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March 07, 2005

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Suzanne

I had the pleasure of having Thanksgiving dinner with Sammy at his nephew's home in Westchester this past November. I will ask his people to contact your people.

Bobby  McCandless

I too am searching for Sammy Petrillo. He was a friend/mentor to me during a gig he did in Dallas back in 66. Sure would like to see him again.

Jack Blanchard

I'm still recording, but also write a syndicated column. Misty and I would love to hear from Sammy.
Here's today's column:
A STAR YOU MAY NOT KNOW.

In our years of show business,
and touring the country,
we’ve met a lot of interesting and talented people

Sammy Petrillo, a great comedian,
was known for being the first and best
Jerry Lewis impersonator.

He made some B movies with Bela Lugosi and others.
One was a "gem" entitled
"Bela Lugosi Meets a Brooklyn Gorilla."
It must have cost about eight dollars and fifty cents to make this film,
but Sammy made it worth seeing..

In the 1960's we met Sammy Petrillo
at The Apache Club, a Miami showplace.

The crowd and even the club owner had their doubts
that Sammy had ever made a movie.
When Sammy found out that we'd seen one of his pictures
he took us around to the boss and the customers.
We were his "proof" to the bunch of dummies
who didn't know who he was.

He didn't do much Jerry Lewis in his show that night,
but he did a lot of other good stuff.
He seemed as though he could look like anybody he wanted!

He told us later
that he just had that "kind of face".
As we talked
I even saw a young Milton Berle flash on and off in his face
.
Like Frank Fontaine,
Sammy could do a lot more than people knew.

He and his wife invited us to their motel room
where we sat up all night and talked.

He's one of the nicest people we have met in our years in show business.
We hope he's still OK.

Jack W.

I'm Sammy's cousin.
Unfortunately, the personal attacks on Sammy Petrillo,
by people on this blog are unfounded.
If we listen to 40 year old stories; stories told by people
we love, by people we want to believe in, and
because we love these people, we believe their stories,
with all their inaccuracies, errors, and omissions.
Whether or not Sammy Petrillo is a good father remains to be seen.
But I can truly state that he never left his sons.
In life there is always two sides to a story,
if a son only listens to one side, the truth shall never prevail.

Kirby Allan

I knew Sammy Petrillo well during my 16 years in Hollywood. He was a rare bird indeed. He was funnier with his friends than on stage. He could be his funny nasty self with his friends. The real life routine between he and his psychiatrist alone, the way Sammy made a fool of him, could have made him a top commedian. He had called him to relieve the pressure from his troubled mind. Sammy and I waiting for psychaitrist in his Hollywood hotel room. When he arrived sammy told of his partner cursing him all the time calling him dirty names and worse was his partner screwed Sammy's newly wed wife on Sammy's wedding night.Psychaitrist asked Sammy to draw his partner's face on the pillow, get upon the bed and punch it calling him everything partner called Sammy. Psychaitrist threw me out of the room when I busted out laughing at Sammy punching and saying; "Cocksucker,mother fucker, ass hole, etc.

But,the first and foremost private routine sticks in my mind and has for over one half century was his impersonation of the "Real" Romans of shakesphere times. These lines, some in part, I remember most were;

1- "Niacin, do I entice thee? Do I speak it rare? Or do I fuck thee?"

2- "Thou shalt stick the poles of the colisuem up your ass hole!"

The classic was; 3- "Nician!! doest thou dareth standith there with scum running down thou mouth and say that thou has not eaten the pussy of king George the third?"

Sammy was before his time.

Respectfully submitted, Kirby Allan

Kirby Allan

More of Sammy petrillo's antic's;

1,He wouldfriquently hail a taxi on vine street two blocks from Coffee Dan's and he and his friends would pile in and pile out a couple minutes later.

2, One time when he and I went to Coffee Dan's Sammy opened the door and almost bumped into "Eden Abez" he jumped back yelling, "Jesus!"

3, This one was a classic; One night when he and his long time partner were entertaining on stage at a Hollywood night spot a drunken woman with two mobsters sitting at a table right next to the stage and she began to heckel him. Sammy making funny remarks back at her suddenly jumped off stage and danced his way to the rear of the club up to a lady with a serving cart serving salads from a big bowlfull of mixed salads. Sammy danced all around the cart making funny remarks while the audience roared wondering what he was up to. Suddenly he picked up the bowl and danced his way back toward the drunken lady. He danced all around her table making funny statements like; Want somma dis? Huh-huh? The audience roared with laughter until Sammy shoved the salad bowl in the drunk lady's face. The three mobsters ran after causing an uproar all through the club. I told him to meet me in my car and ran out and started it up. He ran toward the open car door and we sped off just in the nick of time. I asked him why he would do such a dumb thing- you could have been killed? He told me that he was overwrought over what happened on his wedding night last night when he kept waiting all night for his new bride and she never came. He then said; "I couldn't take it when I found out my partner had fucked her on "MY" wedding night."

