1 00:00:00,800 --> 00:00:04,080 Speaker 1: Hey guys, it's me Josham for this week's s YSK Select. 2 00:00:04,200 --> 00:00:08,680 Speaker 1: I've chosen our February twenty twenty episode on Sammy Davis Junior. 3 00:00:09,200 --> 00:00:12,520 Speaker 1: If I'm not mistaken, this is where I, you, and 4 00:00:12,600 --> 00:00:14,960 Speaker 1: the rest of the world finds out that Chuck does 5 00:00:14,960 --> 00:00:19,119 Speaker 1: a killer Sammy Davis Junior impression, thus booing the podcast 6 00:00:19,160 --> 00:00:21,919 Speaker 1: for years to come. I don't think anything else is 7 00:00:21,960 --> 00:00:26,680 Speaker 1: needed to be said about this one. Just enjoy. 8 00:00:29,760 --> 00:00:37,519 Speaker 2: Welcome to Stuff You Should Know, a production of iHeartRadio. 9 00:00:39,320 --> 00:00:41,680 Speaker 3: Hey, and welcome to the podcast. I'm Josh Clark. 10 00:00:41,720 --> 00:00:44,640 Speaker 1: There's Charles w Chuck Bryant, and there's guest producer Dylan 11 00:00:44,720 --> 00:00:47,160 Speaker 1: sitting in again like a great. 12 00:00:46,880 --> 00:00:52,519 Speaker 3: Guy, like a cooled cat baby. I thought you were 13 00:00:52,560 --> 00:00:55,080 Speaker 3: doing evil German doctor for a second and then I 14 00:00:55,160 --> 00:00:55,840 Speaker 3: figured it out. 15 00:00:55,960 --> 00:00:58,120 Speaker 1: No man, wait, I haven't said it yet. And this 16 00:00:58,160 --> 00:01:00,880 Speaker 1: is Stuff you should Know. Okay, that was a good 17 00:01:00,960 --> 00:01:02,760 Speaker 1: one that no Man was wonderful. 18 00:01:03,040 --> 00:01:07,679 Speaker 2: I love how Sammy Davis Junior always said cat and baby. 19 00:01:08,319 --> 00:01:10,440 Speaker 2: It was just he was such a cool dude. 20 00:01:10,880 --> 00:01:14,279 Speaker 1: And okay, do Sammy Davis Junior saying we have ways 21 00:01:14,280 --> 00:01:15,520 Speaker 1: of making you talk. 22 00:01:16,240 --> 00:01:18,080 Speaker 2: What sounds German about any of that. 23 00:01:18,280 --> 00:01:21,840 Speaker 3: I just do it. Please please, we have ways of 24 00:01:21,880 --> 00:01:22,640 Speaker 3: making you talk. 25 00:01:22,800 --> 00:01:23,039 Speaker 2: Man. 26 00:01:23,920 --> 00:01:24,920 Speaker 3: That was pretty good. 27 00:01:27,000 --> 00:01:28,600 Speaker 2: And that's a little soft shoe. 28 00:01:29,240 --> 00:01:30,640 Speaker 3: It's great stuff, Chuck. 29 00:01:30,880 --> 00:01:35,000 Speaker 2: So you know, Billy Crystal used to do Sammy Davis 30 00:01:35,040 --> 00:01:39,800 Speaker 2: Junior way back in the eighties when blackface was super 31 00:01:39,840 --> 00:01:42,840 Speaker 2: cool to do and not controversial. 32 00:01:43,160 --> 00:01:45,440 Speaker 3: Did he do blackface Sammy Davis Junior? 33 00:01:45,600 --> 00:01:49,760 Speaker 2: Yes, dude, he did blackface Sammy Davis Junior eight years 34 00:01:49,760 --> 00:01:54,240 Speaker 2: ago at the Oscars. What. Yes, you don't remember that. No, 35 00:01:55,480 --> 00:01:57,320 Speaker 2: it's the last time he hosted the Oscars. Age In 36 00:01:57,360 --> 00:02:01,680 Speaker 2: twenty twelve, he they did, you know, a remote intro 37 00:02:01,800 --> 00:02:03,760 Speaker 2: thing where he was doing different things and the last 38 00:02:03,800 --> 00:02:08,480 Speaker 2: bit was him and blackface again and people were like, 39 00:02:08,560 --> 00:02:11,480 Speaker 2: and then you know, this was in you know, twenty twelve, 40 00:02:11,560 --> 00:02:13,480 Speaker 2: so that was Twitter and that was Facebook and this 41 00:02:13,639 --> 00:02:16,840 Speaker 2: social media and people were like, that wasn't cool in 42 00:02:16,880 --> 00:02:19,720 Speaker 2: the eighties and I can't believe he's doing that now 43 00:02:20,040 --> 00:02:23,840 Speaker 2: for real. Sammy Davis Junior's daughter came out and said, 44 00:02:23,919 --> 00:02:25,960 Speaker 2: you know what, if there's one thing I know is 45 00:02:25,960 --> 00:02:28,520 Speaker 2: that my dad is looking down and laughing and smiling 46 00:02:28,520 --> 00:02:31,400 Speaker 2: at Billy Crystal doing this. He was he was roasted 47 00:02:31,400 --> 00:02:34,560 Speaker 2: pretty heavily for it, rightfully so, and he is he 48 00:02:34,960 --> 00:02:37,079 Speaker 2: hasn't been around a lot, but he wasn't a real 49 00:02:37,160 --> 00:02:37,919 Speaker 2: up before then. 50 00:02:38,000 --> 00:02:40,960 Speaker 3: He you know, do you think like that? Did it? 51 00:02:41,000 --> 00:02:42,200 Speaker 3: Like that was the demise kid? 52 00:02:42,280 --> 00:02:43,040 Speaker 2: I guess get helped. 53 00:02:43,600 --> 00:02:46,840 Speaker 3: I was, Yeah, I haven't seen him in a while either. Man. 54 00:02:47,080 --> 00:02:49,600 Speaker 1: How did somebody not step back and be like, okay, wait, 55 00:02:50,320 --> 00:02:51,800 Speaker 1: we're about to do blackface? 56 00:02:52,240 --> 00:02:54,680 Speaker 2: I know, Like, how did no one on the production 57 00:02:54,760 --> 00:02:56,960 Speaker 2: crew of the Oscars say not a good idea? 58 00:02:57,240 --> 00:02:59,920 Speaker 3: I don't know, Well he did. 59 00:03:01,120 --> 00:03:05,280 Speaker 1: So I came across something that I thought was pretty interesting. 60 00:03:05,320 --> 00:03:07,920 Speaker 1: I saw a nineteen eighty five interview with David Letterman 61 00:03:09,880 --> 00:03:14,079 Speaker 1: and Sammy Davis Junior says in this interview he did blackface. 62 00:03:14,560 --> 00:03:15,560 Speaker 3: He was a little kid. 63 00:03:16,480 --> 00:03:20,200 Speaker 1: Apparently his skin was lighter when he was a kid, 64 00:03:20,280 --> 00:03:23,760 Speaker 1: and they wanted him because he used to tour with 65 00:03:23,800 --> 00:03:27,720 Speaker 1: his uncle and his dad, as we'll see, and to 66 00:03:27,880 --> 00:03:31,120 Speaker 1: get around labor laws, they would pass him off as 67 00:03:31,360 --> 00:03:32,040 Speaker 1: a midget. 68 00:03:32,360 --> 00:03:36,080 Speaker 3: Yes, and to do that there was right, Yes, thank you. 69 00:03:36,400 --> 00:03:40,760 Speaker 1: They gave him a candy cigar and put him in 70 00:03:40,800 --> 00:03:43,560 Speaker 1: blackface and told anyone who would listened that he was 71 00:03:43,600 --> 00:03:46,440 Speaker 1: a little person. Although again, they didn't say a little person. 72 00:03:46,520 --> 00:03:47,080 Speaker 2: No, they didn't. 73 00:03:47,960 --> 00:03:50,640 Speaker 1: Boy, this is a really controversial episode right out of 74 00:03:50,640 --> 00:03:51,000 Speaker 1: the gate. 75 00:03:51,240 --> 00:03:52,920 Speaker 2: Well, there's a lot of sort of I mean, he 76 00:03:53,000 --> 00:03:57,720 Speaker 2: was a complicated guy who was you know, his father 77 00:03:57,800 --> 00:04:01,320 Speaker 2: was black, his mother was Puerto Rican. He eventually would 78 00:04:01,800 --> 00:04:05,560 Speaker 2: endorse two presidents, both Kennedy and Nixon. He served in 79 00:04:05,600 --> 00:04:12,480 Speaker 2: the army. He was a rat packer. He was shunned 80 00:04:12,480 --> 00:04:16,159 Speaker 2: by racist and also shunned sometimes within his own black community. 81 00:04:16,760 --> 00:04:19,720 Speaker 3: Yeah, like a little pinball getting bounced around. 82 00:04:19,640 --> 00:04:21,760 Speaker 2: And little is right. He was also a little guy 83 00:04:21,960 --> 00:04:25,080 Speaker 2: who always, I think had a complex about his height, 84 00:04:25,160 --> 00:04:31,040 Speaker 2: about his looks. He had this weird sort of underbite 85 00:04:32,680 --> 00:04:35,080 Speaker 2: jaw that would jut out to one side when he talked. 86 00:04:36,360 --> 00:04:41,240 Speaker 2: Just a really fascinating guy that was super super talented 87 00:04:41,320 --> 00:04:44,800 Speaker 2: and had his little tiny fingers and a lot of 88 00:04:44,839 --> 00:04:49,119 Speaker 2: pies from you know, singing and dancing and performing live 89 00:04:49,240 --> 00:04:54,120 Speaker 2: and in movies on TV, and just really really fascinating guy. 90 00:04:54,520 --> 00:04:56,840 Speaker 1: Yeah, when you look back at the rat Pack, he 91 00:04:56,960 --> 00:04:58,880 Speaker 1: was the one that brought the actual talent to the 92 00:04:58,960 --> 00:04:59,320 Speaker 1: rat Pack. 93 00:04:59,400 --> 00:05:01,680 Speaker 3: Like Sinatra could say, Martin. 94 00:05:01,440 --> 00:05:05,000 Speaker 1: Could sing everyone and the rat Pack was talented, right, right, 95 00:05:05,040 --> 00:05:09,480 Speaker 1: But he was multi talented, like dancing, doing impressions. 96 00:05:10,080 --> 00:05:13,120 Speaker 3: He had like a little gunslinger routine too. 97 00:05:13,200 --> 00:05:14,039 Speaker 2: Did you see any of that? 98 00:05:14,880 --> 00:05:15,159 Speaker 3: I did? 99 00:05:15,440 --> 00:05:16,240 Speaker 2: He's amazing. 100 00:05:17,400 --> 00:05:22,400 Speaker 1: I watched a PBS documentary for their series American Masters 101 00:05:22,440 --> 00:05:25,200 Speaker 1: on him, and it was like an hour almost two 102 00:05:25,200 --> 00:05:28,560 Speaker 1: hours long, and it was really in depth and really good. 103 00:05:28,560 --> 00:05:31,320 Speaker 1: But they had some amazing footage of him just doing 104 00:05:31,360 --> 00:05:33,680 Speaker 1: all sorts of different stuff. So I guess, let me 105 00:05:34,040 --> 00:05:37,719 Speaker 1: revise that. Yes, the rat pack was talented. Sammy Davis 106 00:05:37,800 --> 00:05:41,679 Speaker 1: Junior was more talented than all of them put together. 107 00:05:43,160 --> 00:05:48,360 Speaker 2: All right, Okay, so he made Did you see any 108 00:05:48,360 --> 00:05:50,120 Speaker 2: of that documentary of the USO. 109 00:05:49,920 --> 00:05:54,080 Speaker 3: Tour There were a few clips in there. Yeah. 110 00:05:54,160 --> 00:05:55,800 Speaker 2: Yeah, So if you want to see a different So 111 00:05:55,880 --> 00:05:59,400 Speaker 2: if you think Sammy Davis Junior as just the candy 112 00:05:59,480 --> 00:06:03,880 Speaker 2: man or mister bo Jangles babe. 113 00:06:03,680 --> 00:06:06,440 Speaker 1: Man, watching him do mister bo Jangles, that's growing how 114 00:06:06,440 --> 00:06:09,240 Speaker 1: he felt about that song. It's very heartbreaking, it is. 115 00:06:10,320 --> 00:06:12,560 Speaker 2: But if you see this documentary. In nineteen seventy two, 116 00:06:12,640 --> 00:06:16,080 Speaker 2: he did a USO tour of Vietnam where he performed 117 00:06:16,080 --> 00:06:19,880 Speaker 2: at drug rehab camps and some other you know, forward bases. 118 00:06:20,720 --> 00:06:22,640 Speaker 2: If you look at this man, this is like is 119 00:06:22,680 --> 00:06:26,000 Speaker 2: swinging seventies kind of rock and roll as it gets 120 00:06:26,839 --> 00:06:33,159 Speaker 2: really really cool stuff. He was a bad a performer. 121 00:06:34,120 --> 00:06:36,080 Speaker 2: He was at places like some of them were kind 122 00:06:36,080 --> 00:06:38,320 Speaker 2: of full on productions where they were capable of pulling 123 00:06:38,360 --> 00:06:41,680 Speaker 2: that off. Other times, there's this great footage of him 124 00:06:41,880 --> 00:06:45,080 Speaker 2: where they could had nothing but a microphone and he's 125 00:06:45,160 --> 00:06:46,719 Speaker 2: just like, all right, give me the mic and I 126 00:06:46,720 --> 00:06:50,200 Speaker 2: will like basically kind of do my own beat box 127 00:06:50,200 --> 00:06:54,520 Speaker 2: seed rhythm section and sing and dance. And the soldiers 128 00:06:54,520 --> 00:06:56,719 Speaker 2: are just loving it, man, they're eating it up. 129 00:06:57,200 --> 00:06:57,440 Speaker 3: Yeah. 130 00:06:57,480 --> 00:07:01,080 Speaker 1: And this is nineteen seventy two, believe, and like, I 131 00:07:01,120 --> 00:07:05,040 Speaker 1: mean like his like he was a world famous star 132 00:07:05,200 --> 00:07:07,920 Speaker 1: by them, but also he was an older dude, you know, 133 00:07:08,040 --> 00:07:11,000 Speaker 1: like he'd really had his heyday in the late fifties 134 00:07:11,040 --> 00:07:13,600 Speaker 1: and throughout the sixties, and this is seventy two and 135 00:07:13,640 --> 00:07:16,800 Speaker 1: he's out there in Vietnam belting out motown hits and 136 00:07:17,040 --> 00:07:18,320 Speaker 1: drumming on the mic stand. 