In Black And White: The Life Of Sammy Davis, Jr. (2003) - Plot & Excerpts
5 Stars***** Whew ~ 23 hours of Sammy!! Really interesting and thorough look at an enormously talented and kindhearted, but ultimately sad man, who was always searching for the childhood love and security he never had. The author missed nothing ~ its all here starting with Sammy's Cuban grandmother and ending on his deathbed. If you are a fan, you'll be a bigger fan, if you aren't, I think you'll still find this a fascinating story of a young boy who's talent supported his father and "uncle" in the segregated depression era, his lust for white women (as many as possible!) at a time where that could get you killed and his inability to connect with his own race - it really baffled him. Segregation, civil rights movement, Rat Pat, Broadway, movies, Nixon, drugs, huge money problems, this has everything including his strange and sad hero worship of Sinatra.I'm a big fan of this amazing entertainer and sorely regret that I'll never get to see him perform live. In Black and White gave me a complete picture of Sammy and shed more light on the good and bad of what I already knew and a whole lot I didn't know. Two Big thumbs up.
This excellent biography fixes Sammy Davis jr in the various turbulent times he lived through, and goes someway to explaining how he could sometimes seem so out of step with the world around him. The narrative flows with ease from the vaudeville days of the 30s to the civil rights movement of the 60s and beyond, making sure that Sammy and his actions are in context the whole way.Anyone seeking another rat pack book will be disappointed, Frank and Dean do drift into the pages occasionally (although Sinatra really does not come out well) but this book is all about Sammy. And what emerges is a fragile figure who is both endearing and horribly naive.Haygood is a gifted writer who manages to wear his clearly extensive research lightly, and has crafted a showbiz biog which has depth and insight and keeps you turning the pages.
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