Samuel George "Sammy" Davis, Jr. (December 8, 1925 – May 16, 1990) was an American entertainer. Primarily a dancer and singer, Davis was a childhood vaudevillian who became known for his performances on Broadway and in Las Vegas, as a recording artist, television and film star, and as a member of Frank Sinatra's "Rat Pack". At the age of four Davis began his career in vaudeville with his father and "uncle" as the Will Mastin Trio, toured nationally, and after military service, returned to the trio. Davis became an overnight sensation following a nightclub performance at Ciro's after the 1951 Academy Awards, with the trio, became a recording artist, and made his first film performances as an adult later that decade. In 1954, he lost his left eye in an automobile accident. Later the same year, he converted to Judaism. In 1960, he appeared in the first Rat Pack movie, Ocean's 11. After a starring role on Broadway in 1956's Mr Wonderful, Davis returned to the stage in 1964's Golden Boy, and in 1966 had his own TV variety show, The Sammy Davis Jr. Show. Davis's career slowed in the late sixties, but he had a hit record with "The Candy Man", in 1972, and became a star in Las Vegas. As an African American, Davis was the victim of racism throughout his life, and was a large financial supporter of civil rights causes. Davis had a complex relationship with the African American community, and attracted criticism after physically embracing Richard Nixon in 1970. 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." This was to become a signature comment, recounted in his autobiography, and in countless articles. After reuniting with Sinatra and Dean Martin in 1987, Davis toured with them and Liza Minnelli internationally, before dying of throat cancer in 1990. He died in debt to the Internal Revenue Service, and his estate was the subject of legal battles. Davis was awarded the Spingarn Medal by the NAACP, and was nominated for a Golden Globe 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.
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Biography from TMDB.
- December 8, 1925
- May 16, 1990 (aged 64)
- Harlem, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA
- Actor, also producer
- 35 on MovieCove · 72 credits in all
What are Sammy Davis Jr.'s films like?
Across their 27 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Bonds.
Genres
Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 3 · Wry 4 · Earnest 18
Light 18 · Serious 5 · Dark 4
A split, not a type: Grounded 13 · Stylized 9 · Heightened 5
Gentle 9 · Charged 17 · Intense 1
Steady 17 · Shifting 8 · Whiplash 2
A split, not a type: Straight-faced 9 · Some laughs 8 · Funny 10
Slow burn 15 · Even-paced 12 · Relentless 0
Casual 18 · Engaged 7 · Full focus 2
Easy watch 17 · Affecting 6 · Heavy 4
Resolved 22 · Open-ended 4 · Ambiguous 1
Roles they play
Usually the Ally: 5 of 13 analyzed roles.
Show the 13 rolesHide the roles
- Allyas Josh Howard in Ocean's Eleven (1960)
- Tricksteras Wino in Convicts 4 (1962)
- Allyas Jonah Williams in Sergeants 3 (1962)
- Allyas Will in Robin and the 7 Hoods (1964)
- Tricksteras The Cheshire Cat in Alice in Wonderland or What's a Nice Kid Like You Doing in a Place Like This? (1966)
- Heroas Adam Johnson in A Man Called Adam (1966)
- Heroas Charles Salt in Salt and Pepper (1968)
- Mentoras Big Daddy in Sweet Charity (1969)
- Heroas Sammy in Poor Devil (1973)
- Allyas Kid Dandy in Gone with the West (1974)
- Shadowas Head Ratte in Heidi's Song (1982)
- Allyas Morris Fenderbaum in Cannonball Run II (1984)
- Mentoras Little Mo in Tap (1989)
Moods and endings
- Happy11
- Bittersweet6
- Tragic2
- Ambiguous8
AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.
Where can I watch Sammy Davis Jr.'s films?
As of October 24, 2026, 14 of their 35 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.
- The Rifleman (1958) · actor · free
- I Dream of Jeannie (1965) · actor · free
- Tap (1989) · actor · free
- The Patty Duke Show (1963) · actor · free
- Hunter (1984) · actor · free
- Fantasy Island (1977) · actor · free
- Charlie's Angels (1976) · actor · free
- Salt and Pepper (1968) · actor, producer · free
- Cannonball Run II (1984) · actor · free
- Gone with the West (1974) · actor · free
- The Rifleman (1958) · actor · free
- I Dream of Jeannie (1965) · actor · free
- Anna Lucasta (1958) · actor · free
- Tap (1989) · actor · free
- Hunter (1984) · actor · free
- Fantasy Island (1977) · actor · free
- Charlie's Angels (1976) · actor · free
- Salt and Pepper (1968) · actor, producer · free
- Cannonball Run II (1984) · actor · free
- Gone with the West (1974) · actor · free
Subscription and free streaming for Sammy Davis Jr.'s titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.
Filmography
72 credits, 35 with a MovieCove page; 119 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.
