This film has a lot to offer but I still think the best thing about this movie is the late great Sammy Davis Jr. as Sportin' Life. I think he is just electrifying in this film and was never seen to better advantage on celluloid. Opinions?
shareJust rewatched this and for me, this is Davis's shining hour (or two) on film. Too often, he was marginalized or shunted into "special guest star" status, adding nothing to the proceedings. But here he is menacing and seductive as all good "devils" should be. Also look for a TV-movie called THE PIGEON, where SDjr is a seedy private eye in late 60's L.A.
shareHe's a dope dealer, and it's probably the sleaziest role he ever had. This is a guy you don't like at the end of the story.
But his performance, and those songs, are the standard. There have been great productions since, particularly the full performance for BBC TV. But Sammy Davis Jr. was exceptional in that film.
Whether they will ever release the full version on DVD, who knows? Apparently there is a decent copy available for showings, but no one seems to know if it's the full version, or just a cleaner copy of what every else has already got on second-gen DVDs and such.
My impression is that Sportin' Life is also a pimp which is why he is trying to lure Bess off to the big city. It's not said outright, but nothing ever was back in film in those days.
It's implied and his name reinforces it as to "sport" with women had sexual connotations.
I am formerly known as HilllieBoliday....Member since May 2006:
Good observation! My father was a young man during the 1940's, and I remember him telling me that they used a slang...."Spo-tee-o-tee" (spelled phonetically, but pronounced quickly) a derivative of Sportin' Life; that hinted to the life of a procurer of women.
Also......interesting note.....Cab Calloway played Sportin' Life in the original stage production.
"OOhhhooo....I'M GON' TELL MAMA!"
yeah, to "sport" with women used to mean "gigalo" or to use women back then.
And the film never depicts Sportin' Life as a competitor for Bess' affections the way Crown and Porgy are. He never makes declarations about having feelings for her or wanting to be her man/lover. That leads me to believe that his luring of her to the big city with happy dust is to keep her hooked on the drug while she makes money for him.