On August 3, 2015, Jerry Lewis sat down for a conversation about his path to becoming a comedian and how his and Sammy Davis, Jr.’s careers and lives were intertwined through a lifelong friendship and mutual respect. Interview conducted for Sammy Davis Jr.: I’ve Gotta Be Me (2019).
Chapters:
00:00 – Sammy Davis, Jr. blows away Lewis at Hollywood’s legendary Ciro’s Nightclub
01:00 – Lewis brings Davis, Jr. under his wing as his “preacher”
04:02 – Davis, Jr. unlearns the vaudeville tropes he inherited from Will Mastin and Sammy Davis, Sr.
06:15 – Davis, Jr. impersonates his closest friend
08:44 – How the issue of racism complicated Davis’ performances
The American Masters Digital Archive includes over 1,000 hours of never-before-seen, raw interviews: a treasure trove of the movers and shakers of American culture, including Maya Angelou, Patti Smith, Mel Brooks, Carol Burnett, Matthew Broderick, Carl Reiner, Joan Rivers, Dionne Warwick, Lee Grant, Sidney Lumet, Betty White and many others.
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