Sammy Davis Jr. TV Schedule

Actor, singer, dancer Sammy Davis, Jr., the son of vaudeville entertainer Sammy Davis, began performing professionally at the age of three, appearing in his uncle Will Mastin's family act of seven men and seven women; during the early Depression the act was reduced in size to Davis, Jr., his father, and his uncle, and was called the Will Mastin trio. Soon he developed into a very versatile entertainer, skilled at singing, dancing, telling jokes, doing mimicry, and playing several instruments. He debuted onscreen at age seven in the short Rufus Jones for President (1933), in which he acted and danced.

He toured the country with the Trio until the '40s, when he spent two years in the army. Upon his return, the act was renamed "The Will Mastin Trio, Starring Sammy Davis, Jr.," and the group began playing big variety theaters and top nightclubs. In the '50s he performed solo, soon becoming a popular TV entertainer as well; some critics considered him the world's greatest living entertainer.

In 1954 he lost his left eye in a serious car accident and suffered other injuries that jeopardized his career. However, he quickly bounced back, and in the mid-'50s he began getting work in films, playing his first dramatic lead role in Anna Lucasta (1958). Also, in 1956 he debuted on Broadway as the star of Mr. Wonderful; later he starred in the Broadway show Golden Boy.

As a screen actor he became best known for his work with the "Rat Pack," comprised of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Peter Lawford, and Joey Bishop, who socialized and worked together; although the inclusion of a black man in the group was at the time considered egalitarian, his roles tended to be tokenistic and occasionally involved benign racist jokes at his expense. He somewhat alienated himself from black audiences, who occasionally booed him as a sell-out; and in a controversial move he converted to Judaism. He was also a popular recording star with several hits including "Mr. Bojangles" and "The Candy Man." He was frequently a guest star on TV specials and episodes of TV series, and twice hosted his own variety-talk shows, The Sammy Davis Jr. Show (NBC, 1966) and Sammy and Company (syndicated, 1975-77).

He authored the autobiography Yes I Can (1965). He married and divorced Swedish actress Mai Britt.