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Sammy Davis Jr. by Phillipe Halsman
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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.
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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
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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
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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.
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