May Britt, the Swedish actress whose marriage to legendary entertainer Sammy Davis Jr became a landmark moment in the fight against racial prejudice in America, has died at the age of 91.
A Hollywood career and a fateful meeting
Her son confirmed the news on Thursday, stating that Britt passed away from natural causes on December 11 at the Providence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana Medical Center. Born Majbritt Wilkens in Lidingö, Sweden, on March 22, 1934, her life transformed at 18 when legendary Italian producer Carlo Ponti spotted her in Stockholm.
This led to roles in Italian films before a screen test secured her a Hollywood contract with 20th Century Fox in 1957. Her early English-language work included The Hunters and the successful World War II drama The Young Lions alongside Marlon Brando.
However, it was her starring role as the cabaret singer Lola-Lola in the 1959 remake of The Blue Angel that cemented her stardom, a part many had expected to go to Marilyn Monroe.
A landmark and controversial marriage
Britt's life took another dramatic turn in 1960 when she met Sammy Davis Jr at the Mocambo nightclub on Hollywood's Sunset Strip. Davis Jr famously broke off his engagement to Canadian dancer Joan Stuart after their meeting.
The couple announced their engagement that June while Davis Jr was in England. They married in a Jewish ceremony at his Los Angeles home on November 13, 1960, with Reform Rabbi William J. Kramer officiating and Frank Sinatra as best man. Britt had converted to Judaism, the faith Davis Jr had adopted years earlier.
Their union provoked significant controversy, occurring at a time when interracial marriage remained illegal in 31 US states. Anti-miscegenation laws were later ruled unconstitutional by the US Supreme Court.
Family life and later years
The couple welcomed their only child, daughter Tracey, in 1961. However, the marriage ended in divorce eight years later after Davis Jr was linked to singer Lola Falana.
Tragedy struck again when Tracey, who authored two books about her parents, died in November 2020 at her home in Franklin, Tennessee, aged 59, following a short illness.
Beyond her defining role in The Blue Angel, Britt also showcased her singing and dancing talents in the 1960 gangster film Murder, Inc.. Her legacy remains intertwined with a pivotal chapter in both Hollywood history and America's social evolution.
