WILLIAM MORRIS AGENCY,

Transcription

1 PRESS DEPARTMENT WILLIAM MORRIS AGENCY, 1740 BROADWAY, NEW YORK 19, N. Y JUdson NEW YORK BEVERLY HILLS CHICAGO LONDON PARIS BILLING THIS IS THE CORRECT BILLING NO CHANGES ARE TO BE MADE. SAMMY DAVIS, JR 100% BILLING CLAUSE; Sammy Davis, Jr.'s name is to be in the same size type as "Will Mastin Trio." 455gsc

2 WILLIAM MORRIS AGENCY, INC.Page2 THE WILL MASTIN TRIO PERSONAL APPEARANCES COPACAEANA, NEW YORK MUIN CASINO, PHILADELPHIA TOWN CASINO, BUFFALO CIRO'S, LOS ANGELES FAIRMONT HOTEL, SAN FRANCISCO CHEZ PAREE, MONTREAL RIVIERA, FORT LEE, N.J. LAST FRONTIER, LAS VEGAS BEACHCOMBER, MIAMI BEACH TWIN COACHES, PITTSBURGH LATIN QUARTER, BOSTON NEW FRONTIER, US VEGAS TELEVISION ED SULLIVAN'S "TOAST OF THE TOWN" MILTON BERLE SHOW COLGATE COMEDY HOUR DECCA RECORDS

3 FROM: PRESS DEPT. WILLIAM MORRIS AGENCY, INC.Page2 THE WILL MASTIN TRIO SAMMY DAVIS. JR. Undoubtedly one of the most phenomenal talents to appear in show business over this past quarter century, Sammy Davis, Jr., starring with the Will Mastin Trio, will shortly be appearing at the on the. The trio's history started long before Sammy, Jr., arrived on the scene,, His dad, Sam Davis, Sr., and his uncle, Will Mastin, were a well-known act on the vaudeville circuits for some time before Sammy was born. Sammy1s story begins when Will Mastin had an act called, "Holiday In Dixieland," consisting of seven men and seven women, offering songs, skits and comedy in addition to their specialty a dance novelty that was then sweeping the nation, the "Texas Tommy,." Sam Davis, Sr., married one of the girls in the unit, Elvira Sanchez, and Sammy Davis, Jr., was born in 19<26 in New York City, He celebrated his first birthday in a specially contrived crib in a dressing room at the old Hippodrome Theatre in New York. When Sammy was two, Will Mastin formed another unit called "Creole" and Sammy, Jr., amazed the performers as he mimicked their parts as the piano player tossed off the cues. When the great depression era of the early 1930's hit the nation, Mastin cut his act to five men and at the tender age of four, Sammy was considered one of the "men." When the act hit the West Coast, Will had young Sammy audition fey, and win, a role in an Ethel Waters picture for Warners titled "Rufus Jones For President," later he played in "Season's Greetings," also (more)

4 WILLIAM MORRIS AGENCY, INC. Page 2 THE WILL MASTIN TRIO SAMMY DAVIS. JR. for the same company. As the depression deepened, Mastin had to cut the act once again and so, as vaudeville began to fade into theatrical history, the Will Mastin Trio was born, For the next ten years the Will Mastin Trio labored in the vineyards of showbusiness. These years were the weaning years for Sammy Davis, Jr., when he learned, his profession, every piece of business, the superb timing the deft comedy touch, all the subtle nuances that have since placed him at the top of the show business ladder-, While the trio was filling an engagement it a theatre in Michigan as the!1 ate Bill "f ojaugj.es n Robinson the great star taken by the yourgjtser' s evident talent asked Will Mastin to bring Sammy to him for route extra tutelage. The lesson;--, found an apt pupil, and Robinson and his student out in countless hours as Sammy absorbed, the skill and wisdom that w.i Bill Robinson, the trigger-like turns of the he^l and toe, the lightening-like thrust of arms and legs, the rapid twist and turn of body, the thrill-packed finale that inspires the burst-of-glory ending* Today, Sammy Davis, Jr, t is considered the nearest thing to Bill Robinson when he puts his feet to dan&fcg, Though "Bojangles" left very little financially when he passed away, he had left his legacy of dance to young Sammy Davis and no greater gift could he have bestowed, Earl Wilson of the Lew York Post has written of Sammy's dancing, B, his feet remind one of liquid rhythm." The years passed and the Trio played nightclubs and theatres across the country and then back again, constantly sharpening their act

5 WILLIAM MORRIS AGENCY, INC. Page 2 THE 17ILL PAST IN TRIO slaining up bits of business, smoothing out a spot here and there, ) getting even the minutest tap down to the most perfectly formed rhythmic pattern. In 1943, at the height of World War II, Sammy went into the Army, where in addition to his regular chores, his talents were pressed into service producing camp shows, many of which he wrote and directed himself. He was discharged at San Francisco in late and immediately rejoined his dad and uncle who were then working in Seattle. The switch from Army life back to show business was so fast that for a week Sammy worked in a costume that was half khaki, half "civvies." In April of 1946, the Trio, unheralded and unsung, opened at the now defunct "Slapsie Maxie's" in Hollywood on the same bill with Ben Blue. The Trio was the opening act they scored such an overwhelming success that they were signed to come back as the headliners. On their return engagement they broke every previous record at the club. Still working on their act, constantly revising, adding, polishing it to a perfect entertainment gem, they signed for a two week theatre tour with Mickey Rooney six months later after a tour that had included all the major theatres in the United States, the Trio hit the major nitery circuit with an act already letter perfect, but now honed to a fine edge that glittered. (more)

6 FROM: PRESS DEPT. WILLIAM MORRIS AGENCY, IMC. Page L, THE WILL MAST IN TRIO Opening at Ciro's in April of 1950 for two weeks, they stayed for six, breaking house records. From there on their itinerary is a "Who's Who" of the top clubs, hotels and TV shows. Sammy's dancing, comedy, singing and impressions hit bulleyes every time. In June of 1954 another facet of his versatile talent was made available to a. wider audience when Sammy signed with Decca Records as a vocalist. Among his releases are "Hey There," "Red Grapes," "Because Of You" and a newly released album titled, " Sammy Davis, Jr." In November of while driving from Las Vegas to Hollywood to make a recording session Sammy was in an automobile accident that completely wrecked his car and cost him his left eye. Though the loss of an eye is tragic, the police said he was lucky he wasn't killed. As Sammy put it, "God must have put His arms around me." While in the hospital he received over 100,000 telegrams and letters from friends, fans and well-wishers. Exactly eleven weeks after the accident the Trio went back to Ciro's. When they came on stage opening night an audience composed of the most glittering names in contemporary show business rose spontaneously to its feet and gave them a 10 minute ovation. It is in the nature of an anti-climax to note that the Trio broke every previous box office record ever established at the club. Unanimously acclaimed in every quarter gs one of The Greats of show business, Sammy Davis, Jr. and his dad and uncle stand at the pinnacle of their career. For Sammy, at 29, with over 25 years of show business already tucked under his belt, it is a career that is (more)

7 WILLIAM MORRIS AGENCY, INC. Page 2 THE WILL MASTIN TRIO still developing, still flowering, a brilliant multi-faceted talent that occurs onee in a generation. Few have trod a harder path to realize a dream no success was ever more deserved. (30) 455gsc/rvsd