137 00:07:18,600 --> 00:07:21,120 Speaker 3: So yeah, I didn't see all. 138 00:07:21,000 --> 00:07:22,680 Speaker 1: Of it, but yeah, you can tell, like it was 139 00:07:22,800 --> 00:07:26,560 Speaker 1: pretty cool. Yeah, he's even more of a talented performer 140 00:07:26,600 --> 00:07:29,800 Speaker 1: than people realize, because you know, you do think he 141 00:07:29,880 --> 00:07:32,240 Speaker 1: as doing like standards and show tunes and stuff like that, 142 00:07:32,280 --> 00:07:34,040 Speaker 1: and he did mostly do those things, but he was 143 00:07:34,080 --> 00:07:35,800 Speaker 1: talented in all sorts of different ways. 144 00:07:36,160 --> 00:07:38,920 Speaker 2: So the Grabster helped us out with this one. And 145 00:07:39,040 --> 00:07:41,760 Speaker 2: he said that there were a few defining sort of 146 00:07:42,000 --> 00:07:45,480 Speaker 2: things about Sammy Davis Junior's life that inform who he was. 147 00:07:45,840 --> 00:07:45,960 Speaker 3: Right. 148 00:07:46,800 --> 00:07:52,880 Speaker 2: One was that he came from poverty. He performed with 149 00:07:53,000 --> 00:07:55,000 Speaker 2: his like he said, his uncle which was not his 150 00:07:55,080 --> 00:07:58,120 Speaker 2: real uncle, but his dad, and his uncle Will Meston 151 00:07:59,080 --> 00:08:00,960 Speaker 2: as the was it the Maston. 152 00:08:00,600 --> 00:08:03,760 Speaker 3: Trio, Will Maston trio, right, And they. 153 00:08:03,840 --> 00:08:06,480 Speaker 2: Came from nothing, and he did not have any money. 154 00:08:06,560 --> 00:08:10,360 Speaker 2: And he talked later in life about the thrill of 155 00:08:11,720 --> 00:08:15,840 Speaker 2: leaving a waitress one hundred dollars tip and walking around 156 00:08:15,840 --> 00:08:17,880 Speaker 2: with one thousand dollars in your pocket. He said the 157 00:08:18,080 --> 00:08:19,760 Speaker 2: later on in life. Yeah, he's like, that was a 158 00:08:19,840 --> 00:08:23,160 Speaker 2: year's salary. And he was like, no one understands that 159 00:08:23,360 --> 00:08:25,360 Speaker 2: unless you've been at the bottom, right. 160 00:08:25,320 --> 00:08:26,800 Speaker 3: And he was definitely at the bottom. 161 00:08:27,000 --> 00:08:30,160 Speaker 1: And they, he and his father and his uncle Will 162 00:08:30,280 --> 00:08:33,679 Speaker 1: worked their way up, you know, all through they started 163 00:08:33,720 --> 00:08:37,480 Speaker 1: all throughout the Depression on the Chitlin circuit doing vaudeville. 164 00:08:37,800 --> 00:08:42,800 Speaker 1: And he didn't go to school, once, because this is 165 00:08:42,840 --> 00:08:48,080 Speaker 1: really important to understand. He spent his entire life in 166 00:08:48,200 --> 00:08:53,640 Speaker 1: show business and the earliest years constantly on the road 167 00:08:53,720 --> 00:08:54,599 Speaker 1: with his uncle. 168 00:08:54,360 --> 00:08:54,920 Speaker 3: And his dad. 169 00:08:55,160 --> 00:08:57,480 Speaker 2: Yeah, so that's the second point. Never went to school 170 00:08:57,600 --> 00:09:01,319 Speaker 2: at all, did not learn to read and write until 171 00:09:01,360 --> 00:09:05,040 Speaker 2: he was in the army, and always apparently had trouble writing, 172 00:09:05,760 --> 00:09:08,079 Speaker 2: and he always looked at it as he was always, 173 00:09:08,200 --> 00:09:11,160 Speaker 2: you know, sort of ashamed of it. He was proud 174 00:09:11,200 --> 00:09:14,440 Speaker 2: of who he became, but always was ashamed of his 175 00:09:14,559 --> 00:09:18,200 Speaker 2: lack of formal schooling. And he called his what he 176 00:09:18,280 --> 00:09:21,760 Speaker 2: had was the facade of intelligence, which Ed rightfully points 177 00:09:21,760 --> 00:09:25,280 Speaker 2: out as just bunk, because there are many kinds of intelligence. 178 00:09:25,280 --> 00:09:27,680 Speaker 2: He was a very intelligent guy, right, He just didn't 179 00:09:27,720 --> 00:09:30,480 Speaker 2: have formal schooling. But he was very self conscious of 180 00:09:30,520 --> 00:09:35,760 Speaker 2: this and about representing the black community. So like, if 181 00:09:35,800 --> 00:09:38,840 Speaker 2: you ever mispronounced something because he didn't know, it would 182 00:09:38,840 --> 00:09:41,200 Speaker 2: make him feel really bad because he thought that that 183 00:09:41,280 --> 00:09:45,520 Speaker 2: represented black people as a whole. So that's number two. 184 00:09:46,440 --> 00:09:49,480 Speaker 2: And the third thing is that early on his family, 185 00:09:49,720 --> 00:09:53,319 Speaker 2: his dad and his uncle really kind of shielded him 186 00:09:53,360 --> 00:09:57,559 Speaker 2: from racial prejudice. He certainly encountered it on the Chitlin 187 00:09:57,640 --> 00:09:59,840 Speaker 2: circuit but he didn't really get the full deal until 188 00:09:59,880 --> 00:10:01,760 Speaker 2: he into the army, and it was a big shock. 189 00:10:01,600 --> 00:10:03,000 Speaker 3: To him, right he. 190 00:10:03,960 --> 00:10:08,760 Speaker 1: I think this kind of explains that he approached racism 191 00:10:09,000 --> 00:10:13,600 Speaker 1: differently than some of his contemporaries, especially when he got 192 00:10:13,640 --> 00:10:16,080 Speaker 1: to the army and was confronted with the full brunt 193 00:10:16,080 --> 00:10:20,280 Speaker 1: of it, and that that kind of informed how he 194 00:10:20,400 --> 00:10:26,080 Speaker 1: viewed race and racial discrimination in the the dynamic between 195 00:10:26,120 --> 00:10:28,439 Speaker 1: the races in the United States in the middle of 196 00:10:28,520 --> 00:10:32,240 Speaker 1: last century, because he hadn't really seen it firsthand or 197 00:10:32,240 --> 00:10:33,160 Speaker 1: experienced at firsthand. 198 00:10:33,280 --> 00:10:34,000 Speaker 3: He hadn't been in. 199 00:10:34,000 --> 00:10:37,160 Speaker 1: School and so other little white kids hadn't bullied him, 200 00:10:37,640 --> 00:10:40,800 Speaker 1: or he hadn't been around town and just lived in 201 00:10:40,880 --> 00:10:46,840 Speaker 1: a set space where most kids were introduced to racism firsthand. 202 00:10:47,160 --> 00:10:49,160 Speaker 1: He didn't get that until he was eighteen, and so 203 00:10:49,200 --> 00:10:51,240 Speaker 1: by the time he was eighteen, he was like, this 204 00:10:51,400 --> 00:10:52,000 Speaker 1: isn't right. 205 00:10:52,080 --> 00:10:53,800 Speaker 3: What do you what do you? Who do you think 206 00:10:53,800 --> 00:10:54,200 Speaker 3: you are? 207 00:10:54,760 --> 00:10:56,480 Speaker 1: And so when he got to the army and was 208 00:10:56,520 --> 00:11:01,160 Speaker 1: confronted with it full on, he he approached it differently, 209 00:11:01,520 --> 00:11:04,199 Speaker 1: whereas other some of his contemporaries in the army who 210 00:11:04,200 --> 00:11:07,040 Speaker 1: were black, just kind of kept their head down and 211 00:11:07,360 --> 00:11:09,439 Speaker 1: you know, tried to go along and get along. 212 00:11:09,520 --> 00:11:09,880 Speaker 2: Mm hmm. 213 00:11:10,320 --> 00:11:12,679 Speaker 1: He would he would fight back, he would not he 214 00:11:12,720 --> 00:11:14,680 Speaker 1: would not back down, he would not step down. And 215 00:11:14,760 --> 00:11:17,719 Speaker 1: he spent a lot of time in the army physically 216 00:11:17,960 --> 00:11:21,439 Speaker 1: fighting white racists who were trying to make things hard 217 00:11:21,480 --> 00:11:25,160 Speaker 1: for him. And apparently at some point he fought one. 218 00:11:25,880 --> 00:11:28,080 Speaker 1: He fought one guy in one he beat up some 219 00:11:28,160 --> 00:11:31,400 Speaker 1: white guy who had done something racist to him. I'm 220 00:11:31,400 --> 00:11:34,079 Speaker 1: not sure what it was. And then after the fight, 221 00:11:34,920 --> 00:11:38,200 Speaker 1: the guy beaten said, you know, you may have beaten me, 222 00:11:38,240 --> 00:11:42,040 Speaker 1: but you're still black. And apparently this guy does Sammy 223 00:11:42,120 --> 00:11:44,760 Speaker 1: Davis Junior in such a way that it just transformed 224 00:11:44,880 --> 00:11:49,000 Speaker 1: his approach that he realized, like he could fight white 225 00:11:49,000 --> 00:11:51,839 Speaker 1: boys his whole life, yeah, and probably win some of 226 00:11:51,880 --> 00:11:54,000 Speaker 1: the fights, probably get beat up a lot of the fights. 227 00:11:54,120 --> 00:11:56,960 Speaker 1: He had his nose broken at least twice, but that 228 00:11:57,040 --> 00:11:59,079 Speaker 1: it wasn't going to get him anywhere. And so he 229 00:11:59,280 --> 00:12:01,560 Speaker 1: decided that in there that what he could do is 230 00:12:01,640 --> 00:12:05,680 Speaker 1: fight prejudice through his performing. He would be such a 231 00:12:05,679 --> 00:12:10,440 Speaker 1: good performer, he would transcend race at least while he 232 00:12:10,520 --> 00:12:13,880 Speaker 1: was performing. Yeah, And he managed to do that, or 233 00:12:14,600 --> 00:12:17,400 Speaker 1: as much as anybody ever has in the history in 234 00:12:17,440 --> 00:12:19,520 Speaker 1: modern history, at least in the United States. 235 00:12:19,920 --> 00:12:23,439 Speaker 2: Yeah. So he's discharged in the army in nineteen forty five, 236 00:12:24,200 --> 00:12:28,160 Speaker 2: goes right back to the Maston Trio and touring with them, 237 00:12:28,280 --> 00:12:30,560 Speaker 2: and he was sort of even though he was just 238 00:12:30,640 --> 00:12:34,120 Speaker 2: the little kid growing up in that trio, he was 239 00:12:34,520 --> 00:12:35,680 Speaker 2: sort of the star still. 240 00:12:36,240 --> 00:12:37,520 Speaker 3: Yeah, little Sammy. 241 00:12:37,240 --> 00:12:40,120 Speaker 2: Little Sammy, like little Stevie Wonder. 242 00:12:40,640 --> 00:12:45,200 Speaker 1: Yeah, he actually chuck. He won his first contest at 243 00:12:45,200 --> 00:12:49,719 Speaker 1: age three, Yeah, at like an amateur hour or amateur night, 244 00:12:50,040 --> 00:12:52,880 Speaker 1: and he's saying, I'll be glad when you're dead, you rascal. 245 00:12:52,960 --> 00:12:53,719 Speaker 3: You that's what. 246 00:12:53,880 --> 00:12:55,880 Speaker 1: He knocked the house down at age three, and that 247 00:12:56,040 --> 00:13:00,000 Speaker 1: was the formal start to his show business. 248 00:13:00,160 --> 00:13:00,319 Speaker 2: Yeah. 249 00:13:00,360 --> 00:13:03,000 Speaker 3: He won ten bucks, Yeah, about one hundred and fifty 250 00:13:03,040 --> 00:13:03,520 Speaker 3: bucks today. 251 00:13:03,600 --> 00:13:06,679 Speaker 2: Yeah, which for him, I mean, that's a lot of dope, sure, 252 00:13:06,920 --> 00:13:11,040 Speaker 2: for a very very poor kid. So he gets out 253 00:13:11,080 --> 00:13:13,920 Speaker 2: of the army, goes back to the Maston Trio. And 254 00:13:14,080 --> 00:13:17,880 Speaker 2: this sort of corresponded with the same timeline as when 255 00:13:17,960 --> 00:13:20,800 Speaker 2: Vegas started to become a big deal and a big 256 00:13:21,280 --> 00:13:25,280 Speaker 2: entertainment center, and they played Vegas a little bit. And 257 00:13:25,800 --> 00:13:27,720 Speaker 2: you know, we should point out too, on the Chitlin circuit, 258 00:13:27,760 --> 00:13:31,120 Speaker 2: they were never making much money. No, it's a grueling thing. 259 00:13:31,160 --> 00:13:32,880 Speaker 2: And they did get paid, but it's not like they 260 00:13:32,880 --> 00:13:33,880 Speaker 2: were getting rich out there. 261 00:13:34,040 --> 00:13:36,560 Speaker 1: I mean, you'd have to be a vaudeville superstar to 262 00:13:36,600 --> 00:13:38,800 Speaker 1: make a lot of money. And this is also during 263 00:13:38,840 --> 00:13:42,200 Speaker 1: the depression largely too, so people didn't make money in general. 264 00:13:42,360 --> 00:13:44,440 Speaker 2: Right, But doing three, four or five shows a day 265 00:13:44,920 --> 00:13:48,079 Speaker 2: on that circuit, yah, but goes to Vegas, starts performing 266 00:13:48,120 --> 00:13:53,480 Speaker 2: in Vegas, starts doing impressions, which he did throughout his career, 267 00:13:53,559 --> 00:13:56,440 Speaker 2: was very good at them, and audiences ate it up. 268 00:13:56,960 --> 00:14:00,440 Speaker 2: And then Frank Sinatra, the chairman of the board as 269 00:14:00,480 --> 00:14:03,520 Speaker 2: they say, gave him a call or gave their people 270 00:14:03,600 --> 00:14:06,960 Speaker 2: called and said, hey, I want this guy opening up 271 00:14:07,240 --> 00:14:10,440 Speaker 2: for me in Vegas. This trio opening up. Took him 272 00:14:10,480 --> 00:14:11,080 Speaker 2: under his wing. 273 00:14:11,679 --> 00:14:12,520 Speaker 3: That was a big deal. 274 00:14:12,640 --> 00:14:14,240 Speaker 2: It was a very big deal. Said, you know, you 275 00:14:14,280 --> 00:14:17,640 Speaker 2: do these great impressions, you do me, it's hysterical. You're 276 00:14:17,679 --> 00:14:22,680 Speaker 2: so talented. Open for me in Vegas. And that was 277 00:14:22,720 --> 00:14:25,040 Speaker 2: where he said, you know, in Vegas for twenty minutes, 278 00:14:25,040 --> 00:14:28,600 Speaker 2: twice a night, our skin had no color. But the 279 00:14:28,640 --> 00:14:31,680 Speaker 2: second they got finished, he said, other acts to go 280 00:14:31,720 --> 00:14:33,760 Speaker 2: out and gamble and socialize, have a drink, he said, 281 00:14:33,760 --> 00:14:35,920 Speaker 2: we had to go through the kitchen with the garbage, 282 00:14:36,520 --> 00:14:38,400 Speaker 2: and that's when it would all sort of hit home 283 00:14:38,440 --> 00:14:38,920 Speaker 2: once again. 