Morton Stevens (January 30, 1929 – November 11, 1991) was an American film score composer. In 1965, he became director of music for CBS West Coast operations. He is probably best known for composing the theme music for Hawaii Five-O, a television series for which he won two Emmy Awards (in 1970 and 1974), and was nominated seven other times for work on television programs including Gunsmoke and Police Woman.[1] He was taught by Academy Award-winning composer Jerry Goldsmith, with whom he frequently collaborated on other projects.

Biography

Stevens graduated from the Juilliard School in 1950, and within a few years began working as an arranger/conductor for Sammy Davis, Jr.[2] After Davis's longtime conductor, George Rhodes, died in 1985, Stevens was among those who filled that role again sporadically until Davis' death in 1990. In his later years, Stevens worked as conductor for other Vegas legends, including Jerry Lewis, and was musical director for the "Rat Pack" tour featuring Davis, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and—after Martin quit—Liza Minnelli. His classic theme for Hawaii Five-O was re-recorded for the 2010 remake of the television series.

His film work included scores for films and TV movies such as Wild and Wonderful (1964), The Spy with My Face (1965), Deadly Harvest (1972), The Strangers in 7A (1972), The Horror at 37,000 Feet (1973), The Disappearance of Flight 412 (1974), Code Name: Diamond Head (1977), Wheels (1978), The One Man Jury (1978), Women in White (1979), They Still Call Me Bruce (1987), Act of Piracy (1988) and the Jerry Lewis films Hardly Working (1980), Slapstick of Another Kind (1982) and Cracking Up (1983). In addition to "Hawaii Five-O", he also worked on the earlier smash 1960s CBS Television series dealing with an island, of a different kind: "Gilligan's Island", 1964-1967, as one of a handful of composers with his above-mentioned, frequent coworker, Jerry Goldsmith, John Williams, Gerald Fried, Billy May, and other composers. Stevens died of pancreatic cancer in Encino, California at the age of 62.[2]

Mr. Wonderful is a musical with a book by Joseph Stein and Will Glickman, and music and lyrics by Jerry Bock, Larry Holofcener, and George David Weiss.

Written specifically to showcase the talents of Sammy Davis, Jr., the thin plot, focusing on entertainer Charlie Welch's show business struggles, primarily served as a springboard for an extended version of Davis's Las Vegas nightclub act.

The Broadway production, staged by Jack Donohue, opened on March 22, 1956 at The Broadway Theatre, where it ran for 383 performances. In addition to Davis, the cast included his father Sammy Sr. and uncle Will (who together with Davis had performed as the Will Mastin Trio), Jack Carter, Chita Rivera, Malcolm Lee Beggs, and Marilyn Cooper. The play closed on February 23, 1957.

Song list

Act I

"1617 Broadway" – Rita Romano, Hal and Ensemble

"Without You, I'm Nothing" – Fred Campbell and Lil Campbell

"Jaques D'Iraq" – Charlie Welch, Uncle, Dad and Ensemble

"Ethel, Baby" – Ethel Pearson and Charlie Welch

"Mr. Wonderful" – Ethel Pearson

"Charlie Welch" – Fred Campbell

"Big Time (Added after opening)" – Charlie Welch

"Charlie Welch" (Reprise) – Fred Campbell and Ensemble

"Talk to Him" – Lil Campbell and Ethel Pearson

"Too Close for Comfort" – Charlie Welch

"Without You, I'm Nothing" (Reprise) – Fred Campbell and Charlie Welch

"Sing, You Sinners" (From Honey film)

Lyrics By W. Franke Harling and Music By Sam Coslow

"Daddy, Uncle, and Me"

Music and Lyrics By Sid Kuller and Lyn Murray

"Because of You"

Lyrics By Arthur Hammerstein and Music By Dudley Wilkinson

"That Old Black Magic" (From Star Spangled Rhythm film)

Lyrics By Johnny Mercer and Music By Harold Arlen

"The Birth of the Blues" (From George White's Scandals of 1926)

Lyrics By Buddy DeSylva and Lew Brown with Music By Ray Henderson

"It's All Right with Me" (From Can-Can)

Music and Lyrics By Cole Porter

Act II

"I'm Available" – Rita's Audition

"There" – Charlie Welch

"Miami" – Lil Campbell and Ensemble

"I've Been Too Busy" – Ethel Pearson, Fred Campbell, Lil Campbell and Charlie Welch

"Mr. Wonderful" (Reprise) – Ethel Pearson

"Sing, You Sinners"

"Daddy, Uncle and Me"

"Because of You"

"That Old Black Magic"

"Birth of the Blues"

"It's All Right With Me"

"Dearest" (You're the Nearest to My Heart)

Lyrics By Benny Davis and Music By Harry Akst)

Liza (All the Clouds'll Roll Away) (From Show Girl)

Lyrics By Ira Gershwin and Gus Kahn with Music By George Gershwin

Finale: "Mr. Wonderful" – Entire Company

Mr. Wonderful   

Broadway Theatre, (3/22/1956 - 2/23/1957)

First Preview: Total Previews:

Opening Date: Mar 22, 1956  

Closing Date: Feb 23, 1957 Total Performances: 383

Category: Musical, Comedy, Original, Broadway

Description: A musical comedy in two acts

Setting: New York City; Union City, N.J.; Miami, Florida. Time: The Present.

  

Opening Night CreditsSongs

Production Staff [See More]

Operated by Trebuhs Realty Co., Inc.; Owned by The Shubert Organization

Produced by Jule Styne and George Gilbert; Produced in association with Lester Osterman, Jr.

Book by Joseph Stein and Will Glickman; Music by Larry Holofcener, Jerry Bock and George Weiss; Lyrics by Jerry Bock, Larry Holofcener and George Weiss; Musical Director: Morton Stevens; Music orchestrated by Ted Royal and Morton Stevens; Production Conceived by Jule Styne

Directed by Jack Donohue

Scenic Design by Oliver Smith; Costume Design by Robert Mackintosh; Lighting Design by Peggy Clark

In Charge of Production: Sylvia Herscher

Production Stage Manager: John Barry Ryan; Stage Manager: Bernard Gersten and Michael Wettach

Musical and Vocal Supervision by Oscar Kosarin

Press Representative: John L. Toohey and Max Gendel

Cast

Jack Carter 

Fred Campbell 

Sammy Davis, Jr. 

Charlie Welch 

Olga James 

Ethel Pearson 

Will Mastin Trio 

Chita Rivera 

Rita Romano 

Marvin Arnold 

Hoofer 

Malcolm Lee Beggs 

Mr. Foster 

Ann Buckles 

Unemployed Actress 

Marilyn Cooper 

Little Girl 

Richard Curry 

Song Plugger 

Sammy Davis, Sr. 

