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Sammy Davis Jr.
Acting
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 a…
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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.
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BODY OF WORK
Sammy Davis Jr.'s Filmography
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EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert
as Self (archive footage)
Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
BRATS
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Gone Before His Time: Freddie Prinze Sr.
as Self (archive footage)
Kennedy, Sinatra and the Mafia
as Self
Kim Novak: Hollywood's Golden Age Rebel
as Self (archive footage)
Commitment to Life
as Self (archive footage)
Soul of a Nation Presents: Black in Vegas
as Self
Louis Armstrong's Black & Blues
as Self (archive footage)
Rat Pack
as Self (archive footage)
This Is Joan Collins
as Self (Archive Footage)
Dean Martin: King of Cool
as Self (archive footage)
Out of Shadows
as Self (archive)
This Is Bob Hope...
as Self (archive footage)
Sammy Davis, Jr.: I've Gotta Be Me
as Self (archive footage)
The Fabulous Allan Carr
as Self (archive footage)
John Travolta, le miraculé d'Hollywood
as Self - Singer (archive footage)
Mansfield 66/67
Chita Rivera: A Lot Of Livin' To Do
as Self (archive footage)
Loose Lips - Her Last Interview
The Rat Pack - The Greatest Hits
as Self (archive footage)
The Music According to Tom Jobim
as Self (archive footage)
…Sings Musicals
as Self (archive footage)
Let's Play, Boy
as himself (archive footage)
The Wrecking Crew
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Elvis Through the Years
as Self (archive footage)
The Ratpack
as Self
Pioneers of Primetime
The Legendary Nat King Cole
as Self
TV in Black: The First Fifty Years
as Self (archive footage)
Dean Martin: The One and Only
as Self (archive footage)
No Poster
Sammy Davis, Jr.: One Cool Cat
The Rat Pack
as Self (archive footage)
Live and Swingin': The Ultimate Rat Pack Collection
as Self (archive footage)
The Definitive Elvis: The Television Years
as Self (archive footage)
It's Black Entertainment
as Self (archive footage)
The Ocean's 11 Story
as Self (archive footage)
The Best of Bob Hope: 50 Years of Laughter — Volume 2
as Self (archive footage)
The Best of Bob Hope: 50 Years of Laughter — Volume 1
as Self (archive footage)
No Poster
Television: The First Fifty Years
as Self (archive footage)
No Poster
Hugh Hefner: Once Upon a Time
as Self (archive footage)
The Very Best of The Ed Sullivan Show (Vol. 1)
The Kid Who Loved Christmas
as Sideman
Sammy Davis, Jr. 60th Anniversary Celebration
as Self
Hanna-Barbera's 50th
as Self
Frank, Liza & Sammy: The Ultimate Event
as Self
Tap
as Little Mo
Bob Hope's Super Bowl Party!
as Self
No Poster
The Billy Martin Celebrity Roast
as Self
An Evening with Sammy Davis, Jr. & Jerry Lewis
as Self
Moon Over Parador
as Self
Happy Birthday, Bob: 50 Stars Salute Your 50 Years with NBC
as Self
Michael Jackson: The Legend Continues
as Self
Happy 100th Birthday, Hollywood
as Self
Uptown Comedy Express
No Poster
All Star Party for Clint Eastwood
as Self
The Perils of P.K
Dancing in the Wings
as The Spirit
Sammy Davis Jr.: Live In Germany
as Himself - Main Artist
No Poster
Motown Returns to the Apollo
That's Dancing!
as Self - Host
Hollywood's Funniest All-Star Bloopers
as Self (archive footage)
No Poster
All Star Party for Lucille Ball
as Self
Cannonball Run II
as Fenderbaum
Koyaanisqatsi
as Self (archive footage)
Smorgasbord
as Himself
Heidi's Song
as Head Ratte (voice)
Night of 100 Stars
as Self
Oops, Those Hollywood Bloopers!
as Self (archive footage)
The Cannonball Run
as Fenderbaum
This Is Elvis
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Sammy and Bruce
as Self
Magic Night
as Self
Frank Sinatra: The First 40 Years
as Self
Cinderella at the Palace
as Self
Steve & Eydie Celebrate Irving Berlin
as Self
Sammy Stops the World
as Littlechap
No Poster
Happy Birthday, Las Vegas
No Poster
Jingle Bells: RFK - 1964
CBS Salutes Lucy: The First 25 Years
as Self
Bob Hope's Bicentennial Star-Spangled Spectacular
as Self
James Dean: The First American Teenager
as Self
Gone with the West
as Kid Dandy
Doris Day Today
as Self
The 1974 Annual Las Vegas Entertainment Awards
as Self - Presenter
James Dean Remembered
as Self
Save the Children
as Self
Old Faithful
as Sammy Davis Jr.
No Poster
Today: While You Were Away (1964-1973 Retrospective)
as Self
Poor Devil
as Sammy
The Trackers
as Ezekiel Smith
Fight of the Century
as Self-(Audience Member)
Elvis: That's the Way It Is
as Self (uncredited)
One More Time
as Charles Salt
King: A Filmed Record... Montgomery to Memphis
as Self (archive footage)
The Pigeon
as Larry Miller
Sweet Charity
as Big Daddy
The Fall
Salt & Pepper
as Charles Salt
No Poster
Sammy Davis Jr. in Europa
as Self
The Movie Orgy
as Self (archive footage)
Christmas with The Martins and The Sinatras
as Self
Movin' with Nancy
as Self
The Enemy
as Chris Christiansen
Alice in Wonderland or What's a Nice Kid Like You Doing in a Place Like This?
as The Cheshire Cat
A Man Called Adam
as Adam Johnson
The Strolling '20s
as Self
Frank Sinatra Spectacular
as Self
Nightmare in the Sun
as Truck driver
Robin and the 7 Hoods
as Will
Johnny Cool
as Educated
Jackpot at Tahoe
as Self
Bomb Disposal
as Self
The Threepenny Opera
as Moritatensänger
Convicts 4
as Wino
Sergeants 3
as Jonah Williams
No Poster
The Day of the Fox
as Beppo
Pepe
as Sammy Davis Jr.
Ocean's Eleven
as Josh Howard
Frank Sinatra's Welcome Home Party for Elvis Presley
as Self - Singer / Dancer / Impressionist
Porgy and Bess
as Sportin' Life
Anna Lucasta
as Danny
Meet Me in Las Vegas
as Sammy Davis Jr. (voice) (uncredited)
Jazz Ball
as Self (archive footage)
Six Bridges to Cross
as Uncredited
Sweet and Low
as Self
Seasoned Greetings
as Henry Johnson
Rufus Jones for President
as Rufus Jones
Nat King Cole & Friends Unforgettable Hits
as Self (archive footage)
The Best Of Sammy David Jr. Live
as self