284 00:14:39,200 --> 00:14:41,240 Speaker 1: They had to stay in like an entirely different part 285 00:14:41,240 --> 00:14:44,440 Speaker 1: of Vegas that, from the looks of it, almost didn't 286 00:14:44,480 --> 00:14:49,160 Speaker 1: have electricity, Dusty roads. Yeah, that's where they had to stay. 287 00:14:49,200 --> 00:14:52,840 Speaker 1: They were beloved performers, but that's where they had to 288 00:14:52,880 --> 00:14:55,400 Speaker 1: go stay after the show. And I saw that even 289 00:14:55,600 --> 00:14:59,040 Speaker 1: after he was a member of the rat Pack a superstar, 290 00:15:00,160 --> 00:15:03,480 Speaker 1: he had used the pool at the Sands and guests 291 00:15:03,560 --> 00:15:07,680 Speaker 1: in the fifties complained enough that the Sands agreed to 292 00:15:07,800 --> 00:15:10,720 Speaker 1: drain the pool and refill it because Sammy Davis Junior 293 00:15:10,800 --> 00:15:12,960 Speaker 1: had been using the pool and this is after he 294 00:15:13,120 --> 00:15:17,040 Speaker 1: was a star already. That's how vile the segregation was, 295 00:15:17,080 --> 00:15:18,720 Speaker 1: even in a place like Vegas. 296 00:15:19,600 --> 00:15:22,360 Speaker 2: All right, let's take a break and we'll come back 297 00:15:22,400 --> 00:15:25,040 Speaker 2: and talk more about the candy Man. Right after this, 298 00:15:26,720 --> 00:15:28,640 Speaker 2: Softly Jaws. 299 00:15:30,000 --> 00:15:32,600 Speaker 3: Stoff. 300 00:15:49,320 --> 00:15:52,280 Speaker 2: So Sammy Davis Junior wrote a bunch of memoirs and 301 00:15:52,320 --> 00:15:55,280 Speaker 2: autobiographies over the years, and one of them is a 302 00:15:55,360 --> 00:15:59,400 Speaker 2: very great spinal tap joke. So I know you still 303 00:15:59,400 --> 00:16:02,080 Speaker 2: haven't seen it, right, I saw it, but you've. 304 00:16:02,000 --> 00:16:03,680 Speaker 3: Only seen it once and it was a couple of 305 00:16:03,720 --> 00:16:04,080 Speaker 3: years ago. 306 00:16:04,200 --> 00:16:06,800 Speaker 2: Okay, so one of his I think his first one 307 00:16:07,680 --> 00:16:10,360 Speaker 2: was called yes I Can. Sure. There's a great scene 308 00:16:10,360 --> 00:16:13,760 Speaker 2: in spinal tapp when Bruno Kirby as a limo driver 309 00:16:15,000 --> 00:16:17,360 Speaker 2: is talking about it and he said he said something 310 00:16:17,400 --> 00:16:19,320 Speaker 2: about yes I can, he said, although the real title 311 00:16:19,320 --> 00:16:21,960 Speaker 2: should have been yes I can. If Frank says, it's 312 00:16:22,000 --> 00:16:24,440 Speaker 2: okay because Frank called the shots for all those. 313 00:16:24,320 --> 00:16:27,880 Speaker 3: Guys, right, I remember that too. It's very funny, Joe like, 314 00:16:27,920 --> 00:16:29,840 Speaker 3: he just keeps going off about that, doesn't it. 315 00:16:30,040 --> 00:16:32,640 Speaker 2: Yeah, Yeah, it's good stuff. You know, Billy Crystal and 316 00:16:32,680 --> 00:16:36,240 Speaker 2: Bruno Kirby had a very famous falling out and no 317 00:16:36,640 --> 00:16:39,880 Speaker 2: legend has it. Billy Crystal sort of had him blackballed. 318 00:16:41,400 --> 00:16:44,840 Speaker 1: What is up with Billy Crystal? My impression of him 319 00:16:44,920 --> 00:16:48,680 Speaker 1: is changing dramatically. He really sells it when the cameras 320 00:16:48,680 --> 00:16:48,960 Speaker 1: are on. 321 00:16:49,120 --> 00:16:49,360 Speaker 3: Huh. 322 00:16:49,480 --> 00:16:50,600 Speaker 2: Yeah, well that's what you do. 323 00:16:50,680 --> 00:16:55,800 Speaker 3: You know. That's crazy though, to be that Wow, Wow. 324 00:16:55,760 --> 00:16:57,320 Speaker 2: I mean we know the game. People think you and 325 00:16:57,360 --> 00:16:57,960 Speaker 2: I like each. 326 00:16:57,840 --> 00:17:02,920 Speaker 1: Other, right, we got everybody fool It's amazing. Like what 327 00:17:02,920 --> 00:17:04,400 Speaker 1: were their names of the MythBusters? 328 00:17:04,560 --> 00:17:07,440 Speaker 2: Yeah, they like. The day the camera stopped rolling, they 329 00:17:07,560 --> 00:17:09,840 Speaker 2: release press statement saying we never liked each other. 330 00:17:10,000 --> 00:17:12,600 Speaker 1: I know, why would why would anybody do that? Even 331 00:17:12,640 --> 00:17:15,280 Speaker 1: if you didn't like each other, Why would you just 332 00:17:15,760 --> 00:17:16,440 Speaker 1: let it go? 333 00:17:16,920 --> 00:17:17,159 Speaker 3: You know? 334 00:17:17,280 --> 00:17:17,840 Speaker 2: I don't know. 335 00:17:18,160 --> 00:17:21,680 Speaker 3: But it's a Jamie and Adam Adam, that's. 336 00:17:21,640 --> 00:17:23,560 Speaker 2: Right, Aim Savage. Adam's a great guy. I know him 337 00:17:23,560 --> 00:17:24,000 Speaker 2: a little bit. 338 00:17:24,640 --> 00:17:26,159 Speaker 3: So are you implying Jamie's not? 339 00:17:26,400 --> 00:17:30,240 Speaker 1: I don't know him any Oh, Okay, I'm not siding 340 00:17:30,600 --> 00:17:32,280 Speaker 1: this took a really weird turn, didn't it. 341 00:17:32,280 --> 00:17:36,520 Speaker 2: It did. So back to Sammy Davis Junior, he also 342 00:17:37,119 --> 00:17:41,920 Speaker 2: started his stars started rising. Well, his star had already risen, 343 00:17:41,960 --> 00:17:45,119 Speaker 2: but in the seventies when the variety show came about, 344 00:17:45,600 --> 00:17:47,560 Speaker 2: which was a big deal in the seventies and even 345 00:17:47,600 --> 00:17:51,760 Speaker 2: into the eighties, Sammy Davis Junior was perfect for that medium. 346 00:17:52,240 --> 00:17:54,919 Speaker 1: Well, this was this was I think even earlier than that, 347 00:17:55,119 --> 00:17:58,720 Speaker 1: when TV really started to dominate. The earliest shows that 348 00:17:58,760 --> 00:18:02,440 Speaker 1: they had were vaudeville shows that led to variety show. 349 00:18:02,560 --> 00:18:04,520 Speaker 2: He had his own variety show later in the seventies 350 00:18:04,520 --> 00:18:06,600 Speaker 2: because he was so and it wasn't a huge hit. 351 00:18:06,640 --> 00:18:09,119 Speaker 2: But for someone who can dance and sing and do 352 00:18:09,160 --> 00:18:13,480 Speaker 2: impressions and do comedy and for God's sakes, as a 353 00:18:13,560 --> 00:18:16,640 Speaker 2: real deal gun slinger, a variety show is pretty great. 354 00:18:16,960 --> 00:18:17,639 Speaker 3: It really was. 355 00:18:17,760 --> 00:18:24,399 Speaker 1: So he's you know, he's getting onto TV. Their Vegas 356 00:18:24,400 --> 00:18:27,040 Speaker 1: gigs have really put the will Maston trio on the map, 357 00:18:27,520 --> 00:18:32,120 Speaker 1: and they were doing really well. They had reliable work, 358 00:18:32,160 --> 00:18:34,480 Speaker 1: that kind of stuff. People knew who Sammy Davis Junior was. 359 00:18:34,480 --> 00:18:37,160 Speaker 1: He was already, you know, a protege of Frank Sinatra 360 00:18:37,200 --> 00:18:40,200 Speaker 1: by this time. But it wasn't until nineteen fifty one 361 00:18:40,720 --> 00:18:44,880 Speaker 1: that the big break came through. And it really came 362 00:18:44,920 --> 00:18:47,400 Speaker 1: through in like a really kind of Hollywood story kind 363 00:18:47,400 --> 00:18:51,480 Speaker 1: of way, where like this they were given this one 364 00:18:51,600 --> 00:18:55,120 Speaker 1: shot and this one particular spot at just the right time, 365 00:18:55,240 --> 00:18:57,399 Speaker 1: in front of just the right people, and they killed 366 00:18:57,400 --> 00:19:00,639 Speaker 1: it and that was it. They Sami dave Or was 367 00:19:00,640 --> 00:19:02,040 Speaker 1: a star from that moment on. 368 00:19:02,280 --> 00:19:07,280 Speaker 2: That's right. And that was at Janis Page and a 369 00:19:07,359 --> 00:19:10,920 Speaker 2: show at Ciro's which is now the Comedy. 370 00:19:10,480 --> 00:19:13,600 Speaker 3: Store, right, And oh really I didn't know that. 371 00:19:13,720 --> 00:19:16,760 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, it became the Comedy Store after Ciro's, but 372 00:19:16,920 --> 00:19:19,440 Speaker 2: was sort of a legendary place, you know, of its 373 00:19:19,440 --> 00:19:22,000 Speaker 2: own in its own right, Oh, yeah, but everyone, you know, 374 00:19:22,280 --> 00:19:25,119 Speaker 2: apparently it's debatable whether or not it was an Oscar 375 00:19:25,160 --> 00:19:28,600 Speaker 2: party after party or not, but regardless, there were a 376 00:19:28,640 --> 00:19:29,960 Speaker 2: lot of Hollywood people. 377 00:19:29,760 --> 00:19:32,480 Speaker 3: There, including Bogie and his rat Pack. 378 00:19:32,800 --> 00:19:37,399 Speaker 2: Sure, the original rat Pack, which wasn't called the rat. 379 00:19:37,280 --> 00:19:39,879 Speaker 3: Pack, no, it was actually it was yep. 380 00:19:40,600 --> 00:19:42,920 Speaker 2: Well why did well, never mind, I'm not going down 381 00:19:42,920 --> 00:19:45,280 Speaker 2: that rabbit hole. What that's all right? 382 00:19:45,640 --> 00:19:46,000 Speaker 3: Okay? 383 00:19:46,119 --> 00:19:49,080 Speaker 2: So he he kills it there. He's doing impressions of 384 00:19:49,119 --> 00:19:52,080 Speaker 2: people that are in the audience. Everyone loves them. They 385 00:19:52,080 --> 00:19:56,480 Speaker 2: signed with the William Morris Agency, and an overnight sensation, 386 00:19:56,640 --> 00:20:00,000 Speaker 2: you know, twenty thirty years in the making, starts happening. 387 00:20:00,280 --> 00:20:03,399 Speaker 1: Yeah, and we should say so. Sammy Davis Junior became 388 00:20:03,480 --> 00:20:07,280 Speaker 1: known for his impressions. He was groundbreaking in the sense 389 00:20:07,359 --> 00:20:10,280 Speaker 1: that he would do impressions of white people. And up 390 00:20:10,359 --> 00:20:13,320 Speaker 1: to the time Sammy Davis Junior started doing impressions of 391 00:20:13,320 --> 00:20:15,600 Speaker 1: white people, if you're a black performer, you could do 392 00:20:15,640 --> 00:20:18,119 Speaker 1: impressions of other black people, and that was it. It 393 00:20:18,160 --> 00:20:20,040 Speaker 1: was just not okay for you to do white people. 394 00:20:20,200 --> 00:20:22,679 Speaker 1: Sammy Davis Junior just started doing white people and the 395 00:20:22,720 --> 00:20:25,600 Speaker 1: white people loved it. And at that show at Zero's. 396 00:20:25,800 --> 00:20:27,879 Speaker 1: He was doing impressions of some of the people in 397 00:20:27,920 --> 00:20:31,199 Speaker 1: the crowd, like he did a killer Carrie Grant and 398 00:20:31,280 --> 00:20:34,000 Speaker 1: Carry Grant was a member of Humphrey Bogart's rat Pack 399 00:20:34,200 --> 00:20:36,879 Speaker 1: and he was probably there that night. So there were 400 00:20:36,880 --> 00:20:39,320 Speaker 1: a lot of people who were getting impressions done of them. 401 00:20:39,400 --> 00:20:43,119 Speaker 1: They just loved it killed And I think Janis Page 402 00:20:43,160 --> 00:20:45,640 Speaker 1: said I was the headliner tonight. I think these guys 403 00:20:45,640 --> 00:20:48,200 Speaker 1: should be the headliner from now on. Yeah, which is 404 00:20:48,240 --> 00:20:49,960 Speaker 1: pretty cool of her to do that, you know. 405 00:20:49,880 --> 00:20:50,440 Speaker 2: It's amazing. 406 00:20:50,720 --> 00:20:50,920 Speaker 3: Yeah. 407 00:20:51,240 --> 00:20:54,680 Speaker 2: So he gets a record deal after that, he's putting 408 00:20:54,720 --> 00:20:56,880 Speaker 2: out like showtuns old standards. 409 00:20:57,320 --> 00:20:57,600 Speaker 3: Sure. 410 00:20:58,080 --> 00:21:00,199 Speaker 2: He does a pilot in the mid fifties with his 411 00:21:00,240 --> 00:21:04,680 Speaker 2: father and uncle about a trio of black entertainers that 412 00:21:04,720 --> 00:21:06,359 Speaker 2: are kind of struggling called We Three. 