If you’ve ever been on the dice table when the number eleven comes up, you’ve heard the dealer yell out “YO-LEVEN”. That’s so the players won’t ask him, “Did you say, seven or eleven?”

So, why in 1960's Ocean’s 11, does Sammy Davis Jr. sing, “E-YO Eleven?”

The Answer: E-YO Eleven was the original call for the number eleven. Then later, it was changed to YO-LEVEN.

Actor Peter Lawford bought the original script of Ocean's 11 from two guys he surfed with and then sold it to Frank Sinatra who produced it.  

Always promoting Sammy Davis Jr. from ten years back, Sinatra gave him the title song to sing three times in the movie, first happily and then finally, sad.

At the end, when the cast is walking past the Las Vegas’ Sands Hotel, Sammy’s voice echoes on the track. Finally, Sammy is left alone in the frame as the shot fades out. This made him the narrator of the story. Behind him are the names of the top five cast members on The Sands' billboard with only Sammy's name in red. More of Sinatra's doing.

I was fortunate to direct Ocean’s 11 cast member Henry Silva’ in my audiobook McKnight’s Memory. Driving him home, my agent in the back seat handed me a CD and said, “Play track number five.”

I put in the disc and out of the speakers came Sammy Davis Jr.’s voice singing, “E-O Eleven.” With Henry sitting next to me, I felt like I was in the movie. 

Later, my dad and my agent met Henry for lunch. The conversation never stopped as we asked Henry about his movies, especially his vicious karate fight scene with Frank Sinatra in The Manchurian Candidate.

However, my father stole the show when I told Henry, “Did you know that my father was one of the first speed-freaks, years before it was fashionable?”

“What?” Henry asked laughing.

“Tell him, Dad,”

“Oh, yeah,” my dad began. “Back in 1962, I had to drive to night school, so my doctor gave me some pills to stay awake. I took a pill, and I was wide awake for my drive. The next night was our big company formal dance, so I took another pill.

“The next morning, my co-workers told me what a wild dancer I was, doing the twist with non-stop energy all night. At noon, my head dropped onto my desk, and I slept the rest of the day.

“A week later, I took a pill and had a martini at a party. I was up all night, walking around my house feeling like my heart was going to pound out of my chest. I took the bottle of pills and threw it in the garbage.”

“Yeah,” Henry said. “You have to watch out mixing alcohol and medicine.”

My dad was also with me when delivering McKnight’s Memory CDs to Edd Kookie Byrnes at a Starbucks. “I’ll order the coffee,” my dad said, “so you guys can talk.”

Afterwards, I said to my dad. “You and I used to watch 77 Sunset Strip ever Saturday night. So, how did it feel buying Edd Byrnes coffee?”

“Pretty good,” he answered. “And if Edd ever buys me coffee, I’ll have it made.”