Sammy Davis Jr.
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- December 8, 1925
- Died
- May 16, 1990 (aged 64)
- Birthplace
- 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
Photos
Filmography
The Best Of Sammy David Jr. Live
Movie · as self
Nat King Cole & Friends Unforgettable Hits
Movie · as Self (archive footage)
EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert
Movie · as Self (archive footage)
Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story
Movie · as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
BRATS
Movie · as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Soul of a Nation Presents: Black in Vegas
Movie · as Self
Kim Novak: Hollywood's Golden Age Rebel
Movie · as Self (archive footage)
Gone Before His Time: Freddie Prinze Sr.
Movie · as Self (archive footage)
Kennedy, Sinatra and the Mafia
Movie · as Self
Commitment to Life
Movie · as Self (archive footage)
Rat Pack
Movie · as Self (archive footage)
This Is Joan Collins
Movie · as Self (Archive Footage)
Louis Armstrong's Black & Blues
Movie · as Self (archive footage)
Dean Martin: King of Cool
Movie · as Self (archive footage)
Out of Shadows
Movie · as Self (archive)
Sammy Davis, Jr.: I've Gotta Be Me
Movie · as Self (archive footage)
This Is Bob Hope...
Movie · as Self (archive footage)
John Travolta, le miraculé d'Hollywood
Movie · as Self - Singer (archive footage)
Mansfield 66/67
Movie
The Fabulous Allan Carr
Movie · as Self (archive footage)
Chita Rivera: A Lot Of Livin' To Do
Movie · as Self (archive footage)
The Sixties
TV · as Self (archive footage) · 1 ep
Loose Lips - Her Last Interview
Movie
…Sings Musicals
Movie · as Self (archive footage)
The Music According to Tom Jobim
Movie · as Self (archive footage)
The Rat Pack - The Greatest Hits
Movie · as Self (archive footage)
The Wrecking Crew
Movie · as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Let's Play, Boy
Movie · as himself (archive footage)
Elvis Through the Years
Movie · as Self (archive footage)
The Ratpack
Movie · as Self
Pioneers of Primetime
Movie
The Legendary Nat King Cole
Movie · as Self
The Rat Pack
Movie · as Self (archive footage)
TV in Black: The First Fifty Years
Movie · as Self (archive footage)
Sammy Davis, Jr.: One Cool Cat
Movie
Dean Martin: The One and Only
Movie · as Self (archive footage)
Parkinson
TV · as Self - Guest / Performer (archive footage) · 1 ep
Live and Swingin': The Ultimate Rat Pack Collection
Movie · as Self (archive footage)
The Definitive Elvis: The Television Years
Movie · as Self (archive footage)
It's Black Entertainment
Movie · as Self (archive footage)
The Ocean's 11 Story
Movie · as Self (archive footage)
The Best of Bob Hope: 50 Years of Laughter — Volume 1
Movie · as Self (archive footage)
The Best of Bob Hope: 50 Years of Laughter — Volume 2
Movie · as Self (archive footage)
Television: The First Fifty Years
Movie · as Self (archive footage)
The Rat Pack
TV · as (archive footage) · 1 ep
Hugh Hefner: Once Upon a Time
Movie · as Self (archive footage)
The Very Best of The Ed Sullivan Show (Vol. 1)
Movie
The Kid Who Loved Christmas
Movie · as Sideman
Sammy Davis, Jr. 60th Anniversary Celebration
Movie · as Self
Tap
Movie · as Little Mo
Frank, Liza & Sammy: The Ultimate Event
Movie · as Self
The Billy Martin Celebrity Roast
Movie · as Self
Hanna-Barbera's 50th
Movie · as Self
Bob Hope's Super Bowl Party!
