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Personal Info
Known For
Acting
Birthday
December 8, 1925
Died
May 16, 1990
Place of Birth
Harlem, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA
Also Known As
- Sammy Davis
- Samuel George Davis Jr.
- Samuel George Davis
- The Will Maston Trio
- Will Maston Trio
Sammy Davis Jr.
1.1 Popularity
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 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
Known For
8.0
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story
2025
5.9
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
BRATS
2024
0.0
Self (archive footage)
Gone Before His Time: Freddie Prinze Sr.
2023
7.7
Self
Kennedy, Sinatra and the Mafia
2023
7.0
Self (archive footage)
Kim Novak: Hollywood's Golden Age Rebel
2023
2.0
Self
Soul of a Nation Presents: Black in Vegas
2023
6.7
Self (archive footage)
Louis Armstrong's Black & Blues
2022
9.0
Self (archive footage)
Rat Pack
2022
7.3
Archive Footage
This Is Joan Collins
2022
7.6
Self (archive footage)
Dean Martin: King of Cool
2021
Credits
Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
2025
8.0
BRATS
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
2024
5.9
Gone Before His Time: Freddie Prinze Sr.
as Self (archive footage)
2023
0.0
Kennedy, Sinatra and the Mafia
as Self
2023
7.7
Kim Novak: Hollywood's Golden Age Rebel
as Self (archive footage)
2023
7.0
Soul of a Nation Presents: Black in Vegas
as Self
2023
2.0
Louis Armstrong's Black & Blues
as Self (archive footage)
2022
6.7
Rat Pack
as Self (archive footage)
2022
9.0
This Is Joan Collins
as Archive Footage
2022
7.3
Dean Martin: King of Cool
as Self (archive footage)
2021
7.6
This Is Bob Hope...
as Self (archive footage)
2017
8.0
Sammy Davis, Jr.: I've Gotta Be Me
as Self (archive footage)
2017
6.9
John Travolta, le miraculé d'Hollywood
as Self - Singer (archive footage)
2017
7.3
Chita Rivera: A Lot Of Livin' To Do
as Self (archive footage)
2015
0.0
The Sixties
as Self (archive footage)
2014
7.4
The Rat Pack - The Greatest Hits
as Self (archive footage)
2012
0.0
The Music According to Tom Jobim
as Self (archive footage)
2012
7.0
…Sings Musicals
as Self (archive footage)
2012
7.0
Let's Play, Boy
as himself (archive footage)
2008
5.3
The Wrecking Crew
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
2008
7.3
Elvis Through the Years
as Self (archive footage)
2007
0.0
The Ratpack
as Self
2006
0.0
Pioneers of Primetime
2005
0.0
The Legendary Nat King Cole
as Self
2004
0.0
Dean Martin: The One and Only
as Self (archive footage)
2004
0.0
TV in Black: The First Fifty Years
as Self (archive footage)
2004
4.0
🎬
Sammy Davis, Jr.: One Cool Cat
2004
0.0
The Rat Pack
as Self (archive footage)
2004
0.0
Live and Swingin': The Ultimate Rat Pack Collection
as Self (archive footage)
2003
7.5
The Definitive Elvis: The Television Years
as Self (archive footage)
2002
5.2
It's Black Entertainment
as Self (archive footage)
2002
8.0
The Ocean's 11 Story
as Self (archive footage)
2001
6.8
The Best of Bob Hope: 50 Years of Laughter — Volume 1
as Self (archive footage)
2001
0.0
The Best of Bob Hope: 50 Years of Laughter — Volume 2
as Self (archive footage)
2001
0.0
The Rat Pack
as (archive footage)
1999
0.0
🎬
Television: The First Fifty Years
as Self (archive footage)
1999
0.0
🎬
Bob Hope's Bicentennial Star Spangled Spectacular
as Self
1996
0.0
🎬
Hugh Hefner: Once Upon a Time
as Self (archive footage)
1992
4.4
The Kid Who Loved Christmas
as Sideman
1990
6.6
🎬
Sammy Davis, Jr. 60th Anniversary Celebration
as Self
1990
8.8
Hanna-Barbera's 50th
as Self
1989
9.2
Frank, Liza & Sammy: The Ultimate Event
as Self
1989
4.2
Tap
as Little Mo
1989
6.8
🎬
The Billy Martin Celebrity Roast
as Self
1989
0.0
An Evening with Sammy Davis, Jr. & Jerry Lewis
as Self
1988
0.0
Moon Over Parador
as Self
1988
5.8
Happy Birthday, Bob: 50 Stars Salute Your 50 Years with NBC
as Self
1988
6.0
Michael Jackson: The Legend Continues
as Self
1988
7.2
Happy 100th Birthday, Hollywood
as Self
1987
5.7
Uptown Comedy Express
1987
0.0
🎬
All Star Party for Clint Eastwood
as Self
1986
6.0
The Perils of P.K
1986
10.0
Alice in Wonderland
as Caterpillar / Father WIlliam
1985
6.8
Sammy Davis Jr.: Live In Germany
as Himself - Main Artist
1985
0.0
That's Dancing!