413 00:21:06,800 --> 00:21:08,000 Speaker 3: Yeah, I would love to see that. 414 00:21:08,320 --> 00:21:10,320 Speaker 2: Well, there's another part we'll talk about later that you 415 00:21:10,400 --> 00:21:11,399 Speaker 2: definitely need to see. 416 00:21:11,600 --> 00:21:13,960 Speaker 3: I haven't checked it out yet, but I know I 417 00:21:14,040 --> 00:21:14,679 Speaker 3: know the one. 418 00:21:14,920 --> 00:21:19,159 Speaker 2: It's pretty legendary. Yeah. So a big thing happened that 419 00:21:19,200 --> 00:21:22,639 Speaker 2: same year in nineteen fifty four is Sammy Davis Junior 420 00:21:22,680 --> 00:21:26,720 Speaker 2: had a wreck and his Cadillac, and the Cadillac and 421 00:21:26,760 --> 00:21:30,560 Speaker 2: This is just horrific to think about, because I've seen these, 422 00:21:30,640 --> 00:21:32,399 Speaker 2: you know, in the middle of the steering wheel, they 423 00:21:32,400 --> 00:21:35,960 Speaker 2: had these little decorative cones that stuck out. His left 424 00:21:36,000 --> 00:21:39,280 Speaker 2: eyeball hit that thing and he lost it and wore 425 00:21:39,280 --> 00:21:41,560 Speaker 2: an eyepatch for a while and then a glass eye. 426 00:21:41,960 --> 00:21:45,679 Speaker 1: Yeah, apparently he remembers coming out of the car with 427 00:21:45,960 --> 00:21:48,879 Speaker 1: holding his eye in his hand, and then that's the 428 00:21:48,960 --> 00:21:50,880 Speaker 1: last thing you remember. The next thing he remembers after 429 00:21:50,880 --> 00:21:53,080 Speaker 1: that was waking up in a hospital bed and when 430 00:21:53,080 --> 00:21:55,200 Speaker 1: he woke up and realized that he'd lost his eye 431 00:21:55,280 --> 00:21:59,840 Speaker 1: for life. As eye was gone, he was really really 432 00:21:59,840 --> 00:22:03,120 Speaker 1: scared that his career was over. This is nineteen fifty four. 433 00:22:03,520 --> 00:22:06,240 Speaker 1: He'd just got in his big break three years before 434 00:22:06,920 --> 00:22:08,680 Speaker 1: and was on his way up, and now all of 435 00:22:08,680 --> 00:22:10,840 Speaker 1: a sudden he loses his eye. And the thing about 436 00:22:10,840 --> 00:22:14,000 Speaker 1: losing your eye, in addition to say, you know, having 437 00:22:14,080 --> 00:22:17,000 Speaker 1: to sit for publicity photos and try to be a 438 00:22:17,080 --> 00:22:19,560 Speaker 1: leading man in movies or on Broadway or that kind 439 00:22:19,600 --> 00:22:27,080 Speaker 1: of thing, you have to relearn spatial awareness. You're going 440 00:22:27,080 --> 00:22:30,800 Speaker 1: from binocular vision to monocular vision, and that has all 441 00:22:30,840 --> 00:22:33,399 Speaker 1: sorts of weird tricky effects on you. So if you're 442 00:22:33,440 --> 00:22:37,560 Speaker 1: a dancer or a gunslinger or doing some old soft 443 00:22:37,600 --> 00:22:41,040 Speaker 1: shoe or whatever you're doing, you have to relearn how 444 00:22:41,080 --> 00:22:44,640 Speaker 1: to move. And apparently one of the things that Sinatra 445 00:22:44,720 --> 00:22:47,919 Speaker 1: did that was really stand up for Sammy Davis Junior 446 00:22:48,000 --> 00:22:51,840 Speaker 1: was he had him basically come convalesced at Sinatra's place 447 00:22:52,320 --> 00:22:58,120 Speaker 1: and really guided him in saying, like, you need to 448 00:22:58,160 --> 00:23:01,120 Speaker 1: relearn how to move. You're gonna be fine, but you're 449 00:23:01,160 --> 00:23:04,000 Speaker 1: gonna have to You're gonna have to start really attacking 450 00:23:04,000 --> 00:23:05,920 Speaker 1: this and you can't really sit around and feel bad 451 00:23:06,000 --> 00:23:10,520 Speaker 1: for yourself. You need to get you know, relearn movement 452 00:23:11,119 --> 00:23:14,200 Speaker 1: now rather than you know, spend a year feeling sad. 453 00:23:14,600 --> 00:23:16,040 Speaker 1: And that was a huge help for him. 454 00:23:16,119 --> 00:23:19,960 Speaker 2: It was, and he also was kind of I don't think, 455 00:23:20,440 --> 00:23:22,439 Speaker 2: I mean, maybe his life did kind of pass before him, 456 00:23:22,440 --> 00:23:26,159 Speaker 2: because he definitely had an awakening of what have I 457 00:23:26,280 --> 00:23:29,159 Speaker 2: done here with my life so far? What greater purpose 458 00:23:29,200 --> 00:23:32,320 Speaker 2: have I served? And what can I do from this 459 00:23:32,400 --> 00:23:37,080 Speaker 2: point forward? He and put a pin in this. But 460 00:23:37,480 --> 00:23:40,520 Speaker 2: this was the first exposure to Judaism in the hospital, 461 00:23:40,720 --> 00:23:43,119 Speaker 2: he got a visit from a rabbi. Yeah, and just 462 00:23:43,520 --> 00:23:46,399 Speaker 2: put a pin in that because that will come back again. Later, Okay, 463 00:23:46,480 --> 00:23:49,680 Speaker 2: there a pin in it. Well, look all right, I 464 00:23:49,720 --> 00:23:52,160 Speaker 2: don't even know where this pin came from. You, I don't. 465 00:23:52,240 --> 00:23:53,800 Speaker 2: Well you do have that pin coashion right there. 466 00:23:53,840 --> 00:23:57,640 Speaker 3: But yeah, this little tomato one with the strawberries dangling 467 00:23:57,680 --> 00:23:58,840 Speaker 3: off of it? Remember those? 468 00:23:59,040 --> 00:24:01,600 Speaker 1: Oh, man, do I was there a seventies mom that 469 00:24:01,680 --> 00:24:02,640 Speaker 1: didn't have one of those? 470 00:24:02,880 --> 00:24:05,520 Speaker 2: Yeah, with a Macromay owl hanging on the wall behind him. 471 00:24:05,600 --> 00:24:06,679 Speaker 3: Yah. 472 00:24:06,720 --> 00:24:11,000 Speaker 2: So here's where it gets really kind of great as 473 00:24:11,000 --> 00:24:13,480 Speaker 2: far as knowing what a stand up guy Sammy Davis 474 00:24:13,520 --> 00:24:19,080 Speaker 2: Junior was. His success is booming, and you would think, 475 00:24:19,359 --> 00:24:24,040 Speaker 2: Sammy Davis Junior, you can leave that Will Maston Trio behind. Yeah, 476 00:24:24,080 --> 00:24:27,560 Speaker 2: because it's really all about you. He said, no, man, 477 00:24:29,240 --> 00:24:32,280 Speaker 2: shine us all up, babe. Three way split, yep, And 478 00:24:32,320 --> 00:24:35,160 Speaker 2: that's what they did. He ensured contractually that they would 479 00:24:35,200 --> 00:24:39,159 Speaker 2: get a three way split that endured ten years after 480 00:24:39,960 --> 00:24:42,359 Speaker 2: he left as a solo performer. He was still giving 481 00:24:42,359 --> 00:24:46,080 Speaker 2: them thirty three percent each. Yeah, for fifteen years total. 482 00:24:46,119 --> 00:24:49,600 Speaker 1: They got a third of the profits each of them. 483 00:24:50,400 --> 00:24:54,040 Speaker 1: And yeah they were you know, originally they were still 484 00:24:54,040 --> 00:24:56,960 Speaker 1: doing their Vegas show as the Will Maston Trio featuring 485 00:24:57,000 --> 00:25:00,040 Speaker 1: Sammy Davis Junior. But then over time, you know, I 486 00:25:00,080 --> 00:25:02,760 Speaker 1: remember his uncle and his dad were a good twenty 487 00:25:02,840 --> 00:25:06,440 Speaker 1: years older than him. By this time, he's in his thirties, 488 00:25:06,840 --> 00:25:09,719 Speaker 1: so you know, they're starting to get they're losing their 489 00:25:09,720 --> 00:25:11,919 Speaker 1: step a little bit, so they start to not be 490 00:25:11,960 --> 00:25:14,520 Speaker 1: in the show quite as much, just stepping back. But 491 00:25:14,600 --> 00:25:16,600 Speaker 1: even still, he made sure they were taken care of 492 00:25:16,680 --> 00:25:20,040 Speaker 1: for another fifteen years. Third a third and this is 493 00:25:20,080 --> 00:25:24,679 Speaker 1: a third during Sammy Davis Junior's peak earning years, So 494 00:25:25,200 --> 00:25:27,760 Speaker 1: he got one third of what he would have gotten 495 00:25:27,840 --> 00:25:31,080 Speaker 1: had he just basically said, dad, uncle will thank you 496 00:25:31,119 --> 00:25:32,040 Speaker 1: for teaching me everything. 497 00:25:32,040 --> 00:25:32,240 Speaker 3: I know. 498 00:25:32,320 --> 00:25:34,679 Speaker 1: I'm going to move on now, best of luck, let 499 00:25:34,720 --> 00:25:37,720 Speaker 1: me know if you need a loan. Instead, he just 500 00:25:37,760 --> 00:25:39,399 Speaker 1: took a third of what he could have gotten and 501 00:25:39,440 --> 00:25:41,719 Speaker 1: gave the other two thirds to those two, which is 502 00:25:41,880 --> 00:25:45,080 Speaker 1: for fifteen years. Chuck, Yeah, that's really amazing. 503 00:25:45,119 --> 00:25:48,159 Speaker 2: It's pretty great. So that pen it actually wasn't in 504 00:25:48,200 --> 00:25:49,520 Speaker 2: there that long. We can go ahead and take the 505 00:25:49,520 --> 00:25:53,399 Speaker 2: pen out. Because he after that first meeting with a rabbi, 506 00:25:53,480 --> 00:25:56,240 Speaker 2: he reads more and more about Judaism. He draws a 507 00:25:56,240 --> 00:25:59,040 Speaker 2: correlation between the plight of the Jewish people and the 508 00:25:59,040 --> 00:26:02,120 Speaker 2: plight of black people, and it really spoke to him 509 00:26:02,119 --> 00:26:05,040 Speaker 2: and he converted. And some people said, oh, this big 510 00:26:05,080 --> 00:26:08,680 Speaker 2: publicity stunt. He's like, no, this is not a publicity stunt. 511 00:26:08,680 --> 00:26:12,800 Speaker 2: He said, this is my new religion. And he very 512 00:26:12,880 --> 00:26:16,320 Speaker 2: humorously started referring to himself as a one eyed Black. 513 00:26:16,160 --> 00:26:19,480 Speaker 3: Jew, sometimes a one eyed black Puerto Rican. 514 00:26:19,440 --> 00:26:22,119 Speaker 2: Puerto Rican Jew, which was very sort of in keeping 515 00:26:22,160 --> 00:26:23,639 Speaker 2: with his self deprecating style. 516 00:26:24,119 --> 00:26:27,960 Speaker 1: For sure, he's like Tim Wattley. He converted for the jokes. 517 00:26:28,160 --> 00:26:31,160 Speaker 2: Oh man, I remember that one. I've been plowing through 518 00:26:31,200 --> 00:26:32,000 Speaker 2: Seinfeld again. 519 00:26:32,400 --> 00:26:33,400 Speaker 3: Yeah, I love. 520 00:26:33,640 --> 00:26:35,800 Speaker 2: One of my favorite things that always gets me is 521 00:26:35,840 --> 00:26:38,840 Speaker 2: when Jerry calls George Biff. 522 00:26:39,840 --> 00:26:40,560 Speaker 3: Yeah. 523 00:26:41,000 --> 00:26:45,439 Speaker 2: It never fails to make me laugh. Biff. Yeah, so 524 00:26:45,520 --> 00:26:48,960 Speaker 2: good should we? Well, no, let's not take another break. 525 00:26:49,040 --> 00:26:51,359 Speaker 2: Let's plow on here, right yeah, sure, all right. So, 526 00:26:52,320 --> 00:26:55,840 Speaker 2: dating wise, he is dating black women and white women. 527 00:26:56,560 --> 00:27:01,200 Speaker 2: When he dates white women, he gets racist threats from 528 00:27:01,200 --> 00:27:04,680 Speaker 2: white people, and he gets condemnation from the black community 529 00:27:05,640 --> 00:27:08,040 Speaker 2: for betraying the black community by dating a white woman. 530 00:27:08,640 --> 00:27:11,800 Speaker 1: Right, he can't win. No, he really couldn't win. And apparently, 531 00:27:11,840 --> 00:27:18,560 Speaker 1: from what I saw in that American Masters documentary. 532 00:27:19,880 --> 00:27:23,520 Speaker 3: He really, really, really was in love with kim Novak. Yeah, 533 00:27:23,600 --> 00:27:25,280 Speaker 3: from what I saw, she may have been the love 534 00:27:25,320 --> 00:27:26,040 Speaker 3: of his life. 535 00:27:26,320 --> 00:27:28,800 Speaker 1: At the very least. He never got to explore whether 536 00:27:28,840 --> 00:27:32,480 Speaker 1: she was or not. But when he said that he 537 00:27:32,560 --> 00:27:35,160 Speaker 1: intended to marry her. I guess it was in the fifties. 538 00:27:39,160 --> 00:27:41,080 Speaker 1: There was a contract put on in his life by 539 00:27:41,119 --> 00:27:44,480 Speaker 1: the studio head and I think Columbia where kim Novak 540 00:27:44,560 --> 00:27:45,280 Speaker 1: was an actress. 541 00:27:45,440 --> 00:27:48,760 Speaker 2: Yeah, Harry Cohne was the studio head. And this was 542 00:27:48,800 --> 00:27:51,800 Speaker 2: back when Vegas and Hollywood were you know, there was 543 00:27:51,800 --> 00:27:56,639 Speaker 2: some mob in mafia dealings going on for sure, and 544 00:27:56,800 --> 00:27:59,280 Speaker 2: Sammy had some mob friends too, just because he was 545 00:27:59,320 --> 00:28:01,680 Speaker 2: friends with Frank and you know, that was just sort 546 00:28:01,720 --> 00:28:03,359 Speaker 2: of the thing. These guys would come to these Vegas 547 00:28:03,359 --> 00:28:06,320 Speaker 2: clubs and he would meet them. He sought protection from 548 00:28:06,320 --> 00:28:09,480 Speaker 2: a Chicago gangster that he was in with. The Chicago 549 00:28:09,520 --> 00:28:13,800 Speaker 2: gangster was like, I can't help you in California. He's like, 550 00:28:14,080 --> 00:28:15,840 Speaker 2: I'm no good there. I can protect you in Chicago, 551 00:28:15,920 --> 00:28:18,440 Speaker 2: I can protect you in Vegas. Can't do anything about 552 00:28:18,480 --> 00:28:22,480 Speaker 2: California and it's not my territory. And supposedly, and this 553 00:28:22,520 --> 00:28:24,240 Speaker 2: is where it gets a little hazy, because some people 554 00:28:24,280 --> 00:28:27,040 Speaker 2: say it happened. Some people say it didn't. Supposedly he 555 00:28:27,080 --> 00:28:30,320 Speaker 2: was even kidnapped for a few hours to scare him, 556 00:28:31,160 --> 00:28:32,920 Speaker 2: but who knows if that's really true. 557 00:28:33,920 --> 00:28:37,280 Speaker 1: Well, apparently one of his friends who was there said no, 558 00:28:37,359 --> 00:28:37,960 Speaker 1: it wasn't true. 559 00:28:37,960 --> 00:28:39,120 Speaker 3: He was never kidnapped. 