Dad 

Dorothy D'Honau 

Acrobat 

Rina Falcone 

Soprano 

Herb Fields 

Counterman 

Tempy Fletcher 

Dancer 

Charlotte Foley 

Annie's Friend 

Harold Gordon 

Bop Musician 

Shirley Graser 

Dancer 

Jerri Gray 

Cigarette Girl 

T. J. Halligan 

Talent Scout 

Suan Hartman 

Dancer 

Bob Kole 

Stage Manager 

Gail Kuhr 

Sister 

Ronnie Lee 

Sophie's Boy 

Barbara Leigh 

Sister 

Bob Leslie 

A Comic 

Larry B. Leslie 

A Comic 

Hal Loman 

Hal 

Pat Marshall 

Lil Campbell 

Frank Marti 

Stagehand 

Will Mastin 

Uncle 

Sherry McCutcheon 

Sister 

Sally Neal 

Dancer 

John Pelletti 

Johnnie 

Ginny Perlowin 

Script Girl 

Albert Popwell 

Bop Musician 

Bill Reilly 

Hoofer 

Patti Ann Rita 

Dancer 

Tony Rossi 

Stagehand 

Sylvia Shay 

Dancer 

Karen Shepard 

A Singer 

Claude Thompson 

Bop Musician 

Jimmie Thompson 

Hoofer 

Patti Wharton 

Dancer 

Pat Wilkes 

Audition Annie 

Understudies: T. J. Halligan (Mr. Foster), Bob Leslie (Fred Campbell), Jimmie Thompson (Hal), George Watts (Dad, Uncle), Patti Wharton (Rita Romano), Pat Wilkes (Lil Campbell) and Louise Woods (Ethel Pearson)

Mr. Wonderful Broadway Cast

Peggy Clark

....

Lighting Designer

Robert Mackintosh (ii)

....

Costume Designer

Ted Royal

....

Orchestrator

Oliver Smith

....

Scenic Designer

Morton L. Stevens

....

Orchestrator

....

Musical Director

Original Cast | Replacements

Marvin Arnold

....

Hoofer

Malcolm Lee Beggs

....

Mr. Foster

Ann Buckles

....

Unemployed Actress

Jack Carter

....

Performer

....

Fred Campbell

Marilyn Cooper

....

Little Girl

Richard Curry

....

Song Plugger

Dorothy D'Honau

....

Acrobat

Sammy Davis, Jr.

....

Performer

Sammy Davis, Sr.

....

Dad

....

Performer

Rina Falcone

....

Soprano

Herb Fields

....

Counterman

Tempy Fletcher

....

Dancer

Charlotte Foley

....

Annie's Friend

Harold Gordon

....

Bop Musician

Shirley Graser

....

Dancer

Jerri Gray

....

Cigarette Girl

T. J. Halligan

....

Talent Scout

....

Mr. Foster (Understudy)

Suan Hartman

....

Dancer

Olga James

....

Ethel Pearson

....

Performer

Sammy Davis, Jr.

....

Charlie Welch

Bob Kole

....

Stage Manager

Gail Kuhr

....

Sister

Ronnie Lee

....

Sophie's Boy

Barbara Leigh

....

Sister

Bob Leslie

....

A Comic

....

Fred Campbell (Understudy)

Larry B. Leslie

....

A Comic

Hal Loman

....

Hal

....

Performer

Pat Marshall

....

Lil Campbell

....

Performer

Frank Marti

....

Stagehand

Will Mastin

....

Performer

Will Maston

....

Uncle

Sherry McCutcheon

....

Sister

Sally Neal

....

Dancer

John Pelletti

....

Johnnie

Ginny Perlowin

....

Script Girl

Albert Popwell

....

Bop Musician

Bill Reilly

....

Hoofer

Patti Ann Rita

....

Dancer

Chita Rivera

....

Rita Romano

....

Rita Romano

Tony Rossi

....

Stagehand

Sylvia Shay

....

Dancer

Karen Shepard

....

A Singer

Claude Thompson

....

Bop Musician

Jimmie Thompson

....

Hoofer

....

Hal (Understudy)

Will Maston Trio

....

Performer

George Watts

....

Dad (Understudy)

....

Uncle (Understudy)

Patti Wharton

....

Dancer

....

Rita Romano (Understudy)

Pat Wilkes

....

Audition Annie

....

Lil Campbell (Understudy)

Louise Woods

....

Ethel Pearson (Understudy)

Sammy Davis Jr. / Mr. Wonderful 1956 Broadway Cast ‎– Mr. Wonderful

Label:

Decca ‎– DL 9032

Format:

Vinyl, LP, Album 

Country:

US

Released:

1956

Genre:

Stage & Screen

Style:

Musical

Tracklist Hide Credits

A1 –Mr. Wonderful Orchestra Overture 3:52

A2 –Chita Rivera, Hal Loman, Chorus*, Orchestra* 1617 Broadway 2:29

A3 –Jack Carter (8) And Pat Marshall (2) Without You I'm Nothing 3:26

A4 –Will Mastin Trio With Chorus* And Orchestra* Jacques D'Iraque 3:11

A5 –Olga James Mr Wonderful 2:18

A6 –Olga James And Sammy Davis Jr. Ethel, Baby 3:04

A7 –Jack Carter (8) And Chorus* Charlie Welch 3:39

A8 –Sammy Davis Jr. Too Close For Comfort And Encore 4:36

B1 –Pat Marshall (2) And Olga James Talk To Him 3:52

B2 –Sammy Davis Jr. There 3:46

B3 –Pat Marshall (2) And Chorus* Miami 2:38

B4 –Jack Carter (8) And Sammy Davis Jr. Without You I'm Nothing (Reprise) 2:45

B5 –Chita Rivera I'm Available 2:56

B6 –Olga James, Jack Carter (8), Pat Marshall (2) And Sammy Davis Jr. I've Been Too Busy 2:55

B7 –Sammy Davis Jr. Sing You Sinners

Composed By – Coslow*, Harling*

2:04

B8 –Entire Company* Mr. Wonderful (Finale) 1:57

Companies, etc.

Pressed By – Decca Records Pressing Plant, Gloversville

Manufactured By – Decca Records, Inc.

