Sammy Davis Jr. (I) (1925–1990)

Soundtrack | Actor | Producer

Sammy Davis Jr. was often billed as the "greatest living entertainer in the world". He was born in ...

Born: December 8, 1925
Died: May 16, 1990 (age 64)

Photos

Filmography

Known For

The Cannonball Run Fenderbaum (1981)
Cannonball Run II Morris Fenderbaum (1984)
Porgy and Bess Sportin' Life (1959)
Known For

One More Time Charles Salt (1970)
Soundtrack

Ocean's Eight (2018)
Billions (2018)
Popular Voices at the BBC (2017)
Molly's Game (2017)
Feud (2017)
Antiques Road Trip (2017)
Independent Lens (2016)
The 25 Songs of Christmas (2016)
Intresseklubben (2014)
The Carsony Brothers (2014)
So You Think You Can Dance (2009-2014)
P.O.V. (2014)
La liste de mes envies (2014)
The Following (2014)
Meet the Patels (2014)
Animal Practice (2012)
Sunset Strip (2012)
Pan Am (2011)
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011)
Get Him to the Greek (2010)
Hugh Hefner: Playboy, Activist and Rebel (2009)
Gamer (2009)
Dancing with the Stars (2007)
My Name Is Earl (2005)
Madagascar (2005)
Gilmore Girls (2004)
Playboy: 50 Years of Playmates (2004)
Live and Swingin': The Ultimate Rat Pack Collection (2003)
Secondhand Lions (2003)
Scrubs (2003)
Sinatra: The Classic Duets (2002)
The Reunion (2002)
The Anniversary Party (2001)
Freddy Got Fingered (2001)
The Sopranos (2001)
What Women Want (2000)
American Movie (1999)
Tohuwabohu (1998)
Keys to Tulsa (1997)
Mad Dog Time (1996)
Casino (1995)
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1992)
Frank, Liza & Sammy: The Ultimate Event (1989)
Tap (1989)
Moon Over Parador (1988)
The Charmings (1987)
All-Star Party for Clint Eastwood (1986)
The Money Pit (1986)
Alice in Wonderland (1985)
That's Dancing! (1985)
The 56th Annual Academy Awards (1984)
Sanford (1980)
The First 40 Years (1980)
The 51st Annual Academy Awards (1979)
Things We Did Last Summer (1978)
Charlie's Angels (1977)
Sammy and Company (1975)
The 47th Annual Academy Awards (1975)
Doris Day Today (1975)
Baretta (1975)
Save the Children (1973)
NBC Follies (1973)
Here's Lucy (1970)
One More Time (1970)
Die Rudi Carrell Show (1969)
The Hollywood Palace (1967-1969)
Playboy After Dark (1969)
Sweet Charity (1969)
Salt and Pepper (1968)
The 40th Annual Academy Awards (1968)
Movin' with Nancy (1967)
I Dream of Jeannie (1967)
A Man Called Adam (1966)
The Sammy Davis, Jr. Show (1966)
Alice in Wonderland or What's a Nice Kid Like You Doing in a Place Like This? (1966)
The 2nd Best Secret Agent in the Whole Wide World (1965)
The Patty Duke Show (1965)
The Disorderly Orderly (1964)
Robin and the 7 Hoods (1964)
Johnny Cool (1963)
Of Love and Desire (1963)
Meet Sammy Davis Jr. 1 (1963)
Three Penny Opera (1963)
Make Room for Daddy (1963)
Frontier Circus (1962)
Frank Sinatra's Welcome Home Party for Elvis Presley (1960)
The 32nd Annual Academy Awards (1960)
Porgy and Bess (1959)
Anna Lucasta (1958)
The Frank Sinatra Show (1958)
Operation Mad Ball (1957)
The Nat King Cole Show (1957)
The Walter Winchell Show (1956)
Meet Me in Las Vegas (1956)
Six Bridges to Cross (1955)
Soundtrack