560 00:28:39,160 --> 00:28:43,440 Speaker 1: But the contract basically said there was a contract that said, 561 00:28:43,440 --> 00:28:46,920 Speaker 1: you have forty eight hours to marry a black woman, yeah, 562 00:28:47,080 --> 00:28:48,640 Speaker 1: or you die yeah. 563 00:28:48,440 --> 00:28:50,320 Speaker 3: And whatever it was. 564 00:28:50,360 --> 00:28:53,000 Speaker 1: Whatever, whether there was an actual contract, whether it wor 565 00:28:53,240 --> 00:28:55,240 Speaker 1: just got to him that there was, it didn't matter 566 00:28:55,280 --> 00:28:57,200 Speaker 1: to Sammy Davis Junior at that minute, because he broke 567 00:28:57,240 --> 00:28:58,760 Speaker 1: it off with Kim Novak. 568 00:29:00,200 --> 00:29:02,560 Speaker 3: To his own heart's break and. 569 00:29:03,480 --> 00:29:04,320 Speaker 2: Married a woman. 570 00:29:04,680 --> 00:29:08,600 Speaker 1: Yeah, proposed to a woman named laure White who she 571 00:29:08,720 --> 00:29:10,680 Speaker 1: was a black singer, and I think they had dated 572 00:29:10,760 --> 00:29:15,880 Speaker 1: years before. And I guess he never copped to the 573 00:29:17,440 --> 00:29:19,880 Speaker 1: to the idea that it was an arranged marriage that 574 00:29:19,960 --> 00:29:23,880 Speaker 1: was basically a business proposal, But that is definitely how 575 00:29:23,920 --> 00:29:26,680 Speaker 1: it's portrayed by the people who were there at the 576 00:29:26,720 --> 00:29:29,560 Speaker 1: time were his close friends that he even paid her 577 00:29:29,640 --> 00:29:32,560 Speaker 1: ten thousand dollars to do this, and I'm sure it 578 00:29:32,600 --> 00:29:36,360 Speaker 1: was very you know, kind and congenial to it. But 579 00:29:36,400 --> 00:29:39,880 Speaker 1: they described that day. His wedding day to Laura White 580 00:29:39,960 --> 00:29:42,560 Speaker 1: is probably the worst day of his life, tied for 581 00:29:42,640 --> 00:29:44,880 Speaker 1: first with the day that he lost his left eye. 582 00:29:45,400 --> 00:29:47,920 Speaker 2: Yeah, and he you know, we can't look over some 583 00:29:47,960 --> 00:29:50,400 Speaker 2: of the ugly parts of that day. He got drunk 584 00:29:50,920 --> 00:29:54,240 Speaker 2: and physically assaulted her in the car just after the 585 00:29:54,280 --> 00:29:58,800 Speaker 2: wedding reception. Not making any excuses for the guy, but 586 00:29:59,000 --> 00:30:01,000 Speaker 2: it was certainly not right to do that. 587 00:30:01,600 --> 00:30:06,640 Speaker 1: Right, So their marriage didn't last terribly long. I didn't 588 00:30:06,680 --> 00:30:08,120 Speaker 1: see how long it lasted, did you. 589 00:30:08,280 --> 00:30:09,160 Speaker 2: Yeah, a little every year. 590 00:30:09,360 --> 00:30:12,440 Speaker 1: Okay, so about a year, and I guess he considered 591 00:30:12,440 --> 00:30:14,920 Speaker 1: that the heat had gone down or whatever by that time. 592 00:30:16,200 --> 00:30:19,320 Speaker 1: But I get the impression that the fact that Kim 593 00:30:19,360 --> 00:30:24,200 Speaker 1: Novak had been taken from him strictly out of racism. 594 00:30:24,520 --> 00:30:26,800 Speaker 1: Like Harry Cohne, I'm sure was a racist, but he 595 00:30:26,880 --> 00:30:28,959 Speaker 1: was also a businessman, and the reason that he was 596 00:30:29,000 --> 00:30:32,160 Speaker 1: doing this was because he knew America was racist. This 597 00:30:32,280 --> 00:30:35,040 Speaker 1: is at a time when there were laws that prevented 598 00:30:35,120 --> 00:30:38,560 Speaker 1: black men and white women or vice versa. 599 00:30:38,040 --> 00:30:38,600 Speaker 3: To marry. 600 00:30:38,720 --> 00:30:39,960 Speaker 2: Yeah, it wasn't legal yet. 601 00:30:40,240 --> 00:30:44,000 Speaker 1: No, So the idea of one of his biggest stars, 602 00:30:44,040 --> 00:30:47,440 Speaker 1: Kim Novak, marrying a black man. He decided that he 603 00:30:47,520 --> 00:30:49,720 Speaker 1: just couldn't take that risk business wise, and so he 604 00:30:49,760 --> 00:30:53,880 Speaker 1: threatened Sammy Davis Junior. Whatever the reason was, Sammy Davis 605 00:30:53,960 --> 00:30:58,440 Speaker 1: Junior really bristled under that. And so in nineteen sixty, 606 00:30:59,360 --> 00:31:02,240 Speaker 1: this was a few years after the he had to 607 00:31:02,280 --> 00:31:05,160 Speaker 1: break it off with kim Novak, he got married to 608 00:31:05,280 --> 00:31:10,800 Speaker 1: a woman, a Swedish actress named my brit and he 609 00:31:10,920 --> 00:31:13,080 Speaker 1: had children with her and was married to her, but 610 00:31:13,160 --> 00:31:16,760 Speaker 1: he also ran around on her almost constantly. From what 611 00:31:16,800 --> 00:31:20,640 Speaker 1: I understand, and you get the impression that my was 612 00:31:20,680 --> 00:31:25,120 Speaker 1: in part A, I'll just put it as PG as possible, 613 00:31:25,160 --> 00:31:28,400 Speaker 1: thumbing his nose at all of the racists out there 614 00:31:28,440 --> 00:31:31,800 Speaker 1: who took kim Novak from him. He was saying, I think, 615 00:31:32,000 --> 00:31:34,360 Speaker 1: as somebody put it, I'm big enough now that you 616 00:31:34,400 --> 00:31:36,320 Speaker 1: can't tell me who to marry. And I'm going to 617 00:31:36,360 --> 00:31:39,080 Speaker 1: marry this beautiful six foot white woman. 618 00:31:39,280 --> 00:31:43,280 Speaker 2: Yeah, who looks like Margo Robie sort of she does, Yeah, 619 00:31:43,280 --> 00:31:43,800 Speaker 2: she does. 620 00:31:43,640 --> 00:31:44,040 Speaker 3: A little bit. 621 00:31:44,080 --> 00:31:46,440 Speaker 1: I hadn't put my finger on it. And their children 622 00:31:46,880 --> 00:31:51,400 Speaker 1: were incredibly beautiful, thanks largely to their mom too, but 623 00:31:51,440 --> 00:31:54,880 Speaker 1: they were They had three kids together, and they were 624 00:31:54,880 --> 00:31:57,360 Speaker 1: married for eight years and I think it's very sad 625 00:31:57,400 --> 00:32:00,640 Speaker 1: because my Britt immediately lost her career. Yeah, so she 626 00:32:00,680 --> 00:32:02,800 Speaker 1: gave up her career to be with Sammy Davis Junior. 627 00:32:03,480 --> 00:32:06,560 Speaker 1: I don't know. I she must have fallen in love 628 00:32:06,600 --> 00:32:10,000 Speaker 1: with them, and because she had three kids with him too. 629 00:32:10,240 --> 00:32:13,920 Speaker 1: But she gave up a lot and he gave up nothing. 630 00:32:14,640 --> 00:32:18,760 Speaker 1: And I think that was very unfair on his part 631 00:32:19,240 --> 00:32:22,720 Speaker 1: to ask for what he asked for from her and 632 00:32:22,840 --> 00:32:25,000 Speaker 1: give so little in return. 633 00:32:25,600 --> 00:32:29,240 Speaker 2: Yeah. And what was also not fair and sort of 634 00:32:29,280 --> 00:32:32,240 Speaker 2: a black eye on John F. Kennedy was that Sammy 635 00:32:32,320 --> 00:32:35,080 Speaker 2: Davis Junior had been scheduled to perform at the nineteen 636 00:32:35,120 --> 00:32:39,360 Speaker 2: sixty inauguration and he disinvited him because of his marriage 637 00:32:39,400 --> 00:32:40,120 Speaker 2: to a white woman. 638 00:32:40,640 --> 00:32:46,120 Speaker 1: Kennedy personally had him disinvited. This wasn't Kennedy's advisors or 639 00:32:46,160 --> 00:32:46,760 Speaker 1: anything like that. 640 00:32:46,880 --> 00:32:49,600 Speaker 2: No, it was him, and he said, you know, apparently 641 00:32:49,640 --> 00:32:52,400 Speaker 2: people said he you know, it was a political move 642 00:32:52,480 --> 00:32:57,520 Speaker 2: because he didn't want to alienate Southern Democrats. But either way, 643 00:32:57,760 --> 00:33:02,760 Speaker 2: that was a big fracturing of the relationship between JFK 644 00:33:02,840 --> 00:33:04,680 Speaker 2: and Sammy Davis Junior. He never got over that. 645 00:33:04,880 --> 00:33:05,680 Speaker 3: No, he never did. 646 00:33:05,720 --> 00:33:08,760 Speaker 1: And it was also a moment where Sinatra, who had 647 00:33:08,800 --> 00:33:13,680 Speaker 1: stood up for Sammy Davis Junior multiple countless times against racists, 648 00:33:13,720 --> 00:33:18,360 Speaker 1: against studio heads, against the record company executives, against all 649 00:33:18,400 --> 00:33:20,200 Speaker 1: sorts of people, didn't. 650 00:33:20,640 --> 00:33:22,080 Speaker 3: He did not stand up. 651 00:33:21,960 --> 00:33:26,760 Speaker 1: And argue and try to persuade JFK to change his mind. 652 00:33:27,080 --> 00:33:29,840 Speaker 1: He just quietly went along with it. And I think 653 00:33:29,960 --> 00:33:33,240 Speaker 1: that broke Sammy Davis Junior's part as much as JFK 654 00:33:33,400 --> 00:33:36,520 Speaker 1: betraying him, and probably even more because he expected more 655 00:33:36,600 --> 00:33:41,120 Speaker 1: from from Frank than he did from Kennedy. And the 656 00:33:41,160 --> 00:33:45,480 Speaker 1: other thing about Kennedy rescinding that invitation, Harry Belifani's invitation 657 00:33:45,680 --> 00:33:48,320 Speaker 1: wasn't rescinded, and Harry Belifani was married to a white 658 00:33:48,320 --> 00:33:51,280 Speaker 1: woman and was there with his white wife at this 659 00:33:51,320 --> 00:33:55,680 Speaker 1: inauguration party. So Sammy Davis Junior couldn't help but take 660 00:33:55,720 --> 00:33:57,120 Speaker 1: it personally, and he really did. 661 00:33:57,360 --> 00:33:59,320 Speaker 3: Yeah, it was a big It. 662 00:33:59,280 --> 00:34:01,160 Speaker 1: Was a big deal, a big moment in his life, 663 00:34:01,200 --> 00:34:03,360 Speaker 1: in a very sad moment, and a lot of people 664 00:34:03,400 --> 00:34:07,880 Speaker 1: think that it led to him later on embracing, probably 665 00:34:07,960 --> 00:34:12,560 Speaker 1: ill advisedly, the Nixon campaign in the early seventies. 666 00:34:12,640 --> 00:34:14,480 Speaker 3: That's right, you want to take a break. 667 00:34:14,400 --> 00:34:15,919 Speaker 2: Yeah, let's take a break, and we'll talk a little 668 00:34:15,920 --> 00:34:17,879 Speaker 2: bit about his work in the civil rights movement right 669 00:34:17,920 --> 00:34:18,120 Speaker 2: up to. 670 00:34:18,120 --> 00:34:21,920 Speaker 3: This softly jawsh. 671 00:34:25,280 --> 00:34:45,279 Speaker 1: Sof this cat is interesting, man, right, I don't know 672 00:34:45,320 --> 00:34:46,640 Speaker 1: if everybody's picking up on it. 673 00:34:46,640 --> 00:34:49,719 Speaker 3: Did you know this before? Because this is your pick. 674 00:34:49,560 --> 00:34:52,200 Speaker 2: Right, Yeah, yeah, I've always been pretty fascinated with him 675 00:34:52,640 --> 00:34:55,040 Speaker 2: because we haven't even gotten to the super weird and 676 00:34:55,080 --> 00:34:59,680 Speaker 2: interesting stuff, yeah, right, which happens in the seventies. So 677 00:35:00,120 --> 00:35:02,759 Speaker 2: in the sixties is when, and possibly because of the 678 00:35:02,840 --> 00:35:05,919 Speaker 2: JFK treatment, is when he really starts to get more 679 00:35:06,360 --> 00:35:10,720 Speaker 2: socially aware, starts donating money to the cause, and marches 680 00:35:11,400 --> 00:35:15,920 Speaker 2: at SELMA for the civil rights efforts. He when he 681 00:35:15,960 --> 00:35:19,799 Speaker 2: supported Nixon, it was not just a thumbing of the 682 00:35:19,880 --> 00:35:23,800 Speaker 2: nose at Kennedy, but he bought into Nixon and thought 683 00:35:23,840 --> 00:35:26,120 Speaker 2: that it was going to be a good choice for 684 00:35:26,200 --> 00:35:30,040 Speaker 2: black America. He regretted that later on, of course, but 685 00:35:30,320 --> 00:35:34,160 Speaker 2: it wasn't just a poopy pants move like, hey, well, 686 00:35:34,239 --> 00:35:37,359 Speaker 2: I'm going to support Nixon now because you disinvited. 687 00:35:36,800 --> 00:35:37,840 Speaker 3: Me, exactly. 