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 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
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
1962
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
1962
The Mike Douglas Show
1961
The Mike Douglas Show
1961
The Merv Griffin Show
1962
What's My Line?
1950
Great Performances
1971
The Dick Cavett Show
1968
Champs-Elysées
1982
Charlie's Angels
1976
The Cosby Show
1984
The Rifleman
1958
Filmography
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
as Self - Guest Host · 1962
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
as Self · 1962
The Mike Douglas Show
as Self - Co-Host · 1961
The Mike Douglas Show
as Self · 1961
The Merv Griffin Show
as Self · 1962
What's My Line?
as Self · 1950
Great Performances
as Self (archive footage) · 1971
The Dick Cavett Show
as Self - Guest · 1968
Champs-Elysées
as Self · 1982
Charlie's Angels
as Sammy Davis Jr. / Herbert Brubaker III · 1976
The Cosby Show
as Ray Palomino · 1984
The Rifleman
· 1958
Wogan
as Self · 1982
Tonight Starring Jack Paar
as Self · 1957
Batman
as Self (uncredited) · 1966
I Dream of Jeannie
as Sammy Davis Jr. · 1965
The Carol Burnett Show
as Self · 1967
Ben Casey
· 1961
All in the Family
as Self · 1971
Dinah!
as Self · 1974
Fantasy Island
as Mr. Bojangles · 1978
Fantasy Island
as Edward Ross Sr. · 1978
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
as Cpl. Smith · 1956
Burke's Law
as Cordwainer Bird · 1963
Omnibus
· 1967
The Ed Sullivan Show
as Self · 1948
The Colgate Comedy Hour
as Self · 1950
Hunter
as Benny Schafer · 1984
The Steve Allen Show
as Self - Guest · 1956
Here's Lucy
as Sammy Davis Jr. · 1968
The Jack Benny Program
as Sammy Davis Jr. · 1950
77 Sunset Strip
· 1958
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
as Self · 1968
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
as Self (uncredited) · 1968
The Flip Wilson Show
as Self · 1970
Parkinson
as Self - Guest / Performer (archive footage) · 2004
The Mod Squad
· 1968
The Oscars
as Self · 1953
People's Choice Awards
as Self - Presenter · 1975
The Kennedy Center Honors
as Self · 1978
The Patty Duke Show
· 1963
The Courtship of Eddie's Father
as Rodney River Jr. · 1969
Drama 61-67
as Beppo · 1961
Cain's Hundred
as Sammy Davis Jr. · 1961
The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts
as Self · 1973
Chico and the Man
· 1974
The Hollywood Palace
as Self - Singer · 1964
V.I.P. Schaukel
as Self · 1971
Please Turn the Page
as Self · 1977
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
· 1948
The Cannonball Run
as Fenderbaum · 1981
Ocean's Eleven
as Josh Howard · 1960
4-3-2-1 Hot and Sweet
as Self · 1966
EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert
as Self (archive footage) · 2026
The Danny Thomas Hour
as Chris Christiansen · 1967
Bio’s Bahnhof
as Self · 1978
Alice in Wonderland
as Caterpillar / Father WIlliam · 1985
The Julie Andrews Hour
as Self · 1972
Sanford
as Self · 1980
Cannonball Run II
as Fenderbaum · 1984
The Emmy Awards
as Self · 1949
The Sixties
as Self (archive footage) · 2014
Louis Armstrong's Black & Blues
as Self (archive footage) · 2022
The Big Party
as Self · 1959
General Electric Theater
as Private Spider Johnson · 1953
General Electric Theater
as Jacob Johnson · 1953
General Electric Theater
as Pancho Villa III · 1953
Koyaanisqatsi
as Self (archive footage) · 1983
Soul of a Nation Presents: Black in Vegas
as Self · 2023
Robin and the 7 Hoods
as Will · 1964
Sweet Charity
as Big Daddy · 1969
Playboy's Penthouse
as self · 1959
Elvis: That's the Way It Is
as Self (uncredited) · 1970
Johnny Cool
as Educated · 1963
Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited) · 2025
Moon Over Parador
as Self · 1988
Dean Martin: King of Cool
as Self (archive footage) · 2021
James Dean: The First American Teenager
as Self · 1975
Pioneers of Primetime
· 2005
Rat Pack
as Self (archive footage) · 2022
Night of 100 Stars
as Self · 1982
A Man Called Adam
as Adam Johnson · 1966
Alice in Wonderland or What's a Nice Kid Like You Doing in a Place Like This?
as The Cheshire Cat · 1966
Six Bridges to Cross
as Uncredited · 1955
This Is Joan Collins
as Self (Archive Footage) · 2022
Tap
as Little Mo · 1989
Meet Me in Las Vegas
as Sammy Davis Jr. (voice) (uncredited) · 1956
TV in Black: The First Fifty Years
as Self (archive footage) · 2004
Motown Returns to the Apollo
· 1985
The Rat Pack
as (archive footage) · 1999
BRATS
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited) · 2024
The Movie Orgy
as Self (archive footage) · 1968
Heidi's Song
as Head Ratte (voice) · 1982
The Threepenny Opera
as Moritatensänger · 1963
Salt & Pepper
as Charles Salt · 1968
The Fabulous Allan Carr
as Self (archive footage) · 2017
The Best of Bob Hope: 50 Years of Laughter — Volume 2
as Self (archive footage) · 2001
Commitment to Life
as Self (archive footage) · 2023
Gone with the West
as Kid Dandy · 1975
This Is Bob Hope...
as Self (archive footage) · 2017
John Travolta, le miraculé d'Hollywood
as Self - Singer (archive footage) · 2017
Porgy and Bess
as Sportin' Life · 1959
That's Dancing!
