TV variety show, The Sammy Davis Jr. Show. Davis's career slowed in the late sixties, but he had a hit record with "The Candy Man", in 1972, and became a star in Las Vegas. As an African American, Davis was the victim of racism throughout his life, and was a large financial supporter of civil rights causes. Davis had a complex relationship with the African American community, and attracted criticism after physically embracing Richard Nixon in 1970. One day on a golf course with Jack Benny, he was asked what his handicap was. "Handicap?" he asked. "Talk about handicap — I'm a one-eyed Negro Jew." This was to become a signature comment, recounted in his autobiography, and in countless articles. After reuniting with Sinatra and Dean Martin in 1987, Davis toured with them and Liza Minnelli internationally, before dying of throat cancer in 1990. He died in debt to the Internal Revenue Service, and his estate was the subject of legal battles. Davis was awarded the Spingarn Medal by the NAACP, and was nominated for a Golden Globe and an Emmy Award for his television performances. He was the recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors in 1987, and in 2001, he was posthumously awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
Known For
Filmography
EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert
Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story
BRATS
Gone Before His Time: Freddie Prinze Sr.
Kennedy, Sinatra and the Mafia
Kim Novak: Hollywood's Golden Age Rebel
Commitment to Life
Soul of a Nation Presents: Black in Vegas
Louis Armstrong's Black & Blues
Rat Pack
This Is Joan Collins
Dean Martin: King of Cool
Out of Shadows
This Is Bob Hope...
Sammy Davis, Jr.: I've Gotta Be Me
The Fabulous Allan Carr
John Travolta, le miraculé d'Hollywood
Mansfield 66/67
Chita Rivera: A Lot Of Livin' To Do
The Sixties
Loose Lips - Her Last Interview
The Rat Pack - The Greatest Hits
The Music According to Tom Jobim
…Sings Musicals
Let's Play, Boy
The Wrecking Crew
Elvis Through the Years
The Ratpack
Pioneers of Primetime
The Legendary Nat King Cole
Parkinson
The Rat Pack
TV in Black: The First Fifty Years
Sammy Davis, Jr.: One Cool Cat
Dean Martin: The One and Only
Live and Swingin': The Ultimate Rat Pack Collection
The Definitive Elvis: The Television Years
It's Black Entertainment
The Ocean's 11 Story
The Best of Bob Hope: 50 Years of Laughter — Volume 1
The Best of Bob Hope: 50 Years of Laughter — Volume 2
The Rat Pack
Television: The First Fifty Years
Hugh Hefner: Once Upon a Time
The Very Best of The Ed Sullivan Show (Vol. 1)
The Kid Who Loved Christmas
Sammy Davis, Jr. 60th Anniversary Celebration
Hanna-Barbera's 50th
Frank, Liza & Sammy: The Ultimate Event
Tap
Bob Hope's Super Bowl Party!
The Billy Martin Celebrity Roast
An Evening with Sammy Davis, Jr. & Jerry Lewis
Moon Over Parador
Happy Birthday, Bob: 50 Stars Salute Your 50 Years with NBC
Michael Jackson: The Legend Continues
Happy 100th Birthday, Hollywood
Uptown Comedy Express
All Star Party for Clint Eastwood
The Perils of P.K
Alice in Wonderland
Dancing in the Wings
Sammy Davis Jr.: Live In Germany
Motown Returns to the Apollo
That's Dancing!
Hollywood's Funniest All-Star Bloopers
All Star Party for Lucille Ball
The Cosby Show
Hunter
Cannonball Run II
Koyaanisqatsi
Smorgasbord
Heidi's Song
Wogan
Night of 100 Stars
Champs-Elysées
Oops, Those Hollywood Bloopers!
The Cannonball Run
This Is Elvis
Sammy and Bruce
Magic Night
Sanford
Frank Sinatra: The First 40 Years
The Kennedy Center Honors
Cinderella at the Palace
Steve & Eydie Celebrate Irving Berlin
Bio’s Bahnhof
Fantasy Island
Sammy Stops the World
Happy Birthday, Las Vegas
Please Turn the Page
Jingle Bells: RFK - 1964
CBS Salutes Lucy: The First 25 Years
Charlie's Angels
Bob Hope's Bicentennial Star-Spangled Spectacular
James Dean: The First American Teenager
Gone with the West
Sammy and Company
People's Choice Awards
Doris Day Today
The 1974 Annual Las Vegas Entertainment Awards
Dinah!
Chico and the Man
James Dean Remembered
The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts
Save the Children
Old Faithful
Today: While You Were Away (1964-1973 Retrospective)
Poor Devil
The Julie Andrews Hour
The Trackers
V.I.P. Schaukel
Fight of the Century
Great Performances
All in the Family
Elvis: That's the Way It Is
The Flip Wilson Show
One More Time
King: A Filmed Record... Montgomery to Memphis
The Pigeon
The Courtship of Eddie's Father
Sweet Charity
The Fall
The Mod Squad
Here's Lucy
Salt & Pepper
The Dick Cavett Show
Sammy Davis Jr. in Europa
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
The Movie Orgy
Christmas with The Martins and The Sinatras
Movin' with Nancy
The Enemy
Omnibus
The Carol Burnett Show
The Danny Thomas Hour
4-3-2-1 Hot and Sweet
Alice in Wonderland or What's a Nice Kid Like You Doing in a Place Like This?
A Man Called Adam
The Strolling '20s
Batman
The Sammy Davis Jr. Show
I Dream of Jeannie
Frank Sinatra Spectacular
Nightmare in the Sun
Robin and the 7 Hoods
The Hollywood Palace
Johnny Cool
Burke's Law
The Patty Duke Show
Jackpot at Tahoe
Bomb Disposal
The Threepenny Opera
The Merv Griffin Show
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
Convicts 4
Sergeants 3
The Mike Douglas Show
Ben Casey
Cain's Hundred
The Day of the Fox
Drama 61-67
Pepe
Ocean's Eleven
Frank Sinatra's Welcome Home Party for Elvis Presley
Playboy's Penthouse
The Big Party
Porgy and Bess
Anna Lucasta
77 Sunset Strip
The Rifleman
Tonight Starring Jack Paar
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
The Steve Allen Show
Meet Me in Las Vegas
Jazz Ball
Six Bridges to Cross
The Oscars
General Electric Theater
The Jack Benny Program
The Colgate Comedy Hour
What's My Line?
The Emmy Awards
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
The Ed Sullivan Show
Sweet and Low
Seasoned Greetings
Rufus Jones for President
The Best Of Sammy David Jr. Live
Nat King Cole & Friends Unforgettable Hits