688 00:35:37,880 --> 00:35:41,280 Speaker 1: And so one of the other reasons that he embraced 689 00:35:41,360 --> 00:35:44,000 Speaker 1: Nixon was that Nixon embraced him as a human being 690 00:35:44,400 --> 00:35:47,000 Speaker 1: and really stood in stark contrast to the treatment he 691 00:35:47,080 --> 00:35:54,080 Speaker 1: received from Kennedy, and in that Nixon actually seemed to 692 00:35:54,160 --> 00:35:56,919 Speaker 1: really like Sammy Davis Junior, that a lot of people 693 00:35:56,920 --> 00:35:59,439 Speaker 1: are like. The Nixon administration was just using Sammy Davis 694 00:35:59,520 --> 00:36:03,600 Speaker 1: Junior at the same time, using what's called the Southern strategy, 695 00:36:03,640 --> 00:36:06,200 Speaker 1: which is they were stoking racism among Southern whites to 696 00:36:06,200 --> 00:36:10,920 Speaker 1: get them to turn on the Democrats. But he also 697 00:36:10,960 --> 00:36:14,520 Speaker 1: apparently really did like Sammy Davis Junior and admired him, 698 00:36:14,960 --> 00:36:19,560 Speaker 1: and under Nixon's administration, it tastes like bitter acid saying this. 699 00:36:20,239 --> 00:36:23,480 Speaker 1: Sammy Davis Junior became the first black person to sleep 700 00:36:23,520 --> 00:36:27,680 Speaker 1: in the Lincoln bedroom, and apparently Sammy Davis Junior was 701 00:36:27,680 --> 00:36:32,760 Speaker 1: an avid Lincoln fan, and sleeping in the Lincoln bedroom 702 00:36:32,960 --> 00:36:36,360 Speaker 1: with some of Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd Lincoln's personal 703 00:36:36,440 --> 00:36:37,600 Speaker 1: effects in. 704 00:36:37,560 --> 00:36:39,600 Speaker 3: This room just blew him away. 705 00:36:39,760 --> 00:36:40,320 Speaker 2: Oh, I'm sure. 706 00:36:40,760 --> 00:36:42,960 Speaker 1: And that was actually how he ended up in Vietnam 707 00:36:43,080 --> 00:36:46,000 Speaker 1: doing this USO tour in nineteen seventy two. He said, 708 00:36:46,040 --> 00:36:48,080 Speaker 1: what can I do to help? And Nixon said that 709 00:36:48,080 --> 00:36:51,120 Speaker 1: would probably that would probably help a lot, But that 710 00:36:51,719 --> 00:36:57,160 Speaker 1: just contributed even further to his alienation from not just 711 00:36:57,200 --> 00:36:59,840 Speaker 1: black people, but young black people too, because it was 712 00:36:59,880 --> 00:37:02,840 Speaker 1: a really tone deaf move as I saw it described 713 00:37:02,880 --> 00:37:04,799 Speaker 1: at the time, that was not the kind of thing 714 00:37:04,840 --> 00:37:08,160 Speaker 1: you did. Vietnam was so unpopular that even the troops 715 00:37:08,160 --> 00:37:11,799 Speaker 1: weren't particularly supported at home. You know, it's not like 716 00:37:11,840 --> 00:37:15,600 Speaker 1: today where it's like, you know, we really really hate this, 717 00:37:15,880 --> 00:37:17,240 Speaker 1: you know, these endless wars. 718 00:37:17,400 --> 00:37:19,440 Speaker 3: This is we really disagree. 719 00:37:18,960 --> 00:37:22,480 Speaker 1: With the you know, the hawks and the military industrial 720 00:37:22,520 --> 00:37:26,400 Speaker 1: complex that supports us. But we're still going to be 721 00:37:26,520 --> 00:37:28,919 Speaker 1: supportive of the troops who have to go there, who 722 00:37:28,960 --> 00:37:32,080 Speaker 1: are over there, whether by their own choice or well, 723 00:37:32,080 --> 00:37:36,480 Speaker 1: I guess it's all volunteer army, they still deserve support 724 00:37:36,560 --> 00:37:41,040 Speaker 1: these individuals over there overseas. That was not necessarily how 725 00:37:41,080 --> 00:37:43,880 Speaker 1: it was during the Vietnam era. So Sammy Davis Junior 726 00:37:43,960 --> 00:37:47,400 Speaker 1: going over there to support the troops after embracing the 727 00:37:47,520 --> 00:37:49,840 Speaker 1: Nixon administration really. 728 00:37:51,160 --> 00:37:51,640 Speaker 3: Furthered. 729 00:37:51,719 --> 00:37:56,319 Speaker 1: This rift between him and the black community, which and 730 00:37:56,360 --> 00:37:59,680 Speaker 1: I don't know if we've really said this enough, was 731 00:38:00,239 --> 00:38:04,239 Speaker 1: fair and unjust because he was a fervent supporter of 732 00:38:04,280 --> 00:38:08,440 Speaker 1: the civil rights movement during the fifties and sixties. Yeah, 733 00:38:08,800 --> 00:38:12,040 Speaker 1: I mean fervent, like he marched in Selma with Martin 734 00:38:12,080 --> 00:38:15,600 Speaker 1: Luther King Junior, Scared to death apparently, but he still 735 00:38:15,640 --> 00:38:18,399 Speaker 1: went and he still did it. He contributed a ton 736 00:38:18,440 --> 00:38:22,120 Speaker 1: of money to the civil rights movement. He was he 737 00:38:22,239 --> 00:38:26,880 Speaker 1: was legit, for sure. But he also was, you know, 738 00:38:27,160 --> 00:38:31,239 Speaker 1: friends with Richard Nixon. So one kind of one kind 739 00:38:31,239 --> 00:38:32,680 Speaker 1: of tarnishes the other, you know. 740 00:38:33,080 --> 00:38:37,919 Speaker 2: For sure. So in the sixties he is blown up. 741 00:38:38,360 --> 00:38:43,520 Speaker 2: He's everywhere. He's on stage, he's recording records, he's on TV, 742 00:38:43,719 --> 00:38:47,040 Speaker 2: he's doing celebrity roast, he's on Broadway, he's writing books, 743 00:38:47,520 --> 00:38:51,840 Speaker 2: he's doing the Gunslinger thing. He's making a lot of 744 00:38:51,840 --> 00:38:53,840 Speaker 2: money at this point and starts spending a lot of 745 00:38:53,840 --> 00:38:57,399 Speaker 2: money because he came from nothing. Like we said, this 746 00:38:57,480 --> 00:39:00,200 Speaker 2: is when the rat pack thing really heats up. And 747 00:39:00,239 --> 00:39:03,520 Speaker 2: he's hanging out with Joey Bishop, Peter Lawfer, Dean Martin 748 00:39:04,120 --> 00:39:09,520 Speaker 2: and of course the Chairman and started their first movie together, 749 00:39:09,600 --> 00:39:14,839 Speaker 2: which was Ocean's Eleven. Not a great movie. Oh disagree, 750 00:39:15,480 --> 00:39:17,080 Speaker 2: I don't. I think the original's not very good. 751 00:39:17,360 --> 00:39:18,040 Speaker 3: Oh I liked it. 752 00:39:19,000 --> 00:39:22,319 Speaker 2: I thought the remake was great, but did not care 753 00:39:22,360 --> 00:39:23,040 Speaker 2: for the original. 754 00:39:23,360 --> 00:39:26,720 Speaker 3: The original. Yeah, hanging seen Robin in the seven Hoods. 755 00:39:27,120 --> 00:39:29,160 Speaker 2: Yeah, also not great. I don't think the Ratpeck ever 756 00:39:29,200 --> 00:39:31,960 Speaker 2: made a great movie. Okay, that's just my opinion. 757 00:39:32,680 --> 00:39:35,840 Speaker 3: What about Time Bandits fantastic? Okay. 758 00:39:37,239 --> 00:39:40,600 Speaker 2: They were hanging out at the Coconut Grove in the 759 00:39:40,600 --> 00:39:44,160 Speaker 2: Ambassador Hotel, which is a place that I have a 760 00:39:44,200 --> 00:39:47,319 Speaker 2: neat little quick story did a commercial shoot there before 761 00:39:47,320 --> 00:39:49,879 Speaker 2: they tore it down. And it was, you know, an 762 00:39:49,880 --> 00:39:51,680 Speaker 2: empty hotel at this point that they just used for 763 00:39:51,719 --> 00:39:54,400 Speaker 2: movie shoots. And it was an overnight thing, and like 764 00:39:54,800 --> 00:39:57,160 Speaker 2: two in the morning, I was working in the art department. 765 00:39:57,200 --> 00:39:59,399 Speaker 2: They said, here, you need to go assemble all these 766 00:39:59,719 --> 00:40:01,880 Speaker 2: flag that we're going to hang. And they said, just 767 00:40:01,920 --> 00:40:04,120 Speaker 2: go in the in the Coconut Grove and do it 768 00:40:04,680 --> 00:40:06,560 Speaker 2: because there's plenty of room in there. And I went 769 00:40:06,600 --> 00:40:09,960 Speaker 2: in there all by myself, sitting in cocaine in the 770 00:40:09,960 --> 00:40:13,479 Speaker 2: the dusty old shadows of what was once the Great 771 00:40:13,520 --> 00:40:16,920 Speaker 2: Coconut Grove, and uh, for like an hour and a 772 00:40:16,960 --> 00:40:19,560 Speaker 2: half by myself, like sitting in a booth that the 773 00:40:19,600 --> 00:40:20,680 Speaker 2: rat Pack might have sat in. 774 00:40:21,000 --> 00:40:22,799 Speaker 3: Wow, that's amazing, really pretty neat. 775 00:40:22,880 --> 00:40:25,040 Speaker 2: And later that night got to go see where Bob 776 00:40:25,120 --> 00:40:25,839 Speaker 2: Kennedy was shot. 777 00:40:26,920 --> 00:40:29,839 Speaker 3: Oh, that's where he was shot Yeah in the Ambassador Hotel. 778 00:40:30,040 --> 00:40:31,640 Speaker 2: Yeah, in the kitchen, and one of the got the 779 00:40:31,680 --> 00:40:34,320 Speaker 2: overnight security guy. It was just sort of one of 780 00:40:34,320 --> 00:40:36,319 Speaker 2: those slow shoots. He was like to me and my friend, 781 00:40:36,360 --> 00:40:37,640 Speaker 2: He's like, you want to go down in the kitchen. 782 00:40:37,680 --> 00:40:39,879 Speaker 2: It's where it happened. And we went, oh yeah, wow, 783 00:40:39,920 --> 00:40:42,160 Speaker 2: that's amazing. It was super cool and creepy. 784 00:40:42,360 --> 00:40:44,720 Speaker 3: Wow. So anyway, great story. 785 00:40:44,800 --> 00:40:49,879 Speaker 2: Charge they're hanging out with the rat Pack, and this 786 00:40:49,920 --> 00:40:52,319 Speaker 2: is where it gets a little like dodgy because the 787 00:40:52,400 --> 00:40:55,520 Speaker 2: rat Pack they were all best buds. They genuinely loved 788 00:40:55,520 --> 00:40:58,080 Speaker 2: each other. But when you look at their old stick, 789 00:40:58,239 --> 00:41:03,720 Speaker 2: there is a lot of sort of racial joking about Sammy. 790 00:41:05,000 --> 00:41:07,760 Speaker 2: It's all in good fun, but there were often jokes 791 00:41:07,800 --> 00:41:10,800 Speaker 2: made about him being black, being the only black member. 792 00:41:11,520 --> 00:41:14,280 Speaker 2: Dean Martin one of his famous jokes was he would 793 00:41:14,800 --> 00:41:16,960 Speaker 2: pick little Sammy up on stage because Dean was a 794 00:41:16,960 --> 00:41:21,000 Speaker 2: big guy and Sammy was small and thank the audience 795 00:41:21,400 --> 00:41:25,480 Speaker 2: for the n double ACP Award. So stuff like that. 796 00:41:26,160 --> 00:41:29,480 Speaker 1: So in that documentary, and I'm not like justifying that 797 00:41:29,560 --> 00:41:31,640 Speaker 1: at all, but in that documentary, what p be Goldberg 798 00:41:31,760 --> 00:41:34,080 Speaker 1: is like, you know, you can you could take any 799 00:41:34,320 --> 00:41:37,800 Speaker 1: segment of their show and be like this was really offensive. 800 00:41:37,800 --> 00:41:43,440 Speaker 1: Sure Italians or alcoholics, or women, or black people or Jews, 801 00:41:43,600 --> 00:41:47,040 Speaker 1: and she said they went hard on everybody. But from 802 00:41:47,080 --> 00:41:49,680 Speaker 1: what I understand, at least as far as Sammy was concerned, 803 00:41:49,680 --> 00:41:53,759 Speaker 1: he wasn't secretly didn't secretly have a chip on his 804 00:41:53,800 --> 00:41:55,359 Speaker 1: shoulder and he had to just put up with this 805 00:41:55,400 --> 00:41:57,120 Speaker 1: to be a member of the rat pack. He seemed 806 00:41:57,120 --> 00:42:00,439 Speaker 1: to really not like he didn't take it as if 807 00:42:00,440 --> 00:42:05,840 Speaker 1: they were being hostile or cruel, that it was just 808 00:42:05,880 --> 00:42:07,759 Speaker 1: part of the act and that's how he took it. 809 00:42:08,200 --> 00:42:10,680 Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean it was certainly a different time. I 810 00:42:10,680 --> 00:42:13,080 Speaker 2: mean there was for sure no doubting about it that 811 00:42:13,120 --> 00:42:14,759 Speaker 2: back then you could make jokes about all kinds of 812 00:42:14,800 --> 00:42:16,000 Speaker 2: things that you can't joke about now. 813 00:42:16,400 --> 00:42:19,000 Speaker 1: Yeah, And it's like, it's not like I used to 814 00:42:19,000 --> 00:42:21,160 Speaker 1: hang out with Sammy Davis Junior and had like quiet 815 00:42:21,200 --> 00:42:23,279 Speaker 1: talks with him or whatever. So it is possible that 816 00:42:23,400 --> 00:42:25,879 Speaker 1: he did, you know, harbor resentment from it, but that's 817 00:42:25,920 --> 00:42:28,279 Speaker 1: not the impresson that I have from the research. 