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