Credits

Music By, Lyrics By – George Weiss*, Jerry Bock, Lawrence Holofcener

Music Director – Morton Stevens

Orchestrated By – Morton Stevens, Ted Royal

Supervised By – Oscar Kosarin

Notes

The Original Cast Album

Thick cardboard sleeve

Heavy Long Play Microgroove Unbreakable Record

Barcode and Other Identifiers

Matrix / Runout (Side A label matrix no.): MG 4782

Matrix / Runout (Side B label matrix no.): MG 4783◉

Matrix / Runout (Stamped, Side A runout): MG4782T6 1P

Matrix / Runout (Stamped, Side B runout): MG4783T11 1P

Other Versions (5 of 5) View All

Title (Format) Label Cat# Country Year

Mr. Wonderful (Original Cast) ‎(LP, Album, Mono) Brunswick LAT 8184 UK 1956

Mr. Wonderful ‎(LP, Promo) Decca DL 9032 US 1956

Mr. Wonderful (Original Cast Recording) ‎(CD, Album) MCA Classics MCAD-10303 US 1991

Mr. Wonderful (Original Cast Recording) ‎(LP, Album) Festival Records FR12-1406 Australia Unknown

Mr. Wonderful (Original Cast Recording) ‎(LP, Album) Decca DL 9032 Canada Unknown

Sammy Davis Jr. was a highly popular actor, comedian, singer and dancer. He was also part of the Rat Pack with Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin, with whom he starred in several films.

Synopsis

Born on December 8, 1925, in New York City, Sammy Davis Jr. overcame prevailing racism to establish himself as an entertainment legend, becoming a successful comedian, actor, dancer and singer. As part of the Rat Pack, with Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin, Davis was known for films like Ocean's 11 and Sergeants 3 along with his partying ways. As his fame grew, his refusal to appear in any clubs that practiced racial segregation led to the integration of several venues in Miami Beach and Las Vegas. A Tony-nominated performer, Davis was also associated with popular recordings like "I've Gotta Be Me" and the No. 1 hit "The Candy Man." He died of throat cancer on May 16, 1990.

Childhood on the Road

Samuel George Davis Jr. was born on December 8, 1925, in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City, with the infant initially raised by his paternal grandmother. Davis's parents split up when he was 3 and he went to live with his father, who was working as an entertainer in a dance troupe. When his father and adopted uncle went on tour, Davis was brought along, and after learning to tap the three began performing together. They would eventually be dubbed the Will Mastin Trio. 

Because of the group's itinerant lifestyle, Davis never received a formal education, though his father did occasionally hire tutors while they were on the road. During their travels in the 1930s, the young Davis not only became an accomplished dancer but also a skilled singer, multi-instrumentalist and comedian and was soon the star of the show. Davis also made his first appearance in film during this time, dancing in the 1933 short Rufus Jones for President.

In 1943, at the height of World War II, Davis’s career was interrupted when he was drafted into the Army. During his service, he directly experienced horrendous racial prejudice that his father had previously protected him from. He was constantly harassed and physically abused by white soldiers, with his fellow servicemen breaking his nose. But Davis eventually found refuge in an entertainment regiment, where he discovered that performing allowed him a certain measure of safety and a desire to earn even a hateful audience member's love.

Rising Star

After the war, Davis resumed his showbiz career. He continued to perform with the Will Mastin Trio as the star of the act and also struck out on his own, singing in nightclubs and recording records. His career began to rise to new heights in 1947 when the trio opened for Frank Sinatra (with whom Davis would remain a lifelong friend and collaborator) at the Capitol Theatre in New York. A tour with Mickey Rooney followed, as did a performance that caught the ear of Decca Records, who signed Davis to a recording contract in 1954.

Later that year, while driving to Los Angeles for a soundtrack recording, Davis was seriously injured in a car accident. The accident resulted in his losing an eye, and he would use a glass eye for most of his life. His recuperation also gave him time for deep reflection. He converted to Judaism shortly thereafter, finding commonalities between the oppression experienced by African-American and Jewish communities. 

Davis’s injury did not slow his ascent. In 1955 his first two albums, Starring Sammy Davis Jr. and Sammy Davis Jr. Sings Just for Lovers, were released to both critical acclaim and commercial success, which in turn led to headlining performances in Las Vegas and New York as well as further appearances in films and on television shows, including Anna Lucasta (1958, with Eartha Kitt), Porgy and Bess (1959, with Dorothy Dandridge and Sidney Poitier) and The Frank Sinatra Show (1958). Around this time Davis made his Broadway debut as well, starring in the 1956 hit musical Mr. Wonderful alongside members of his family and another legendary dancer, Chita Rivera. 

The Rat Pack and Beyond

By 1960, Davis was a star in his own right. But he was also a member of the legendary Rat Pack, comprised of Sinatra, Dean Martin, Peter Lawford and Joey Bishop, the hard-partying superstars of the Las Vegas and Los Angeles nightclub scenes. Davis appeared with members of the pack in the films Ocean’s 11 (1960), Sergeants 3 (1962) and Robin and the 7 Hoods (1964). Davis was also a featured player in films outside of the pack, including A Man Called Adam (1966), having the titular role opposite Louis Armstrong. And he was unforgettable in Bob Fosse's Sweet Charity (1969, with Shirley MacLaine), in which Davis appeared as the charismatic, singing and strutting guru Big Daddy. 

The iconic performer also released a steady stream of albums on Decca and Reprise. (Davis was the first artist to be signed on the latter label, which was launched by Sinatra.) Davis was nominated for a Record of the Year Grammy for the song “What Kind of Fool Am I?,” which reached the Top 20 of the Billboard pop charts as well. And Davis's live stage work continued to earn him honors, as seen with his Tony Award–nominated performance in the 1964 musical Golden Boy. 

In 1966, the entertainer hosted his own short-lived variety series, The Sammy Davis Jr. Show. Years later, he played host again on the syndicated talk show Sammy and Company, from 1975-77.  

Social Activism

Despite what appeared to be a free-swinging playboy lifestyle, a lifetime of enduring racial prejudice led Davis to use his fame for political means. During the 1960s he became active in the Civil Rights Movement, participating in the 1963 March on Washington and refusing to perform at racially segregated nightclubs, for which he is credited with helping integrate in Las Vegas and Miami Beach. Davis also challenged the bigotry of the era by marrying Swedish actress May Britt at a time when interracial marriages were forbidden by law in 31 states. (President John F. Kennedy in fact requested that the couple not appear at his inauguration so as not to anger white Southerners.)  

To the End

Throughout the 1970s and ’80s, the multitalented Davis continued his prolific output. He maintained his musical career, releasing albums well into the late '70s and getting his first #1 chart hit with 1972’s “Candy Man.” Davis appeared in films such as 1981's The Cannonball Run, with Burt Reynolds and Roger Moore, and 1989’s Tap, with Gregory Hines. He was also a guest on a wide variety of television shows, including the Tonight Show, The Carol Burnett Show, All in the Family and The Jeffersons as well as the soap operas General Hospital and One Life to Live. And Davis made another turn on Broadway during the summer of 1978 in Stop the World - I Want to Get Off, though overall some critics were turned off by what they perceived as hammed up appearances. 

