Sheldon Leonard Bershad (February 22, 1907 – January 11, 1997) was an American film and television actor, producer, director, and screenwriter.

Early life

Sheldon Leonard Bershad was born in

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the List of co ...

, New York City, the son of middle-class Jewish parents Anna Levit and Frank Bershad. He graduated from

Syracuse University Syracuse University (informally 'Cuse or SU) is a Private university, private research university in Syracuse, New York. Established in 1870 with roots in the Methodist Episcopal Church, the university has been nonsectarian since 1920. Locate ...

in 1929.

Career

As an actor, Leonard specialized in playing supporting characters, especially gangsters or "heavies". His trademark was his especially thick

New York accent The sound system of New York City English is popularly known as a New York accent. The New York metropolitan accent is one of the most recognizable accents of the United States, largely due to its popular stereotypes and portrayal in radio ...

, usually delivered from the side of his mouth. (He would often pronounce ''th'' as ''t'' and would say ''er'' as ''oi'', thus he would pronounce ''earth'' as ''oit''.) His breakthrough role was in '' Another Thin Man'' (1939), in which he played a soft-spoken but dangerous murder suspect. From then on he was typecast as smooth gangsters or streetwise guys in such films as ''

It's a Wonderful Life ''It's a Wonderful Life'' is a 1946 American Christmas fantasy drama film produced and directed by Frank Capra, based on the short story and booklet '' The Greatest Gift'', which Philip Van Doren Stern self-published in 1943 and is in turn loo ...

'' (1946; as bartender Nick), ''

To Have and Have Not ''To Have and Have Not'' is a novel by Ernest Hemingway published in 1937 by Charles Scribner's Sons. The book follows Harry Morgan, a fishing boat captain out of Key West, Florida. ''To Have and Have Not'' was Hemingway's second novel set in t ...

'' (1944), ''

Guys and Dolls ''Guys and Dolls'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows. It is based on " The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown" (1933) and "Blood Pressure", which are two short stories by Damon Runyon, and als ...

'' (1955), and ''

Open Secret An open secret is a concept or idea that is "officially" (''de jure'') secret or restricted in knowledge, but in practice (''de facto'') is widely known; or it refers to something that is widely known to be true but which none of the people most i ...

'' (1948). He was a favorite of director

Frank Capra Frank Russell Capra (born Francesco Rosario Capra; May 18, 1897 – September 3, 1991) was an Italian-born American film director, producer and writer who became the creative force behind some of the major award-winning films of the 1930s ...

, who asked him to play an executive mobster in his 1961 film '' Pocketful of Miracles''. Leonard became so associated with tough-guy parts that he was occasionally cast against type, as a law-enforcement officer, in films like '' Street of Chance'' (1942) and ''

Decoy A decoy (derived from the Dutch ''de'' ''kooi'', literally "the cage" or possibly ''ende kooi'', " duck cage") is usually a person, device, or event which resembles what an individual or a group might be looking for, but it is only meant to lur ...

'' (1946). On radio from 1945 to 1955, Leonard played an eccentric racetrack tout on ''

The Jack Benny Program ''The Jack Benny Program'', starring Jack Benny, is a radio-TV comedy series that ran for more than three decades and is generally regarded as a high-water mark in 20th century American comedy. He played one role throughout his radio and televi ...

'' and later in the TV series of the same name. His role was to salute Benny out of the blue in railroad stations, on street corners, or in department stores ("Hey, Bud. C'mere a minute."), ask Benny what he was about to do, and then proceed to try to argue him out of his course of action by resorting to inane and irrelevant racing logic. As "The Tout", he never gave out information on horse racing, unless Jack demanded it. One excuse the tout gave was, "Who knows about horses?" Leonard was part of the cast of voice actors on the Damon Runyon Theatre radio show (1948–1949). He was part of the ensemble cast of the Martin and Lewis radio show. He also appeared frequently on '' Dragnet'' and '' The Adventures of the Saint'', often playing gangsters and heavies, but also sometimes in more sympathetic roles. Leonard was also a regular on the radio comedy series '' The Adventures of Maisie'' in the 1940s. During the 1950s, Leonard provided the voice of lazy, fat cat Dodsworth in two Warner Bros.

