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About: Born Dec. 8, 1925, in New York City, Sammy Davis Jr. spent his childhood performing with his father on the vaudeville circuit and made his film debut at age 7 in Rufus Jones for President (1933).After serving in World War II, he returned to the United States with a deeper desire than ever to be famous, establishing a successful recording career and a relationship with the high-profile Rat Pack, which led to roles in Ocean's Eleven (1960), Sergeants 3 (1962), Robin and the 7 Hoods (1964) and Salt and Pepper (1968). Davis made his Broadway debut in 1956 in the semiautobiographical musical "Mr. Wonderful" and earned a Tony nomination in 1964 for his performance in the musical version of Clifford Odets's "Golden Boy."He returned to the stage in 1978 with a revival of "Stop the World, I Want to Get Off." A longtime cigar smoker, he died May 16, 1990, of throat cancer.
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