Episode 4: Sammy Davis Jr.

Paul McCartney’s working class roots. The story of George Harrison’s first guitar. John Lennon’s love of Hamburg. Ringo Starr’s big break. (And Pete Best’s not-so-big break.) This … is the story of the world’s greatest band, told to the world’s greatest interviewer. 

Ten rounds: that’s how many times David Frost would go toe-to-toe with Muhammad Ali. From his days as a young heavyweight champion … to his political activism … to his days as an entertainer, these intimate interviews trace how a simple Kentucky kid became “The Greatest.” 

The dame of Hollywood’s golden age, Lauren Bacall was known for much more than just her so-called "look.” David Frost talks to Bacall about her big break, the eternal problems facing Hollywood, and what she learned from her famous marriage with Humphrey Bogart.

One of the most prolific actors of our time, Michael Caine survived the Blitz of London in WW2 as a child, fought in the Korean War himself and then spent years struggling to make it as an actor. Here’s the story of how a plain-spoken cockney boy became one of the world's greatest headliners. 

David Frost would interview prime ministers and presidents, sultans and singers. But his first interview ever was with Jane Fonda. She'd always have a special place in Frost's life. As their stars rose during the 1970s, he’d discuss her controversial political activism, her acting career, and her philosophy of what made somebody truly successful.

David Frost did thousands of interviews during his lifetime. But his favorite person to talk to was the singer, dancer, actor, comedian, and impressionist: Sammy Davis Jr. These interviews—many of which have been lost for more than 50 years—show exactly why Sammy was simply known as “Mister Show Business.”

Hollywood’s first million-dollar star, Elizabeth Taylor was the definition of the word “icon.” In her conversations with David Frost, she discussed the abusive control of movie studios, her eight marriages, and the difficulties of transitioning from child actress to bombshell starlet. 

With the piano at his fingertips, Andrew Lloyd Webber would sit down with David Frost nine times between 1969 to 2007. Along the way, the composer got deep—explaining how  “Cats” nearly ruined him, plus the scandalous inspiration behind “Phantom of the Opera.”  

Spanning more than four decades, David Frost’s interviews with Elton John range from the Pinball Wizard’s darkest hours—including the depths of his drug addiction—to the happiest days of his life. Here’s the complete story of how a timid kid named Reginald Dwight became a rock-and-roll legend. 

David Frost was the 20th century’s most prolific interviewer, a master of conversation with a remarkable talent for getting people to open up and spill their souls. In Season Two, Frost interviews an A-list lineup of musicians (Elton John, the Beatles, and Andrew Lloyd Webber), entertainers and political activists (Sammy Davis Jr., Muhammad Ali, and Jane Fonda)—plus Hollywood stars (Michael Caine, Elizabeth Taylor, and Lauren Bacall.) You can’t get these interviews anywhere else.