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