Sammy Davis Jr. by Phillipe Halsman
Listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
Released in 1965, Sammy Davis Jr.'s autobiography became an instant classic, one of the most dynamic celebrity memoirs ever published and a testament to Davis’s barrier-breaking success as a black man in America. But the story behind the book, which was conceived and developed by two white ghostwriters -- and the racial and sexual dynamics of Davis's life during the years leading up to its release, which included two marriages and one relationship with a white movie star which almost got him killed -- are even more fascinating.
Sammy Davis, Jr. and Loray White at their wedding, 1958 | Photo UNLV University Libraries
SHOW NOTES:
Sources for the entire season:
Dino by Nick Tosches
Jerry Lewis In Person by Jerry Lewis and Herb Gluck
In Black and White: The Life of Sammy Davis Jr. by Will Haygood
Yes I Can: The Autobiography of Sammy Davis Jr. by Sammy Davis Jr., Burt Boyar and Jane Boyar
Sammy: An Autobiography by Sammy Davis Jr. and Jane and Burt Boyar
Rat Pack Confidential by Shawn Levy
His Way: The Unauthorized Biography of Frank Sinatra by Kitty Kelley
Deconstructing Sammy: Music, Money, Madness, and the Mob by Matt Birkbeck
Sinatra: The Voice by James Kaplan
Sinatra: The Chairman by James Kaplan
Memories are Made of This by Deana Martin
Brothers: The Hidden History of the Kennedy Years by David Talbot
Making Movies Black by Thomas Cripps
Mafia Spies: The Inside Story of the CIA, Gangsters, JFK, and Castro by Thomas Maier
My Lucky Stars by Shirley Maclaine
Sources specific to this episode:
Yes I Can: The Autobiography of Sammy Davis Jr. by Sammy Davis Jr., Burt Boyar and Jane Boyar
Kim Novak: Reluctant Goddess by Peter Harry Brown
Hollywood is a Four Letter Town by James Bacon
The Egotists by Oriana Fallaci
“Ike Jones dies at 84; pioneering African American film producer”, October 11, 2014, LA Times
Please note: as an Amazon Associate Karina earns from qualifying purchases made when you click the clinks above. #ad
Harry Belafonte, Martin Luther King Jr. and Sammy Davis Jr. at the Broadway Answers Selma Benefit, 1965
Music:
The music used in this episode, with the exception of the intro, was sourced from royalty-free music libraries and licensed music collections. The intro includes a clip from the film Casablanca.
Excerpts from the following songs were used throughout the episode:
Chai Belltini - Vermouth
Alum Drum Solo - Azalai
Lowball - Vermouth
Guild Rat- El Baul
Cran Ras - Vermouth
Spot Peter - The Sweet Hots
Lowball - Vermouth
Entrance Shaft 11 - The Depot
Single Still - Vermouth
Chaunce Libertine - Vermouth
Our Only Lark - Bitters
Sammy Davis Jr. with his wife May Britt and their children, 1964 | Leonard McCombe The LIFE Picture Collection/Shutterstock
Credits:
This episode was written, narrated, and produced by Karina Longworth.
Our editor this season is Evan Viola.
Research and production assistant: Lindsey D. Schoenholtz.
Social media assistant: Brendan Whalen.
Logo design: Teddy Blanks.