Merrie Melodies ''Merrie Melodies'' is an American animation, animated series of comedy short films produced by Warner Bros. starting in 1931, during the golden age of American animation, and ending in 1969. Then some new cartoons were produced from the late 197 ...

cartoons directed by Robert McKimson. Big eddie 1975

In the adventure movie ''

The Iroquois Trail ''The Iroquois Trail'' is a 1950 American Western film directed by Phil Karlson starring George Montgomery and Brenda Marshall. It is set during the French-Indian War. It is an adaptation of James Fenimore Cooper's 1826 work ''The Last of the M ...

'' (1950), Leonard played against type in the significant role of Chief Ogane, a Native American warrior, who pursues and fights the frontiersman Nat "Hawkeye" Cutler (

George Montgomery George Montgomery may refer to: * George Montgomery (actor) (1916–2000), American actor *George Leslie Montgomery (c. 1727–1787), Irish Member of Parliament *George Montgomery (set decorator) (1899–1951), American set decorator * George Thoma ...

) in a climactic duel to the death with knives. Later in the 1950s and 1960s, he established a reputation as a producer of many successful television series, often in partnership with

Danny Thomas Danny Thomas (born Amos Muzyad Yaqoob Kairouz; January 6, 1912 – February 6, 1991) was an American actor, singer, nightclub comedian, producer, and philanthropist. He created and starred in one of the most successful and long-running si ...

. They included ''

The Danny Thomas Show ''The Danny Thomas Show'' (titled ''Make Room for Daddy'' for its first three seasons) is an American sitcom that ran from 1953 to 1957 on ABC and from 1957 to 1964 on CBS. Starring Danny Thomas as a successful night club entertainer, the show ...

'' (aka '' Make Room For Daddy'') (1953–64), where midway through that series run, he had a recurring role as Danny's agent, Phil Brokaw; ''

The Andy Griffith Show ''The Andy Griffith Show '' is an American situation comedy television series that aired on CBS from October 3, 1960, to April 1, 1968, with a total of 249 half-hour episodes spanning eight seasons—159 in black and white and 90 in color. Th ...

'' (1960–68); ''

Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C. ''Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.''The show (and CBS) renders the title as ''Gomer Pyle – USMC''. is an American situation comedy that originally aired on CBS from September 25, 1964, to May 2, 1969. The series was a spin-off of ''The Andy Griffith Sho ...

'' (1964–69); and '' I Spy'' (1965–68). Thanks to his many years in show business, Leonard had cultivated a quick, shrewd capacity for pinpointing strengths and flaws in prospective projects. It was Leonard who recognized that a sitcom pilot, ''Head of the Family'', was structurally sound but miscast. He felt that actor–writer Carl Reiner was too overbearing as the lead, and insisted that the script be refilmed with up-and-coming comic Dick Van Dyke. The result was ''

The Dick Van Dyke Show ''The Dick Van Dyke Show'' is an American television sitcom created by Carl Reiner that initially aired on CBS from October 3, 1961 to June 1, 1966, with a total of 158 half-hour episodes spanning five seasons. It was produced by Calvada Prod ...

'' (1961–66). Sheldon Leonard also directed several TV series episodes, including four of the first eight episodes of the TV series ''Lassie'' (1954). Leonard also provided the voice of Linus the Lionhearted in a series of Post Crispy Critters cereal TV commercials in 1963–64, which led to a ''Linus'' cartoon series that aired on Saturday (and later, Sunday) mornings on CBS (1964–66) and ABC (1967–69). He also was briefly the star of his own television show '' Big Eddie'' (1975), where he played the owner of a large sports arena. The show lasted for only ten episodes. The character of Andy Taylor was introduced in a 1960 episode of ''The Danny Thomas Show'', which led to the series ''

''. Leonard is informally credited with developing the practice of using an episode of a series as a backdoor pilot episode for new series, in which a guest star is introduced as a new character with the intention of using this character as the basis for a new show. Leonard introduced the ''Andy Griffith'' spin-off ''

Mayberry R. F. D. ''Mayberry R.F.D.'' (abbreviation for Rural Free Delivery) is an American television series produced as a spin-off continuation of ''The Andy Griffith Show''. When star Andy Griffith decided to leave his series, most of the supporting character ...

'' as the summer replacement for the ''Griffith'' show, so it would have a pre-sold audience during the regular season. He was the executive producer on ''

'', and had an appearance on the show as a Hollywood producer who has to do 34 takes on a movie scene before Sergeant Carter gets it right ("A Star Is Not Born"). Leonard also has the distinction (along with author

Mickey Spillane Frank Morrison Spillane (; March 9, 1918July 17, 2006), better known as Mickey Spillane, was an American crime novelist, whose stories often feature his signature detective character, Mike Hammer. More than 225 million copies of his books have s ...