818 00:42:27,960 --> 00:42:28,759 Speaker 3: That I've done. 819 00:42:29,000 --> 00:42:30,239 Speaker 2: Let me tell you, Josh. 820 00:42:30,320 --> 00:42:32,719 Speaker 1: Right, But apparently no one did, because this is a 821 00:42:32,760 --> 00:42:37,560 Speaker 1: really bizarre thing about him when he was talking about 822 00:42:37,560 --> 00:42:40,480 Speaker 1: converting to Judaism. I think in like a nineteen sixty 823 00:42:40,520 --> 00:42:45,319 Speaker 1: six Playboy interview he was talking about losing his eye 824 00:42:45,320 --> 00:42:47,520 Speaker 1: and then you know, converting to Judaism, and that it 825 00:42:47,600 --> 00:42:50,120 Speaker 1: happened during a period of soul searching, and that he 826 00:42:50,200 --> 00:42:51,960 Speaker 1: did all this and went through all this even though 827 00:42:51,960 --> 00:42:55,360 Speaker 1: he was convalescing at Frank Sinatra's house, even though apparently 828 00:42:55,440 --> 00:42:58,160 Speaker 1: Jerry Lewis spent seven days at his bedside when he 829 00:42:58,200 --> 00:43:00,880 Speaker 1: was in the hospital, had all these tele Graham's coming in, 830 00:43:01,000 --> 00:43:05,120 Speaker 1: all this outpouring of support. He considered himself alone and 831 00:43:05,120 --> 00:43:08,000 Speaker 1: that he was a loaner, and that that was that's 832 00:43:08,080 --> 00:43:10,640 Speaker 1: really bizarre when you step back and look at that, 833 00:43:10,719 --> 00:43:14,000 Speaker 1: because Sammy Davis Junior always had friends. He was always 834 00:43:14,040 --> 00:43:15,839 Speaker 1: the life of the party. He was always a good guy. 835 00:43:15,880 --> 00:43:19,560 Speaker 1: Everybody wanted to be around him. He was always having fun. 836 00:43:19,960 --> 00:43:22,840 Speaker 1: But he considered himself a loner. And apparently he didn't 837 00:43:22,960 --> 00:43:25,760 Speaker 1: let people in. So even if I had been hanging 838 00:43:25,760 --> 00:43:28,400 Speaker 1: around with him, he probably wouldn't have had that conversation 839 00:43:28,560 --> 00:43:28,880 Speaker 1: with me. 840 00:43:28,960 --> 00:43:31,200 Speaker 2: Anyway, Like, Sammy, I don't feel like I know they're real. 841 00:43:31,280 --> 00:43:33,040 Speaker 3: You come on, Sammy, let. 842 00:43:32,920 --> 00:43:36,360 Speaker 2: It, and he said, that's by design, babe. 843 00:43:36,920 --> 00:43:39,280 Speaker 3: I feel like I'm tripping or something right now. 844 00:43:40,400 --> 00:43:44,479 Speaker 2: So his career is booming in the sixties and into 845 00:43:44,480 --> 00:43:47,919 Speaker 2: the seventies, and the result of that, of course, well 846 00:43:47,920 --> 00:43:50,560 Speaker 2: through the sixties I guess, is that he's not around much. 847 00:43:51,000 --> 00:43:53,880 Speaker 2: He had a lot of regrets about not being around 848 00:43:53,880 --> 00:43:57,680 Speaker 2: as a father, as a husband. He was flandering, he 849 00:43:57,800 --> 00:44:00,960 Speaker 2: was drinking a lot, he was using drugs. So in 850 00:44:01,040 --> 00:44:04,759 Speaker 2: nineteen sixty eight he got divorced. In nineteen seventy, he 851 00:44:04,840 --> 00:44:08,920 Speaker 2: married a woman named Altaviz Gore who was eighteen years 852 00:44:08,920 --> 00:44:12,400 Speaker 2: his junior. Great name, backup dancer. His children did not 853 00:44:12,640 --> 00:44:15,480 Speaker 2: like the fact that she was so much younger, but 854 00:44:15,520 --> 00:44:17,480 Speaker 2: they were stayed married, you know, for the rest of 855 00:44:17,520 --> 00:44:17,919 Speaker 2: his life. 856 00:44:18,440 --> 00:44:18,720 Speaker 3: Yeah. 857 00:44:18,760 --> 00:44:20,719 Speaker 1: He was like, oh, if you got a problem with her, 858 00:44:20,800 --> 00:44:23,239 Speaker 1: you should probably not know about everything else I'm doing. 859 00:44:24,080 --> 00:44:28,520 Speaker 2: Yeah, So here's where it gets really interesting, very interesting. 860 00:44:28,600 --> 00:44:33,440 Speaker 2: Sammy Davis Junior had a convergence of two interests. In 861 00:44:33,480 --> 00:44:37,880 Speaker 2: the seventies. He became a member of the Church of Satan. 862 00:44:38,680 --> 00:44:40,800 Speaker 3: He was an honorary warlock. 863 00:44:40,760 --> 00:44:49,120 Speaker 2: And he got really really into porn and porn you know, 864 00:44:49,200 --> 00:44:51,520 Speaker 2: there's no better way to say it than he was 865 00:44:51,560 --> 00:44:56,120 Speaker 2: a swinger. He was in orgies. He participated in Satanic orgies. 866 00:44:56,200 --> 00:44:58,640 Speaker 1: Right, yeah, that was actually I don't know if it 867 00:44:58,680 --> 00:45:00,279 Speaker 1: was his first orgy or not, but that that's how 868 00:45:00,280 --> 00:45:03,560 Speaker 1: he became a part of involved in the Church of Satan, 869 00:45:03,920 --> 00:45:06,320 Speaker 1: you know, like the original Church of Satan with Anton 870 00:45:06,440 --> 00:45:08,080 Speaker 1: Levey there and everything. 871 00:45:08,920 --> 00:45:12,320 Speaker 2: Like the real good, like right back with Golden Ears 872 00:45:12,320 --> 00:45:13,640 Speaker 2: of Church of Satan exactly. 873 00:45:15,200 --> 00:45:18,880 Speaker 1: He went and participated in a Satanic orgy. 874 00:45:20,280 --> 00:45:22,200 Speaker 3: Sammy Davis Junior, which I think is like. 875 00:45:22,160 --> 00:45:25,640 Speaker 2: A regular orgy, but with just more like red candles. 876 00:45:25,360 --> 00:45:27,960 Speaker 1: Yeah, and pentagrams and black robes and stuff like that. 877 00:45:28,000 --> 00:45:29,799 Speaker 1: But then the black robes come off, but I think 878 00:45:29,840 --> 00:45:33,520 Speaker 1: the pentagrams stay on. But he I read this really 879 00:45:33,600 --> 00:45:38,160 Speaker 1: interesting Vice article about it, and he was apparently at 880 00:45:38,160 --> 00:45:40,920 Speaker 1: the first one, and this would have been in the 881 00:45:41,000 --> 00:45:44,600 Speaker 1: late sixties, and somebody in a hood is trying to 882 00:45:44,600 --> 00:45:47,640 Speaker 1: get his attention, and it turns out he lifts the 883 00:45:47,680 --> 00:45:49,840 Speaker 1: hood and it's his barber is Barbara J. S. 884 00:45:50,040 --> 00:45:50,239 Speaker 3: Bring. 885 00:45:50,520 --> 00:45:54,719 Speaker 1: He would later be killed with Sharon Tate by the 886 00:45:54,760 --> 00:45:57,399 Speaker 1: Manson family. But he was basically like, hey, Sam, it's 887 00:45:57,480 --> 00:45:58,840 Speaker 1: me Jay, how are you doing. 888 00:45:59,160 --> 00:46:01,719 Speaker 3: In this awesome, and then they went back to They're 889 00:46:01,760 --> 00:46:02,520 Speaker 3: coming Yeah. 890 00:46:04,200 --> 00:46:06,719 Speaker 1: Yeah, but he yeah, he was hugely in the in 891 00:46:06,760 --> 00:46:08,960 Speaker 1: the pornography he was and the Orgies into swinging. 892 00:46:09,000 --> 00:46:13,320 Speaker 3: He was. He loved cocaine and loved drinking. 893 00:46:13,360 --> 00:46:17,560 Speaker 1: I saw our Sineo interview with him, must have been 894 00:46:17,640 --> 00:46:19,360 Speaker 1: very shortly before his death, where he's like, you know, 895 00:46:19,400 --> 00:46:21,640 Speaker 1: I had to give everything up, uh, and I don't 896 00:46:21,640 --> 00:46:23,360 Speaker 1: miss all the other stuff, but I miss booze, I 897 00:46:23,400 --> 00:46:24,760 Speaker 1: miss whiskey, I miss wodka. 898 00:46:24,800 --> 00:46:26,080 Speaker 3: I love that stuff. 899 00:46:26,640 --> 00:46:30,920 Speaker 1: But then I also saw another interview where he basically 900 00:46:30,960 --> 00:46:33,000 Speaker 1: said the same thing to Larry King, like I've given 901 00:46:33,040 --> 00:46:35,000 Speaker 1: everything up, I don't smoke anymore, or anything like that. 902 00:46:35,120 --> 00:46:38,880 Speaker 1: And then somebody went backstage and there's Sammy Davis Junior 903 00:46:38,920 --> 00:46:42,360 Speaker 1: smoking a cigarette, drinking a brand and he goes, Sammy, 904 00:46:42,400 --> 00:46:45,319 Speaker 1: what are you doing. You just told Larry King that 905 00:46:45,320 --> 00:46:47,480 Speaker 1: he gave all this up. He's like, I'm I plan to. 906 00:46:49,320 --> 00:46:51,360 Speaker 1: So who knows what he actually gave up or didn't do, 907 00:46:51,440 --> 00:46:56,320 Speaker 1: but his whole jam was I want to experience every 908 00:46:56,640 --> 00:46:59,480 Speaker 1: possible human experience I can, and I approach all this 909 00:46:59,480 --> 00:47:01,839 Speaker 1: stuff without judgment. Yeah, which is how he ended up 910 00:47:01,840 --> 00:47:03,839 Speaker 1: becoming involved in the Church of Satan, which went. 911 00:47:03,760 --> 00:47:06,680 Speaker 2: On, yeah, no judgment here. If that's his bag, it's 912 00:47:06,719 --> 00:47:10,560 Speaker 2: not hurting anybody. Did you see the one quote about 913 00:47:10,600 --> 00:47:13,239 Speaker 2: the the ritual with the lady who was tied to 914 00:47:13,280 --> 00:47:13,840 Speaker 2: the bed. 915 00:47:15,560 --> 00:47:17,400 Speaker 3: Where he decided like it was okay. 916 00:47:18,040 --> 00:47:19,839 Speaker 2: Yeah, he was talking about it and he was like 917 00:47:20,360 --> 00:47:24,520 Speaker 2: that chick was loving it. Man, Right, Well, I won't 918 00:47:24,520 --> 00:47:26,719 Speaker 2: say the rest of the quote, but do you. 919 00:47:26,760 --> 00:47:29,720 Speaker 3: Remember, Yeah, I remember, I remember. 920 00:47:29,840 --> 00:47:33,759 Speaker 2: So all of this led to what we were talking 921 00:47:33,760 --> 00:47:38,319 Speaker 2: about earlier. This this TV pilot that is legendary in 922 00:47:38,360 --> 00:47:43,320 Speaker 2: Hollywood as one of the weirdest, worst things that Hollywood 923 00:47:43,320 --> 00:47:45,719 Speaker 2: has ever produced. And it was a pilot for a 924 00:47:45,800 --> 00:47:49,040 Speaker 2: TV show in nineteen seventy three called Poor Devil, which 925 00:47:49,120 --> 00:47:53,319 Speaker 2: was about a man who was a load load down 926 00:47:53,440 --> 00:47:55,239 Speaker 2: on the totem pole or I guess high on. 927 00:47:55,200 --> 00:47:55,879 Speaker 3: The totem pole. 928 00:47:56,120 --> 00:48:01,440 Speaker 2: Sure, Cole shoveler in Hell, who has offered the chance 929 00:48:01,480 --> 00:48:04,319 Speaker 2: to work his way up the ranks in Hell if 930 00:48:04,320 --> 00:48:08,440 Speaker 2: he can get the soul of Jack Klugman, a living 931 00:48:08,440 --> 00:48:09,120 Speaker 2: white man on. 932 00:48:09,120 --> 00:48:11,520 Speaker 3: Earth, right, Jack Klugman, Quincy, MD. 933 00:48:12,200 --> 00:48:15,800 Speaker 2: Yeah, And it is on YouTube, and dude, it is amazing. 934 00:48:16,280 --> 00:48:18,120 Speaker 1: I have not had a chance to see it. I 935 00:48:18,120 --> 00:48:21,319 Speaker 1: can't wait to see it, but it sounds amazing. I 936 00:48:21,360 --> 00:48:25,000 Speaker 1: saw it described as like he's a reverse Clearance from 937 00:48:25,320 --> 00:48:28,680 Speaker 1: It's a Wonderful Life, which you wouldn't possibly understand that. Yeah, sure, 938 00:48:28,680 --> 00:48:32,520 Speaker 1: but just imagine that somebody's not trying to get you 939 00:48:32,560 --> 00:48:35,000 Speaker 1: to be good so that they can or understand how 940 00:48:35,040 --> 00:48:38,520 Speaker 1: great life is. He's trying to get him to follow 941 00:48:38,560 --> 00:48:42,440 Speaker 1: his most bitter revenge impulses and stuff like that. But 942 00:48:42,520 --> 00:48:46,239 Speaker 1: at one point, apparently Jack Klugman wants to get in 943 00:48:46,280 --> 00:48:49,279 Speaker 1: touch with Sammy Davis Junior the Devil, and is like, oh, 944 00:48:49,320 --> 00:48:51,560 Speaker 1: I know, I'll call the Church of Satan downtown. They'll 945 00:48:51,560 --> 00:48:53,160 Speaker 1: know how to get in touch with them. And the 946 00:48:53,280 --> 00:48:57,320 Speaker 1: Church of Satan went because apparently the pilot was aired 947 00:48:57,360 --> 00:48:59,640 Speaker 1: and they were all about Sammy d At this point, 948 00:49:00,239 --> 00:49:01,719 Speaker 1: they made him an honorary war law. 949 00:49:01,880 --> 00:49:03,680 Speaker 2: Yeah. 950 00:49:03,760 --> 00:49:05,959 Speaker 1: He used to flash like the devil horns at them 951 00:49:06,000 --> 00:49:08,920 Speaker 1: from stage when he would love San. 952 00:49:08,760 --> 00:49:13,040 Speaker 2: Francisco, honey. Yeah. Christopher Lee, by the way, played the Devil, 953 00:49:13,760 --> 00:49:17,000 Speaker 2: which is pretty on the noes but perfect. Yeah, so 954 00:49:17,600 --> 00:49:21,080 Speaker 2: that doesn't succeed, obviously, it's terrible. The seventies and the 955 00:49:21,080 --> 00:49:23,600 Speaker 2: eighties his star starts to fade a little bit. He's 956 00:49:23,600 --> 00:49:25,319 Speaker 2: still around. Of course, he was on All in the 957 00:49:25,320 --> 00:49:28,680 Speaker 2: Family in a very famous episode where he kissed Archie 958 00:49:28,680 --> 00:49:33,600 Speaker 2: Bunker on the lips. He was we have to talk 959 00:49:34,160 --> 00:49:36,160 Speaker 2: about the great great Cannonball Run. 960 00:49:37,280 --> 00:49:38,640 Speaker 3: Oh yeah, he was in that, wasn't he. 961 00:49:38,880 --> 00:49:41,279 Speaker 2: Man? He and Dean were for partners. They played I 962 00:49:41,400 --> 00:49:45,120 Speaker 2: forgot about. They dressed up as priests, that's right, heavily drinking, 963 00:49:45,200 --> 00:49:49,080 Speaker 2: smoking priests. They played themselves basically as priests who wanted 964 00:49:49,120 --> 00:49:49,800 Speaker 2: to drive fast. 965 00:49:50,040 --> 00:49:50,799 Speaker 3: That's pretty great. 