Television Tuesday - Sammy kisses Archie

Television Tuesday

Say cheese, for Sammy's big kiss!

In its day, this was an incredibly controversial and hysterical moment in television history.

The photo was actually a photo being taken, as part of the story in the episode, both were smiling until just before the flash went off, Sammy turned and kissed Archie Bunker and the audience lost it with laughter, as did all of us at home watching.

To this day some people will still claim that, All In The Family and actor Carroll O'Connor are racist, and nothing could be further from the truth.  This show was producer, Norman Lear's greatest work, and one of my personal favorites.

All In The Family, was controversial, there is no question there, but it was real, it was a real look at many average American households, and it wasn't in the south.  The Archie Bunker character is still famous to this day for ruffling feathers of the masses.  It won many awards, broke down many barriers and gave us some of the most memorable moments in TV history.

As for O'Connor, in life, he and Sammy Davis Jr were great friends and thought the world of each other, it's we fans who

were stifled at not getting to see them perform more together, this odd couple would have made an awesome movie.

It's rumored that O'Connor was looked at as a possible antagonist law enforcement character for the Cannonball Run films but it never worked out, too bad.

O'Connor was one of the "outer rim" members of Frank Sinatra's Rat Pack (as was Judy Garland and "Police Woman" Angie Dickinson), one of the ones that is rarely associated with the group but it was a very tight nit bunch, although O'Connor rarely appeared with the group at public celebrations.

No matter what, these two entertainers were true legends and still incredibly respected, as they should be, they and their talent are greatly missed in today's entertainment world.