Mansfield 66/67(2017)
Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films
Loose Lips - Her Last Interview (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)
Pioneers of Primetime (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)
Sammy Davis, Jr.: One Cool Cat (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)
Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
The Rat Pack (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)
The Very Best of The Ed Sullivan Show (Vol. 1) (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)
Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films
Tap(1989)
Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films
Uptown Comedy Express (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)
The Perils of P.K.(1986)
Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
Alice in Wonderland (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)
Dancing in the Wings (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)
Motown Returns to the Apollo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)
The Cosby Show(1984)
Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all shows
Hunter(1984)
Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all shows
Cannonball Run II(1984)
Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films
Heidi's Song(1982)
Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films
Playboy Video Magazine, Volume 1 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)
The Cannonball Run(1981)
Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films
Fantasy Island(1977)
Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all shows
Sammy Stops the World (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)
Happy Birthday, Las Vegas (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)
Jingle Bells: RFK - 1964 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)
Charlie's Angels(1976)
Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all shows
Gone with the West(1974)
Midcredits score: 1st percentile of all films
Chico and the Man(1974)
Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all shows
Old Faithful (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)
Poor Devil(1973)
Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films
The Trackers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)
One More Time (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)
The Pigeon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)
Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all shows
Sweet Charity(1969)
Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films
The Fall (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)
The Mod Squad (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)
Here's Lucy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)
Salt and Pepper(1968)
Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films
The Enemy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)
Omnibus (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)
Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films
A Man Called Adam(1966)
Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all filmsThe Sammy Davis Jr. Show (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)
I Dream of Jeannie(1965)
Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all shows
Licensed to Kill (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)
Nightmare in the Sun(1965)
Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films
The Disorderly Orderly(1964)
Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films
Robin and the 7 Hoods(1964)
Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films
Johnny Cool(1963)
Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films
Burke's Law (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)
The Patty Duke Show(1963)
Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all shows
Three Penny Opera(1963)
Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films
Convicts 4(1962)
Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films
Sergeants 3(1962)
Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all films
Ben Casey (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)
Cain's Hundred (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)
The Day of the Fox (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)
Drama 61-67 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)
Pepe(1960)
Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films
Ocean's Eleven(1960)
Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films
Porgy and Bess (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)
Anna Lucasta(1958)
Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films
77 Sunset Strip (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)
The Rifleman(1958)
Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)
Meet Me in Las Vegas(1956)
Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films
Six Bridges to Cross(1955)
Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films
General Electric Theater (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)
The Jack Benny Program (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)
Seasoned Greetings (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)
Rufus Jones for President (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)
Career shape
Star power in the 92nd percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 71 titles from 1933 to 2017; peak year 1960.
Biggest box office
The Cannonball Run (1981)
Highest rated
Koyaanisqatsi (1982)
Most popular right now
Salt and Pepper (1968)
Film career
Peak 1960 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Top draw in 1 MovieCove title. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.
- 1959Screen debut· Porgy and Bess
- 1968First top-billed film· Salt & Pepper
Billing
Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30.
How do Sammy Davis Jr.'s films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 49th percentile, the median of all 26; across their 27 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 52nd percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up4
- 50th to 74th14
- 25th to 49th11
- Below 25th6
Shape of the crowd
17 of their 35 titles are Crowd Pleasers.
- Universally Loved1
- Cult Classic3
- Crowd Pleaser17
- Broadly Agreed4
- Mixed10
Reviewers score the acting 65/100 in their films, across 19 reviewed titles; fans 76, detractors 39. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.
Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.
Is Sammy Davis Jr.'s work okay for kids?
Across a limited sample of up to 4 MovieCove titles with content scores.
Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.
Who does Sammy Davis Jr. work with?
People who share at least 2 of Sammy Davis Jr.'s MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Dean Martin shares the most, 7.
Directors
- Hal NeedhamShared titles: Cannonball Run II (1984), The Cannonball Run (1981)See all 2 shared titles with Hal Needham
Writers
- Brock YatesShared titles: Cannonball Run II (1984), The Cannonball Run (1981)See all 2 shared titles with Brock Yates
Actors
- Dean MartinShared titles: The Ocean's Eleven Story (2001), All-Star Party for Lucille Ball (1984), Cannonball Run II (1984), The Cannonball Run (1981), Robin and the 7 Hoods (1964), Sergeants 3 (1962), Ocean's Eleven (1960)See all 7 shared titles with Dean Martin
- Frank SinatraShared titles: The Ocean's Eleven Story (2001), Robin and the 7 Hoods (1964), Sergeants 3 (1962), Ocean's Eleven (1960)See all 4 shared titles with Frank Sinatra
- Peter LawfordShared titles: Salt and Pepper (1968), A Man Called Adam (1966), Sergeants 3 (1962), Ocean's Eleven (1960)See all 4 shared titles with Peter Lawford
- Joan CollinsShared titles: This Is Joan Collins (2022), All-Star Party for Lucille Ball (1984)See all 2 shared titles with Joan Collins
Composers, cinematographers and editors
- Al CappsShared titles: Cannonball Run II (1984), The Cannonball Run (1981)See all 2 shared titles with Al Capps
- William D. GordeanShared titles: Cannonball Run II (1984), The Cannonball Run (1981)See all 2 shared titles with William D. Gordean
- Gerald Perry FinnermanShared titles: Cracking Up (1983), Gone with the West (1974)See all 2 shared titles with Gerald Perry Finnerman
- Morton StevensShared titles: Cracking Up (1983), Poor Devil (1973)See all 2 shared titles with Morton Stevens
Producers
- Albert S. RuddyShared titles: Cannonball Run II (1984), The Cannonball Run (1981)See all 2 shared titles with Albert S. Ruddy
- Andre MorganShared titles: Cannonball Run II (1984), The Cannonball Run (1981)See all 2 shared titles with Andre Morgan
- Raymond Man-Wai ChowShared titles: Cannonball Run II (1984), The Cannonball Run (1981)See all 2 shared titles with Raymond Man-Wai Chow
- Joseph BarberaShared titles: Heidi's Song (1982), Alice in Wonderland or What's a Nice Kid Like You Doing in a Place Like This? (1966)See all 2 shared titles with Joseph Barbera