Rufus Jones for President (1933)
Actor

The Kid Who Loved Christmas Sideman (1990)
Hunter Benny Schafer (1989)
Tap Little Mo (1989)
The Cosby Show Ray Palomino (1989)
A Whole Lotta Fun (1988)
Moon Over Parador Sammy Davis Jr. (1988)
The Perils of P.K. (1986)
Alice in Wonderland The Caterpillar / Father William (1985)
Gimme a Break! Sammy Davis Jr. (1985)
Pryor's Place Smooth Sam (1984)
Cannonball Run II Morris Fenderbaum (1984)
Fantasy Island Mr. Bojangles (1983-1984)
Broadway Danny Rose Thanksgiving Parade's Grand Marshall (1984)
Heidi's Song Head Ratte (1982)
General Hospital Eddie Phillips (1982)
The Cannonball Run Fenderbaum (1981)
Archie Bunker's Place Sammy Davis, Jr. (1980)
Sammy Stops the World Littlechap (1978)
Charlie's Angels Sammy Davis Jr. (1977)
Gone with the West Kid Dandy (1974)
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In Guest Performer (1969-1973)
Poor Devil Sammy (1973)
The ABC Comedy Hour (1972)
The Courtship of Eddie's Father Rodney River Jr. (1972)
The Trackers Ezekiel Smith (1971)
The Name of the Game Billy Baker (1970)
Mod Squad Willie Rush (1969-1970)
Make Room for Granddaddy Barney Shaker (1970)
One More Time Charles Salt (1970)
The Beverly Hillbillies Sgt. Patrick Muldoon (1969)
The Pigeon Larry Miller (1969)
Sweet Charity Big Daddy (1969)
One Life to Live Chip Warren (1979-1980) (1968)
Salt and Pepper Charles Salt (1968)
The Danny Thomas Hour Chris Christiansen (1967)
I Dream of Jeannie Sammy Davis, Jr. (1967)
The Wild Wild West Jeremiah (1966)
A Man Called Adam Adam Johnson (1966)
Alice in Wonderland or What's a Nice Kid Like You Doing in a Place Like This? The Cheshire Cat (1966)
The 2nd Best Secret Agent in the Whole Wide World Singer behind opening credits (1965)
The Rat pack Captured (1965)
Nightmare in the Sun Truck Driver (1965)
The Patty Duke Show Sammy Davis Jr. (1965)
Robin and the 7 Hoods Will (1964)
Burke's Law Cordwainer Bird (1963)
Ben Casey Allie Burns (1963)
Johnny Cool Educated (1963)
Three Penny Opera Ballad Singer (1963)
Make Room for Daddy Sammy Davis Jr. (1963)
The Rifleman Wade Randall (1962)
Convicts 4 Wino (1962)
77 Sunset Strip Kid Pepper (1962)
Cain's Hundred Sammy Davis Jr. (1962)
The Dick Powell Theatre Gabe Masters (1962)
Sergeants 3 Jonah Williams (1962)
Hennesey Frogman Cannonball Pipper (1962)
Frontier Circus Cato Richards (1962)
Drama 61-67 Beppo (1961)
Lawman Willie Shay (1961)
General Electric Theater Pancho Villa III (1958-1961)
Pepe Sammy Davis Jr. (1960)
Ocean's 11 Josh Howard (1960)
Zane Grey Theater Cpl. Smith (1959)
Porgy and Bess Sportin' Life (1959)
Anna Lucasta Danny Johnson (1958)
Meet Me in Las Vegas Sammy Davis Jr. (1956)
Sweet and Low Member, Will Maston Trio (1947)
Seasoned Greetings Henry Johnson (1933)
Actor

Rufus Jones for President Rufus Jones (1933)
Producer

Muhammed Ali/Sammy Davis, Jr./Marvin Gaye and Richard Pryor: Celebrity Boxing Match at the Olympic Auditorium (1978)
The Trackers (1971)
One More Time (1970)
Salt and Pepper (1968)
Producer

The Sammy Davis, Jr. Show (1966)
Director

The Third Annual Black Achievement Awards (1980)
Sanford (1980)
Director

The 2nd Annual Black Achievement Awards (1979)
Writer

Muhammed Ali/Sammy Davis, Jr./Marvin Gaye and Richard Pryor: Celebrity Boxing Match at the Olympic Auditorium (1978)
Writer

