Birthday: 8 December 1925, Harlem, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA
Birth Name: Samuel George Davis
Height: 165 cm
Sammy Davis Jr. was often billed as the "greatest living entertainer in the world".He was born in Harlem, Manhattan, the son of dancer Elvera Davis (née Sanchez) and vaudeville star Sammy Davis Sr.. His father was African-American and his mother was of Puerto Rican ancestry. Davis Jr. was known as someone who could do it all--sing, dance...
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Sammy Davis Jr. was often billed as the "greatest living entertainer in the world".He was born in Harlem, Manhattan, the son of dancer Elvera Davis (née Sanchez) and vaudeville star Sammy Davis Sr.. His father was African-American and his mother was of Puerto Rican ancestry. Davis Jr. was known as someone who could do it all--sing, dance, play instruments, act, do stand-up--and he was known for his self-deprecating humor; he once heard someone complaining about discrimination, and he said, "You got it easy. I'm a short, ugly, one-eyed, black Jew. What do you think it's like for me?" (he had converted to Judaism).A short stint in the army opened his eyes to the evils of racism--a slight man, he was often beaten up by bigger white soldiers and given the dirtiest and most dangerous assignments by white officers simply because he was black--and he helped break down racial barriers in show business in the 1950s and 1960s, especially in Las Vegas, where he often performed; when he started there in the early 1950s, he was not allowed to stay in the hotels he played in, as they refused to take blacks as customers. He also stirred up a large amount of controversy in the 1960s by openly dating, and ultimately marrying, blonde, blue-eyed, Swedish-born actress May Britt.He starred in the Broadway musical "Golden Boy" in the 1960s. Initially a success, internal tensions, production problems and bad reviews--many of them directed at Davis for playing a role originally written for a white man--resulted in its closing fairly quickly. His film and nightclub career were in full swing, however, and he became even more famous as one of the "Rat Pack", a group of free-wheeling entertainers that included Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, Joey Bishop and Peter Lawford.A chain smoker, Davis died from throat cancer at the age of 64. When he died, he was in debt. To pay for Davis' funeral, most of his memorabilia was sold off. Show less «
I'm colored, Jewish and Puerto Rican. When I move into a neighborhood, I wipe it out!
I'm colored, Jewish and Puerto Rican. When I move into a neighborhood, I wipe it out!
[on Laurence Olivier] If you had to worship something mortal on Earth, I would go and bow twice a da...Show more »
[on Laurence Olivier] If you had to worship something mortal on Earth, I would go and bow twice a day to wherever Olivier was standing. Show less «
[when asked what his golf handicap was] My handicap? Man, I am a one-eyed black Jew! THAT'S my handi...Show more »
[when asked what his golf handicap was] My handicap? Man, I am a one-eyed black Jew! THAT'S my handicap! Show less «
[on Richard Burton] There is nothing he can't do. He is a wonder and a joy to watch.
[on Richard Burton] There is nothing he can't do. He is a wonder and a joy to watch.
[on the lifestyle of The Rat Pack in 1958] We gamble. There's nothing else to do in Vegas. Man, it's...Show more »
[on the lifestyle of The Rat Pack in 1958] We gamble. There's nothing else to do in Vegas. Man, it's like Baghdad. You can't sleep. All the chicks are after loot. So you sing, and what else do you do? Sometimes Dean and Frank sit in for the dealers. It must cost the house $1,000 every time. They see a little old schoolteacher making a bet and they slip her the good cards and let her win big. Show less «
You have to be able to look back at your own life and say, "Yeah, that was fun." The only person I e...Show more »
You have to be able to look back at your own life and say, "Yeah, that was fun." The only person I ever hurt was myself and even that I did to the minimum. If you can do that and you're still functioning, you're the luckiest person in the world. Show less «
I'm 64 years old, but I feel I've lived the life of a person at 164.
I'm 64 years old, but I feel I've lived the life of a person at 164.
[on the death of Martin Luther King] I asked President [Gregory] Peck to postpone the Academy Awards...Show more »
[on the death of Martin Luther King] I asked President [Gregory] Peck to postpone the Academy Awards to show that someone cares. I certainly think any black man should not appear. I find it morally incongruous to sing 'Talk to the Animals' while the man who could make a better world for my children is lying in state. The Academy Awards show was delayed two days, until April 10, 1968 in respect for Dr. King. Show less «
Being a star has made it possible for me to get insulted in places where the average Negro could nev...Show more »
Being a star has made it possible for me to get insulted in places where the average Negro could never hope to get insulted. Show less «