His friends Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh obliged by inviting both of them to a party at their house. This bit of idle gossip was far from harmless. An affair between Novak and Davis had the potential to destroy both of their careers.
In , interracial marriage was illegal in half the states. Most Americans were against it. A Gallup poll from showed that only 4 percent of Americans approved of interracial marriage.
The national atmosphere was fraught with racial tension. As a black man, Davis had been stopped from dating white women before, but this time was different. Novak was a movie star. As the latest Hollywood sex goddess, Novak was potentially worth millions. When he saw the gossip item, Davis called Novak to apologize for putting her in an awkward position with the studio. Soon after, they were dating.
Their affair continued for most of Davis and Novak were aware of the risks they were taking, but that, it seems, made the relationship more exciting. Arthur Silber, a close friend and companion of Davis, often chauffeured the couple to a rented beach house in Malibu. They went to great length to hide their relationship—Davis would sometimes lie on the floor of the car under a blanket to avoid being seen with Novak.
He missed Novak so much that he found a replacement for his act and flew overnight to see her and meet her parents. Irv Kupcinet of the Chicago Sun-Times heard about the visit and mentioned it in his column. Gossip heated up. There was a rumor Davis and Novak had taken out a marriage license.
The next morning, while flying to Los Angeles, he had the first of several heart attacks that would soon kill him. By all accounts, Cohn was a ruthless studio chief who admired Benito Mussolini and had ties to the Chicago mob. Silber was there when Davis received the phone call. Novak, who has consistently asserted that her relationship with Davis was never anything other than friendship, has also said the studio ordered her to stop seeing him.
They also placed guards around her house. What was so terrible? During his service, he directly experienced horrendous racial prejudice that his father had previously protected him from. He was constantly harassed and physically abused by white soldiers, with his fellow servicemen breaking his nose. But Davis eventually found refuge in an entertainment regiment, where he discovered that performing allowed him a certain measure of safety and a desire to earn even a hateful audience member's love.
After the war, Davis resumed his showbiz career. He continued to perform with the Will Mastin Trio as the star of the act and also struck out on his own, singing in nightclubs and recording records.
His career began to rise to new heights in when the trio opened for Frank Sinatra with whom Davis would remain a lifelong friend and collaborator at the Capitol Theatre in New York.
A tour with Mickey Rooney followed, as did a performance that caught the ear of Decca Records, who signed Davis to a recording contract in Later that year, while driving to Los Angeles for a soundtrack recording, Davis was seriously injured in a car accident. The accident resulted in his losing an eye, and he would use a glass eye for most of his life.
His recuperation also gave him time for deep reflection. He converted to Judaism shortly thereafter, finding commonalities between the oppression experienced by African American and Jewish communities. In his first two albums, Starring Sammy Davis Jr. Sings Just for Lovers , were released to both critical acclaim and commercial success, which in turn led to headlining performances in Las Vegas and New York as well as further appearances in films and on television shows, including Anna Lucasta , with Eartha Kitt , Porgy and Bess , with Dorothy Dandridge and Sidney Poitier and The Frank Sinatra Show Around this time Davis made his Broadway debut as well, starring in the hit musical Mr.
Wonderful alongside members of his family and another legendary dancer, Chita Rivera. By , Davis was a star in his own right. Davis was also a featured player in films outside of the pack, including A Man Called Adam , having the titular role opposite Louis Armstrong.
The iconic performer also released a steady stream of albums on Decca and Reprise. Davis was the first artist to be signed on the latter label, which was launched by Sinatra. And Davis's live stage work continued to earn him honors, as seen with his Tony Award—nominated performance in the musical Golden Boy.
In , the entertainer hosted his own short-lived variety series, The Sammy Davis Jr. Years later, he played host again on the syndicated talk show Sammy and Company , from Fifty-five-year-old Mark Davis said he first learned he was adopted after reading a Life magazine article in the s that said the entertainer had adopted Mark around the age of two.
But in , Mark found his original birth certificate which listed Davis as his biological father. While Penny Marshall and Cindy Williams played best friends on TV, in real life, their friendship fell apart when Williams abruptly left the show during its eighth season.
To celebrate the sports superstar, here are seven facts about his life and iconic career. On December 30, , Hubble discovered the existence of other galaxies using the most advanced telescope in the world. Take a look at the fascinating and tortured life of one of the greatest artists in world history. Learn little-known facts about the man behind the theory of evolution. Learn about the man and the legend that go well beyond his fruitful name.
Learn about the German brothers who made some of the most popular fairy tales of all time. Here are seven interesting facts about Mr. He converted to Judaism Life was different after Davis' car accident. The paternity of one of his sons was in question Reports surfaced that one of Davis' adopted sons was actually his biological son.
By Tim Ott.
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