The Trackers (1971)
Archive footage

Die Wiener Stadthalle rockt! Pop Meets Classic zum 60. Jubiläum (2018)
Martin Luther King by Trevor McDonald (2018)
Elvis: The Rebirth of the King (2017)
Popular Voices at the BBC (2017)
American Masters (2006-2017)
Sammy Davis, Jr.: I've Gotta Be Me (2017)
Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond (2017)
20/20 (2017)
The Fabulous Allan Carr (2017)
Good Morning Britain (2017)
A Football Life (2016)
Actors Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony (2016)
Jerry Lewis: The Man Behind the Clown (2016)
Michael Jackson's Journey from Motown to Off the Wall (2016)
Bruce's Hall of Fame with Alexander Armstrong (2016)
My Music: Songbook Standards - As Time Goes By (2015)
Unsung Hollywood (2015)
Inside Edition (2014-2015)
What Happened, Miss Simone? (2015)
Selma (2014)
Mr. Dynamite: The Rise of James Brown (2014)
The Sixties (2014)
Loose Women (2014)
Perspectives (2014)
Nat King Cole: Afraid of the Dark (2014)
Subconscious Password (2013)
The '80s: The Decade That Made Us (2013)
How Playboy Changed the World (2012)
100 Years of the Royal Variety Performance (2012)
Songs (2012)
Michael Feinstein's American Songbook (2012)
Elvis Found Alive (2012)
Love Lust (2011)
The Story of Variety with Michael Grade (2011)
Sing Your Song (2011)
100 Years of the London Palladium (2010)
Hugh Hefner: Playboy, Activist and Rebel (2009)
Telethon (2009)
Biography (1995-2008)
Let's Play, Boy (2008)
Mike Douglas: Moments & Memories (2008)
The Wrecking Crew! (2008)
Pioneers of Television (2008)
Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project (2007)
Bruce on Vegas (2007)
Kingdom: Elvis in Vegas (2007)
Cannes, 60 ans d'histoires (2007)
Brando (2007)
Revealed (2006)
The Best of the Royal Variety (2006)
World of Robin Hood (2006)
The Story of Light Entertainment (2006)
E! True Hollywood Story (2001-2006)
Hollywood Couples (2006)
American Experience (2005)
Getaway (2005)
Disneyland: The First 50 Magical Years (2005)
Bruce Forsyth's Comedy Heroes (2005)
Sammy Davis, Jr.: One Cool Cat (2004)
Elvis Presley: From the Beginning to the End (2004)
BET Comedy Awards (2004)
Who Killed Saturday Night TV? (2004)
Sammy Davis Jr. Singing at His Best (2004)
Andy Williams: My Favorite Duets (2004)
TV in Black: The First Fifty Years (2004)
Bob Hope at 100 (2003)
Strangers in the Night: The Bert Kaempfert Story (2003)
Live and Swingin': The Ultimate Rat Pack Collection (2003)
Dorothy Dandridge: An American Beauty (2003)
When I Fall in Love: The One & Only Nat King Cole (2003)
Sinatra: The Classic Duets (2002)
The Best of Bert Newton (2002)
Rhapsody in Black (2002)
The Definitive Elvis: The Army Years (2002)
The Definitive Elvis: The Television Years (2002)
8th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards (2002)
Playboy: Inside the Playboy Mansion (2002)
It's Black Entertainment (2002)
Inside TV Land: African Americans in Television (2002)
Still Cher (2002)
The Nightclub Years (2001)
The Real Shirley Bassey (2001)
Omnibus (2001)
Playboy: The Party Continues (2000)
E! Mysteries & Scandals (2000)
Television: The First Fifty Years (1999)
ABC 2000: The Millennium (1999)
The Rat Pack (1999)
Small Steps, Big Strides: The Black Experience in Hollywood (1998)
The Real Las Vegas (1996)
American Justice (1996)
Pioneers of Primetime (1995)
The Best of the Don Lane Show (1994)
Paul Merton's Palladium Story (1994)
Laugh-In Past Christmas Present (1993)
The First Annual Comedy Hall of Fame (1993)
Apollo Theatre Hall of Fame (1993)
Liza and Friends: A Tribute to Sammy Davis, Jr. (1993)
The Carol Burnett Show: A Reunion (1993)
Nat King Cole: The Incomparable Nat King Cole Volume 2 (1992)
Hugh Hefner: Once Upon a Time (1992)
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1992)
The Very Best of the Ed Sullivan Show (1991)
That's Black Entertainment (1990)
Entertainment Tonight (1990)
We Can Keep You Forever (1988)
Margret Dünser, auf der Suche nach den Besonderen (1981)
This Is Elvis (1981)
Sanford (1980)
Texaco Presents: A Quarter Century of Bob Hope on Television (1975)
Larry's Showtime (1975)
Archive footage

The Hollywood Palace (1970)
Jazz Ball (1956)
Music Department

Hell Town (1985)

Awards

Did You Know

Shortly after his death on May 16, 1990, the hotels on the Las Vegas Strip turned off their exterior lights for 10 minutes in tribute. There is currently an outdoor theater in Las Vegas named in his honor, the Sammy Davis Jr. Festival Plaza.

Quotes

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.