966 00:49:51,280 --> 00:49:54,360 Speaker 2: But you know, even though we revere that film, I 967 00:49:54,360 --> 00:49:57,120 Speaker 2: don't think it was looked at generally as one of 968 00:49:57,160 --> 00:49:58,440 Speaker 2: the big highlights of his career. 969 00:49:59,160 --> 00:50:01,799 Speaker 3: Oh I'm sure not. By this time. He's kitchy Sammy. 970 00:50:02,560 --> 00:50:04,560 Speaker 1: From what I understand, like he was fine with that 971 00:50:04,760 --> 00:50:06,640 Speaker 1: as long as he was working. 972 00:50:07,120 --> 00:50:07,800 Speaker 3: He was okay. 973 00:50:07,840 --> 00:50:10,280 Speaker 1: Because I said earlier that like he had a certain 974 00:50:11,080 --> 00:50:15,440 Speaker 1: affiliation with that song Mister Bojangles. Yes where if you 975 00:50:15,480 --> 00:50:18,399 Speaker 1: listen to it, it's about an old performer who's washed 976 00:50:18,480 --> 00:50:20,719 Speaker 1: up and has been washed up for years, and he's 977 00:50:20,760 --> 00:50:24,000 Speaker 1: still drinking and just doing you know, he's been reduced 978 00:50:24,040 --> 00:50:28,440 Speaker 1: to doing basically sidewalk performances, and apparently Sammy was scared 979 00:50:28,760 --> 00:50:32,640 Speaker 1: to death about that being his future. So even just 980 00:50:32,880 --> 00:50:35,359 Speaker 1: doing what he was doing with Dean and Cannonball Run, 981 00:50:35,360 --> 00:50:37,440 Speaker 1: I'm sure it was just fine in his in his 982 00:50:37,960 --> 00:50:40,360 Speaker 1: mind because he was still working and performing. 983 00:50:41,520 --> 00:50:44,120 Speaker 2: Of course, he looks around and there's there's Burt Man, 984 00:50:44,160 --> 00:50:45,280 Speaker 2: there's Adrian Barbo. 985 00:50:48,080 --> 00:50:48,120 Speaker 3: Was. 986 00:50:49,400 --> 00:50:50,759 Speaker 2: You're digging the Sammy now, aren't you. 987 00:50:50,960 --> 00:50:53,560 Speaker 1: Yes, Sude, I think Sammy needs to be a recurring 988 00:50:53,640 --> 00:50:54,680 Speaker 1: character from now on. 989 00:50:54,840 --> 00:50:58,680 Speaker 3: In episode We'll see, We'll see, okay, the new hippie rob. 990 00:50:59,480 --> 00:51:03,040 Speaker 2: So in the eighties, he gets into some financial trouble, 991 00:51:03,360 --> 00:51:06,359 Speaker 2: to say the least, because I love how I had 992 00:51:06,360 --> 00:51:09,200 Speaker 2: put it. He'd been struggling with tax payments since the 993 00:51:09,280 --> 00:51:12,279 Speaker 2: nineteen sixties. I think it was a Willie Nelson sort 994 00:51:12,320 --> 00:51:15,399 Speaker 2: of deal from what I could gather. Oh yeah, yeah, 995 00:51:15,400 --> 00:51:17,320 Speaker 2: I mean I think he wasn't really paying his taxes. 996 00:51:17,640 --> 00:51:20,359 Speaker 1: Sure, sure, And apparently he'd also I don't know if 997 00:51:20,360 --> 00:51:22,640 Speaker 1: he got bad tax advice or what, but he had 998 00:51:22,920 --> 00:51:26,320 Speaker 1: claimed some very extravagant stuff as a write off, and 999 00:51:26,440 --> 00:51:29,400 Speaker 1: the IRS came back and said, Nope, that doesn't count. 1000 00:51:29,640 --> 00:51:32,919 Speaker 1: You also owe on that. And his estate was worth 1001 00:51:33,000 --> 00:51:36,640 Speaker 1: or his net assets were worth about four million, but 1002 00:51:36,719 --> 00:51:39,799 Speaker 1: he owed about seven million cheese. And he was a 1003 00:51:39,960 --> 00:51:44,399 Speaker 1: profligate spender of money. I saw one interview once where 1004 00:51:44,400 --> 00:51:47,000 Speaker 1: a guy said that he walked six blocks. 1005 00:51:46,600 --> 00:51:47,560 Speaker 3: In New York with them. 1006 00:51:47,680 --> 00:51:49,719 Speaker 1: He even named the streets, So it seems like he 1007 00:51:49,760 --> 00:51:52,680 Speaker 1: really did just walk six blocks and dropped fifty thousand 1008 00:51:52,719 --> 00:51:55,160 Speaker 1: dollars along the way, stopping in different stores. 1009 00:51:55,239 --> 00:51:57,080 Speaker 2: I thought, you dropped that out of his pocket on 1010 00:51:57,120 --> 00:51:57,439 Speaker 2: the street. 1011 00:51:57,440 --> 00:52:00,359 Speaker 3: No, no buying stuff, just buy by buy. 1012 00:52:00,440 --> 00:52:02,160 Speaker 1: He had to spend it because he had come from 1013 00:52:02,239 --> 00:52:05,640 Speaker 1: nothing and he knew, you know, that thrill of spending money. 1014 00:52:05,840 --> 00:52:09,960 Speaker 1: He was terrible with his money, and so he as 1015 00:52:09,960 --> 00:52:12,080 Speaker 1: he found out he owed seven million dollars, he started 1016 00:52:12,120 --> 00:52:16,080 Speaker 1: to organize some shows and specials to try to raise 1017 00:52:16,080 --> 00:52:19,040 Speaker 1: some money to help him pay off this debt. And 1018 00:52:19,120 --> 00:52:21,399 Speaker 1: after the first one, I think in nineteen eighty nine, 1019 00:52:21,800 --> 00:52:24,040 Speaker 1: he found that he had a sore throat, so he 1020 00:52:24,080 --> 00:52:27,880 Speaker 1: went to the doctor and ultimately was diagnosed with throat cancer. 1021 00:52:28,080 --> 00:52:31,760 Speaker 2: Yeah, after that very first show, that's like such cruel 1022 00:52:31,760 --> 00:52:35,120 Speaker 2: irony to raise all this money. Because when he passed 1023 00:52:35,160 --> 00:52:40,960 Speaker 2: away in nineteen ninety in May sixteenth of cancer, he 1024 00:52:41,360 --> 00:52:45,319 Speaker 2: left that tax bill to his wife like that that 1025 00:52:45,440 --> 00:52:51,000 Speaker 2: carried over, yeah, Altavius. Yeah, so that really left her 1026 00:52:51,080 --> 00:52:52,960 Speaker 2: kind of destitute for the rest of her life as well. 1027 00:52:53,040 --> 00:52:54,160 Speaker 3: Oh yeah, for sure. 1028 00:52:55,200 --> 00:52:58,400 Speaker 1: I mean like she then she basically owed three million 1029 00:52:58,400 --> 00:53:01,279 Speaker 1: dollars and his estate was sold off like basically at 1030 00:53:01,320 --> 00:53:07,360 Speaker 1: a yard sale auction. All of his stuff was And yeah, 1031 00:53:06,600 --> 00:53:11,680 Speaker 1: that was the negative part of his legacy, was that 1032 00:53:11,880 --> 00:53:13,600 Speaker 1: text at leaving that behind. 1033 00:53:13,800 --> 00:53:16,600 Speaker 2: Yeah, and you know, in one way, it's like kind 1034 00:53:16,600 --> 00:53:20,320 Speaker 2: of a sad ending with the financial stuff and obviously 1035 00:53:20,680 --> 00:53:22,040 Speaker 2: dying way too young of cancer. 1036 00:53:22,080 --> 00:53:24,480 Speaker 3: But yeah, sixty five man, he did. 1037 00:53:24,320 --> 00:53:27,960 Speaker 2: Accomplish everything he set out to accomplish. He showed everybody 1038 00:53:28,400 --> 00:53:33,440 Speaker 2: who said this diminutive, little mixed race, kind of funny 1039 00:53:33,440 --> 00:53:36,600 Speaker 2: looking guy is never going to amount to anything. And 1040 00:53:36,680 --> 00:53:39,000 Speaker 2: he had a lifelong career from the age of three 1041 00:53:39,120 --> 00:53:41,400 Speaker 2: to sixty five in show business. 1042 00:53:42,000 --> 00:53:43,759 Speaker 1: And one of the things Chuck is he did not 1043 00:53:44,000 --> 00:53:47,960 Speaker 1: really harbor regret. He apparently whenever he talked about his life, 1044 00:53:48,520 --> 00:53:52,279 Speaker 1: he talked about it with great satisfaction, which is pretty reassuring. 1045 00:53:52,360 --> 00:53:55,240 Speaker 2: Yeah, that quote on that Letterman show was great. Yeah, 1046 00:53:55,239 --> 00:53:58,280 Speaker 2: on the eighty five episode, he's talking about the younger generation, 1047 00:53:59,080 --> 00:54:01,320 Speaker 2: and he said, I look at the young performers today 1048 00:54:01,320 --> 00:54:04,120 Speaker 2: and I go like this, Yeah, man, go ahead, cook, 1049 00:54:05,200 --> 00:54:07,600 Speaker 2: I've been there. That's it man, I have no envy. 1050 00:54:07,680 --> 00:54:11,240 Speaker 2: I did it all. Yeah, pretty great, Go ahead, cook, 1051 00:54:11,600 --> 00:54:12,160 Speaker 2: that's great. 1052 00:54:12,880 --> 00:54:17,640 Speaker 3: Sammy Davis Junior. Everybody, round of applause. You got anything else? 1053 00:54:17,680 --> 00:54:18,319 Speaker 2: Got nothing else? 1054 00:54:18,640 --> 00:54:20,359 Speaker 1: If you want to know more about Sammy Davis Junior, 1055 00:54:20,480 --> 00:54:22,160 Speaker 1: just start watching some of his old performances. 1056 00:54:22,200 --> 00:54:23,880 Speaker 3: They're pretty amazing. Uh. 1057 00:54:23,920 --> 00:54:26,359 Speaker 1: And while you're doing that, we're going to just move 1058 00:54:26,400 --> 00:54:27,759 Speaker 1: on ahead to listener mail. 1059 00:54:30,160 --> 00:54:31,480 Speaker 2: Yeah, this is about the nine to one to one 1060 00:54:31,560 --> 00:54:34,440 Speaker 2: pizza thing. We heard from a lot of uh nine 1061 00:54:34,080 --> 00:54:34,760 Speaker 2: one one people. 1062 00:54:35,000 --> 00:54:37,319 Speaker 3: Yeah, I'm glad that you you picked one of these men. 1063 00:54:37,400 --> 00:54:37,799 Speaker 3: This is good. 1064 00:54:38,320 --> 00:54:41,520 Speaker 2: Hey, while we are not specifically trained, just send ems 1065 00:54:41,560 --> 00:54:44,399 Speaker 2: to calls where people pretend to order a pizza. Most 1066 00:54:44,480 --> 00:54:48,440 Speaker 2: nine one one dispatchers will in fact ask you, this 1067 00:54:48,480 --> 00:54:50,600 Speaker 2: is nine one one? Did you dial the wrong number? 1068 00:54:51,040 --> 00:54:54,000 Speaker 2: And if they respond no, we will then say are 1069 00:54:54,000 --> 00:54:56,120 Speaker 2: you in a situation where you can't ask for help? 1070 00:54:56,680 --> 00:54:59,400 Speaker 2: And then they can say yes or no. Obviously, there 1071 00:54:59,400 --> 00:55:01,600 Speaker 2: are many stories of this working out. Most in domestic 1072 00:55:01,640 --> 00:55:04,480 Speaker 2: violence are kidnapping situations. So even though it is a 1073 00:55:04,600 --> 00:55:07,200 Speaker 2: protocol necessarily or set in stone as a way to 1074 00:55:07,239 --> 00:55:10,200 Speaker 2: ask for help, it could help many people in bad situations. 1075 00:55:10,600 --> 00:55:13,560 Speaker 2: We will not just hang up on you. Even if 1076 00:55:13,600 --> 00:55:16,920 Speaker 2: you keep ordering a pizza and do not acknowledge that 1077 00:55:16,960 --> 00:55:19,840 Speaker 2: you need help. Most will still send out law enforcement 1078 00:55:19,840 --> 00:55:22,279 Speaker 2: for a welfare check due to the suspicious nature of 1079 00:55:22,280 --> 00:55:22,600 Speaker 2: the call. 1080 00:55:23,040 --> 00:55:23,920 Speaker 3: I'm glad to hear this. 1081 00:55:24,000 --> 00:55:25,879 Speaker 2: Yeah, please let this be known because in a last 1082 00:55:25,920 --> 00:55:27,480 Speaker 2: ditch effort, this may save someone's life. 1083 00:55:27,560 --> 00:55:28,600 Speaker 3: And that yeah is. 1084 00:55:28,560 --> 00:55:30,719 Speaker 2: From responder Brooke Diane. 1085 00:55:31,280 --> 00:55:35,200 Speaker 1: Thanks Brooke, and thank you also not for being like Josh. 1086 00:55:34,960 --> 00:55:37,000 Speaker 3: Was wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong. 1087 00:55:37,040 --> 00:55:38,760 Speaker 2: Oh I don't remember did you say that's not true? 1088 00:55:38,960 --> 00:55:41,320 Speaker 3: Yeah, I said specifically it's an urban legend. 1089 00:55:41,840 --> 00:55:43,160 Speaker 2: Oh okay, I don't even remember that. 1090 00:55:43,400 --> 00:55:43,640 Speaker 3: Yeah. 1091 00:55:43,640 --> 00:55:45,560 Speaker 1: So I was really glad when people started writing I'm 1092 00:55:45,560 --> 00:55:47,200 Speaker 1: glad you picked one to say like, no. 1093 00:55:47,200 --> 00:55:48,759 Speaker 3: This is this is for real. 1094 00:55:49,000 --> 00:55:53,160 Speaker 1: Okay, great, thanks again, Brooke. That was fantastic. If you 1095 00:55:53,200 --> 00:55:54,959 Speaker 1: want to get in touch with this like Brooke did. 1096 00:55:55,040 --> 00:55:56,959 Speaker 1: Even if you do want to say Josh was wrong 1097 00:55:57,040 --> 00:55:59,800 Speaker 1: wrong wrong, wrong, wrong, that's all right, we'd love to 1098 00:55:59,800 --> 00:56:02,239 Speaker 1: hear that kind of thing. You can send us an 1099 00:56:02,280 --> 00:56:08,439 Speaker 1: email to stuff podcast at iHeartRadio dot com. 1100 00:56:08,600 --> 00:56:11,480 Speaker 2: Stuff you Should Know is a production of iHeartRadio. For 1101 00:56:11,560 --> 00:56:15,759 Speaker 2: more podcasts my heart Radio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, 1102 00:56:15,840 --> 00:56:17,680 Speaker 2: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.