) of being one of the first two Miller Lite spokesmen. Using his trademark accent, he told the audience, "I was at first reluctant to try Miller Lite, but then I was persuaded to do so by my friend, Large Louis." One of his last acting roles was a guest appearance on the TV series ''

Cheers ''Cheers'' is an American sitcom television series that ran on NBC from September 30, 1982, to May 20, 1993, with a total of 275 half-hour episodes across 11 seasons. The show was produced by Charles/Burrows/Charles Productions in association w ...

'', in which he played Sid Nelson, the proprietor of "The Hungry Heifer",

Norm Peterson Hilary Norman Peterson is a regular fictional character on the American television show ''Cheers''. The character was portrayed by actor George Wendt and is named Hilary after his paternal grandfather. Norm appeared in all 275 episodes of '' ...

's favorite eating establishment. Leonard died on January 11, 1997, six weeks before his 90th birthday. He was buried at Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery in

Culver City, California Culver City is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 40,779. Founded in 1917 as a "whites only" sundown town, it is now an ethnically diverse city with what was called the "third-most ...

Legacy

Bill Cosby William Henry Cosby Jr. ( ; born July 12, 1937) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and media personality. He made significant contributions to American and African-American culture, and is well known in the United States for his eccentri ...

, whom Leonard cast in ''I Spy'', described Leonard as "my last father" when he dedicated an episode of '' Cosby'' to both Leonard and his slain son

Ennis Cosby Ennis William Cosby (April 15, 1969 – January 16, 1997), the only son of American comedian Bill Cosby, was murdered on January 16, 1997, near Interstate 405 in Los Angeles, California. He was shot in the head by 18-year-old Mikhail Mark ...

. Bill Cosby included an impersonation of Sheldon Leonard in one track of his 1966 hit comedy album '' Wonderfulness''. The track "Niagara Falls" describes Sheldon Leonard's honeymoon at

Niagara Falls Niagara Falls () is a group of three waterfalls at the southern end of Niagara Gorge, spanning the border between the province of Ontario in Canada and the state of New York in the United States. The largest of the three is Horseshoe Fall ...

. In "Monkees Marooned", the eighth episode of the second season of ''

The Monkees The Monkees were an American rock and pop band, formed in Los Angeles in 1966, whose lineup consisted of the American actor/musicians Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork alongside English actor/singer Davy Jones. The group was conc ...

'', a character named Leonard Sheldon, and speaking with Leonard's accent, approaches

Peter Tork Peter Halsten Thorkelson (February 13, 1942 – February 21, 2019), better known by his stage name Peter Tork, was an American musician and actor. He was best known as the keyboardist and bass guitarist of the Monkees and a co-star of the TV ...

on the street, much like "The Tout" and persuades Tork to trade his guitar for a treasure map. Leonard's name served as an eponym for the characters Sheldon Cooper and Leonard Hofstadter in the American sitcom ''

The Big Bang Theory ''The Big Bang Theory'' is an American television sitcom created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, both of whom served as executive producers on the series, along with Steven Molaro, all of whom also served as head writers. It premiered on CBS ...

'' because the writers were fans of his work.

Selected filmography

Actor * '' The People's Enemy'' (1935) as Third Department of Justice Representative * ''

Ouanga Ouanga is a village in the Bagassi Department of Balé Province in southern Burkina Faso Burkina Faso (, ; , ff, 𞤄𞤵𞤪𞤳𞤭𞤲𞤢 𞤊𞤢𞤧𞤮, italic=no) is a landlocked country in West Africa with an area of , bordered by Ma ...

'' (1936) as LeStrange, the Overseer * '' Another Thin Man'' (1939) as Phil Church * '' Tall, Dark and Handsome'' (1941) as Pretty Willie Williams * '' Private Nurse'' (1941) as John Winton * '' Buy Me That Town'' (1941) as Chink Moran * '' Week-End in Havana'' (1941) as Boris * '' Married Bachelor'' (1941) as Johnny Branigan * '' Rise and Shine'' (1941) as Menace * '' Born To Sing'' (1942) as Pete Detroit * '' Tortilla Flat'' (1942) as Tito Ralph * '' Pierre of the Plains'' (1942) as Clairou * '' Street of Chance'' (1942) as Detective Joe Marruci * '' Lucky Jordan'' (1942) as Slip Moran * '' City Without Men'' (1943) as Monk LaRue * '' Taxi, Mister'' (1943) as Gangster Louis Glorio / The Frisco Ghost * ''

Hit the Ice ''Hit the Ice'' is an ice hockey sports video game originally released by Taito, WMS Industries, Williams and Midway Games, Midway for video arcade, arcades in 1990. The game is a cartoonish representation of the sport with three players on each ...