Kirby Allan

This is for Shawn Petrillo.

Shawn, Understanding you dad Sammy as well as understanding show business, Your Dad was caught up in showbusiness like many have in the past.

Show people are a rare breed mostly made up of those who're troubled and seeks a brighter life. Sammy, as I knew him, seemed not to want to think about the past, and seemed to cloud it out of his mind like so many have done before. I could tell, he never at any time forgot about you and your brothers and that's what I believe, unbeknown to him, was the direct cause that troubled him all the time. Many people's problems are caused by shuting out things that bothered them thinking they are gone, but everyting we think, say, or do is recorded perminately in our memory bank. This bank commonly called the subconcious is like a computer, it stores everything. It does not discriminate. By having his family pushed back into his subconcious mind it bothered him without him being aware of it. He didni't want to face reality for fear it would destroy him. But Shawn, that's why he always counciled with head shrinkers and what made him such a good commedian. He was searching for happiness but, wouldn't let himself realize the real values of life. I lost my son in an airplane accident in 1996 and I cherish the memory of him always saying; "Oh Dad,Family is everything." If you can Shawn, in your heart, forgive him. He's your Father who got lost in another world. Remember the words of Jesus Christ; "Forgive them for they know not what they do." Best to you Shawn. I wish you the very best. Kirby Allan

Kirby Allan

Bless you Shawn for forgiving your Father. Forgiving is devine. Forgetting is hard to do but understanding can lighten the heavy load of hurt you carry on your shoulders.

The negative feelings you carry are harmful both to yourself and other loved ones around you.

Negatives breeds more negatives and over time they can eventually destroy us but, so do positives breed more positives.

The more positives we have in our lives the more negatives disappear because negatives cannot exist where there is an abundance of positives.

Think of your Dad having to constantly try to ward off his guilt for turning his backs on you and your brothers. Sammy is certainly not immune from suffering from guilt and neither is anyone else even if they aren't aware of it.

He never slowed down being always on stage wherever he went and whoever he was with clouding his mind by being funny and feeling relieved with all the laughs he got.

I believe Shawn, he never wanted to slow down for fear he would have to take a good look at himself and face himself and what he had done.

It's all over now and gone becoming part of the past Shawn, and nothing can change it.

You have a life to live and if you could bring yourself into the positive world and stay the course you all negtives will dissappear from your life.

As the old saying goes; "We must lookout for number one and be careful at all times not to step in number two."

"Our life on this planet is God's gift to us, what we do with it can be our gift to God."

I have a photo of your Dad with our group when we were in the "Hollywood Parade." I could email it to you if you like. Again Shawn, best to you and yours. Kirby Allan

Sammy Petrillo

To Kirby Allan:
Kirby, I remeber you as a nice, creative person. However, the stories you tell about me are not exactly accurate. Perhaps it is because they happened over fifty years ago. I thank you for all the kind things you said about me-as for the truth of some of the stories you related, they are as follows:

1. That salad bowl episode was when I was clowing around with a table of prom kids, and I picked up a bowl of salad to use as a prop and stumbled, and the salad flew on some of the kids' formal clothes. I apologized, gave them money to pay for the cleaning, and the show went on. No mobsters-no drunk woman. I was about eighteen and in a depression, and did have a psychiatrist come to my hotel room. You were a very kind friend who helped me out, and was very compassionate. I never had a wedding night in my entire life, and I was married only once in my life. I do not ever recall even thinking my wife cheated on me, particularly with my partner.

Kirby Allan

Is this really you Sammy??? I had hoped to smoke you out and hopefully it worked. Where are you? How have you been? You had everyone worried.

I have great connections in Hollywood now at 80. You may be interested to know that after knowing you and after rock and roll blew me out of the basket as a ballad singer, I produced several LP's of primitive Exotica, experimenting on "Americanizing" primitive drums featuring the then artist; Chaino with much success. I got married to a wondereful french woman in Hollywood and walked away from a budding career as record producer moving to Mesa, Arizona to raise my family. 1999 surprize was I had been a half century ahead of myself and now Hollywood found me here and we released my old LP's on CD with great success and the third one in ready to go on the world market. Producer/director Steven Speilberg and HBO-TV and MTV launched it. Enough about my success, What are you doing and are you still intertaining? I would really like to hear from you. I still have fond memories of you Sammy. Email me at; [email protected] and you can see my web site at: ExoticaAndBeyond.com Kirby

Kirby Allan

Sammy, I have a photo of you with my crew when we all were in the Hollywood parade. If you like I will mail it to you or email it. If you remember that was when all the top drawer Hollywood celebrities dominated the parade. No girley men or bull dykes like it has been since. A very good letter to your son. Best, Kirby Allan ExoticaAndBeyond.com