as Self - Host
1985
7.0
Hollywood's Funniest All-Star Bloopers
as Self (archive footage)
1985
0.0
🎬
All Star Party for Lucille Ball
as Self
1984
6.0
The Cosby Show
as Ray Palomino
1984
7.0
Hunter
as Benny Schafer
1984
7.1
Cannonball Run II
as Fenderbaum
1984
5.4
Smorgasbord
as Himself
1983
5.8
Heidi's Song
as Head Ratte (voice)
1982
6.0
Wogan
as Self
1982
4.5
Night of 100 Stars
as Self
1982
6.7
Champs-Elysées
as Self
1982
6.3
Oops, Those Hollywood Bloopers!
as Self (archive footage)
1982
6.0
The Cannonball Run
as Fenderbaum
1981
6.2
This Is Elvis
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
1981
7.0
🎬
Sammy and Bruce
as Self
1980
0.0
Magic Night
as Self
1980
0.0
Sanford
as Self
1980
7.0
Frank Sinatra: The First 40 Years
as Self
1979
0.0
The Kennedy Center Honors
as Self
1978
7.4
🎬
Cinderella at the Palace
as Self
1978
0.0
Steve & Eydie Celebrate Irving Berlin
as Self
1978
0.0
🎬
Bio’s Bahnhof
as Self
1978
0.0
Fantasy Island
as Mr. Bojangles
1978
6.4
Fantasy Island
as Edward Ross Sr.
1978
6.4
Sammy Stops the World
as Littlechap
1978
0.0
🎬
Happy Birthday, Las Vegas
1977
7.0
🎬
Please Turn the Page
as Self
1977
6.0
🎬
Jingle Bells: RFK - 1964
1977
0.0
CBS Salutes Lucy: The First 25 Years
as Self
1976
7.3
James Dean: The First American Teenager
as Self
1975
6.0
Gone with the West
as Kid Dandy
1975
2.1
🎬
Sammy and Company
as Himself
1975
8.0
Doris Day Today
as Self
1975
6.0
🎬
The 1974 Annual Las Vegas Entertainment Awards
as Self - Presenter
1974
0.0
Dinah!
as Self
1974
6.7
Chico and the Man
1974
5.8
James Dean Remembered
as Self
1974
0.0
The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts
as Self
1973
5.4
Save the Children
as Self
1973
6.4
Old Faithful
as Sammy Davis Jr.
1973
0.0
🎬
Today: While You Were Away (1964-1973 Retrospective)
as Self
1973
0.0
Poor Devil
as Sammy
1973
5.4
The Julie Andrews Hour
as Self
1972
6.0
The Trackers
as Ezekiel Smith
1971
5.7
🎬
V.I.P. Schaukel
as Self
1971
7.5
Fight of the Century
as Self-(Audience Member)
1971
0.0
Great Performances
as Self (archive footage)
1971
5.8
All in the Family
as Self
1971
7.8
Elvis: That's the Way It Is
as Self
1970
7.9
The Flip Wilson Show
as Self
1970
4.6
One More Time
as Charles Salt
1970
4.4
King: A Filmed Record... Montgomery to Memphis
as Self (archive footage)
1970
7.1
The Pigeon
as Larry Miller
1969
0.0
The Courtship of Eddie's Father
as Rodney River Jr.
1969
6.0
Sweet Charity
as Big Daddy
1969
6.9
The Fall
1969
7.0
The Mod Squad
1968
6.2
Here's Lucy
as Sammy Davis Jr.
