The only problem was, the movie never made to the big screen. Black folks protested the film saying it depicted black men as weak. It was only shown on TV. I love this movie
He should’ve been nominated for the Golden Globe award or for an Oscar for this role.., because he was very much worthy of this performance in a musical film…
Mom thought this was so important that she let us stay up late and see it when we were kids, and it was the Late Show on TV that night; all the next day we were both singing "It Ain't Necessarily So!" 😄
I would love to own a copy of this great movie with Dorothy Dandridge, Sammy Davis Jr. Sidney Poitier, Pear Bailey, and Diahann Carroll. This is a classic. It needs to be restored in UK/Blu Ray. Imagine what this would sound like in surround sound. A great treasure.
I would love to see this film remastered (4K/UHD etc.) and aired on TCM. Watching his _American Masters_ story a few months back brought me here. And on the eve of his 95th birthday. #RIPSammyDavisJr
Sammy Davis Jr., Afro-Cuban brother from Harlem was a triple threat before the phrase was coined, He sang, Danced and Acted like no one else could, ABSO FUKIN LUTELY Fabulous ✊🏾✌🏾🤎
Written by George Gershwin, an American composer, Gershwin also composed "Rhapsody in Blue" in 1924. This song by Sammy Davis Jr. comes from the Gershwins' opera "Porgy and Bess" where it is sung by the character Sportin' Life, a drug dealer.
@@carolynzaremba5469 Guarantee to you that more than half the people don't know shit about Gershwin. Only knowing him perhaps for this and other songs in this production, and likely have heard Rhapsody In Blue but don't know it's name. Not to mention that Gershwin wrote about a quarter of all hit standards of the first half of the 20th century. Schools do terrible jobs at teaching people about the history of music. Even some colleges too.
The role Sammy Davis was born to play. He was robbed of The right to perform on the sound track recording, a best selling album because of contract obligations. Now the film was withdrawn and has been publicly shown only rarely.
I was thinking, "Wait a minute, what about Gene Kelly?" But Sammy was a much better singer and actor, IMO. As far as dancing is concerned, I would feel foolish trying to make a choice at that level of mastery.
Sammy Davis Jr so owned this part to the point where I think some of his mannerisms have slipped into most if not all interpretations of the role since - which is all the more impressive when you realize that this movie his been off the market and inaccessible to mainstream audiences for decades.
The Gospel According to Sporting Life is rather colorful. When you hear that entrance music, you know there's trouble brewing in the form of a dancing con artist.
Great scene! Sammy Davis Jr does an excellent job as Sportin Life, acting as the living embodiment of Temptation. Singing, dancing and swaying the crowd towards sin! With the children being the first among them to be led astray.
The ONLY BLACK DANCING JEW in Hellyweird.Sammy is a CROWD PLEASING PERFORMER even to this day cause he DiD EVERTHING,sing,dance act & knows a good pUBLICITY move when he saw IT still here during Rona lockdown in 2021 to stave off boredom
Could somebody please say what is the source of this clip? Name of the movie (I presume "Porgy and Bess" but what year / producer / director ... ) please?
I'm surprised that white actors and dancers weren't blackfaced in this production. But I remembered my elementary school on the 1970s showed this movie during an assembly. It was a mixed race progressive school(blacks,whites,Hispanics, and asians)
Why are you surprised? Minstrel shows and the like were just one genre of “entertainment” among many and had all but died out by then anyway. Meanwhile, there was no shortage of renowned Black American actors at the time, several of whom had been starring in Hollywood films for decades by then. (As opposed to say, Asians and Native Americans for example, who were often played by white actors in the starring roles instead.) Porgy and Bess was a first with its exclusively black cast but it’s not as though all the black characters had been played by white people prior to that… In 1940, Paul Robeson even took the starring role in a film that was set in a Welsh mining village! (“Proud Valley”)
As great as Sammy Davis was, it seems to me that Cab Calloway was born for this part -- especially this song. At 52, Maybe Calloway was too old for the part. Or maybe he wasn't a good enough actor.
