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Sammy Davis Jr. Trivia Quiz

An amazing entertainer, Sammy did it all; dance, sing, and act. What a talent, what a career!

A multiple-choice quiz by amargi. Estimated time: 6 mins.

Author
amargi

Time
6 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
305,779

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Difficult

Avg Score
5 / 10

Plays
830

Awards
Top 35% Quiz

Question 1 of 10

1. Sammy Davis Jr. was performing professionally by the age of four.

True

False

NEXT>

Question 2 of 10

2. Sam Jr. and Sam Sr. were part of a dance trio. Who was the third party? Hint

Stepin' Fetchit

John W. Bubbles

Charles 'Honi' Coles

Will Mastin

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Question 3 of 10

3. When Sammy was a little more than two years old, he impressed the whole vaudeville troupe by performing their entire show, including everyone's songs and dances.

True

False

NEXT>

Question 4 of 10

4. There were laws against someone of Sammy's age working professionally (plus he should have been in school), so to get around this, he was billed as what? Hint

Small Sammy -The Singing Dwarf

Tiny Sam - The Tap Dance Man

Big Sam - The Little Man

Silent Sam - The Dancing Midget

NEXT>

Question 5 of 10

5. Sammy was married three times, who was his third and final wife? Hint

Eartha Kitt

Loray White

Altovise Gore

May Britt

NEXT>

Question 6 of 10

6. Sammy played the trumpet and the drums along with everything else he did on stage. He learned these things from his dad and uncle.

True

False

NEXT>

Question 7 of 10

7. Sammy was too young to enlist when WWII first broke out, but he was drafted later. What going away gift did Sam receive from his dad and "uncle"? Hint

A new suit

A gold watch

A night on the town

A gold star of David

NEXT>

Question 8 of 10

8. Sammy starred on Broadway more than once, but what was his first show there in 1956?
Hint

Golden Boy

Bye Bye Birdie

Stop the World - I Want to Get Off

Mr. Wonderful

NEXT>

Question 9 of 10

9. Sammy's' first film role was in the 1933 short 'Rufus Jones for President' (he was 7 years old). In 1958 he made this film about a woman of ill-repute. Hint

"Porgy and Bess"

"Anna Lucasta"

"Carmen Jones"

"Of Love and Desire"

NEXT>

Question 10 of 10

10. After years of hard work, The Will Mastin Trio - Featuring Sammy Davis Jr. officially 'made it big'. At what nightclub did this momentous event occur? Hint

Ciro's

Mocambo's

The Coconut Grove

The Trocadero

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Sammy Davis Jr. was performing professionally by the age of four.

Answer: True

Born December 8th, 1925 in New York, Sammy's parents divorced when he was three years old. His father (a vaudeville dancer) took him out on the road.

2. Sam Jr. and Sam Sr. were part of a dance trio. Who was the third party?

Answer: Will Mastin

It was called the Will Mastin Trio. Will had been a long time leader of a large vaudevillian dance troupe, but with the demise of vaudeville, he cut back to just himself and Sam Sr.

3. When Sammy was a little more than two years old, he impressed the whole vaudeville troupe by performing their entire show, including everyone's songs and dances.

Answer: True

Will Mastin was extremely impressed and shortly thereafter Sammy became a permanent part of the show. Later, when they were down to a trio, they called themselves "The Will Mastin Gang - Featuring Little Sammy" and made him an equal partner.

4. There were laws against someone of Sammy's age working professionally (plus he should have been in school), so to get around this, he was billed as what?

Answer: Silent Sam - The Dancing Midget

He never went to school a day in his life. They managed to dodge truant officers and the law. Before he went into the service, he'd never read much more than comic books.

5. Sammy was married three times, who was his third and final wife?

Answer: Altovise Gore

He married Loray White in 1958, Swedish actress Mae Britt from 1960-1968. He was married to dancer Altovise Gore from 1970 until his death.

6. Sammy played the trumpet and the drums along with everything else he did on stage. He learned these things from his dad and uncle.

Answer: False

Sammy taught himself how to play. As a young teen it drove his dad crazy. His grandmother insisted he be allowed to practise.

7. Sammy was too young to enlist when WWII first broke out, but he was drafted later. What going away gift did Sam receive from his dad and "uncle"?

Answer: A gold watch

He knew they'd had to skip paying the rent to buy it, so of course he was devastated when a fellow soldier crushed it intentionally under the heel of his boot.("Don't worry boy, you can always steal another one"). Sammy experienced several horrible incidents of racism during his short tour of duty, this was only one of many.

8. Sammy starred on Broadway more than once, but what was his first show there in 1956?

Answer: Mr. Wonderful

Initially panned by the critics, Sammy almost single-handedly made this a hit (shouting out to the audience, "Tell your friends!"). He had committed himself to a year on Broadway and he succeeded.

9. Sammy's' first film role was in the 1933 short 'Rufus Jones for President' (he was 7 years old). In 1958 he made this film about a woman of ill-repute.

Answer: "Anna Lucasta"

He starred with Eartha Kitt and played the character Danny Johnson. He played a supporting role in 'Porgy and Bess' (as 'Sportin' Life', to Sidney Poitier's Porgy and Dorothy Dandridge's Bess). He did not appear in "Carmen Jones" or "Of Love and Desire".

10. After years of hard work, The Will Mastin Trio - Featuring Sammy Davis Jr. officially 'made it big'. At what nightclub did this momentous event occur?

Answer: Ciro's

It was 1950 and the night of the Academy Awards. All the big stars who had attended the ceremonies were in the audience. The trio were opening for Janis Paige, but they got called back for so many encores that the next night she was opening for them! (she retained star billing though). All the others listed were famous L.A. night-spots of the 1940s and '50s.

The Coconut Grove was the site of the 1939 Academy Awards. The site at Ciro's is now the 'Comedy Store'.

Source: Author amargi

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Nannanut before going online.
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