![]() He never wanted to be put in that position again. ![]() In fact, after the backlash from the photo, he realized how he had hurt his community and apologized. ![]() ![]() He was a member of the Rat Pack (Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Peter Lawford, and Joey Bishop), and then there’s that iconic and often cringe worthy photograph of Sammy hugging Richard Nixon.īut Sammy never meant to alienate himself from his people. He was perceived as a sellout because he sought white approval. I’ve Gotta Be Me doesn’t shy away from Sammy Davis’ complex and complicated relationship with the Black community. He never received an education, and while he loved his life as an entertainer, he always regretted that he never attended school and always wrote like a third grader. Sammy Davis always embraced his Harlem roots and grew up with a Catholic mother and a Baptist father. The film includes never-before-seen photographs and excerpts from his various performances in television, film, and concert. I’ve Gotta Be Me examines Sammy’s life and career from the Depression era until his death in 1990 and features interviews with Quincy Jones, Whoopi Goldberg, Billy Crystal, Norman Lear, Jerry Lewis, and Kim Novak. As one featured guest points out, “his gift was his talent, and his curse was being a Black man in America.” ![]() The film is directed by Peabody Award-winning filmmaker Sam Pollard (who also did an American Masters film of August Wilson) and highlights Sammy Davis’ personal life and his struggle to navigate his career as the “greatest entertainer in the world” during a time rife with civil and social unrest. With notable documentaries featuring Louis Armstrong, Maya Angelou, Sidney Poitier, and Ralph Ellison, I’ve Gotta Be Me is no different. Sammy Davis, Jr.: I’ve Gotta Be Me continues the American Masters tradition of quality biographical documentary storytelling. ![]()
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