Someone once said, Sammy Davis Jr. was born to play this role. He was the most versatile entertainer. Super talented.
This and Mr Bojangles
I had the pleasure of seeing this movie when it came out. Been singing this song ever since.
Mr Bojangles was still shitting his pants when this came out.
Sammy Davis Jr should’ve gotten nominated for an Oscar or Golden Globe for this role
The only problem was, the movie never made to the big screen. Black folks protested the film saying it depicted black men as weak. It was only shown on TV. I love this movie
@@hyacinthwatkins3246 ...That's incorrect. PORGY AND BESS did hit the big screen in July 1959.
I agree.
in a world where cab calloway doesn't exist
Absolutely 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾🧡🧡
He should’ve been nominated for the Golden Globe award or for an Oscar for this role.., because he was very much worthy of this performance in a musical film…
Mom thought this was so important that she let us stay up late and see it when we were kids, and it was the Late Show on TV that night; all the next day we were both singing "It Ain't Necessarily So!" 😄
I would love to own a copy of this great movie with Dorothy Dandridge, Sammy Davis Jr. Sidney Poitier, Pear Bailey, and Diahann Carroll. This is a classic. It needs to be restored in UK/Blu Ray. Imagine what this would sound like in surround sound. A great treasure.
I've got the vinyl of this but I too would love to have the movie! It needs to be re-released!
I had the great pleasure of seeing him perform in a live play once. So much talent in one human being. I'll never forget it.
Definitely the best song and dance I have ever seen.
I would love to see this film remastered (4K/UHD etc.) and aired on TCM. Watching his _American Masters_ story a few months back brought me here. And on the eve of his 95th birthday. #RIPSammyDavisJr
Sammy Davis Jr., Afro-Cuban brother from Harlem was a triple threat before the phrase was coined, He sang, Danced and Acted like no one else could, ABSO FUKIN LUTELY Fabulous ✊🏾✌🏾🤎
One of the reasons I love the internet, I was thinking about this, and here it is, Sammy Freaking Davis Jr in his prime 💙
My sentiments exactly
Written by George Gershwin, an American composer, Gershwin also composed "Rhapsody in Blue" in 1924. This song by Sammy Davis Jr. comes from the Gershwins' opera "Porgy and Bess" where it is sung by the character Sportin' Life, a drug dealer.
Everybody watching this knows that.
@@carolynzaremba5469 Guarantee to you that more than half the people don't know shit about Gershwin. Only knowing him perhaps for this and other songs in this production, and likely have heard Rhapsody In Blue but don't know it's name. Not to mention that Gershwin wrote about a quarter of all hit standards of the first half of the 20th century. Schools do terrible jobs at teaching people about the history of music. Even some colleges too.
Nobody will ever match this. 💕
This is the hardest movie in the world to find.
So agree
I've had it on dvd for years. Found it in Harlem, USA
It’s now on u- tube- watch it while you can.
@@sarahgreen8988
You're right.
@@sarahgreen8988 Link?
The role Sammy Davis was born to play. He was robbed of The right to perform on the sound track recording, a best selling album because of contract obligations. Now the film was withdrawn and has been publicly shown only rarely.
Elizabeth Murphy - Along with ’The Cannonball Run”, which showed him also to be a master of comedy.
Thanks a lot for this explaination because what is indicated on the 1963 CBS recording sleave is not very clear (Cab Calloway as Sportin' Life ?)
It's on DVD
Only as a very poor quality transfer from VHS.
(I have one!)
I remember this from the movie. It made such an impression on me as a young adult.
If we were to count all the Oscar's and other awards and recognitions our people should have received that number would be staggering . .
Well he sang & danced up a storm in Robin & The Seven Hoods too!
this film is so difficult to find...thanks for this excerpt
There is a Cab Calloway performance of this song that is equally spectacular. From Ed Sullivan show.