1968
6.7
Salt & Pepper
as Charles Salt
1968
5.0
The Dick Cavett Show
as Self - Guest
1968
6.8
🎬
Sammy Davis Jr. in Europa
as Self
1968
0.0
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
as Self
1968
6.6
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
as Self (uncredited)
1968
6.6
The Movie Orgy
as Self (archive footage)
1968
6.3
Christmas with The Martins and The Sinatras
as Self
1967
0.0
Movin' with Nancy
as Self
1967
7.0
The Enemy
as Chris Christiansen
1967
0.0
The Carol Burnett Show
as Self
1967
7.7
🎬
4-3-2-1 Hot and Sweet
as Self
1966
0.0
Alice in Wonderland or What's a Nice Kid Like You Doing in a Place Like This?
as The Cheshire Cat
1966
4.7
A Man Called Adam
as Adam Johnson
1966
6.0
The Strolling '20s
as Self
1966
0.0
Batman
as Self (uncredited)
1966
7.3
🎬
The Sammy Davis Jr. Show
as Host
1966
6.0
I Dream of Jeannie
as Sammy Davis Jr.
1965
7.8
Frank Sinatra Spectacular
as Self
1965
9.0
Nightmare in the Sun
as Truck driver
1965
2.2
Robin and the 7 Hoods
as Will Scarlet
1964
6.1
The Hollywood Palace
as Self - Singer
1964
4.5
Johnny Cool
as Educated
1963
5.1
Burke's Law
as Cordwainer Bird
1963
6.0
The Patty Duke Show
1963
5.6
Jackpot at Tahoe
as Self
1963
0.0
Bomb Disposal
as Self
1963
0.0
The Threepenny Opera
as Moritatensänger
1963
5.0
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
as Self - Guest Host
1962
7.5
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
as Self
1962
7.5
The Merv Griffin Show
as Self
1962
6.2
Convicts 4
as Wino
1962
4.8
Sergeants 3
as Jonah Williams
1962
5.4
The Mike Douglas Show
as Self - Co-Host
1961
5.4
The Mike Douglas Show
as Self
1961
5.4
Ben Casey
1961
5.6
Cain's Hundred
as Sammy Davis Jr.
1961
4.7
🎬
The Day of the Fox
as Beppo
1961
0.0
🎬
Drama 61-67
as Beppo
1961
0.0
Pepe
as Sammy Davis Jr.
1960
6.3
Ocean's Eleven
as Josh Howard
1960
6.4
Frank Sinatra's Welcome Home Party for Elvis Presley
as Self - Singer / Dancer / Impressionist
1960
6.0
🎬
Playboy's Penthouse
as self
1959
0.0
🎬
The Big Party
as Self
1959
0.0
Porgy and Bess
as Sportin' Life
1959
6.1
Anna Lucasta
as Danny
1958
5.8
77 Sunset Strip
1958
6.7
The Rifleman
1958
7.1
🎬
Tonight Starring Jack Paar
as Self
1957
7.0
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
as Cpl. Smith
1956
6.0
The Steve Allen Show
as Self - Guest
1956
5.6
Meet Me in Las Vegas
as Sammy Davis Jr. (voice) (uncredited)
1956
4.2
Jazz Ball
as Self (archive footage)
1956
7.0
Six Bridges to Cross
as Uncredited
1955
6.2
The Oscars
as Self
1953
7.0
General Electric Theater
as Private Spider Johnson
1953
6.4
General Electric Theater
as Jacob Johnson
1953
6.4
General Electric Theater
as Pancho Villa III
1953
6.4
The Jack Benny Program
as Sammy Davis Jr.
1950
7.8
The Colgate Comedy Hour
as Self
1950
6.8
What's My Line?
as Self - Mystery Guest
1950
6.9
The Emmy Awards
as Self
1949
7.9
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
1948
8.0
The Ed Sullivan Show
as Self
1948
6.8
Sweet and Low
as Self
1947
0.0
Seasoned Greetings
as Henry Johnson
1933
5.0
Rufus Jones for President
as Rufus Jones
1933
6.0
The Best Of Sammy David Jr. Live
as self
N/A
0.0
Nat King Cole & Friends Unforgettable Hits
as Self (archive footage)
N/A
0.0