How Billy Crystal learned to imitate Sammy Davis, Jr. | American Masters

How Billy Crystal learned to imitate Sammy Davis, Jr. | American Masters | PBS

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Күн бұрын

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On May 10, 2016, director Sam Pollard interviewed Billy Crystal about his admiration for and working relationship with Sammy Davis, Jr., who he would later impersonate on "Saturday Night Live." Interview conducted for "Sammy Davis, Jr.: I've Gotta Be Me" (2019).
Chapters:
00:00 - Crystal’s first magical encounters with Sammy Davis, Jr.
03:56 - His first gig opening for Davis in Lake Tahoe
09:23 - Forming an impression of a storied impressionist
11:20 - Davis impersonates Humphrey Bogart, Gary Cooper, and Frank Sinatra
13:05 - Crystal and Davis pranking each other during their Tahoe run
15:22 - Debuting his Sammy Davis, Jr. impression on Saturday Night Live
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Пікірлер: 22

@Rick_Hoppe 5 ай бұрын

Billy Crystal’s reminiscences of Sammy are a treasure!

@trishlangford5773 5 ай бұрын

So good to hear Billy talking about Sammy. I've loved Sammy all my life. Always will. ❤❤❤❤

@johntiger5 7 ай бұрын

Billy Crystal is a gem.

@drdr1957 7 ай бұрын

I loved Sammy too! Tyvm

@jeffreylockhart8292 7 ай бұрын

I love this, hearing this hearing his way of telling specific parts of spending time with Sammy Davis, Jr. Sammy Davis , Jr. entertainer since a kid what a dancer as a kid he was!! Started with Will Mastin Trio his old man was Sammy Davis , Sr. being on stage and entertaining from the 30's !!

@IamHzwyfee 7 ай бұрын

*When he used to do those specials with Robin Williams and Whoopi Goldberg it was amazing. They were all fantastic together*

@bossfan49 7 күн бұрын

One of the kings of comedy.

@LMays-cu2hp 7 ай бұрын

Thank you for sharing thos beautiful history.

@touchofdumb 4 ай бұрын

Billy doing Sammy doing Bogey! Woah cats. Im in Heaven and I mean that.

@BlueBaron3339 7 ай бұрын

It's not that folks have forgotten what an *immense* talent Sammy Davis, Jr. was...that *voice* those *moves* that *chutzpah* he had from an extremely early age on. It's because they've never encountered it. They didn't grow up with stars that could sing, dance, and act - brilliantly! But Billy Crystal remembers. Fondly, and in such rich detail 😃❤

@artheriford 5 ай бұрын

Truth. The didn’t call him Mr. Show Business for nothing. Sam was the man!

@bg7606 Ай бұрын

What an awesome set of stories. Esp the soul food

@artheriford 6 ай бұрын

Billy's tribute/impersonation of Sammy was the funniest SNL skit I ever saw. "Jackie Rogers Jr's $100,000 Jackpot Wad" Some said it was racist, but that was so not racist. Sammy was one of Billy's biggest heroes and earliest influences.

@trishlangford5773 5 ай бұрын

Couldn't get away with it these days. The grim, sour faced, humourless WOKE mob would be "Outraged". They really are the biggest miseries on the planet and aim to make Everybody as miserable as they are. Reality was Sammy loved it. He was so cool. I so wish we hadn't lost him so soon. 😢

@artheriford 5 ай бұрын

No. Sammy . Dean Martin. Frank Sinatra. Peter Lawford. Joey Bishop . I will never be that cool. @@trishlangford5773

@georgialerangis2123 2 ай бұрын

❤🎉

@HiVizCamo 6 ай бұрын

Funny the difference.

@jeff1867 4 ай бұрын

So if your a liberal your allowed to do blackface if your a republican doing blackface your canceled. I love when Billy does sammy but just find it odd on who's allowed to do certain things

@trishlangford5773 2 ай бұрын

Not so strange. Sammy and Billy were friends and both Jewish. Also tthere were three big differences. 1) Billy did it with Sammy' s blessing . 2) Back then people still had a sense of humour 3) Things were not so tediously Woke. People weren't so easily "triggered" to take offence. They had a backbone not a jelly belly.

@juanareas5317 Ай бұрын

We loved Billy's impressions of Sammy. Black people weren't sensitive about it back then. We had a sense of humor.