The Radiance of Knowing

Sammy Davis Jr. has a harrowing experience with a lion.
Hollywood Humor: Sammy Davis Junior Found Religion by Stephen Schochet

In 1954, Sammy Davis Jr. converted to Judaism, which led to him being the subject of several anecdotes. One time he boarded a bus in the deep, segregated south. “Git to the back of the bus”, said the rude driver.”But I’m Jewish”, protested the entertainer. “Then get off.”

Another time Sammy was filming Porgy And Bess(1959) when he announced he would not work on Yom Kippur. Word got back from the set to Porgy’s frugal producer Sam Goldwyn, he immediately called his idle performer who was costing him $30,000. “Sammy, is it true? You refuse to work on the holiday? “Yes it’s true Sam.” There was a tense pause then Goldwyn said,” Bless You.”

Then there was the night of the 1971 Oscars when Sammy hosted the show and remarked,” Tonight, the academy honors both my peoples with Fiddler On The Roof and Shaft.”

But there was one occasion when Sammy came to doubt his conversion. He and Frank Sinatra were asked to perform at the MGM Grand hotel in Las Vegas with the MGM Lion in between them. They were assured it would be safe, the lion would be handled by a trainer with a choke chain. In the middle of the number the lion looked at Sammy and licked it’s lips. The lion hunched back like it was going to leap for Sammy, and Sammy scared to death made the Sign of the Cross. Luckily nothing happened. Later after the show they were having drinks in the lobby and Sinatra said nervously,” Boy Smokey, I thought that cat was going to come after you there– Hey Smokey didn’t you turn Jewish? Why did you make the Sign of the Cross when the cat came at ya?”

“Well babe, I didn’t think I’d have time to make the star of David!”

About the Author

Author/Narrator Stephen Schochet researched Hollywood and Disney stories and lore for 10 years while giving tours of Hollywood. He had the unique idea the stories could be told anywhere and that’s what led him to create the audiobooks “Fascinating Walt Disney” and “Tales Of Hollywood”. The Saint Louis Post Dispatch says,” These two elaborate productions are exceptionally entertaining.” Realaudio samples can be heard at his website www.hollywoodstories.com.

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(NC)A research poll recently revealed that only seven percent of Canadians understand the important distinction between a complete whole grain product and a grain product*. Even though Canada’s Food Guide to Healthy Eating recommends five to twelve servings from the grain group each day - clearly emphasizing whole grains - most of us aren’t making the wisest of food choices! To help you boost your intake, registered dietitian Rosie Schwartz offers the following whole grain information and advice.

Whole grains consist of all three parts of a grain, including: the fibre-rich outer coating of bran; the middle layer of the grain called the endosperm; and, the nutrient-packed inner germ. During the milling or refining process, both the bran and germ are removed from refined grains leaving only the endosperm, the least nutritious part of the grain. Therefore, these refined products do not provide as much nutritional value and health benefits as whole grain products.

Recent research links whole grains to a number of disease-fighting benefits. It suggests that antioxidants contained in whole grains may work with other compounds, including fibre, to reduce cholesterol and overall risk for heart disease. Research has also shown that whole grains appear to play an important role in reducing the risk of certain cancers and type 2 diabetes. For most of us, the fibre in whole grains has always been identified as a benefit to overall bowel health. It helps remove waste products, supports the growth of healthy bacteria and promotes regularity.

Incorporating whole grains into your diet is easy and starts at the grocery store. Lots of great whole grain product options are available in everyday foods such as bread, cereal and pasta. Here are tips that Rosie Schwartz offers to identify these products:

• Scan the ingredient list: whole grain foods will list a whole grain - such as wheat, oats, corn or rice - as the first ingredient. Look for words “whole” or “whole grain” before the name of the grain.

• Don’t be fooled by products that claim to be made with whole grain flour. You need to see whole grain flour listed as the first ingredient in order to achieve the greatest benefit.

• Read labels - opt for “whole wheat” over just “wheat,” “brown rice” over “enriched white rice” and “whole rye” over “rye.”

For more information on incorporating whole grains into your diet, visit www.wholegrainsbureau.ca.

* Findings of a Légér Marketing poll conducted in August, 2003 on behalf of the Whole Grains Bureau. The poll is based on a random sample of 1,100 adult English Canadians.

- News Canada

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News Canada provides a wide selection of current, ready-to-use copyright free news stories and ideas for Television, Print, Radio, and the Web.

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