But while his career continued, with the performer embarking on a lauded tour with Sinatra and Liza Minnelli during the late '80s, Davis’s health began to fade. Davis was a heavy smoker, and in 1989 doctors discovered a tumor in his throat. The fall of that year he gave what would be his final performance, at the Harrah’s casino in Lake Tahoe. Shortly thereafter, Davis underwent radiation therapy. Though the disease appeared to be in remission, it was later discovered to have returned. On May 16, 1990, Sammy Davis Jr. passed away at his home in Beverly Hills, California, at the age of 64. Before his death he was honored by an array of his peers at a February television tribute.

Personal Life and Biographies

Davis was seriously involved with bombshell actress Kim Novak in the 1950s, though their union faced much harassment due to the racial climate of the day. Davis was ultimately married three times, first briefly to singer Loray White, then to Britt in 1960, with the two having a biological daughter and two adopted sons. The couple divorced by the end of the decade and Davis remarried in 1970 to dancer Altovise Gore, who remained with him until his passing. They adopted another son as well.

With the harshness of his early years not to be underestimated, Davis struggled throughout much of his life with addictions, succumbing to alcohol and drug abuse after his split with Britt and having a major gambling problem that ate up millions of dollars. 

The entertainer published the well-known 1965 autobiography Yes I Can: The Story of Sammy Davis Jr. followed by Why Me? in 1980. Another autobiography, Sammy, was released posthumously in 2000, while the comprehensive Wil Haygood biography In Black and White: The Life of Sammy Davis Jr. was published in 2003.  

Samuel George Davis Jr. (December 8, 1925 – May 16, 1990) was an American singer, musician, dancer, actor, vaudevillian and comedian. He was noted for his impressions of actors, musicians, and other celebrities. At the age of three, Davis began his career in vaudeville with his father, Sammy Davis Sr. and the Will Mastin Trio, which toured nationally. After military service, Davis returned to the trio. Davis became an overnight sensation following a nightclub performance at Ciro's (in West Hollywood) after the 1951 Academy Awards. With the trio, he became a recording artist. In 1954, at the age of 29, he lost his left eye in a car accident. Several years later, he converted to Judaism, finding commonalities between the oppression experienced by African-American and Jewish communities.[1]

Davis's film career began as a child in 1933. In 1960, he appeared in the Rat Pack film Ocean's 11. After a starring role on Broadway in Mr Wonderful (1956), he returned to the stage in 1964's Golden Boy. In 1966 he had his own TV variety show, titled The Sammy Davis Jr. Show. Davis's career slowed in the late 1960s, but he had a hit record with "The Candy Man" in 1972 and became a star in Las Vegas, earning him the nickname "Mister Show Business".[2][3]P

Davis had a complex relationship with the black community, and drew criticism after publicly supporting President Richard Nixon in 1972. 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."[4][5] This was to become a signature comment, recounted in his autobiography and in many articles.[6]

After reuniting with Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin in 1987, Davis toured with them and Liza Minnelli internationally, before his death in 1990. He died in debt to the Internal Revenue Service,[7] and his estate was the subject of legal battles.[8] Davis was awarded the Spingarn Medal by the NAACP and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award 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. In 2017 he was inducted into the Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame for being the Greatest Entertainer in the World, said founder Lamont "ShowBoat" Robinson.

Contents

1 Early life

2 Career

3 Personal life

3.1 Accident and conversion

3.2 Marriages

3.3 Political beliefs

4 Illness and death

5 Legacy

5.1 Portrayals

5.2 Other

6 Discography

7 Honors and awards

7.1 Grammy Awards

7.2 Emmy Awards

7.3 Other honors

8 Filmography

9 Stage

10 Television

11 See also

12 References

13 Further reading

13.1 Autobiographies

13.2 Biographies

13.3 Other

14 External links

Early life

Davis was born on December 8, 1925, in the Harlem section of Manhattan in New York City, the son of African-American entertainer and stage performer, Sammy Davis Sr. (1900–1988), and Afro-Cuban tap dancer Elvera Sanchez (1905–2000).[9] During his lifetime, Davis stated that his mother was Puerto Rican and born in San Juan. However, in the 2003 biography In Black and White, author Wil Haygood writes that Davis's mother was born in New York City to parents of Cuban, Afro-Cuban, and African-American descent, and that Davis claimed he was Puerto Rican because he feared anti-Cuban backlash would hurt his record sales.[10][11] Davis's parents were vaudeville dancers. As an infant, he was reared by his paternal grandmother. When he was three years old, his parents separated. His father, not wanting to lose custody of his son, took him on tour.

Davis learned to dance from his father and his "uncle" Will Mastin. Davis joined the act as a child and they became the Will Mastin Trio. Throughout his career, Davis included the Will Mastin Trio in his billing. Mastin and his father shielded him from racism, such as by explaining race-based snubs as jealousy. However, when Davis served in the United States Army during World War II, he was confronted by strong prejudice. He later said: "Overnight the world looked different. It wasn't one color any more. I could see the protection I'd gotten all my life from my father and Will. I appreciated their loving hope that I'd never need to know about prejudice and hate, but they were wrong. It was as if I'd walked through a swinging door for 18 years, a door which they had always secretly held open."[12] At age seven, Davis played the title role in the film Rufus Jones for President, in which he sang and danced with Ethel Waters.[13] He lived for several years in Boston's South End, and reminisced years later about "hoofing and singing" at Izzy Ort's Bar & Grille.[14]

Career

Sammy Davis Jr. during the 1963 March on Washington

During service in World War II, the Army assigned Davis to an integrated entertainment Special Services "My talent was the weapon, the power, the way for me to fight. It was the one way I might hope to affect a man's thinking," he said.[15] After his discharge, Davis rejoined the family dance act, which played at clubs around Portland, Oregon. He also recorded blues songs for Capitol Records in 1949, under the pseudonyms Shorty Muggins and Charlie Green.[16]

On March 23, 1951, the Will Mastin Trio appeared at Ciro's as the opening act for headliner Janis Paige. They were to perform for only 20 minutes but the reaction from the celebrity-filled crowd was so enthusiastic, especially when Davis launched into his impressions, that they performed for nearly an hour, and Paige insisted the order of the show be flipped.[17] Davis began to achieve success on his own and was singled out for praise by critics, releasing several albums.[18] He was hired to sing the title song for the Universal Pictures film Six Bridges to Cross in 1954.[19][20] In 1956, he starred in the Broadway musical Mr. Wonderful .