Movie · as Self
Happy Birthday, Bob: 50 Stars Salute Your 50 Years with NBC
Movie · as Self
An Evening with Sammy Davis, Jr. & Jerry Lewis
Movie · as Self
Michael Jackson: The Legend Continues
Movie · as Self
Moon Over Parador
Movie · as Self
Uptown Comedy Express
Movie
Happy 100th Birthday, Hollywood
Movie · as Self
The Perils of P.K
Movie
All Star Party for Clint Eastwood
Movie · as Self
Hollywood's Funniest All-Star Bloopers
Movie · as Self (archive footage)
That's Dancing!
Movie · as Self - Host
Sammy Davis Jr.: Live In Germany
Movie · as Himself - Main Artist
Dancing in the Wings
Movie · as The Spirit
Motown Returns to the Apollo
Movie
Alice in Wonderland
TV · as Caterpillar / Father WIlliam · 1 ep
Cannonball Run II
Movie · as Fenderbaum
All Star Party for Lucille Ball
Movie · as Self
Hunter
TV · as Benny Schafer · 1 ep
The Cosby Show
TV · as Ray Palomino · 1 ep
Smorgasbord
Movie · as Himself
Koyaanisqatsi
Movie · as Self (archive footage)
Heidi's Song
Movie · as Head Ratte (voice)
Oops, Those Hollywood Bloopers!
Movie · as Self (archive footage)
Night of 100 Stars
Movie · as Self
Wogan
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Champs-Elysées
TV · as Self · 1 ep
The Cannonball Run
Movie · as Fenderbaum
This Is Elvis
Movie · as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Sammy and Bruce
Movie · as Self
Magic Night
Movie · as Self
Sanford
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Frank Sinatra: The First 40 Years
Movie · as Self
Archie Bunker's Place
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Steve & Eydie Celebrate Irving Berlin
Movie · as Self
Sammy Stops the World
Movie · as Littlechap
Cinderella at the Palace
Movie · as Self
The Kennedy Center Honors
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Bio’s Bahnhof
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Fantasy Island
TV · as Mr. Bojangles, Edward Ross Sr. · 1 ep
Happy Birthday, Las Vegas
Movie
Jingle Bells: RFK - 1964
Movie
Please Turn the Page
TV · as Self · 1 ep
CBS Salutes Lucy: The First 25 Years
Movie · as Self
Bob Hope's Bicentennial Star-Spangled Spectacular
Movie · as Self
Charlie's Angels
TV · as Sammy Davis Jr. / Herbert Brubaker III · 1 ep
Gone with the West
Movie · as Kid Dandy
James Dean: The First American Teenager
Movie · as Self
Doris Day Today
Movie · as Self
Sammy and Company
TV · as Himself · 1 ep
People's Choice Awards
TV · as Self - Presenter · 1 ep
James Dean Remembered
Movie · as Self
The 1974 Annual Las Vegas Entertainment Awards
Movie · as Self - Presenter
Chico and the Man
TV · 1 ep
Dinah!
TV · as Self · 4 eps
Save the Children
Movie · as Self
Poor Devil
Movie · as Sammy
Old Faithful
Movie · as Sammy Davis Jr.
Today: While You Were Away (1964-1973 Retrospective)
Movie · as Self
The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts
TV · as Self · 1 ep
The Julie Andrews Hour
TV · as Self · 1 ep
The Trackers
Movie · as Ezekiel Smith
Fight of the Century
Movie · as Self-(Audience Member)
All in the Family
TV · as Self · 1 ep
V.I.P. Schaukel
TV · as Self · 2 eps
Great Performances
TV · as Self (archive footage) · 1 ep
One More Time
Movie · as Charles Salt
Elvis: That's the Way It Is
Movie · as Self (uncredited)
King: A Filmed Record... Montgomery to Memphis
Movie · as Self (archive footage)
The Flip Wilson Show
TV · as Self · 2 eps
Sweet Charity
Movie · as Big Daddy
The Pigeon
Movie · as Larry Miller
The Fall
Movie
The Courtship of Eddie's Father
TV · as Rodney River Jr. · 1 ep
The Movie Orgy
Movie · as Self (archive footage)
Salt & Pepper
Movie · as Charles Salt
Sammy Davis Jr. in Europa
Movie · as Self
Here's Lucy
TV · as Sammy Davis Jr. · 1 ep
The Mod Squad
TV · 3 eps
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
TV · as Self, Self (uncredited) · 6 eps
The Dick Cavett Show
TV · as Self - Guest · 2 eps
Christmas with The Martins and The Sinatras
Movie · as Self
Movin' with Nancy
Movie · as Self
The Enemy
Movie · as Chris Christiansen
The Carol Burnett Show
TV · as Self · 2 eps
Omnibus
TV · 1 ep
The Danny Thomas Hour
TV · as Chris Christiansen · 1 ep
A Man Called Adam
Movie · as Adam Johnson
Alice in Wonderland or What's a Nice Kid Like You Doing in a Place Like This?
