Actress May Britt, the second wife of legendary crooner Sammy Davis Jr, has died at the age of 91, her son confirmed on Thursday.
Britt, whose best known films included The Blue Angel, Murder Inc, and The Young Lions, passed away of natural causes at Providence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana Medical Center on December 11.
Davis Jr famously broke off his engagement to Canadian dancer Joan Stuart after meeting Britt at the Mocambo nightclub on Hollywood’s Sunset Strip in 1960.
The Swedish actress subsequently converted to Judaism, with Davis Jr confirming their engagement to the press while visiting England that June.
They were married at the singer’s Los Angeles home in a Jewish service conducted by Reform Rabbi William J. Kramer on November 13, with Davis Jr’s close friend Frank Sinatra serving as best man.
Despite their shared faith – Davis Jr converted to Judaism following a severe car accident several years earlier – the wedding generated significant controversy at a time when interracial marriage was outlawed in 31 US states.
Actress May Britt, the second wife of legendary crooner Sammy Davis Jr, has died at the age of 91, her son confirmed on Thursday (pictured in 1960)
Davis Jr famously broke off his engagement to Canadian dancer Joan Stuart after meeting Britt at the Mocambo nightclub on Hollywood’s Sunset Strip in 1960 (pictured that same year)
Anti-miscegenation laws targeting interracial marriages were later ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court of the United States.
The couple welcomed daughter Tracey, their only child, in 1961, but would divorce eight years later after Davis Jr was romantically linked with singer and actress Lola Falana.
Tragically, Tracey – who wrote two books about her parents – died in November 2020, aged 59, at her home in Franklin, Tennessee after suffering a short, undisclosed illness.
Born Majbritt Wilkens March 22, 1934, in Lidingö, Sweden, Britt was raised by her father, Hugo, a postal clerk and her mother, Hillevi, a housewife.
But her life changed when, aged 18 and working as a photographers assistant, she was spotted in Stockholm by legendary Italian film producer Carlo Ponti.
The chance meeting would lead to her casting in several Italian films before she was screen-tested and whisked off to Hollywood and a lucrative contract with 20th Century Fox in 1957.
Early English language films included 1957 Korean War epic The Hunters and World War II drama The Young Lions, a box-office hit for Britt and screen love interest Marlon Brando following its release in 1958.
Britt’s wedding to Davis Jr generated significant controversy at a time when interracial marriage was outlawed in 31 US states (pictured om their wedding day, 1960)
The couple welcomed daughter Tracey, their only child, in 1961, but would divorce eight years later after Davis Jr was romantically linked with singer and actress Lola Falana
But it was her role as outrageous cabaret entertainer Lola-Lola in director Edward Dmytryk’s 1959 remake of The Blue Angel that truly defined her as a Hollywood star.
A remake of the original German-language musical from 1930, Britt’s casting as the iconic character prompted surprise, with many believing Marilyn Monroe would fill the role.
Britt’s singing and dancing skills would be back on display in 1961, with another starring role in the 1960 gangster film Murder inc.
The actress married her first husband, Stanford educated Edwin Gregson – the son of a real estate mogul – in February 1958 in Tijuana.
But the marriage would last just two years, with the couple finalising their divorce in September 1960 – two months before Britt married David Jr.
It was Britt’s role as outrageous cabaret entertainer Lola-Lola in director Edward Dmytryk’s 1959 remake of The Blue Angel that truly defined her as a Hollywood star
At best man Sinatra’s request, the couple reluctantly agreed to postpone their wedding until the US election was over to avoid harming John F. Kennedy’s chances of winning.
But they were subsequently disinvited to Kennedy’s Washington inauguration, with the newly elected President fearing their presence might offend Southern congressmen.
Following the birth of Tracey, the couple would adopt sons Mark and Jeff while living in the Beverly Hills mansion formerly owned by Gone With The Wind producer David O. Selznick.
Speaking of their eight year marriage in 1999, Britt told Vanity Fair: ‘I loved Sammy, and I had the chance to marry the man I loved.’
Davis Jr married dancer Altovise Gore in May 1970 and would remain with his third wife until his death to throat cancer in 1990, aged 64.
