Tim Burton wanted his childhood hero, Sammy Davis, Jr., to play the title character in Beetlejuice. Studio execs shot him down.

Cast in the role of Bombo but fired when Rex Harrison insisted on "an actor, not an entertainer." He was replaced by Sidney Poitier, but the role was later written out.

When a feud broke out between Frank Sinatra and Davis, Sinatra demanded Davis be replaced in the WW II movie.

Davis writes in his autobiography that he had signed to play a role in the drama, but his commitment to the stage musical "Golden Boy" forced him to withdraw.