All in the Family: "Sammy's Visit"
About This Show
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.
Featured Content
Video: From You Tube: "Sammy's Visit"
Video: From Funny or Die/Hulu the instant-classic kisses montage from The Simpsons: "Stealing First Base" that features a reference to "Sammy's Visit"
Resources
Links:
IMDb entry on All in the Family: Sammy's Visit"
DVD: All in the Family: The Complete Second Season
Book: TV Land To Go: The Big Book of TV Lists, TV Lore, and TV Bests by Tom Hill (which ranks "Sammy's Visit" the 13th greatest sitcom episode of all-time)
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
Clip begins at: 25:39, Duration: 02m 31s
Director 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")
Clip begins at: 03:48, Duration: 01m 04s
Isabel Sanford on Sammy Davis Jr.'s appearance on All in the Family (and her exit line) and The Jeffersons (asking him to sing "Candy Man")
Clip begins at: 03:35, Duration: 01m 31s- Director John Rich on the set-up of All in the Family's episode "Sammy's Visit"
Clip begins at: 05:16, Duration: 01m 41s 
Jean Stapleton on how All in the Family used comedy to expose bigotry
Clip begins at: 06:44, Duration: 00m 37s
Carroll O'Connor on Sammy's Visit as an atypical, yet successful episode of All in the Family
Clip begins at: 19:40, Duration: 00m 43s- Director John Rich on informing guest star Sammy Davis, Jr. ("Sammy's Visit") on the way All in the Family was rehearsed
Clip begins at: 06:57, Duration: 01m 07s 
Writer Bill Dana on guest star Sammy Davis, Jr. calling him from the set of the All in the Family episode Sammy's Visit, to compliment him on the script.
Clip begins at: 00:42, Duration: 00m 50s- Director John Rich on insisting that guest star Sammy Davis Jr. not use cue cards on the episode "Sammy's Visit"
Clip begins at: 08:04, Duration: 00m 49s 
Rob Reiner on All in the Family director John Rich
Clip begins at: 17:24, Duration: 00m 37s- Jean Stapleton on All in the Family director John Rich
Clip begins at: 01:09, Duration: 01m 55s - Carroll O’Connor on working with All in the Family director John Rich
Clip begins at: 13:01, Duration: 00m 49s - Bill Dana on Carroll O'Connor's compliment of Dana's writing on the All in the Family episode Sammy's Visit
Clip begins at: 03:02, Duration: 00m 40s - Writer Bill Dana on the kiss scene in the All in the Family episode "Sammy's Visit"
Clip begins at: 02:16, Duration: 00m 46s - Director John Rich on the invention of the kiss for the third act in the All in the Family episode Sammy's Visit
Clip begins at: 08:53, Duration: 01m 03s 
Rob Reiner briefly on a big laugh on the All in the Family episode Sammy's Visit
Clip begins at: 15:02, Duration: 00m 16s- Director John Rich on the audience's reaction to the kiss in the All in the Family episode "Sammy's Visit"
Clip begins at: 09:56, Duration: 00m 42s - 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
Clip begins at: 28:05, Duration: 00m 29s - Writer Bill Dana on John Rich not acknowledging his writing of "Sammy's Visit,' when Rich won the Emmy Award for Best Directing in Comedy in 1972
Clip begins at: 01:44, Duration: 00m 31s
All Interviewee clips on this show
Historic episode that changed TV forever!
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