
Sammy Davis Jr.
Acting
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.
TV Shows(57)

The Sixties
Self (archive footage)
2014

The Rat Pack
(archive footage)
1999

Alice in Wonderland
Caterpillar / Father WIlliam
1985

The Cosby Show
Ray Palomino
1984

Hunter
Benny Schafer
1984

Wogan
Self
1982

Champs-Elysées
Self
1982

Sanford
Self
1980

The Kennedy Center Honors
Self
1978
Bio’s Bahnhof
Self
1978

Fantasy Island
Mr. Bojangles
1978
Please Turn the Page
Self
1977

Charlie's Angels
Sammy Davis Jr. / Herbert Brubaker III
1976
Sammy and Company
Himself
1975

People's Choice Awards
Self - Presenter
1975

Dinah!
Self
1974

Chico and the Man
1974

The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts
Self
1973

The Julie Andrews Hour
Self
1972
V.I.P. Schaukel
Self
1971

Great Performances
Self (archive footage)
1971

All in the Family
Self
1971

The Flip Wilson Show
Self
1970

The Courtship of Eddie's Father
Rodney River Jr.
1969

The Mod Squad
1968

Here's Lucy
Sammy Davis Jr.
1968

The Dick Cavett Show
Self - Guest
1968

Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Self
1968

The Carol Burnett Show
Self
1967
4-3-2-1 Hot and Sweet
Self
1966

Batman
Self (uncredited)
1966
The Sammy Davis Jr. Show
Host
1966

I Dream of Jeannie
Sammy Davis Jr.
1965

The Hollywood Palace
Self - Singer
1964

Burke's Law
Cordwainer Bird
1963

The Patty Duke Show
1963

The Merv Griffin Show
Self
1962

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
Self - Guest Host
1962

The Mike Douglas Show
Self - Co-Host
1961

Ben Casey
1961

Cain's Hundred
Sammy Davis Jr.
1961
Drama 61-67
Beppo
1961
Playboy's Penthouse
self
1959
The Big Party
Self
1959

77 Sunset Strip
1958

The Rifleman
1958
Tonight Starring Jack Paar
Self
1957

Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
Cpl. Smith
1956

The Steve Allen Show
Self - Guest
1956

The Oscars
Self
1953

General Electric Theater
Private Spider Johnson
1953

The Jack Benny Program
Sammy Davis Jr.
1950

The Colgate Comedy Hour
Self
1950

What's My Line?
Self - Mystery Guest
1950

The Emmy Awards
Self
1949

Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
1948

The Ed Sullivan Show
Self
1948
Movies(125)

EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert
Self (archive footage)
2026

Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
2025

BRATS
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
2024

Gone Before His Time: Freddie Prinze Sr.
Self (archive footage)
2023

Kennedy, Sinatra and the Mafia
Self
2023

Kim Novak: Hollywood's Golden Age Rebel
Self (archive footage)
2023

Commitment to Life
Self (archive footage)
2023

Soul of a Nation Presents: Black in Vegas
Self
2023

Louis Armstrong's Black & Blues
Self (archive footage)
2022

Rat Pack
Self (archive footage)
2022

This Is Joan Collins
Archive Footage
2022

Dean Martin: King of Cool
Self (archive footage)
2021

This Is Bob Hope...
Self (archive footage)
2017

Sammy Davis, Jr.: I've Gotta Be Me
Self (archive footage)
2017

John Travolta, le miraculé d'Hollywood
Self - Singer (archive footage)
2017

Mansfield 66/67
2017

Chita Rivera: A Lot Of Livin' To Do
Self (archive footage)
2015

The Rat Pack - The Greatest Hits
Self (archive footage)
2012

The Music According to Tom Jobim
Self (archive footage)
2012

…Sings Musicals
Self (archive footage)
2012

Let's Play, Boy
himself (archive footage)
2008

The Wrecking Crew
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
2008

Elvis Through the Years
Self (archive footage)
2007

The Ratpack
Self
2006

Pioneers of Primetime
2005

The Legendary Nat King Cole
Self
2004

The Rat Pack
Self (archive footage)
2004

TV in Black: The First Fifty Years
Self (archive footage)
2004
Sammy Davis, Jr.: One Cool Cat
2004

Dean Martin: The One and Only
Self (archive footage)
2004

Live and Swingin': The Ultimate Rat Pack Collection
Self (archive footage)
2003

The Definitive Elvis: The Television Years
Self (archive footage)
2002

It's Black Entertainment
Self (archive footage)
2002

The Ocean's 11 Story
Self (archive footage)
2001

The Best of Bob Hope: 50 Years of Laughter — Volume 1
Self (archive footage)
2001