In 1959, Davis became a member of the Rat Pack, led by his friend Frank Sinatra, which included fellow performers Dean Martin, Joey Bishop, and Peter Lawford, a brother-in-law of John F. Kennedy. Initially, Sinatra called the gathering "the Clan", but Davis voiced his opposition, saying that it reminded people of the Ku Klux Klan. Sinatra renamed the group "the Summit". One long night of poker that went on into the early morning saw the men drunken and disheveled. As Angie Dickinson approached the group, she said, "You all look like a pack of rats." The nickname caught on, and they were called the Rat Pack, the name of its earlier incarnation led by Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall, who originally made the remark of the "pack of rats" about the group around her husband Bogart.

The group around Sinatra made several movies together, including Ocean's 11 (1960), Sergeants 3 (1962), and Robin and the 7 Hoods (1964), and they performed onstage together in Las Vegas.

Davis was a headliner at The Frontier Casino in Las Vegas, but he was required (as were all black performers in the 1950s) to lodge in a rooming house on the west side of the city, instead of in the hotels as his white colleagues did. No dressing rooms were provided for black performers, and they had to wait outside by the swimming pool between acts. Davis and other black artists could entertain but could not stay at the hotels where they performed, gamble in the casinos, or dine or drink in the hotel restaurants and bars. Davis later refused to work at places which practiced racial segregation.[21]

Canada provided opportunities for performers like Davis unable to break the color barrier in USA broadcast television, and in 1959, he starred in his own TV special Sammy's Parade on the Canadian network CBC[22] It was a breakthrough event for the performer, as in the United States in the 1950s, corporate sponsors largely controlled the screen: "Black people not portrayed very well on television, if at all," according to Jason King of the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music.[23]

Sammy Davis Jr. (left) with Walter Reuther (center) and Roy Wilkins (right) at the 1963 March on Washington

In 1964, Davis was starring in Golden Boy at night and shooting his own New York-based afternoon talk show during the day. When he could get a day off from the theater, he recorded songs in the studio, performed at charity events in Chicago, Miami, or Las Vegas, or appeared on television variety specials in Los Angeles. Davis felt he was cheating his family of his company, but he said he was incapable of standing still.

Although he was still popular in Las Vegas, he saw his musical career decline by the late 1960s. He had a No. 11 hit (No. 1 on the Easy Listening singles chart) with "I've Gotta Be Me" in 1969. He signed with Motown to update his sound and appeal to young people.[24] His deal to have his own label with the company fell through. He had an unexpected No. 1 hit with "The Candy Man" with MGM Records in 1972. He did not particularly care for the song and was chagrined that he had become known for it, but Davis made the most of his opportunity and revitalized his career.

Although he enjoyed no more Top 40 hits, he did enjoy popularity with his 1976 performance of the theme song from the Baretta television series, "Baretta's Theme (Keep Your Eye on the Sparrow)" (1975–1978), which was released as a single (20th Century Records). He appeared on the television shows The Rifleman, I Dream of Jeannie, All in the Family (during which he famously kisses Archie Bunker (Carroll O'Connor) on the cheek), and Charlie's Angels (with his wife, Altovise Davis). He appeared in Japanese commercials for Suntory whisky in the 1970s.

Davis performing in 1966.

On December 11, 1967, NBC broadcast a musical-variety special featuring Nancy Sinatra, daughter of Frank Sinatra, titled Movin' with Nancy. In addition to the Emmy Award-winning musical performances, the show is notable for Nancy Sinatra and Davis greeting each other with a kiss, one of the first black-white kisses in US television.[25]

Davis had a friendship with Elvis Presley in the late 1960s, as they both were top-draw acts in Vegas at the same time. Davis was in many ways just as reclusive during his hotel gigs as Elvis was, holding parties mainly in his penthouse suite which Elvis occasionally attended. Davis sang a version of Presley's song "In the Ghetto" and made a cameo appearance in Presley's concert film Elvis: That's the Way It Is. One year later, he made a cameo appearance in the James Bond film Diamonds Are Forever, but the scene was cut. In Japan, Davis appeared in television commercials for coffee, and in the United States he joined Sinatra and Martin in a radio commercial for a Chicago car dealership.

On May 27–28, 1973, Davis hosted (with Monty Hall) the first annual, 20-hour Highway Safety Foundation telethon. Guests included Muhammad Ali, Paul Anka, Jack Barry, Dr. Joyce Brothers, Ray Charles, Dick Clark, Roy Clark, Howard Cosell, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Joe Franklin, Cliff Gorman, Richie Havens, Danny Kaye,[26] Jerry Lewis, Hal Linden, Rich Little, Butterfly McQueen, Minnie Pearl, Boots Randolph, Tex Ritter, Phil Rizzuto, The Rockettes, Nipsey Russell, Sally Struthers, Mel Tillis, Ben Vereen, and Lawrence Welk. It was a financial disaster. The total amount of pledges was $1.2 million. Actual pledges received were $525,000.[27]

Davis was a huge fan of daytime television, particularly the soap operas produced by the American Broadcasting Company. He made a cameo appearance on General Hospital and had a recurring role as Chip Warren on One Life to Live, for which he received a 1980 Daytime Emmy Award nomination. He was also a game show fan, appearing on Family Feud in 1979 and Tattletales with his wife Altovise in the 1970s.

Davis was an avid photographer who enjoyed shooting pictures of family and acquaintances. His body of work was detailed in a 2007 book by Burt Boyar titled Photo by Sammy Davis, Jr.[28] "Jerry [Lewis] gave me my first important camera, my first 35 millimeter, during the Ciro's period, early '50s," Boyar quotes Davis. "And he hooked me." Davis used a medium format camera later on to capture images. Boyar reports that Davis had said, "Nobody interrupts a man taking a picture to ask ... 'What's that nigger doin' here?'" His catalog includes rare photos of his father dancing onstage as part of the Will Mastin Trio and intimate snapshots of close friends Jerry Lewis, Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, James Dean, Nat "King" Cole, and Marilyn Monroe. His political affiliations also were represented, in his images of Robert Kennedy, Jackie Kennedy, and Martin Luther King Jr. His most revealing work comes in photographs of wife May Britt and their three children, Tracey, Jeff and Mark.

Davis was an enthusiastic shooter and gun owner. He participated in fast-draw competitions. Johnny Cash recalled that Davis was said to be capable of drawing and firing a Colt Single Action Army revolver in less than a quarter of a second.[29] Davis was skilled at fast and fancy gunspinning and appeared on television variety shows showing off this skill. He also demonstrated gunspinning to Mark on The Rifleman in "Two Ounces of Tin." He appeared in Western films and as a guest star on several television Westerns.

