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.
| 2024 | BRATS as Self (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| 2023 | Gone Before His Time: Freddie Prinze Sr. as Self (archive footage) |
| 2023 | Kennedy, Sinatra and the Mafia as Self |
| 2023 | Kim Novak, l'âme rebelle d'Hollywood as Self (archive footage) |
| 2023 | Soul of a Nation Presents: Black in Vegas as Self |
| 2022 | Louis Armstrong's Black & Blues as Self (archive footage) |
| 2022 | Rat Pack as Self (archive footage) |
| 2022 | This Is Joan Collins as Archive Footage |
| 2021 | Dean Martin: King of Cool as Self (archive footage) |
| 2017 | This Is Bob Hope... as Self (archive footage) |
| 2017 | Sammy Davis, Jr.: I've Gotta Be Me as Self (archive footage) |
| 2017 | John Travolta, le miraculé d'Hollywood as Self - Singer (archive footage) |
| 2016 | Michael Jackson's Journey from Motown to Off the Wall as Self (archive footage) |
| 2015 | Chita Rivera: A Lot Of Livin' To Do as Self (archive footage) |
| 2014 | Özgürlük Yürüyüşü as Self (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| 2012 | The Rat Pack - The Greatest Hits as Self |
| 2012 | A Música Segundo Tom Jobim as Self (archive footage) |
| 2012 | …Sings Musicals as Self (archive footage) |
| 2008 | Let's Play, Boy as himself (archive footage) |
| 2008 | The Wrecking Crew as Self (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| 2006 | The Ratpack as Self |
| 2004 | The Legendary Nat King Cole as Self |
| 2004 | TV in Black: The First Fifty Years as Self (archive footage) |
| 2004 | The Rat Pack as Self |
| 2003 | Live and Swingin': The Ultimate Rat Pack Collection as Self (archive footage) |
| 2002 | The Definitive Elvis: The Television Years as Self (archive footage) |
| 2002 | It's Black Entertainment as Self (archive footage) |
| 2001 | The Ocean's 11 Story as Self (archive footage) |
| 2001 | The Best of Bob Hope: 50 Years of Laughter — Volume 1 as Self (archive footage) |
| 2001 | The Best of Bob Hope: 50 Years of Laughter — Volume 2 as Self (archive footage) |
| 1999 | Television: The First Fifty Years as Self (archive footage) |
| 1996 | Bob Hope's Bicentennial Star Spangled Spectacular as Self |
| 1990 | The Kid Who Loved Christmas as Sideman |
| 1990 | Sammy Davis Jr.'s 60th Anniversary Celebration as Self |
| 1990 | Sammy Davis, Jr. 60th Anniversary Celebration as Self |
| 1989 | Hanna-Barbera's 50th as Self |
| 1989 | The Ultimate Event as Self |
| 1989 | Tap as Little Mo |
| 1989 | The Billy Martin Celebrity Roast as Self |
| 1988 | An Evening with Sammy Davis, Jr. & Jerry Lewis |
| 1988 | Sahte Diktatör as Self |
| 1988 | Happy Birthday, Bob: 50 Stars Salute Your 50 Years with NBC as Self |
| 1988 | Michael Jackson: The Legend Continues as Self |
| 1987 | Uptown Comedy Express |
| 1986 | The Perils of P.K |
| 1985 | Sammy Davis jr. in Deutschland as Himself - Main Artist |
| 1985 | That's Dancing! as Self - Host |
| 1985 | Hollywood's Funniest All-Star Bloopers as Self (archive footage) |
| 1984 | All Star Party for Lucille Ball as Self |
| 1984 | Cannonball Yarışı 2: Yolun Sonu as Fenderbaum |
| 1983 | Smorgasbord as Himself |
| 1982 | Heidi's Song as Head Ratte (voice) |
| 1982 | Night of 100 Stars as Self |
| 1982 | Oops, Those Hollywood Bloopers! as Self (archive footage) |
| 1981 | Cannonball Yarışı as Fenderbaum |
| 1981 | This Is Elvis as Self (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| 1980 | Sammy and Bruce as Self |
| 1979 | Frank Sinatra: The First 40 Years as Self |
| 1978 | Steve & Eydie Celebrate Irving Berlin as Self |
| 1978 | Sammy Stops the World as Littlechap |
| 1977 | Happy Birthday, Las Vegas |
| 1977 | Jingle Bells: RFK - 1964 |
| 1976 | CBS Salutes Lucy: The First 25 Years as Self |
| 1975 | James Dean: The First American Teenager as Self |
| 1975 | Gone with the West as Kid Dandy |
| 1975 | Doris Day Today as Self |
| 1974 | The 1974 Annual Las Vegas Entertainment Awards as Self - Presenter |
| 1974 | James Dean Remembered as Self |
| 1973 | Save the Children as Self |
| 1973 | Today: While You Were Away (1964-1973 Retrospective) as Self |
| 1973 | Poor Devil as Sammy |
| 1973 | Old Faithful as Himself |
| 1971 | The Trackers as Ezekiel Smith |
| 1971 | Fight of the Century as Self-(Audience Member) |
| 1970 | Elvis: That's the Way It Is as Self |
| 1970 | One More Time as Charles Salt |
| 1970 | King: A Filmed Record... Montgomery to Memphis as Self (archive footage) |
| 1969 | The Pigeon as Larry Miller |
| 1969 | Tatlı Charity as Big Daddy |
| 1969 | The Fall |
| 1968 | Salt & Pepper as Charles Salt |
| 1968 | The Movie Orgy as Self (archive footage) |
| 1967 | Christmas with The Martins and The Sinatras as Self |
| 1967 | Movin' with Nancy as Self |
| 1967 | The Enemy as Chris Christiansen |
| 1966 | Alice in Wonderland or What's a Nice Kid Like You Doing in a Place Like This? as The Cheshire Cat |
| 1966 | A Man Called Adam as Adam Johnson |
| 1966 | The Strolling '20s as Self |
| 1965 | Frank Sinatra Spectacular as Self |
| 1965 | Nightmare in the Sun as Truck driver |
| 1964 | Robin and the 7 Hoods as Will Scarlet |
| 1963 | Johnny Cool as Educated |
| 1963 | Jackpot at Tahoe as Self |
| 1963 | Die Dreigroschenoper as Moritatensänger |
| 1962 | Convicts 4 as Wino |
| 1962 | Sergeants 3 as Jonah Williams |
| 1961 | The Day of the Fox as Beppo |
| 1960 | Pepe as Sammy Davis Jr. |
| 1960 | Soyguncular as Josh Howard |
| 1960 | Frank Sinatra's Welcome Home Party for Elvis Presley as Self - Singer / Dancer / Impressionist |
| 1959 | Porgy and Bess as Sportin' Life |
| 1958 | Anna Lucasta as Danny |
| 1956 | Meet Me in Las Vegas as Sammy Davis Jr. (voice) (uncredited) |
| 1956 | Jazz Ball as Self (archive footage) |
| 1947 | Sweet and Low as Self |
| 1933 | Seasoned Greetings as Henry Johnson |
| 1933 | 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 |
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