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.
184 acting credits
Acting · 184
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
1962
The Mike Douglas Show
1961
Batman
1966
Charlie's Angels
1976
The Rifleman
1958
Great Performances
1971
Hunter
1984
The Cosby Show
1984
Wogan
1982
The Merv Griffin Show
1962
Ben Casey
1961
Champs-Elysées
1982
Fantasy Island
1978
The Carol Burnett Show
1967
Burke's Law
1963
I Dream of Jeannie
1965
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
1956
What's My Line?
1950
Omnibus
1967
All in the Family
1971
The Dick Cavett Show
1968
Here's Lucy
1968
The Oscars
1953
77 Sunset Strip
1958
The Ed Sullivan Show
1948
People's Choice Awards
1975
The Colgate Comedy Hour
1950
Dinah!
1974
The Steve Allen Show
1956
The Jack Benny Program
1950
The Mod Squad
1968
Tonight Starring Jack Paar
1957
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
1968
Cain's Hundred
1961
The Courtship of Eddie's Father
1969
Chico and the Man
1974
Drama 61-67
1961
The Kennedy Center Honors
1978
The Patty Duke Show
1963
The Hollywood Palace
1964
The Flip Wilson Show
1970
V.I.P. Schaukel
1971
The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts
1973
EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert
2026
The Julie Andrews Hour
1972
Please Turn the Page
1977
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
1948
The Emmy Awards
1949
The Cannonball Run
1981
Alice in Wonderland
1985
The Sixties
2014
Ocean's Eleven
1960
4-3-2-1 Hot and Sweet
1966
Cannonball Run II
1984
General Electric Theater
1953
Bio’s Bahnhof
1978
The Big Party
1959
Koyaanisqatsi
1983
Sanford
1980
Night of 100 Stars
1982
Robin and the 7 Hoods
1964
Sweet Charity
1969
John Travolta, le miraculé d'Hollywood
2017
Happy Birthday, Bob: 50 Stars Salute Your 50 Years with NBC
1988
BRATS
2024
King: A Filmed Record... Montgomery to Memphis
1970
Playboy's Penthouse
1959
The Movie Orgy
1968
Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story
2025
Louis Armstrong's Black & Blues
2022
The Wrecking Crew
2008
Happy 100th Birthday, Hollywood
1987
Elvis: That's the Way It Is
1970
Television: The First Fifty Years
1999
Dean Martin: King of Cool
2021
Johnny Cool
1963
Pepe
1960
The Best of Bob Hope: 50 Years of Laughter — Volume 2
2001
Moon Over Parador
1988
Rat Pack
2022
The Best of Bob Hope: 50 Years of Laughter — Volume 1
2001
Hanna-Barbera's 50th
1989
The Rat Pack
1999
Porgy and Bess
1959
Commitment to Life
2023
Sammy Davis, Jr. 60th Anniversary Celebration
1990
Hollywood's Funniest All-Star Bloopers
1985
That's Dancing!
1985
The Fabulous Allan Carr
2017
Meet Me in Las Vegas
1956
Poor Devil
1973
TV in Black: The First Fifty Years
2004
Sergeants 3
1962
Oops, Those Hollywood Bloopers!
1982
It's Black Entertainment
2002
CBS Salutes Lucy: The First 25 Years
1976
Nightmare in the Sun
1965
Smorgasbord
1983
Tap
1989
This Is Elvis
1981
Michael Jackson: The Legend Continues
1988
Salt & Pepper
1968
The Trackers
1971
The Sammy Davis Jr. Show
1966
One More Time
1970
A Man Called Adam
1966
Soul of a Nation Presents: Black in Vegas
2023
The Threepenny Opera
1963
The Kid Who Loved Christmas
1990
James Dean: The First American Teenager
1975
All Star Party for Lucille Ball
1984
Kim Novak: Hollywood's Golden Age Rebel
2023
Gone with the West
1975
Convicts 4
1962
Sammy and Company
1975
This Is Bob Hope...
2017
Mansfield 66/67
2017
Gone Before His Time: Freddie Prinze Sr.
2023
This Is Joan Collins
2022
The Billy Martin Celebrity Roast
1989
Heidi's Song
1982
Frank Sinatra's Welcome Home Party for Elvis Presley
1960
Alice in Wonderland or What's a Nice Kid Like You Doing in a Place Like This?
1966
Six Bridges to Cross
1955
Anna Lucasta
1958
Live and Swingin': The Ultimate Rat Pack Collection
2003
Seasoned Greetings
1933
Hugh Hefner: Once Upon a Time
1992
The Pigeon
1969
The 1974 Annual Las Vegas Entertainment Awards
1974
Save the Children
1973
The Fall
1969
Steve & Eydie Celebrate Irving Berlin
1978
The Strolling '20s
1966
Chita Rivera: A Lot Of Livin' To Do
2015
Fight of the Century
1971
Magic Night
1980
The Definitive Elvis: The Television Years
2002
Frank Sinatra: The First 40 Years
1979
Jazz Ball
1956
Nat King Cole & Friends Unforgettable Hits
—
Today: While You Were Away (1964-1973 Retrospective)
1973
Doris Day Today
1975
Christmas with The Martins and The Sinatras
1967
Elvis Through the Years
2007
Sammy Davis, Jr.: I've Gotta Be Me
2017
The Music According to Tom Jobim
2012
Happy Birthday, Las Vegas
1977
Old Faithful
1973
James Dean Remembered
1974
Frank Sinatra Spectacular
1965
Uptown Comedy Express
1987
The Ocean's 11 Story
2001
Sammy Stops the World
1978
The Legendary Nat King Cole
2004
Cinderella at the Palace
1978
Kennedy, Sinatra and the Mafia
2023
Let's Play, Boy
2008
Jingle Bells: RFK - 1964
1977
Movin' with Nancy
1967
All Star Party for Clint Eastwood
1986
The Enemy
1967
Bob Hope's Bicentennial Star Spangled Spectacular
1976
Dancing in the Wings
1985
The Day of the Fox
1961
Rufus Jones for President
1933
The Very Best of The Ed Sullivan Show (Vol. 1)
1991
…Sings Musicals
2012
Frank, Liza & Sammy: The Ultimate Event
1989
An Evening with Sammy Davis, Jr. & Jerry Lewis
1988
The Perils of P.K
1986
The Rat Pack - The Greatest Hits
2012
Sammy Davis Jr.: Live In Germany
1985
Pioneers of Primetime
2005
Sammy Davis Jr. in Europa
1968
Bomb Disposal
1963
Sammy Davis, Jr.: One Cool Cat
2004
The Best Of Sammy David Jr. Live
—
The Ratpack
2006
Sammy and Bruce
1980
Sweet and Low
1947
The Rat Pack
2004
Dean Martin: The One and Only
2004
Jackpot at Tahoe
1963