All in the Family: "Sammy's Visit"


The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

02:26

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About

All in the Family's "Sammy's Visit" featured Sammy Davis Jr. as a guest star playing himself, and aired on February 19, 1972 during the series' second season.  In the episode, Sammy Davis, Jr. has accidentally left his briefcase in Archie Bunker's cab (Archie had been moonlighting as a cab driver), and is going to drop by the Bunker's house to pick it up.  Davis comes face-to-face with Archie Bunker and his view of the world, but gets the last laugh at the episode's end.

Ranking it the 13th greatest sitcom episode of all-time, TV Land To Go: The Big Book of TV Lists, TV Lore, and TV Bests by Tom Hill notes that: "No episode of the series more squarely and unflinchingly portrayed Archie's unbridled racism.  Yet, as always, the writers and actors— Carroll O'Connor above all— managed to maintain Archie's humanity and even his vulnerability.  It's an incredible balancing act, and part of the reason that the show was so successful and remains so fascinating...."

"Sammy's Visit" was written by Bill Dana and directed by John Rich.

Highlights
Bill Dana on how he came to write the classic All in the Family episode "Sammy's Visit," and how he and producer Norman Lear invented the show's premise
02:32
John Rich on Sammy Davis Jr.'s suggestion, as a guest on The Tonight Show, that he would make a funny guest star on All in the Family (leading to his appearance on the classic episode "Sammy's Visit")
01:04
John Rich on the set-up of All in the Family's episode "Sammy's Visit"
01:41
Carroll O'Connor on "Sammy's Visit" as an atypical, yet successful episode of All in the Family
00:43
John Rich on informing guest star Sammy Davis, Jr. ("Sammy's Visit") on the way All in the Family was rehearsed
01:07
John Rich on insisting that guest star Sammy Davis Jr. not use cue cards on the All in the Family episode "Sammy's Visit"
00:49
Carroll O'Connor on working with All in the Family director John Rich
00:49
Bill Dana on Carroll O'Connor's "compliment" of Dana's writing on the All in the Family episode "Sammy's Visit"
00:40
Bill Dana on the famous kiss between "Archie Bunker" and Sammy Davis Jr. on the All in the Family episode he wrote
00:46
John Rich on the invention of the "kiss" for the third act in the All in the Family episode "Sammy's Visit"
01:03
John Rich on the audience's reaction to the kiss in the All in the Family episode "Sammy's Visit"
00:42
Bill Dana on how, due to a mistake, he was not put up for an Emmy Award for the All in the Family episode "Sammy's Visit"
00:29
Bill Dana on John Rich not acknowledging his writing of the "Sammy's Visit," episode of All in the Family when Rich won the Emmy Award for Best Directing in Comedy in 1972
00:31
Bud Yorkin on the All in the Family  episode "Sammy's Visit"
01:15
Who talked about this show

Bill Dana with Emerson College

View Interview
Bill Dana on the famous kiss between "Archie Bunker" and Sammy Davis Jr. on the All in the Family episode he wrote
00:46
Bill Dana on how he came to write the classic All in the Family episode "Sammy's Visit," and how he and producer Norman Lear invented the show's premise
02:32
Bill Dana on how, due to a mistake, he was not put up for an Emmy Award for the All in the Family episode "Sammy's Visit"
00:29
Bill Dana on John Rich not acknowledging his writing of the "Sammy's Visit," episode of All in the Family when Rich won the Emmy Award for Best Directing in Comedy in 1972
01:36
Bill Dana on the kiss scene in the All in the Family episode "Sammy's Visit"
00:46
Bill Dana on John Rich not acknowledging his writing of the "Sammy's Visit," episode of All in the Family when Rich won the Emmy Award for Best Directing in Comedy in 1972
00:31
Bill Dana on Carroll O'Connor's compliment of Dana's writing on the All in the Family episode "Sammy's Visit"
00:40
Bill Dana on writing the All in the Family episode "Sammy's Visit" for producer Norman Lear
07:43

Norman Lear with Emerson College

View Interview
Norman Lear on Bill Dana writing the "Sammy's Visit" episode of All in the Family -- and the script not being submitted for an Emmy award for Bill Dana
03:46
Norman Lear on comparisons between a controversial kiss on The Martha Raye Show and the "Sammy's Visit" episode of All in the Family
00:32

Carroll O'Connor

View Interview
Carroll O'Connor on "Sammy's Visit" as an atypical, yet successful episode of All in the Family
00:43
Carroll O'Connor on working with All in the Family director John Rich
00:49

John Rich

View Interview
John Rich on the set-up of All in the Family's episode "Sammy's Visit"
01:41
John Rich on Sammy Davis Jr.'s suggestion, as a guest on The Tonight Show, that he would make a funny guest star on All in the Family (leading to his appearance on the classic episode "Sammy's Visit")
01:04
John Rich on informing guest star Sammy Davis, Jr. on the way All in the Family was rehearsed
01:07
Director John Rich on the invention of the kiss for the third act in the All in the Family episode Sammy's Visit
01:03
Director John Rich on the audience's reaction to the kiss in the All in the Family episode "Sammy's Visit"
00:42
Director John Rich on insisting that guest star Sammy Davis Jr. not use cue cards on the episode "Sammy's Visit"
00:49

Jean Stapleton

View Interview
Jean Stapleton on how All in the Family used comedy to expose bigotry
00:37
Jean Stapleton on All in the Family director John Rich
01:53

George Sunga

View Interview
George Sunga on the All in the Family episode "Sammy's Visit"
01:16

Bud Yorkin

View Interview
Bud Yorkin on the All in the Family episode "Sammy's Visit"
01:15

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