Personal life

Accident and conversion

Davis nearly died in an automobile accident on November 19, 1954, in San Bernardino, California, as he was making a return trip from Las Vegas to Los Angeles.[30] During the previous year, he had started a friendship with comedian and host Eddie Cantor, who had given him a mezuzah. Instead of putting it by his door as a traditional blessing, Davis wore it around his neck for good luck. The only time he forgot it was the night of the accident.[31] The accident occurred at a fork in U.S. Route 66 at Cajon Boulevard and Kendall Drive (34.2072°N 117.3855°W).[32] Davis lost his left eye to the bullet-shaped horn button (a standard feature in 1954 and 1955 Cadillacs) as a result. His friend, actor Jeff Chandler, said he would give one of his own eyes if it would keep Davis from total blindness.[33] Davis wore an eye patch for at least six months following the accident.[34][35] He was featured with the patch on the cover of his debut album and appeared on What's My Line? wearing the patch.[36] Later, he was fitted for a glass eye, which he wore for the rest of his life.

Eddie Cantor talked to Davis in the hospital about the similarities between the Jewish and black cultures. Davis, who was born to a Catholic mother and Baptist father, began studying the history of Jews. He converted to Judaism several years later in 1961.[4][37] One passage from his readings (from the book A History of The Jews by Abram L. Sachar), describing the endurance of the Jewish people, interested him in particular: "The Jews would not die. Three millennia of prophetic teaching had given them an unwavering spirit of resignation and had created in them a will to live which no disaster could crush."[38] The accident marked a turning point in Davis's career, taking him from a well-known entertainer to a national celebrity.[39]

Marriages

In 1957, Davis was involved with actress Kim Novak, who was under contract with Columbia Pictures. Because Novak was white, Harry Cohn, the president of Columbia, worried that racist backlash against the relationship could hurt the studio. He called his handler, mafia fixer and racketeer John Roselli, who was told to inform Davis that he must stop seeing Novak. To try to scare Davis, Roselli had him kidnapped for a few hours. Davis's quick, brief marriage to black dancer Loray White in 1958 was an attempt to quiet the controversy.[40] A BBC documentary in 2014 said that Cohn arranged for Davis to be threatened with the loss of his other eye or a broken leg if he didn't marry a black woman within two days. Davis had offered to pay White $10,000 to enter into a fake marriage.[41] At the wedding with White, Davis became so inebriated that he had to be helped into bed by his friend Arthur Silber. Checking on him later, Silber found Davis with a gun to his head.[42]

In 1960, Davis caused controversy again when he married white, Swedish-born actress May Britt in a ceremony officiated by Rabbi William M. Kramer at Temple Israel of Hollywood. While interracial marriage had been legal in California since 1948, anti-miscegenation laws in the United States still stood in 23 states, and a 1958 opinion poll had found that only 4 percent of Americans supported marriage between black and white spouses.[43] Davis received hate mail while starring in the Broadway adaptation of Golden Boy during 1964–1966, in which his character is in a relationship with a white woman, paralleling his own controversial relationship. At the time Davis appeared in the musical, although New York had no laws against it, debate about interracial marriage was still ongoing in America as Loving v. Virginia was being fought. It was only in 1967, after the musical had closed, that anti-miscegenation laws in all states were ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court of the United States.[44] Davis' daughter Tracey Davis also revealed in her 2014 book Sammy Davis Jr.: A Personal History With My Father that this marriage also resulted in President Kennedy refusing to allow Davis to perform at his Inauguration.[45][46] This snub by President Kennedy was also confirmed by director Sam Pollard, who revealed in his 2017 American Masters documentary Sammy Davis, Jr.: I’ve Gotta Be Me that Davis' invitation to perform at his inauguration was abruptly canceled on the night of his inaugural party.[47]

Davis and Britt had one daughter, Tracey, and adopted two sons.[1] Davis performed almost continuously and spent little time with his wife. They divorced in 1968, after Davis admitted to having had an affair with singer Lola Falana. That year, Davis started dating Altovise Gore, a dancer in Golden Boy. They were married on May 11, 1970, by the Reverend Jesse Jackson. Kathy McKee replaced Gore in Davis's nightclub act. They adopted a son, Manny, in 1989. Davis and Gore remained married until his death in 1990.

Political beliefs

In the Yellow Oval Room of the White House with President Richard Nixon, March 4, 1973

Davis was a registered Democrat and supported John F. Kennedy's 1960 election campaign as well as Robert F. Kennedy's 1968 campaign.[48] John F. Kennedy would later refuse to allow Davis to perform at his inauguration on account of his marriage with the white actress May Britt.[45][46][49] Nancy Sinatra revealed in her 1986 book Frank Sinatra: My Father how Kennedy had planned to snub Davis as plans for his wedding to Britt were unfolding.[49] He went on to become a close friend of President Richard Nixon and publicly endorsed him at the 1972 Republican National Convention.[48] Davis also made a USO tour to South Vietnam at Nixon's request.

Nixon invited Davis and his wife, Altovise, to sleep in the White House in 1973, the first time African-Americans were invited to do so. The Davises spent the night in the Lincoln Bedroom.[50] Davis later said he regretted supporting Nixon, accusing Nixon of making promises on civil rights that he did not keep.[51] Davis was a long-time donor to the Reverend Jesse Jackson's Operation PUSH organization.[52]

Illness and death

Grave of Sammy Davis Jr. in the Garden of Honor, Forest Lawn Glendale

In August 1989, Davis began to develop symptoms—a tickle in his throat and an inability to taste food.[53] Doctors found a cancerous tumor in Davis's throat.[54] He had often smoked four packs of cigarettes a day as an adult.[54] When told that surgery (laryngectomy) offered him the best chance of survival, Davis replied he would rather keep his voice than have a part of his throat removed; he was treated with a combination of chemotherapy and radiation.[53] His larynx was removed during surgery.[11] He was released from the hospital on March 13, 1990.[55]

Davis died of complications from throat cancer two months later at his home in Beverly Hills, California, on May 16, 1990 at the age of 64.[55] He was interred in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park. On May 18, 1990, two days after his death, the neon lights of the Las Vegas Strip were darkened for ten minutes as a tribute.[56]

Legacy

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Davis Jr. left the bulk of his estate to his wife, Altovise Davis.[57][58] After her death in 2009, their son Manny was named executor of the estate and majority rights holder of his intellectual property.[59]

Portrayals

In an episode of Charlie's Angels Sammy Davis Jr. had a dual role, playing both himself and as a Sammy Davis Jr. impersonator who is kidnapped by mistake. (In a comic relief scene the impersonator beats up a candy machine which doesn't give him his candy, a spoof of Sammy Davis Jr.'s song "The Candy Man".)

Comedian Jim Carrey has portrayed Davis on stage, in the 1983 film Copper Mountain, and in a stand-up routine.

On Saturday Night Live, Davis has been portrayed by Garrett Morris, Eddie Murphy, Billy Crystal and Tim Meadows.