I just watched it and this was my recommended next video!
He killed this role. Honestly I would've watched this JUST for Sammy Davis Jr. When the dude dances, he moves like water LOL
I was thinking, "Wait a minute, what about Gene Kelly?" But Sammy was a much better singer and actor, IMO. As far as dancing is concerned, I would feel foolish trying to make a choice at that level of mastery.
Sammy Davis maintained his physical identity throughout his intire lifetime even I could identify him from before my times!!
Goosebumps when I realized that’s Sammy! 💛
I grew up watching this film.
Sammy Davis Jr so owned this part to the point where I think some of his mannerisms have slipped into most if not all interpretations of the role since - which is all the more impressive when you realize that this movie his been off the market and inaccessible to mainstream audiences for decades.
TALENTED KIDS ( The performers. Sammy, too!)
Great Movie but I think the Gershwin family are fighting with someone so no release of the movie I’m amazed to see this on RUclips
The Gospel According to Sporting Life is rather colorful.
When you hear that entrance music, you know there's trouble brewing in the form of a dancing con artist.
And hooray for him!
Great scene! Sammy Davis Jr does an excellent job as Sportin Life, acting as the living embodiment of Temptation. Singing, dancing and swaying the crowd towards sin! With the children being the first among them to be led astray.
I'm an atheist. I don't believe in sin.
Because Sammy Davis was under contract to another record company, the soundtrack LP substituted the voice of Cab Calloway.
The ONLY BLACK DANCING JEW in Hellyweird.Sammy is a CROWD PLEASING PERFORMER even to this day cause he DiD EVERTHING,sing,dance act & knows a good pUBLICITY move when he saw IT still here during Rona lockdown in 2021 to stave off boredom
The man's a MARVELOUSLY talented performer!! :)
Could somebody please say what is the source of this clip? Name of the movie (I presume "Porgy and Bess" but what year / producer / director ... ) please?
www.imdb.com/title/tt0053182/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk
Oscar Peterson Trio does a beautiful version of this.
Miles Davis with Gil Evans's rendition of this song is legendary.
3:11 Scatty wah 2
2:02 Scatty wah
Oh, it's so alright, Sammy!
Which performance is this? Which year?
This is the movie! 1959!
Original release 1959.
I was 10 years old and saw it then.
Is that Sammy Davis Jr there? Good history in film making!!
Seems more truth coming out since youtube worldwide
I'm surprised that white actors and dancers weren't blackfaced in this production. But I remembered my elementary school on the 1970s showed this movie during an assembly. It was a mixed race progressive school(blacks,whites,Hispanics, and asians)
Why are you surprised? Minstrel shows and the like were just one genre of “entertainment” among many and had all but died out by then anyway. Meanwhile, there was no shortage of renowned Black American actors at the time, several of whom had been starring in Hollywood films for decades by then. (As opposed to say, Asians and Native Americans for example, who were often played by white actors in the starring roles instead.)
Porgy and Bess was a first with its exclusively black cast but it’s not as though all the black characters had been played by white people prior to that… In 1940, Paul Robeson even took the starring role in a film that was set in a Welsh mining village! (“Proud Valley”)
As great as Sammy Davis was, it seems to me that Cab Calloway was born for this part -- especially this song. At 52, Maybe Calloway was too old for the part. Or maybe he wasn't a good enough actor.
He turned it down, but Cab was the number one choice for the movie version.
Yeah, Cab Calloway was my choice, too..
Gershwin wrote the part with Cab in mind and he performed it in 1953. In this film version Sammy Davis Jr. played Sportin' Life in 1959.
Who else is on the academic decathlon
An angry church lady comes in to bust the party up and spoil the sinners' fun!
Mellow
SEXY Sportin' Life! 💋
It aint necessarily so- just ask Mike Johnson or Mike Pence.
Sammy is wonderful here. But the part was actually written for Cab Calloway. Unfortunately, he didn’t get to perform it until late in life.
C nul