Movie · as The Cheshire Cat
The Strolling '20s
Movie · as Self
4-3-2-1 Hot and Sweet
TV · as Self · 1 ep
The Sammy Davis Jr. Show
TV · as Host · 16 eps
Batman
TV · as Self (uncredited) · 1 ep
Nightmare in the Sun
Movie · as Truck driver
Frank Sinatra Spectacular
Movie · as Self
I Dream of Jeannie
TV · as Sammy Davis Jr. · 1 ep
Robin and the 7 Hoods
Movie · as Will
The Hollywood Palace
TV · as Self - Singer · 1 ep
Johnny Cool
Movie · as Educated
The Threepenny Opera
Movie · as Moritatensänger
Jackpot at Tahoe
Movie · as Self
Bomb Disposal
Movie · as Self
Burke's Law
TV · as Cordwainer Bird · 1 ep
The Patty Duke Show
TV · 1 ep
Sergeants 3
Movie · as Jonah Williams
Convicts 4
Movie · as Wino
The Merv Griffin Show
TV · as Self · 3 eps
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
TV · as Self - Guest Host · 6 eps
The Day of the Fox
Movie · as Beppo
Cain's Hundred
TV · as Sammy Davis Jr. · 1 ep
Ben Casey
TV · 1 ep
The Mike Douglas Show
TV · as Self - Co-Host · 4 eps
Drama 61-67
TV · as Beppo · 1 ep
Ocean's Eleven
Movie · as Josh Howard
Pepe
Movie · as Sammy Davis Jr.
Frank Sinatra's Welcome Home Party for Elvis Presley
Movie · as Self - Singer / Dancer / Impressionist
Porgy and Bess
Movie · as Sportin' Life
Playboy's Penthouse
TV · as self · 1 ep
The Big Party
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Anna Lucasta
Movie · as Danny
77 Sunset Strip
TV · 1 ep
The Rifleman
TV · 1 ep
Tonight Starring Jack Paar
TV · as Self · 2 eps
Meet Me in Las Vegas
Movie · as Sammy Davis Jr. (voice) (uncredited)
Jazz Ball
Movie · as Self (archive footage)
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
TV · as Cpl. Smith · 1 ep
The Steve Allen Show
TV · as Self - Guest · 6 eps
Six Bridges to Cross
Movie · as Uncredited
General Electric Theater
TV · as Private Spider Johnson, Jacob Johnson, Pancho Villa III · 1 ep
The Oscars
TV · as Self · 6 eps
The Jack Benny Program
TV · as Sammy Davis Jr. · 1 ep
What's My Line?
TV · as Self · 4 eps
The Colgate Comedy Hour
TV · as Self · 1 ep
The Emmy Awards
TV · as Self · 1 ep
The Ed Sullivan Show
TV · as Self · 9 eps
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
TV · 1 ep
Sweet and Low
Movie · as Self
Rufus Jones for President
Movie · as Rufus Jones
Seasoned Greetings
Movie · as Henry Johnson