I watched my Rat Pack DVD last night again – a concert they gave in St. Louis – Dean, Frank and Sammy – with a kind of awkward Johnny Carson standing in for Joey Bishop. Carson, at times, seemed kind of lost up there with those 3 improvisational lunatics. He was trying to say something to the audience at one point, standing in front – and suddenly – you can hear the audience start to howl – something else is going on – and then into the frame walks Dean Martin, and he is holding Sammy Davis Jr. in his arms, as though Sammy is a young baby. Sammy is holding a drink and a cigarette in one hand. But anyway, Johnny is talking and suddenly – here comes THESE two and Dean walks right up to the mike and says, “I’d like to thank the NAACP for this wonderful trophy …” It comes from out of nowhere, and it is hilarious. Sammy’s face, too – this kind of pissed passive face … It’s hysterical.
But Johnny – while a bit like a fish out of water – – he was charming, also humble, and a sweet host, really connecting with the audience.
Look at his youth.
cute, in an awkward gee-whiz sort of way.
I know Sammy Davis, Jr. wasn’t a very big guy, but wow, Dean must have been pretty strong to be able to carry him…and that joke is pretty damn funny.
Then later – they’re all trying to figure out how to sing a song all together – should they use one mike, or three – they are literally improvising this stuff ON TELEVISION – would never happen now … but anyway, Frank decides (of course) that they should use only one mike – so he goes and takes Sammy’s mike away from him, and as the mike is taken away you can hear Sammy say, “I thought it was separate but equal.” Again: HUGE laugh – you can see it just HIT Frank – He basically doubles over in laughter, and falls INTO Sammy Davis, hugging him as he laughs … Funny funny moment. But also – you just get the sense of the larger world out there in that comment … and yet he’s making a JOKE out of it … Extraordinary.
One of my favorite stories from the Carson-era Tonight Show is when Frank Sinatra made his first (and I think only) appearance in 1976. During his monologue, Johnny said something along the lines of, “say what you will about Frank Sinatra, but he is definitely a man of word. When I got this show in 1962 I invited him to be a guest, and he told me ‘kid, when this country elects a peanut farmer to be president, I’d be happy to go on your show.'”
It being the era of sartorial disaster, I also remember Frank wearing an open collar shirt with a collar so wide it looked like lapels. Even the man wasn’t immune.
My favorite part of that concert is when hey get Carson to sing. You can see how terriffied he is, but in some way, I think it actually works. I love him with those guys.
And can I just say, Sammy Davis Jr?????
When was the last time you saw a guy sing like that, dance like that, tell jokes like that, and then do IMPRESSIONS??? Like, who does impressions anymore?
Genius.
Alex – the whole Sammy thing is beyond belief. I guess I didn’t really get it – until I SAW it.
I mean – what?
When he sings an entire song with just his drummer? It gave me goosebumps. Unbelievable.
Hey – did you get my phone message yesterday??? Or day before?
Maybe you can solve an old mystery…Did Sammy’s widow Altrovese end up working in K-mart because he died broke?