I would have loved to seen these guys perform live, I know African Americans didn't live in the best of times back then but I kinda wish I was born back then to witness the magic of The Rat Pack
I met Sammy in St. Louis back around 1985. He was an exceptionally nice guy and talked to you like he'd known you forever. He was a GREAT talent and will be remembered for many many years to come. A TRUE entertainer in every sense of the word.
A few years back, I was in Vegas and saw a Rat Pack show. Obviously, the men singing were imitators, but they were great anyway. I'm glad that the tradition lives in some sense.
These guys were the BEST! Not only the amazing talent of all of them, but the fact that they were able to break racial and religious barriers in the 1960s, when it was really bad - should make us all feel like failures. Seriously - this generation has taken a big step backwards - we should stop tiptoeing around each other. Take a lesson from these guys and the past. They were on the right track - this generation lost it somewhere along the way......
Thanks for the comment Karen! I LOVE these videos and these guys had such fun up there together on stage right? I almost wish someone did a TV show in which they had friends entertain like this.
As I watch this I can only imagine the fun and excitement that filled the room!! In relation to these guys, I am watching as they are taking the Riviera down and wonder what they would be thinking..thanks for sharing these amazing videos!!
The more I watch the Rat Pack videos the more I realize how much the spirit of Jerry Lewis hangs on that stage. Dean continually references what he did with him and has passed on cues and references to everyone else. Jerry was the sense member of the Rat pack. Unbeknownst to him though.
You;re right - Frank did a lot to help Sammy Davis because he went through a lot - he even paid off his debts when Sammy died. They were great pals and Frank was always loyal to his friends.
Sammy was the most talented, he could do anything: impressions, play the piano and drums, dance , sing and not falter working along the crazy dagos like Sinatra and Dino, who were born for showbiz.
HAHAHHA i liked the ed sullivan impression at the beginning. but i must say, jerry's impression as "ed solomon" is still my favorite. sammy's impression musta brought back some memories of jerr, for dean.
This sounds weird, but when you think of their age & listen to early tunes it's not. Guys in KISS worshipped the Rat Pack. Paul Stanley does a wicked on the money impersonation of Sammy. Simmons & Criss always said Sinatra was the greatest entertainer ever. They were more influenced musically by the RP than other bands. Also influenced by old horror films. The jazz drumming, Stanley’s classical voice and Ace’s hard guitar, with the brains (theatrics) of Simmons worked and made them. 35+ years!
As a 12 yr. old Parisian boy I sat on a corner watching WWII tanks , for a movie . Sinatra looked down at me and said " It can't be all that bad " and put a 100 dollar in my pocket. I said " Merci beaucoup " and ran to my mama . That kept me , my sister and mama fed for a couple of months . I didn't even know who he was or what he said , until I ran back to the corner and an old man explained it to me en français . circa 1956 . André Cartier 🎆🗼🎆 .
thanks to the "INTERNET" that i have got to see the "ORIGINAL" superstar entertainers of Las Vegas when this gambling city was first invented.How society has changed over the decades and "SMOKING" and "DRINKING" on stage which was cool in the "RAT PACK ERA" is today taboo! "DRUGS" have replaced alcohol and it is less detected and exhibited.GREAT "STAND UP COMEDY" by the original "RAT PACK".
@theEifrig - You are absolutely right, I wish to God they still had night clubs that had performers like that, and I don't just mean Impersonators in Vegas, I mean all over the place, Gals with their pretty dresses, Men dressed in suits and Tuxes, When people had respect for others, and things.
@MsBedwell One big story I love telling about their relation is when Sammy fell into a serious drug problem and Frank found out about it. Frank just went to him and told him to give that shit up and Sammy went cold turkey that moment and never looked back.
@mel140297 I would say yes because they are the only people that have so much class and talent in HOLLYWOOD NOW except MS BETTY WHITE!!! These are my favorites here and MS BETTY WHITE.....
@239welm So true! But Sammy had other friends too! Like Mickey Rooney! One time they were touring together and Sammy was at a party and a drunk stumbled over and yelled "What's this N***** doing with all these white women?!" Mickey ran over and knocked the guy flat on his ass and right out. Mickey's a small guy too! I grew a tremendous amout of respect for Mickey after reading that, let me tell you! Sammy wrote that in his bio "Yes, I can!" with a great deal of respect as well.
Back then the clubs made Sammy go thru a back entrance while Sinatra, Martin, Joey Bishop, and Peter Lawford went the front entrance. The rat pack tried to change that in Sammys defence, but the clubs wouldn't allow it. How stupid and crewl people were back then. Also, Sammy got in a fight over his being black. Someone injured his eye so badly, that Frank and Dean took him to a hospital where they refused to care for Sammy. The rat pack offered to pay the whole bill, but they said no. Some time went by and because of no initial treatment, Sammys eye got terribly infected and they had to replace his eye with a glass one which Sammy did not have the funds for. Either Frank or Deano paid for the whole thing, and Sammy looked great after his eye healed. Those guys meant the world to each other and loved each other
Color or Nationality didn't matter in the Rat Pack. We can all take a lesson in these stories about humanity and friendship. You aren't better than anyone and no one is better than you.
Carol Marshall He actually lost his eye in a terrible car crash and thought his dancing career was over because it obviously affected his balance, but apparently Frank encouraged him to keep practicing until he could dance again without stumbling. And actually Frank and Dean did eventually force the club owners to change the rules to allow Sammy, and other black performers to stay at the hotels where they were performing.
@electrogear Just pointing out that Sammy was Puerto Rican. A fact that I didn't know until recently and found fascinating. Don't know where you got "racist" from but I enjoyed "The Pack" as much as anyone. Please refrain from calling me a "Muppit" again! HAHAHAAHAHAHA
This is taken straight from Dean and Jerry’s act. That’s why I’m not a great fan of the rat pack. Dean came from Jerry and went to Frank and did the exact same thing except for one thing, there were four other guys to replace Jerry. Jerry did it all by himself. Dean missed Jerry that’s for sure
Pyroman0909 Not at all. Just watch his preparation for this gag. While everyone's eyes are on Sammy, see @0.07- O.10 how Dean quietly places the stools in just the right position, then his perfect timing @1.30 as he leans on them and balances himself to take the pratfall without hurting himself. This is a skill he obviously learned from Jerry, but must have taken years of practice to make it seem like he was just falling down drunk. The truth was just the opposite, Dean was always a consummate professional onstage.