The Best of Bob Hope: 50 Years of Laughter — Volume 2
Self (archive footage)
2001
Television: The First Fifty Years
Self (archive footage)
1999
Hugh Hefner: Once Upon a Time
Self (archive footage)
1992

The Very Best of The Ed Sullivan Show (Vol. 1)
1991

The Kid Who Loved Christmas
Sideman
1990
Sammy Davis, Jr. 60th Anniversary Celebration
Self
1990

Hanna-Barbera's 50th
Self
1989

Frank, Liza & Sammy: The Ultimate Event
Self
1989

Tap
Little Mo
1989
The Billy Martin Celebrity Roast
Self
1989

An Evening with Sammy Davis, Jr. & Jerry Lewis
Self
1988

Moon Over Parador
Self
1988

Happy Birthday, Bob: 50 Stars Salute Your 50 Years with NBC
Self
1988

Michael Jackson: The Legend Continues
Self
1988

Happy 100th Birthday, Hollywood
Self
1987

Uptown Comedy Express
1987
All Star Party for Clint Eastwood
Self
1986

The Perils of P.K
1986
Dancing in the Wings
The Spirit
1985

Sammy Davis Jr.: Live In Germany
Himself - Main Artist
1985

That's Dancing!
Self - Host
1985

Hollywood's Funniest All-Star Bloopers
Self (archive footage)
1985
All Star Party for Lucille Ball
Self
1984

Cannonball Run II
Fenderbaum
1984

Koyaanisqatsi
Self (archive footage)
1983

Smorgasbord
Himself
1983

Heidi's Song
Head Ratte (voice)
1982

Night of 100 Stars
Self
1982

Oops, Those Hollywood Bloopers!
Self (archive footage)
1982

The Cannonball Run
Fenderbaum
1981

This Is Elvis
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
1981
Sammy and Bruce
Self
1980

Magic Night
Self
1980

Frank Sinatra: The First 40 Years
Self
1979

Cinderella at the Palace
Self
1978

Steve & Eydie Celebrate Irving Berlin
Self
1978

Sammy Stops the World
Littlechap
1978
Happy Birthday, Las Vegas
1977
Jingle Bells: RFK - 1964
1977

CBS Salutes Lucy: The First 25 Years
Self
1976
Bob Hope's Bicentennial Star Spangled Spectacular
Self
1976

James Dean: The First American Teenager
Self
1975

Gone with the West
Kid Dandy
1975

Doris Day Today
Self
1975
The 1974 Annual Las Vegas Entertainment Awards
Self - Presenter
1974

James Dean Remembered
Self
1974

Save the Children
Self
1973

Old Faithful
Sammy Davis Jr.
1973
Today: While You Were Away (1964-1973 Retrospective)
Self
1973

Poor Devil
Sammy
1973

The Trackers
Ezekiel Smith
1971

Fight of the Century
Self-(Audience Member)
1971

Elvis: That's the Way It Is
Self
1970

One More Time
Charles Salt
1970

King: A Filmed Record... Montgomery to Memphis
Self (archive footage)
1970

The Pigeon
Larry Miller
1969

Sweet Charity
Big Daddy
1969

The Fall
1969

Salt & Pepper
Charles Salt
1968
Sammy Davis Jr. in Europa
Self
1968

The Movie Orgy
Self (archive footage)
1968

Christmas with The Martins and The Sinatras
Self
1967

Movin' with Nancy
Self
1967

The Enemy
Chris Christiansen
1967

Alice in Wonderland or What's a Nice Kid Like You Doing in a Place Like This?
The Cheshire Cat
1966

A Man Called Adam
Adam Johnson
1966

The Strolling '20s
Self
1966

Frank Sinatra Spectacular
Self
1965

Nightmare in the Sun
Truck driver
1965

Robin and the 7 Hoods
Will Scarlet
1964

Johnny Cool
Educated
1963

Jackpot at Tahoe
Self
1963

Bomb Disposal
Self
1963

The Threepenny Opera
Moritatensänger
1963

Convicts 4
Wino
1962

Sergeants 3
Jonah Williams
1962
The Day of the Fox
Beppo
1961

Pepe
Sammy Davis Jr.
1960

Ocean's Eleven
Josh Howard
1960

Frank Sinatra's Welcome Home Party for Elvis Presley
Self - Singer / Dancer / Impressionist
1960

Porgy and Bess
Sportin' Life
1959

Anna Lucasta
Danny
1958

Meet Me in Las Vegas
Sammy Davis Jr. (voice) (uncredited)
1956

Jazz Ball
Self (archive footage)
1956

Six Bridges to Cross
Uncredited
1955

Sweet and Low
Self
1947

Seasoned Greetings
Henry Johnson
1933

Rufus Jones for President
Rufus Jones
1933

The Best Of Sammy David Jr. Live
self

Nat King Cole & Friends Unforgettable Hits
Self (archive footage)