5
Born · December 8, 1925
Died · May 16, 1990 (64 years old)
Known For: Acting
Place of Birth: Harlem, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA
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
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
5.9
2024
Self (archive footage)
0.0
2023
Self
10.0
2023
Self (archive footage)
6.9
2023
Self
2.0
2023
Self (archive footage)
6.9
2022
Self (archive footage)
9.0
2022
Archive Footage
7.3
2022
Self (archive footage)
7.5
2021
Self (archive footage)
8.0
2017
Self (archive footage)
6.9
2017
Self - Singer (archive footage)
7.3
2017
Self (archive footage)
7.0
2016
Self (archive footage)
0.0
2015
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
7.4
2014
Self
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2012
Self (archive footage)
7.0
2012
Self (archive footage)
7.0
2012
himself (archive footage)
5.3
2008
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
7.2
2008
Self
0.0
2006
Self
0.0
2004
Self
0.0
2004
Self (archive footage)
4.0
2004
Self (archive footage)
7.5
2003
Self (archive footage)
5.2
2002
Self (archive footage)
8.0
2002
Self (archive footage)
6.8
2001
Self (archive footage)
0.0
2001
Self (archive footage)
0.0
2001
Self · (4 episodes)
0.0
1999
Self (archive footage)
0.0
1999
Self
0.0
1996
Sideman
6.6
1990
Self
9.0
1990
Self
0.0
1990
Self
9.3
1989
Self
4.2
1989
Little Mo
6.7
1989
Self
0.0
1989
0.0
1988
Self
5.7
1988
Self
6.0
1988
Self
6.8
1988
0.0
1987
10.0
1986
Caterpillar / Father WIlliam · (1 episode)
6.9
1985
Himself - Main Artist
0.0
1985
Self - Host
7.0
1985
Self (archive footage)
0.0
1985
Self
6.0
1984
Ray Palomino · (1 episode)
7.0
1984
Benny Schafer · (1 episode)
7.2
1984
Fenderbaum
5.4
1984
Himself
5.8
1983
Head Ratte (voice)
6.0
1982
Self · (1 episode)
4.5
1982
Self
6.5
1982
Self · (1 episode)
6.2
1982
Self (archive footage)
6.0
1982
Fenderbaum
6.1
1981
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
7.0
1981
Self
0.0
1980
(1 episode)
5.5
1980
Self
0.0
1979
Self · (1 episode)
7.3
1978
Self
0.0
1978
Self · (1 episode)
0.0
1978
Littlechap
0.0
1978
7.0
1977
Self · (1 episode)
6.0
1977
0.0
1977
Self
7.0
1976
Self
6.0
1975
Kid Dandy
2.3
1975
Himself · (1 episode)
8.0
1975
Self
6.0
1975
Self - Presenter
0.0
1974
Self · (3 episodes)
6.5
1974
(1 episode)
5.8
1974
Self
0.0
1974
Self · (1 episode)
5.3
1973
Self
7.0
1973
Self
0.0
1973
Sammy
5.5
1973
Himself
0.0
1973
Self · (1 episode)
6.0
1972
Ezekiel Smith
5.7
1971
Self · (2 episodes)
6.0
1971
Self-(Audience Member)
0.0
1971
Self · (1 episode)
7.8
1971
Self
7.8
1970
Self · (2 episodes)
4.8
1970
Charles Salt
4.3
1970
Self (archive footage)
7.3
1970
Larry Miller
0.0
1969
Rodney River Jr. · (1 episode)
5.6
1969
Big Daddy
6.8
1969
7.0
1969
(3 episodes)
6.5
1968
Sammy Davis Jr. · (1 episode)
6.9
1968
Charles Salt
5.3
1968
Self - Guest · (2 episodes)
6.7
1968
Self (archive footage)
6.2
1968
Self
0.0
1967
Self
7.0
1967
Chris Christiansen
0.0
1967
Self · (2 episodes)
7.5
1967
Self · (9 episodes)
6.4
1967
Self · (1 episode)
0.0
1966
The Cheshire Cat
4.7
1966
Adam Johnson
6.3
1966
Self
0.0
1966
(1 episode)
7.3
1966
Host · (16 episodes)
6.0
1966
Sammy Davis Jr. · (1 episode)
7.8
1965
Self
9.0
1965
Truck driver
3.0
1965
Will Scarlet
6.0
1964
Self - Singer · (1 episode)
4.5
1964
Educated
5.3
1963
Cordwainer Bird · (1 episode)
6.0
1963
(1 episode)
5.7
1963
Self
0.0
1963
Moritatensänger
5.0
1963
Self · (1 episode)
5.6
1962
Self - Guest Host · (4 episodes)
7.4
1962
Self · (12 episodes)
7.4
1962
Wino
5.4
1962
Jonah Williams
5.4
1962
Self - Co-Host · (3 episodes)
5.1
1961
Self · (2 episodes)
5.1
1961
(1 episode)
5.7
1961
Sammy Davis Jr. · (1 episode)
4.7
1961
Beppo
0.0
1961
Sammy Davis Jr.
6.1
1960
Josh Howard
6.4
1960
Self - Singer / Dancer / Impressionist
6.0
1960
self · (1 episode)
0.0
1959
Self · (1 episode)
0.0
1959
Sportin' Life
6.1
1959
self
0.0
Danny
6.2
1958
(1 episode)
6.7
1958
(1 episode)
7.0
1958
Self · (2 episodes)
6.5
1957
Cpl. Smith · (1 episode)
5.5
1956
Self - Guest · (6 episodes)
5.0
1956
Self (archive footage)
7.0
1956
Self · (6 episodes)
7.0
1953
Private Spider Johnson · (1 episode)
6.0
1953
Jacob Johnson · (1 episode)
6.0
1953
Pancho Villa III · (1 episode)
6.0
1953
Sammy Davis Jr. · (1 episode)
7.7
1950
Self - Mystery Guest · (4 episodes)
6.7
1950
Self · (1 episode)
7.5
1949
Self · (9 episodes)
6.6
1948
Henry Johnson
5.0
1933
Self (archive footage)
0.0
Sammy Davis Jr. (voice) (uncredited)
4.7
1956
Self
0.0
1947
Rufus Jones
6.0
1933