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IMDbPro

Sammy Davis Jr.(1925-1990)

  • Actor
  • Producer
  • Director
IMDbProStarmeter
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Sammy Davis Jr., 1964.
Sammy Davis, Jr. had the kind of career that was indisputably legendary, so vast and multi-faceted that it was dizzying in its scope and scale. And yet, his life was complex, complicated and contradictory. Davis strove to achieve the American Dream in a time of racial prejudice and shifting political territory. He was the veteran of increasingly outdated show business traditions trying to stay relevant; he frequently found himself bracketed by the bigotry of white America and the distaste of black America; he was the most public black figure to embrace Judaism, thereby yoking his identity to another persecuted minority.
Play trailer2:38
Sammy Davis, Jr.: I've Gotta Be Me (2017)
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Sammy Davis Jr. was often billed as the "greatest living entertainer in the world".

He was born in Harlem, Manhattan, the son of dancer Elvera Davis (née Sanchez) and vaudeville star Sammy Davis Sr.. His father was African-American and his mother was of Cuban and African-American ancestry. Davis Jr. was known as someone who could do it all, sing, dance, play instruments, act, do stand-up and he was known for his self-deprecating humor; he once heard someone complaining about discrimination, and he said, "You got it easy. I'm a short, ugly, one-eyed, black Jew. What do you think it's like for me?" (he had converted to Judaism).

A short stint in the army opened his eyes to the evils of racism. A slight man, he was often beaten up by bigger white soldiers and given the dirtiest and most dangerous assignments by white officers simply because he was black. He helped break down racial barriers in show business in the 1950s and 1960s, especially in Las Vegas, where he often performed; when he started there in the early 1950s, he was not allowed to stay in the hotels he played in, as they refused to take blacks as customers. He also stirred up a large amount of controversy in the 1960s by openly dating, and ultimately marrying, blonde, blue-eyed, Swedish-born actress May Britt.

He starred in the Broadway musical "Golden Boy" in the 1960s. Initially a success, internal tensions, production problems and bad reviews--many of them directed at Davis for playing a role originally written for a white man resulted in its closing fairly quickly. His film and nightclub career were in full swing, however, and he became even more famous as one of the "Rat Pack", a group of free-wheeling entertainers that included Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, Joey Bishop and Peter Lawford.

A chain smoker, Davis died from throat cancer at the age of 64. When he died, he was in debt. To pay for Davis' funeral, most of his memorabilia was sold off.
BornDecember 8, 1925
DiedMay 16, 1990(64)
BornDecember 8, 1925
DiedMay 16, 1990(64)
IMDbProStarmeter
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  • Nominated for 2 Primetime Emmys

Photos289

Sammy Davis Jr. and May Britt
Sammy Davis Jr. and May Britt
Sammy Davis Jr. and May Britt
Sammy Davis Jr. and May Britt
Sammy Davis Jr.
Sammy Davis Jr. and May Britt
Sammy Davis Jr. and May Britt
Sammy Davis Jr. and May Britt
Sammy Davis Jr. and May Britt
Sammy Davis Jr.
Sammy Davis Jr. in Broadway Danny Rose (1984)
Sammy Davis Jr. in Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In (1967)

Known for

Adrienne Barbeau, Farrah Fawcett, Roger Moore, Burt Reynolds, Dom DeLuise, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis Jr. in The Cannonball Run (1981)
The Cannonball Run
6.2
  • Fenderbaum
  • 1981
Marilu Henner, Shirley MacLaine, Burt Reynolds, Dom DeLuise, Dean Martin, Telly Savalas, Sammy Davis Jr., and Jamie Farr in Cannonball Run II (1984)
Cannonball Run II
5.0
  • Morris Fenderbaum
  • 1984
Sidney Poitier, Sammy Davis Jr., and Dorothy Dandridge in Porgy and Bess (1959)
Porgy and Bess
7.0
  • Sportin' Life
  • 1959
Salt and Pepper (1968)
Salt and Pepper
5.1
  • Charles Salt
  • 1968

