From Rat-Pack to Rat-Arsed...

One of the most exciting projects I ever worked on was as a freelance photographer for American agencies on a film called 'One More Time', starring Sammy Davis Jnr., Peter Lawford and directed by Jerry Lewis. On this film I worked alongside the late stills photographer George Whittier, a superb photographer of some of the top films in the world and a thoroughly nice man who became a great friend and a pleasure to know. What made making the film so exciting was that it was almost a laugh a minute; with two of the world's greatest clowns what else could it be? From day one for the entire ten weeks of filming there was a veritable non stop cascade of laughter and by the end I was exhausted, needless to say Sammy went on to do 'Talk of the Town' in London! Memorably Sammy Davis sat at a dining table in a baronial hall and was scripted to drink a glass of red wine and then speak a line. This he did, but Jerry Lewis shouted "Cut" and apologised to Sammy that the lighting wasn't quite right could he do it again. Sammy's glass, a large glass, was refilled and "Action" called. Sammy drank the wine and said the line. Again Jerry shouted "Cut" and once again apologised to Sammy that the sound man had not got it quite right, could they do it again. Sammy obliged, the glass refilled and "Action" repeated, and repeated, each time a different excuse and sometimes the rapidly becoming tipsy Sammy's. Ten takes, ten glasses of wine. By now the entire crew were in danger of choking on laughter and tears were running down their faces, including mine as we realised that Jerry Lewis was simply winding Sammy up. Sammy paused to look around at all the tear filled faces and simply roared with laughter as he realised that the joke was on him and I got one of my favourite pictures. Seated at the same table Sammy was in a reflective mood and by pure luck I glanced in his direction and saw him wreathed in the smoke from his cigarette, without hesitation I turned and shot without even focussing and caught the picture of the entire production. After seeing the picture Sammy asked for the negative to use on a new album. Unfortunately, the album never materialised because Sammy Davis Jnr., died some time later. I was very sorry, not because the album didn't materialise, but because the world had lost an irreplaceably talented human being.