as Self - Host · 1985
Sammy Davis Jr. in Europa
as Self · 1968
This Is Elvis
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited) · 1981
One More Time
as Charles Salt · 1970
Hanna-Barbera's 50th
as Self · 1989
The Wrecking Crew
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited) · 2008
Happy Birthday, Bob: 50 Stars Salute Your 50 Years with NBC
as Self · 1988
King: A Filmed Record... Montgomery to Memphis
as Self (archive footage) · 1970
Television: The First Fifty Years
as Self (archive footage) · 1999
Sergeants 3
as Jonah Williams · 1962
Nightmare in the Sun
as Truck driver · 1965
Kim Novak: Hollywood's Golden Age Rebel
as Self (archive footage) · 2023
Out of Shadows
as Self (archive) · 2020
All Star Party for Clint Eastwood
as Self · 1986
It's Black Entertainment
as Self (archive footage) · 2002
Poor Devil
as Sammy · 1973
The Perils of P.K
· 1986
Sammy Davis, Jr.: I've Gotta Be Me
as Self (archive footage) · 2017
The Trackers
as Ezekiel Smith · 1971
Pepe
as Sammy Davis Jr. · 1960
The 1974 Annual Las Vegas Entertainment Awards
as Self - Presenter · 1974
The Best of Bob Hope: 50 Years of Laughter — Volume 1
as Self (archive footage) · 2001
Dancing in the Wings
as The Spirit · 1985
Sammy Davis Jr.: Live In Germany
as Himself - Main Artist · 1985
An Evening with Sammy Davis, Jr. & Jerry Lewis
as Self · 1988
Kennedy, Sinatra and the Mafia
as Self · 2023
Fight of the Century
as Self-(Audience Member) · 1971
Chita Rivera: A Lot Of Livin' To Do
as Self (archive footage) · 2015
Mansfield 66/67
· 2017
Michael Jackson: The Legend Continues
as Self · 1988
Hollywood's Funniest All-Star Bloopers
as Self (archive footage) · 1985
The Very Best of The Ed Sullivan Show (Vol. 1)
· 1991
The Ocean's 11 Story
as Self (archive footage) · 2001
Hugh Hefner: Once Upon a Time
as Self (archive footage) · 1992
Elvis Through the Years
as Self (archive footage) · 2007
All Star Party for Lucille Ball
as Self · 1984
Loose Lips - Her Last Interview
· 2013
CBS Salutes Lucy: The First 25 Years
as Self · 1976
Smorgasbord
as Himself · 1983
Frank, Liza & Sammy: The Ultimate Event
as Self · 1989
The Definitive Elvis: The Television Years
as Self (archive footage) · 2002
The Kid Who Loved Christmas
as Sideman · 1990
Oops, Those Hollywood Bloopers!
as Self (archive footage) · 1982
Gone Before His Time: Freddie Prinze Sr.
as Self (archive footage) · 2023
Frank Sinatra: The First 40 Years
as Self · 1979
The Sammy Davis Jr. Show
as Host · 1966
Happy 100th Birthday, Hollywood
as Self · 1987
Convicts 4
as Wino · 1962
Sammy Davis, Jr. 60th Anniversary Celebration
as Self · 1990
Cinderella at the Palace
as Self · 1978
James Dean Remembered
as Self · 1974
Nat King Cole & Friends Unforgettable Hits
as Self (archive footage)
Frank Sinatra's Welcome Home Party for Elvis Presley
as Self - Singer / Dancer / Impressionist · 1960
Dean Martin: The One and Only
as Self (archive footage) · 2004
Live and Swingin': The Ultimate Rat Pack Collection
as Self (archive footage) · 2003
Christmas with The Martins and The Sinatras
as Self · 1967
The Pigeon
as Larry Miller · 1969
The Strolling '20s
as Self · 1966
Save the Children
as Self · 1973
Happy Birthday, Las Vegas
· 1977
The Day of the Fox
as Beppo · 1961
Frank Sinatra Spectacular
as Self · 1965
Let's Play, Boy
as himself (archive footage) · 2008
The Music According to Tom Jobim
as Self (archive footage) · 2012
Rufus Jones for President
as Rufus Jones · 1933
Sweet and Low
as Self · 1947
The Billy Martin Celebrity Roast
as Self · 1989
The Rat Pack - The Greatest Hits
as Self (archive footage) · 2012
The Enemy
as Chris Christiansen · 1967
The Legendary Nat King Cole
as Self · 2004
Today: While You Were Away (1964-1973 Retrospective)
as Self · 1973
Bob Hope's Bicentennial Star Spangled Spectacular
as Self · 1976
Sammy Stops the World
as Littlechap · 1978
Anna Lucasta
as Danny · 1958
Steve & Eydie Celebrate Irving Berlin
as Self · 1978
Doris Day Today
as Self · 1975
The Fall
· 1969
Magic Night
as Self · 1980
Jingle Bells: RFK - 1964
· 1977
Movin' with Nancy
as Self · 1967
Old Faithful
as Sammy Davis Jr. · 1973
Sammy Davis, Jr.: One Cool Cat
· 2004
Uptown Comedy Express
· 1987
The Rat Pack
as Self (archive footage) · 2004
The Best Of Sammy David Jr. Live
as self
…Sings Musicals
as Self (archive footage) · 2012
Sammy and Bruce
as Self · 1980
Sammy and Company
as Himself · 1975
Jazz Ball
as Self (archive footage) · 1956
Seasoned Greetings
as Henry Johnson · 1933
The Ratpack
as Self · 2006
Jackpot at Tahoe
as Self · 1963
Bomb Disposal
as Self · 1963