[.ca] In Black & White: The Life of Sammy Davis Jr. (ISBN 0823083950)

INTRIGUING BIO AND CHRONICLE:
Sammy Davis, Jr., the true "I Gotta Be Me," man was not only a topnotch entertainer but also a tortured individual according to this exhaustive biography by journalist Wil Haygood. More than simply a comprehensive biography "In Black and White" is an intriguing chronicle of black entertainment in our country. Trained by his father and uncle Sammy had no classroom education but a world of stage smarts. As a small child he mastered soft shoe and tap to become the star of the vaudeville threesome "The Will Mastin Trio." There seemed to be nothing the youngster couldn't do whether it was singing, dancing, playing an instrument or miming other performers. This energetic bundle of talent couldn't be contained. He burst upon the television screen and was soon a member of Hollywood's celebrated "Rat Pack" paling around and joking on stage with Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Joey Bishop. Nonetheless, Sammy was black and they were white. He was very aware of the difference - where he could stay and where he could not. Once married to a black girl he later started dating blond white actresses and eventually wed May Britt, a union that shocked. He survived a 1954 car accident which caused him to lose an eye, and his face with the black eye patch soon became familiar. For reasons unknown and only surmised he converted to Judaism. When he told Jerry Lewis of his plan, Lewis asked, "Don't you already have enough problems?" Problems were to dog him for all of his life. Beneath the happy veneer was a wellspring of anguish. "In Black and White" is a memorable biography of a one-of-a-kind entertainer and an eye-opening glimpse of the world of entertainment as it once was.

AN INTRIGUING BIO AND CHRONICLE:
Sammy Davis, Jr., the true "I Gotta Be Me," man was not only a topnotch entertainer but also a tortured individual according to this exhaustive biography by journalist Wil Haygood. More than simply a comprehensive biography "In Black and White" is an intriguing chronicle of black entertainment in our country. Trained by his father and uncle Sammy had no classroom education but a world of stage smarts. As a small child he mastered soft shoe and tap to become the star of the vaudeville threesome "The Will Mastin Trio." There seemed to be nothing the youngster couldn't do whether it was singing, dancing, playing an instrument or miming other performers. This energetic bundle of talent couldn't be contained. He burst upon the television screen and was soon a member of Hollywood's celebrated "Rat Pack" paling around and joking on stage with Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Joey Bishop. Nonetheless, Sammy was black and they were white. He was very aware of the difference - where he could stay and where he could not. Once married to a black girl he later started dating blond white actresses and eventually wed May Britt, a union that shocked. He survived a 1954 car accident which caused him to lose an eye, and his face with the black eye patch soon became familiar. For reasons unknown and only surmised he converted to Judaism. When he told Jerry Lewis of his plan, Lewis asked, "Don't you already have enough problems?" Problems were to dog him for all of his life. Beneath the happy veneer was a wellspring of anguish. "In Black and White" is a memorable biography of a one-of-a-kind entertainer and an eye-opening glimpse of the world of entertainment as it once was. - Gail Cooke

A great history book!:
Overall, I think the book is great. It was well researched. The author puts the many milestones in Sammy's life in great historical perspective. We find out what type of indignities blacks entertainers endured beginning with the vaudeville era when they sought applause by performing in blackface to the `60s when they were not permitted to stay in hotels where they performed. By understanding the times in which Sammy lived, the reader gets a better understanding of some of his disturbing behaviors such as the way he tolerated racist humor from his white friends and his adulation of white culture. We also gain insight on the affect having an absent mother had on Sammy's relationship with women, his ambition and his constant need to be loved. I would highly recommend this book! Sammy is a true show business legend.

A frustrating read:
The cover of Wil Haygood's book stands in almost absolute contrast to the contents therein. The photo shows Sammy alone, surrounded by nothing. He is literally the only thing in the picture; even his shadow barely registers. In contrast, the book itself goes to painstaking lengths to describe the world and people who surrounded Sammy - the entirety of his universe - and at the center of it all...a void. That's my fancy way of saying that, for a book about Sammy Davis, Jr., "In Black And White" contains remarkably little Sammy Davis, Jr. I can appreciate Mr. Haygood's efforts to put things in context. This, he does exceedingly well. But the book is almost entirely context; the reader can, and often does, go pages without encountering any reference to Sammy whatsoever. Example: more time is spent discussing Cuban history than is spent on Sammy's entire stint in the US Army. That seems disproportionate to me. A random ten-page sample of the book might be broken down thusly: > 3 pages of biographical background on producer Jule Steyn > 2 pages of background on Harry Belafonte and Sidney Poitier > 2 pages accounting various social issues blacks were facing in the US at the time > a page covering the history of blacks on Broadway > a page of assorted people talking about their experiences being around Sammy > half a page of Broadway folk accounting their reactions to the idea of Sammy coming to Broadway > and then a few paragraphs that actually relate to what Sammy was doing at the time, some speculation on why, and how the people around him perceived his actions. One would have a hard time getting through this entire book without wondering at some point or another when the author is finally going to get around to writing about Sammy. As I read the book, I appreciated Mr. Haywood's skill, and I do feel I learned a lot...I just didn't learn a lot about Sammy Davis, Jr.

A Rock Solid Read:
Reading about Sammy Davis Jr is always a Must for me.the Man was not only a Multi-Talented Person but also a Soul Brother who had to deal with alot of Obstacles not that long ago.He held His own in the Rat Pack.He dealt with Racisim & Other forces working against Him & still made folks respect His hard Work as a Entertainer.the Author Wil Haygood explores so much & Brings many elements into the life of Sammy Davis Jr.very detailed book from start to finish.