Sammy Davis Jr.
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 three 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.
Description above from the Wikipedia article Sammy Davis, Jr., licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia
Personal info
Gender
Male
Birthday
1925-12-08
Place of birth
Harlem, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA
Images
Cast
Ocean's Eleven
1960
6.36
Porgy and Bess
1959
6.10
The Movie Orgy
1968
6.50
The Cannonball Run
1981
6.15
Cannonball Run II
1984
5.37
One More Time
1970
4.30
Salt & Pepper
1968
5.30
Dean Martin: King of Cool
2021
7.50
That's Dancing!
1985
6.97
Sweet Charity
1969
6.90
Tap
1989
6.80
Elvis: That's the Way It Is
1970
7.80
Sergeants 3
1962
5.40
Robin and the 7 Hoods
1964
6.00
Pepe
1960
6.10
Johnny Cool
1963
5.30
Convicts 4
1962
5.40
Heidi's Song
1982
6.00
All Star Party for Lucille Ball
1984
6.00
The Ultimate Event
1989
4.20
The Legendary Nat King Cole
2004
0.00
The Wrecking Crew
2008
7.25
Nightmare in the Sun
1965
3.00
Rufus Jones for President
1933
6.00
Seasoned Greetings
1933
5.00
Oops, Those Hollywood Bloopers!
1982
6.00
Anna Lucasta
1958
6.20
Save the Children
1973
6.00
The Trackers
1971
5.70
The Pigeon
1969
0.00
The Ocean's 11 Story
2001
6.80
A Man Called Adam
1966
6.40
The Threepenny Opera
1963
5.00
Happy Birthday, Las Vegas
1977
7.00
This Is Elvis
1981
7.00
The Rat Pack
2004
0.00
Smorgasbord
1983
5.80
Gone with the West
1975
2.30
Rat Pack
2022
9.00
This Is Joan Collins
2022
7.30
Uptown Comedy Express
1987
0.00
The Kid Who Loved Christmas
1990
6.60
Sweet and Low
1947
0.00
Sammy and Bruce
1980
0.00
The Billy Martin Celebrity Roast
1989
0.00
Let's Play, Boy
2008
5.30
Moon Over Parador
1988
5.80
Louis Armstrong's Black & Blues
2022
6.56
…Sings Musicals
2012
7.00
Hanna-Barbera's 50th
1989
9.30
Kennedy, Sinatra and the Mafia
2023
8.50
BRATS
2024
6.00
Meet Me in Las Vegas
1956
4.70
Poor Devil
1973
6.00
The Fall
1969
7.00
Fight of the Century
1971
0.00
Jingle Bells: RFK - 1964
1977
0.00
Music According to Tom Jobim
2012
7.00
The Strolling '20s
1966
0.00
Sammy Stops the World
1978
0.00
Movin' with Nancy
1967
7.00
This Is Bob Hope...
2017
8.00
Jazz Ball
1956
7.00
Doris Day Today
1975
6.00
James Dean Remembered
1974
0.00
The Ratpack
2006
0.00
The Day of the Fox
1961
0.00
The Rat Pack - The Greatest Hits
2012
0.00
The Enemy
1967
0.00
It's Black Entertainment
2002
8.00
The Perils of P.K
1986
10.00
Old Faithful
1973
0.00
Sammy Davis Jr.: Live In Germany
1985
0.00
Frank Sinatra Spectacular
1965
9.00
Selma
2014
7.39
Night of 100 Stars
1982
6.50
Jackpot at Tahoe
1963
0.00
Koyaanisqatsi
1983
7.87
Elvis Through the Years
2007
0.00
Six Bridges to Cross
1955
6.20
Happy 100th Birthday, Hollywood
1987
7.70
Bomb Disposal
1963
0.00
Pioneers of Primetime
2005
0.00