Sammy Petrillo

Dear Jack and Misty-Thank you for the extremely kind words. You were wonderful to be with, and I can see that you are both as sweet and kind as you were those many years ago in Florida.
It is refreshing after reading a publish washing of dirty laundry and distorted untruths about myself, to read such nice,kind words. Thank you and the others on this site who have said such nice things. Please be well and happy.
Your Friend,
Sammy Petrillo

Kirby Allan

Somehow I don't believe you are "The" Sammy Petrillo. The reasoning is based mostly on the fact that you have not answered any of my emails: [email protected] or [email protected] There is some reason you have ignored me. If l'm wrong and you are Sammy Petrillo I wish you well, apologize, and leave no more comments. Kirby Allan

Sammy Petrillo

Dear Kirby- it's me-remember the recording, "This is NY"? Remember Your friend and business partner, June? Remember MAZE records and Bill Stein? Yes, it's me. I am just extremely busy lately, but I've been planning to reach you by next week sometime when things calm down.

I need to also get a certain medical procedure out of the way; then I can give a reunion of over fifty years the time it deserves. 'Gotta go now-got a cab waitin' to take me 2 blocks to Coffee Dan's! Continued sucess, Kirby. Thanks for being a concerned friend- Will talk some more next week-Your friend, Sammy.

Kirby Allan

Thanks Sammy for clearing up my concerns also for contacting your son. My son of my first marriage thought I had abandoned him until I told him my side of the story that it was his mom who took him away from me, after runningaway with a truck driver, and hid him for 40 years. His hurt was not so much from that truck driver beating him all the time but his belief about me haunted him all that time. We made peace ten years ago. I felt what Shawn went through. A great letter you wrote to him. I hope all is well with your problem and again my very best to you. Kirby

Bobby McCandless

Sammy...
Is that really you.
Bobby

Bobby McCandless

Sammy...
Is that really you.
Bobby

Sammy Petrillo

Dear Bobby-it's me. Wow! I went to your site, and you should be very proud of your talents and accomplishments. I especially enjoyed your writtings. As I told Kirby, I was going to get a medical procedure done, and then will be able to correspond more fully. I haven't had it done yet because I'm particular about the doctor I want to do it. I have been procrastinating. By your picture you still look like a kid! Good luck, young man. I'll be in touch soon.
Your Friend,
Sammy

Kirby Allan

Does any of Sammy's other friends know how he is since his visit to the hospital?
If so please let me know. Thanks much,

Kirby Allan

Sammy, glad to see that you are OK. Your subtleness is hysterical. I don't know if you intertain now, but Having much success in choosing talented winners, I strongly believe you should. Your real time is now. I can see great success, more than anyone could imagine. I hope you continue. Kirby

Kirby Allan

P. S. With all the problems Americans face today, commedy is more essential than ever. Kirby

Kirby Allan

Sammy, I put my letter for you in the wrong place. I wrote; Glad to see you are OK. Your subtleness is hysterical. I don't know if you are still entertaining, but you certainly should be. Having successes in the ability to choose talented winners, I feel your real time is now. I can see clearly you can hit the top in your field with subtle style commedy as well as over-the-hill material and there is plenty of real funny stuff out there. With all the turmoil and confusion going on today in America, good commedy is essential to the people. I'm having better success than ever now with my music productions and that's very rewarding to me especially at this time of my life being over-the-hill at 80. You've got the tools and the way to really go, with real talent, and an extraordinary past record. I hope you really open up. With best regards, Your friend, Kirby

Marvin Patrello

I am the brother of Sammy Petrillo and I just wanted to let everyone know that I feel that Sammy is the best brother in the world ,and as far as talent goes They do not make them any better than Sammy is.


Marvin-Ditto! You are the best brother in the world.
Love You,
__Sammy

Big Sammy Fan

From: Big Sammy Fan

In a career that spans over six decades, Sammy made a total of four films. Ironically, you can peruse the reviews for most of these films at www.rottentomatoes.com.
Perhaps most noteworthy is his portrayal of marriage counselor, Stanley Bebble in the Doris Whishman film, "Keyholes are for Peeping." This film marks the pinnacle of Sammy's rise to comedic mediocrity unless of course you count his ten second voice over in "Humanoids form the Deep." Also, not to be forgotten, is the low budget cult classic, "The Boys from Brooklyn" or "Bela Legosi Meets a Brooklyn Gorilla." In this lost treasure of cinematic history, Sammy plays the part of a Jerry Lewis impersonator, a role that he would continue throughout his career.

It is nice to come across a forum where this forgotten relic of the cinema and stage is given his due amongst so diverse a selection of admirers from the past (and family).

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