Sammy Davis Jr. There' A Boat Dat's Leavin' Soon For New York

[@lesliecolyer_brown6208]

The 1959 production was outstanding. The Gershwins and MGM have kept this classic from the public for estate reasons. I pray that one day they will consent to negotiate and re-release it. As a child, I fell in love with this opera and it touches me still. Mr. Davis' wonderful voice and interpretation of this number gives just the right amount of "oiliness" to Sportin' Life's character.

[@petradonovan5161]

I remember seeing the 1959 movie at least a dozen times as a teenager in Europe and I loved it so much. It introduced me to Gershwin, to musical theatre and to opera. I saw the Broadway revival a few years ago starring Audra MacDonald and it was fantastic. David Allan Grier played Sportin' Life and stopped the show with his rendition of There's A Boat...as well as it Ain't Necessarily So. I couldn't help but think back to Sammy Davis Jr's genius renditions of both those songs in the movie. It's criminal that the film is out of circulation.

[@normantrombon]

Leslie Colyer_Brown ...saw the film once on tv in the formerly united states. Stayed with me all my life, and I’m no spring chicken. Now, I’m a professional trombone player, singer, and showman, and I get to represent this music in the european community, to the best of my ability. Sure beats workin’!

[@CriticalListener]

A masterful performance. No one did it better.

[@StarZendonna1687]

WOW!! I'm speechless! The way Sammy crosses his arms is so charismatic.

[@syneathiabell1350]

Wow. Sammy has so much talent....I love you Sammy.

[@ariellakahan-harth8831]

Amazing...just WOW. He plays this so charming but so sinister!

[@williamselby7740]

I am so incredibly thrilled that you posted this!! I've never forgotten it (I had it on an old VHS tape I haven't seen in many years) -- Thank you. I consider it to be one of the most memorable performances I've seen in my life! Excellent.

[@ningxiabird]

This is so great! What a fabulous interpretation. I love Sammy Davis Jr. :-)

[@EdwardRobinson15580]

SgtPlmFry It actually IS available on Amazon.com. I just bought it. The quality isn't the best but it's CLASSIC.

[@EdwardRobinson15580]

You're very welcome SgtPlmFry!

[@jimmaisch7851]

Wow !! Huge fan of Triple Threat Sammy D ..His later year MDA telethon performances were always Magic..caught this on DVD ..LOVE it !!!

[@morrisineirving5358]

Wonderful! I love this!!

[@Musicaespressivo]

"Dat's" was used in the original opera, so it was not a Hollywood thing. The whole opera was written in an approximation of a south Carolina Black dialect. We might cringe today, but they did that back then.

[@MrImiller07]

Davis gave the best performance in Goldwyn's film of Porgy and Bess, which was directed by Otto Preminger and co-starred Sidney Poitier and Dorothy Dandridge. The film was not well received critically or commercially and is infrequently shown on television. Poitier's singing voice was dubbed by an opera singer in the film.

[@waratah08]

Great number by a great star and that is what he was, a star. I felt this was better than the Greg Hines version but his was also very good.

[@keithwarner7117]

Sammmmmmy

[@ruudjurriaans]

superb

[@dchern]

Never saw before the Chairman of the Board knew talent when he saw it

[@assisleao6860]

BOB FOSSE in his soul! FOSSE totally FOSSE!

[@VeganofCourse]

I wish this was on an only vinyl somewhere.

[@timmellin2815]

I love Porgy and Bess, but I just don't consider it an opera....... But SDJ is so right on w/ the Fosse presentation in this clip.

[@monicaaustin1922]

June 2020...

[@greg55666]

Yeah, you do have it wrong. The way the characters talked in the opera is in the opera, it's not something Hollywood did. It's long been controversial whether this opera is racist or not. Gershwin and DuBose Howard both embraced black culture, and this way of talking was an accurate depiction of the time and place--outer islands along the eastern southern coast. But Porgy and Bess is considered to be the great American opera, and black performers to this day feel honored for the chance to be in it. There doesn't have to be anything racist in an accurate portrayal of a way a population talks. The story itself is so moving, and Porgy and Bess are both so sad.