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Tax man closes Sammy Davis Jr.'s estate
HOLLYWOOD, MARCH 5 1999 (Variety) — The $7.5 million that Sammy Davis Jr. owed Uncle Sam has finally been settled and Altovise Davis now has clear rights to Sammy's life and legacy.
And, through Altovise's attorney Al ``Sonny'' Murray, Gary Smith (Smith/Hemion Films) and David Wolper have acquired rights from her to Sammy's life story, which they plan to film as a miniseries. It will not be a documentary. In addition to an actor (who?) playing Sammy, the 4-6 hour miniseries will contain actual footage of Sammy singing and dancing.
Smith's past association with Davis includes seven specials, and the previous teaming with Wolper includes the giant ``Liberty Weekend'' in '86 plus the SAG 75th anniversary.
It has been a long, hard struggle for Altovise to have reached this financial breathing space. Attorney Murray, a former federal prosecutor, said, ``She displayed enormous courage in refusing to declare bankruptcy and to have achieved the point where there would be no further harm to Sammy's name and legacy. Now she's free and clear.''
Murray did not accept the challenge to represent her until after Altovise had undergone rehab herself; the legal battle has been four long hard years. When I spoke to her two years ago, she had already been absent from Hollywood three years. (Sammy died May 16, 1990.) While in rehab, she said, she worked for minimum wage in various places ``in a kitchen, or saleslady for women's clothes,'' etc.
Attorney Murray, in researching the Sammy Davis Jr. troubles, says he discovered ``So many people had raped and pillaged this man.'' He says Altovise is now trying to pull the family together and has formed a Sammy Davis Jr. Foundation.
``The challenge,'' says Murray, ``is to give a rebirth to his legacy as the greatest single all-around talent of this century.''
It is hoped to have the miniseries ready in time for the 75th anniversary of Davis' birth, Dec. 8, 2000.
As noted here previously, Quincy Jones and Leslie Bricusse also have a B'way Sammy Davis Jr. musical in the works.
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