The Wham Of Sam

"Sammy Davis, Jr. was one of America’s greatest entertainers of the twentieth century. He could do it all: dancing, singing, acting, impressions. What’s more, he did this at a time when it was difficult to be an African-American in the United States—during a period where even the entertainment industry provided as many obstacles as opportunities. Davis was a champion of civil rights, and he constantly pushed against the boundaries of segregation on- and off-stage." Cindy Y. Rodriguez

"Being a star has made it possible for me to get insulted in places where the average Negro could never hope to go and get insulted." Sammy Davis, Jr.




While "The Wham Of Sam" could certainly apply to ace filmmaker, screenwriter and journalist Sam Fuller, we at Way Too Damn Lazy To Write A Blog find ourselves thinking about one of the greatest of all the great entertainers - dancer, vocalist, actor, musician, comedian, impressionist and recording artist Sammy Davis, Jr. Today, we pay tribute to Mr. Davis, a genre and convention-buster if there ever was one.



Watching Sammy's appearances in Vitaphone musical short subjects while writing the February 8 post about the late Ron Hutchinson and The Vitaphone Project led directly to today's tribute.



Turns out George Burns & Gracie Allen weren't the only 20th century entertainment icons to appear in Vitaphone short subjects. Sometimes the showbiz greats were supporting players in the 1 and 2 reel musicals (Vitaphone Varieties, Broadway Brevities, Pepper Pots and, later, Melody Masters).



For example, note the very talented child actor who shows up in the last few minutes (entering at 13:28) of the following musical 2-reeler, Seasoned Greetings, starring Lita Grey Chaplin. . . Yes, that's Sammy Davis, Jr.



Sammy Davis, Jr.'s first prominent silver screen role was in Rufus Jones For President, released theatrically on September 9, 1933.



In Rufus Jones For President, Sammy, then seven years of age, was in the supporting cast working with another groundbreaking entertainment giant, Ethel Waters.



Ms. Waters provided the lion's share of the musical heavy lifting a few years earlier for the 1929 Warner Bros. Technicolor "all singing all dancing" extravaganza when she delivered stellar performances of terrific songs (including "Am I Blue?") in On With The Show.



The epic Ethel Waters did not get to headline a feature film, but made the most of her opportunities, invariably hitting the entertainment equivalent of a bottom of the 9th grand slam whenever she did appear in movies or TV. This including hosting one of the first television programs in 1939.



Sammy, a vaudeville veteran at a tender age, made his name as an acrobatic dancer as part of a trio with his father and Will Mastin. As multi-talented as they were, the older showbiz veterans gave the young dynamo the spotlight in The Will Mastin Trio.







The terpsichorean brilliance of Sammy Davis, Jr. would shine through concerts around the world and be the cornerstone of his last silver screen appearance in the 1989 film Tap.



This writer's favorite scene from the Rat Pack + Bing musical Robin & The 7 Hoods demonstrates how Sammy Davis, Jr. had an extraordinary ability to bust a move - and another one, and another one after that!



There was always more - a lot more - to the eye when it came to Sammy.



Had he just wanted to be a actor, Sam would have excelled at character roles on stage and screen.



As much as anything, it's the consummate musicianship of Sammy Davis, Jr. that impresses the living daylights out of this writer and music fan. It is not accidental that in the rip-roaring (and both insult and horseplay-filled) performances of The Rat Pack, Sam was the guy who always picked the most difficult songs, filled with key changes and shifting tempos/time signatures: tunes that not even Sinatra would tackle.



If he wasn't among the greatest dancers of his generation, Sam may well have made his mark as a bandleader who played all the instruments, as Stevie Wonder and Prince could.









Recently enjoyed watching the American Masters documentary about Sammy Davis, Jr.



Watching Sammy Davis, Jr.: I’ve Gotta Be Me, which I recommend highly to classic movie and old school showbiz aficionados, it was readily apparent that I knew very, very little about the struggles he endured on his long road from vaudeville to the pinnacle of success in concerts, television, movies, Broadway shows and recordings.



Even as a lifelong fan, for about the 19,000th time, found absolutely myself floored by Mr. Davis' wide ranging talents.



Imagine how it felt to grow up in vaudeville, tour the country, deal with unending racism, disregard barriers, support the cause of civil rights, work tirelessly and under very difficult circumstances, overcome bigotry to attain international fame, only to face hate mail, death threats and public denunciation after a disastrous 1972 endorsement of disastrous President Richard M. Nixon (see the following article, The Hug by Davis biographer Will Haygood for more).



Sammy Davis Jr. appeared on an episode of Late Night With David Letterman and elaborated on his career as an entertainer. The audience greeted Sammy with a thunderous round of applause.



For more, check out the BBC documentary, Sammy Davis, Jr. - The Kid in the Middle, as well as Mr. Davis' appearances on the Dick Cavett and Arsenio Hall shows - and, last but not least, Sammy Davis, Jr. recordings.