Sammy Davis impression by Crystal draws criticism
Posted: Tuesday, February 28, 2012 8:00 pm
By: By The Associated Press
The Messenger 02.28.12
By JAKE COYLE
AP Entertainment Writer
Some are questioning Billy Crystal’s impression of Sammy Davis Jr. in his opening number as Oscar host.
As part of Crystal’s opening montage, he parodied Woody Allen’s “Midnight in Paris,” going back in time to the ’20s. Then, performing as Davis in blackface, he popped up and suggested they go kill Hitler.
Crystal played Davis the same way many times on “Saturday Night Live” in the 1980s, but that didn’t stop hundreds from questioning the bit on Twitter.
When Octavia Spencer won supporting actress for “The Help,” comedian Paul Scheer tweeted her win “shows just how far we’ve come since Billy Crystal performed in blackface.”
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Academy Awards, Billy Crystal, Sammy Davis Jr.
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