Credits

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IMDbPro

Actor

  • The Kid Who Loved Christmas (1990)
    The Kid Who Loved Christmas
  • Fred Dryer and Stepfanie Kramer in Hunter (1984)
    Hunter
  • Tap (1989)
    Tap
  • Lisa Bonet, Bill Cosby, Tempestt Bledsoe, Keshia Knight Pulliam, Phylicia Rashad, and Malcolm-Jamal Warner in The Cosby Show (1984)
    The Cosby Show
  • Richard Dreyfuss and Sonia Braga in Moon Over Parador (1988)
    Moon Over Parador
  • A Whole Lotta Fun
  • The Perils of P.K. (1986)
    The Perils of P.K.
  • Natalie Gregory in Alice in Wonderland (1985)
    Alice in Wonderland
  • Gimme a Break! (1981)
    Gimme a Break!
  • Richard Pryor in Pryor's Place (1984)
    Pryor's Place
  • Marilu Henner, Shirley MacLaine, Burt Reynolds, Dom DeLuise, Dean Martin, Telly Savalas, Sammy Davis Jr., and Jamie Farr in Cannonball Run II (1984)
    Cannonball Run II
  • Ricardo Montalban and Hervé Villechaize in Fantasy Island (1977)
    Fantasy Island
  • Broadway Danny Rose (1984)
    Broadway Danny Rose
    • (uncredited)
  • Marla Gibbs, Paul Benedict, Franklin Cover, Sherman Hemsley, Roxie Roker, Isabel Sanford, and Berlinda Tolbert in The Jeffersons (1975)
    The Jeffersons
  • Cracking Up (1983)
    Cracking Up

Producer

  • Muhammed Ali/Sammy Davis, Jr./Marvin Gaye and Richard Pryor: Celebrity Boxing Match at the Olympic Auditorium (1978)
    Muhammed Ali/Sammy Davis, Jr./Marvin Gaye and Richard Pryor: Celebrity Boxing Match at the Olympic Auditorium
  • Ernest Borgnine and Sammy Davis Jr. in The Trackers (1971)
    The Trackers
  • One More Time (1970)
    One More Time
  • Salt and Pepper (1968)
    Salt and Pepper
    • (uncredited)
  • The Sammy Davis, Jr. Show (1966)
    The Sammy Davis, Jr. Show

Director

  • The 2nd Annual Black Achievement Awards (1979)
    The Third Annual Black Achievement Awards
  • Redd Foxx in Sanford (1980)
    Sanford
  • The 2nd Annual Black Achievement Awards (1979)
    The 2nd Annual Black Achievement Awards
  • In-development projects at IMDbPro

Videos10

Trailer
Trailer 1:31
Trailer
Official Trailer
Trailer 2:38
Official Trailer
Sinatra: All or Nothing at All
Trailer 1:01
Sinatra: All or Nothing at All
Sweet Charity
Trailer 1:35
Sweet Charity
Cannonball Run II
Trailer 1:27
Cannonball Run II
Robin and the 7 Hoods
Trailer 3:27
Robin and the 7 Hoods
One More Time (1970)
Trailer 2:35
One More Time (1970)
Ocean's Eleven (1960)
Trailer 3:11
Ocean's Eleven (1960)
Tap
Trailer 1:52
Tap
Tap
Trailer 1:52
Tap

Personal details

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  • Official sites
    • Apple Music
    • Last.fm
    • December 8, 1925
    • Harlem, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA
    • May 16, 1990
    • Beverly Hills, California, USA(complications from throat cancer)
    • Altovise DavisMay 11, 1970 - May 16, 1990 (his death, 1 child)
    • Tracey Davis
    • Elvera Davis
    • (Sibling)
  • Other works
    Print ad: Alka-Seltzer
  • Publicity listings
    • 10 Biographical Movies
    • 10 Print Biographies
    • 9 Portrayals
    • 1 Interview
    • 3 Articles
    • 3 Pictorials
    • 3 Magazine Cover Photos

Did you know

Edit
  • Trivia
    Despite being 64 at the time of his death, he was survived by his mother Elvera Sanchez (1905-2000) and his grandmother, Elvera's mother Luisa (who died in 1995 at 112).
  • Quotes
    Being a star has made it possible for me to get insulted in places where the average Negro could never hope to get insulted.
    • His glass eye (the left eye)
    • Ocean's Eleven
      (1960)
      $125,000

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