Davis was portrayed on the popular sketch comedy show In Living Color by Tommy Davidson, notably a parody of the film Ghost, in which the ghost of Davis enlists the help of Whoopi Goldberg to communicate with his wife.

David Raynr portrayed Davis in the 1992 miniseries Sinatra, a television film about the life of Frank Sinatra.

In the comedy film Wayne's World 2 (1993), Tim Meadows portrays Davis in the dream sequence with Michael A. Nickles as Jim Morrison.

Davis was portrayed by Don Cheadle in the HBO film The Rat Pack, a 1998 television film about the group of entertainers. Cheadle won a Golden Globe Award for his performance.

He was portrayed by Paul Sharma in the 2003 West End production Rat Pack Confidential.[60]

Davis was portrayed in 2008 by Keith Powell in an episode of 30 Rock entitled "Subway Hero".

In September 2009, the musical Sammy: Once in a Lifetime premiered at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego with book, music and lyrics by Leslie Bricusse, and additional songs by Bricusse and Anthony Newley. The title role was played by Broadway Tony Award nominee Obba Babatundé.

Comedian Billy Crystal has portrayed Sammy Davis Jr. in his stand-up routine and at the Oscars.

Other

Actor Phaldut Sharma created the comedy web-series I Gotta Be Me (2015), following a frustrated soap star as he performs as Sammy in a Rat Pack tribute show.[61]

In January 2017, Davis's estate joined the producing team led by Lionel Richie, Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Mike Menchel to make a movie based on Davis's extraordinary life and show-biz career.[62]

Discography

Main article: Sammy Davis Jr. discography

Honors and awards

Grammy Awards

Year 2018 Category Song Result Notes

2002 Grammy Hall of Fame Award "What Kind of Fool Am I?" Inducted Recorded in 1962

2001 Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award Winner

1972 Pop Male Vocalist "Candy Man" Nominee

1962 Record of the Year "What Kind of Fool Am I?" Nominee

1962 Male Solo Vocal Performance "What Kind of Fool Am I?" Nominee

Emmy Awards

Year Category Program Result

1990 Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Sammy Davis Jr.'s 60th Anniversary Celebration Winner[63]

1989 Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series The Cosby Show Nominee

1980 Outstanding Cameo Appearance in a Daytime Drama Series One Life to Live Nominee

1966 Outstanding Variety Special The Swinging World of Sammy Davis Jr. Nominee

1956 Best Specialty Act — Single or Group Sammy Davis Jr. Nominee

Other honors

Year Category Organization Program Result

2008 International Civil Rights Walk of Fame Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site Inducted

2006 Las Vegas Walk of Stars[64] front of Riviera Hotel Inducted

1989 NAACP Image Award NAACP Winner

1987 Kennedy Center Honors John F. Kennedy Center for

the Performing Arts Honoree

1977 Best TV Actor — Musical/Comedy Golden Globe Sammy and Company (1975) Nominee

1974 Special Citation Award National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Winner

1968 NAACP Spingarn Medal Award NAACP Winner

1965 Best Actor — Musical Tony Award Golden Boy Nominee

1960 Hollywood Walk of Fame Star at 6254 Hollywood Blvd.

Filmography

Rufus Jones for President (1933) - Rufus Jones

Seasoned Greetings (1933) - Henry Johnson - Store Customer

Sweet and Low (1947) - Member, Will Maston Trio

Meet Me in Las Vegas (1956) - Sammy Davis Jr. (voice, uncredited)

Anna Lucasta (1958) - Danny Johnson

Porgy and Bess (1959) - Sportin' Life

Ocean's 11 (1960) - Josh Howard

Pepe (1960) - Sammy Davis Jr.

Sergeants 3 (1962) - Jonah Williams

Convicts 4 (1962) - Wino

The Threepenny Opera [de] (1963) - Ballad Singer

Johnny Cool (1963) - Educated

Robin and the 7 Hoods (1964) - Will

Nightmare in the Sun (1965) - Truck driver

The Second Best Secret Agent in the Whole Wide World (1965, title song) - Singer behind opening credits (uncredited)

A Man Called Adam (1966) - Adam Johnson

Alice in Wonderland (or What's a Nice Kid Like You Doing in a Place Like This?) (1966)

Salt and Pepper (1968) - Charles Salt

The Fall (1969)

Sweet Charity (1969) - Big Daddy

One More Time (1970) - Charles Salt

Elvis: That's the Way It Is (1970)

Diamonds Are Forever (1971) - Casino Punter (deleted scene)

Save the Children (1973)

Poor Devil (1973; unsold pilot of a TV series)

Gone with the West, also known outside the U.S. as Little Moon and Jud McGraw (1975) - Kid Dandy

Madeleine (1977) - Spud The Scarecrow (singing voice)

Sammy Stops the World (1978) - Littlechap

The Cannonball Run (1981) - Morris Fenderbaum

Heidi's Song (1982) - Head Ratte (voice)

Cracking Up (1983)

Broadway Danny Rose (1984) - Thanksgiving Parade's Grand Marshall (uncredited)

Cannonball Run II (1984) - Morris Fenderbaum

Alice in Wonderland (1985) - The Caterpillar / Father William

That's Dancing! (1985)

Knights of the City (1986)

The Perils of P.K. (1986)

Moon over Parador (1988)

Tap (1989) - Little Mo

The Kid Who Loved Christmas (1990) - Sideman (final film role)

Stage

Mr. Wonderful (1957), musical

Golden Boy (1964), musical – Tony Nomination for Best Actor in a Musical

Sammy (1974), special performance featuring Davis with the Nicholas Brothers

Stop the World – I Want to Get Off (1978) musical revival

Television

General Electric Theater – "The Patsy" (1960) Season 8 Episode 21

Lawman – episode Blue Boss and Willie Shay" (1961)

The Dick Powell Show – episode "The Legend" (1962)

Hennesey – episode "Tight Quarters" (1962)

The Rifleman – 2 episodes "Two Ounces of Tin (#4.21)" (February 19, 1962) and "The Most Amazing Man (#5.9)" (November 27, 1962)

77 Sunset Strip – episode "The Gang's All Here" (1962)

Ben Casey – episode "Allie" (1963)

The Patty Duke Show – episode "Will the Real Sammy Davis Please Hang Up?" (1965)

The Sammy Davis Jr. Show – Host (January 7, 1966)

Alice In Wonderland or What's a Nice Kid Like You Doing in a Place Like This? (March 30, 1966)

The Wild Wild West – episode "The Night of the Returning Dead" (October 14, 1966)

Batman – "The Clock King's Crazy Crimes" (1966)

I Dream of Jeannie – episode "The Greatest Entertainer in the World" (1967)

Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In – Here Comes The Judge skit (1968–70, 1971, 1973)

