Sammy Davis Jr., second from right, joins other members of the “Rat Pack” as they sing on stage in Las Vegas on Jan. 20, 1960. From left; Peter Lawford, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Davis Jr., and Joey Bishop. Woman holding cue card in foreground is unidentified. In 1960, legendary black stars like Sammy Davis Jr. headlined at Las Vegas’ top resorts, but because of the city’s segregationist policies, could not obtain a room there.
It’s well known that Frank Sinatra stood with Black performers, using his star power to break the so-called “color line” that was ubiquitous back in the 1950s and early 1960s. But to hear one of those stories from Frank himself, in conversation with Sammy Davis, Jr., was an eye-opener.
In September 1988, my husband and I had just arrived at Sammy Davis, Jr. and his wife Altovise’s suite at the Arizona Biltmore Resort in Phoenix, excited to be with them for the first performance of “The Ultimate Tour,” kind of a Rat Pack Revamped Tour, with Liza Minelli subbing in for Dean Martin. (Sammy had been a dear friend for decades, ever since he married my former roommate, Altovise.)
Before we could even settle in, Sammy said, “Come on! Frank’s invited us down before the show.”
Nina Trasoff
Now, in my dancing/acting days in Hollywood, I had the chance to hang out with or work with major stars … but Sinatra! That was huge … and even more so for my husband, Rod, who hadn’t experienced the show biz life I had in my 20s.
The four of us walked out to Sinatra’s suite, where we met him, his wife Barbara, Liza Minelli and her then-husband, Jack Haley, Jr., along with Frank Sinatra, Jr., who was conducting the show. Just the nine of us for drinks and snacks in the suite.
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