The Mod Squad – three episodes: "Keep the Faith Baby" (1969), "Survival House" (1970), and "The Song of Willie" (1970)

The Beverly Hillbillies – episode Manhattan Hillbilies (1969)

The Name of the Game – episode "I Love You, Billy Baker" (1970)

Here's Lucy (1970)

All in the Family – episode "Sammy's Visit" (1972)

Chico and the Man – episode "Sammy Stops In" (1975)

The Carol Burnett Show (1975)

Sammy and Company – host/performer (1975)

Charlie's Angels – episode "Sammy Davis, Jr. Kidnap Caper" (1977)

Sanford (TV series) – episodes "Dinner and George's" (cameo) and "The Benefit" (1980)

Archie Bunker's Place – episode "The Return of Sammy" (1980)

General Hospital – episode Benefit for Sports Center (1982)

The Jeffersons – episode "What Makes Sammy Run?" (1984)

Fantasy Island – episode "Mr. Bojangles and the Dancer/Deuces are Wild" (1984)[65]

Gimme a Break! – episode "The Lookalike" (1985)

Alice in Wonderland (1985 film)

Hunter – episode "Ring of Honor" (1989)

The Cosby Show – episode "No Way, Baby" (1989)

Sammy Davis, Jr. 60th Anniversary Celebration (1990) – 2½ hour all star TV special[66]

1925, December 8 Sammy Davis, Jr. is born at Harlem Hospital in New York City to Elvera and Sammy Davis, Sr.

1928/1929 He is sent to live with his father, a traveling entertainer and dancer. He never receives a formal education.

1933 Sammy Davis, Jr. appears in the short film Rufus Jones for President at age seven.

1943 He is drafted to the Army during World War II, eventually serving in an integrated entertainment Special Services unit.

1947 The Will Mastin Trio (Will Mastin, Sammy Davis, Sr., and Sammy Davis, Jr.) opens for Frank Sinatra at the Capitol Theatre in New York City.

1951, March The Will Mastin Trio opens for Janis Paige at Ciro’s; Sammy Davis, Jr. gives a knock-out performance and is embraced by the Hollywood elite.

1952 The Will Mastin Trio performs at the newly integrated Copacabana Club in New York City.

1953, Spring The Will Mastin Trio performs on The Colgate Comedy Hour and Eddie Cantor wipes Sammy Davis, Jr.’s brow.

1954 He signs a record contract with Decca Records.

1954, November 19 Sammy Davis, Jr. is in a car accident in San Bernardino, CA, and loses his left eye.

1955, January He releases his first album, “Starring Sammy Davis, Jr.”

1955, August Sammy Davis, Jr. releases his second album, “Sammy Davis, Jr. Sings Just For Lovers.”

1956 He makes his Broadway debut in Mr. Wonderful with Chita Rivera.

1958 Sammy Davis, Jr. marries Loray White in Los Angeles.

1959 He joins the Rat Pack.

1959, February Anna Lucasta, a film starring Sammy Davis, Jr. and Eartha Kitt, is released.

1959, June 24 Porgy and Bess, a film starring Sammy Davis, Jr. and Sidney Poitier, is released.

1960, August 10 Ocean’s Eleven, a film starring Sammy Davis, Jr. and the Rat Pack, is released.

1960, November 15 Sammy Davis, Jr. marries May Britt in Los Angeles.

1961 He formally converts to Judaism.

1961, July Tracey Davis is born.

1962, February 10 Sergeants 3, a film starring Sammy Davis, Jr. and the Rat Pack, is released.

1963 Sammy Davis, Jr. and May Britt adopt son Mark.

1963, August 27 March on Washington.

1964, June 24 Robin and the 7 Hoods, a film starring Sammy Davis, Jr. and the Rat Pack, is released.

1964, October 20 First performance of Golden Boy (musical), starring Sammy Davis, Jr. and Paula Wayne.

1965 He publishes his autobiography, Yes I Can: The Story of Sammy Davis, Jr.

1965 Sammy Davis, Jr. and May Britt adopt son Jeff.

1965, March 25 He marches from Selma to Montgomery.

1966 A Man Called Adam, a film starring Sammy Davis, Jr. is released.

1968 Sammy Davis, Jr. and May Britt divorce.

1968 He receives the Spingarn Medal from the NAACP at the Plaza Hotel in New York City.

1969, April 1 Sweet Charity, a film starring Sammy Davis, Jr. and Shirley MacLaine, is released.

1970, May 11 Sammy Davis, Jr. marries Altovise Gore at a courthouse in Philadelphia.

1972, February Sammy Davis, Jr. guest stars on All In The Family.

1972, February Sammy Davis, Jr. goes on a USO tour of Vietnam.

1972, June “The Candy Man” hits No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

1972, July Sammy Davis, Jr. hugs President Nixon at a Youth Benefit during the Republican National Convention in Miami.

1972, September 27 At PUSH Benefit concert in Chicago. Sammy Davis, Jr. is booed for hugging President Nixon earlier that year.

1973 Sammy Davis, Jr. and Altovise spend the night at the White House in the Lincoln Bedroom.

1978, August 3 Stop the World I Want to Get Off opens in New York City, starring Sammy Davis, Jr.

1980 Sammy Davis, Jr. publishes Sammy Davis, Jr., Hollywood in a Suitcase.

1981, June 19 Cannon Ball Run is released, starring Sammy Davis, Jr.and Burt Reynolds.

1988 Sammy Davis, Jr., Liza Minnelli and Frank Sinatra go on tour.

1989 Sammy Davis, Jr. and Altovise adopt a son, Manny, who was 11-years-old at the time.

1989 Sammy Davis, Jr. publishes Why Me? The Sammy Davis, Jr. Story.

1989, February 10 Tap, a film starring Sammy Davis, Jr. and Gregory Hines, is released.

1989, August Doctors find cancer in Sammy Davis, Jr.’s throat.

1990, February 4 Sammy Davis, Jr. 60th Anniversary Celebration television special airs.

1990, May 16 Sammy Davis, Jr. dies from throat cancer.

 composer of television music, including the theme for "Hawaii Five-0," died on Monday at his home in Encino, Calif. He was 62 years old.

He died of pancreatic cancer, said a spokeswoman for the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, of which he was a longtime member.

Mr. Stevens received two Emmy Awards for "Hawaii Five-0" and seven other nominations for his work on series including "Gunsmoke" and "Police Woman."

Mr. Stevens was born in Newark. He studied composition at the Juilliard School, and became the arranger and later the musical director for such stars as Sammy Davis Jr., Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Liza Minnelli. He was a music director for CBS and served on the board of governors of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

He is survived by his wife, Annie, and daughter, Lisa, both of Encino, and his son, Mark, of Moorpark, Calif.