'' (1943) as 'Silky' Fellowsby * '' Passport to Suez'' (1943) as Johnny Booth * '' Harvest Melody'' (1943) as Chuck * ''

Klondike Kate Kathleen Eloise Rockwell (October 4, 1873/1876/1880 (year of birth disputed) – February 21, 1957), known as "Klondike Kate" and later known as Kate Rockwell Warner Matson Van Duren, was an American dancer and vaudeville star during the Klo ...

'' (1943) as 'Sometime' Smith * '' Timber Queen'' (1944) as Smacksie Golden * '' Uncertain Glory'' (1944) as Henri Duval * '' Trocadero'' (1944) as Mickey Jones * ''

Gambler's Choice ''Gambler's Choice'' is a 1944 film directed by Frank McDonald and starring Chester Morris and Nancy Kelly. Plot In 1897, three children, Ross Hadley, Mike McGlennon and Mary Rogers, are brought before a judge for stealing a man's wallet. McGle ...

'' (1944) as Chappie Wilson * ''

'' (1944) as Lt. Coyo * '' The Falcon in Hollywood'' (1944) as Louie Buchanan * '' Zombies on Broadway'' (1945) as Ace Miller * '' Crime, Inc.'' (1945) as Capt. Ferrone * '' Radio Stars on Parade'' (1945) as Lucky Maddox * '' River Gang'' (1945) as Peg Leg * '' Why Girls Leave Home'' (1945) as Chris Williams * ''

Captain Kidd William Kidd, also known as Captain William Kidd or simply Captain Kidd ( – 23 May 1701), was a Scottish sea captain who was commissioned as a privateer and had experience as a pirate. He was tried and executed in London in 1701 for murder a ...

'' (1945) as Cyprian Boyle * '' Frontier Gal'' (1945) as 'Blackie' Shoulders * '' The Gentleman Misbehaves'' (1946) as Trigger Stazzi * '' Her Kind of Man'' (1946) as Felix Bender * '' Rainbow Over Texas'' (1946) as Kirby Haynes * '' Somewhere in the Night'' (1946) as Sam * '' Bowery Bombshell'' (1946) as Ace Deuce Baker * '' The Last Crooked Mile'' (1946) as Ed 'Wires' MacGuire * ''

'' (1946) as Police Sgt. Joe Portugal * ''

'' (1946) as Nick, the bartender * ''

Sinbad the Sailor Sinbad the Sailor (; ar, سندباد البحري, Sindibādu al-Bahriyy; fa, سُنباد بحری, Sonbād-e Bahri or Sindbad) is a fictional mariner and the hero of a story-cycle of Persian origin. He is described as hailing from Baghda ...

'' (1947) as Auctioneer * ''

Violence Violence is the use of physical force so as to injure, abuse, damage, or destroy. Other definitions are also used, such as the World Health Organization's definition of violence as "the intentional use of physical force or power, threatened ...

'' (1947) as Fred Stalk * ''

The Hal Roach Comedy Carnival ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in E ...

'' (1947) as Louie, in 'Fabulous Joe' * ''

The Fabulous Joe ''The Fabulous Joe'' is a 1947 American comedy film in the Hal Roach's Streamliners series. It was directed by Harve Foster and written by Arnold Belgard and Jack Jevne. The film stars Walter Abel, Margot Grahame, Marie Wilson (American actress) ...

'' (1947) as Louie * '' The Gangster'' (1947) as Cornell * ''

'' (1948) as Detective Sgt. Mike Frontelli * '' Alias a Gentleman'' (1948) as Harry Bealer * '' If You Knew Susie'' (1948) as Steve Garland * '' Madonna of the Desert'' (1948) as Nick Julian * '' Jinx Money'' (1948) as Lippy Harris * '' Joe Palooka in Winner Take All'' (1948) as Hermon * '' Shep Comes Home'' (1948) as 'Swifty' Lewis * '' Two Knights from Brooklyn'' (1949) as Louis Glorio / The Frisco Ghost (archive footage) * '' Daughter of the Jungle'' (1949) as Dalton Kraik * '' My Dream Is Yours'' (1949) as Fred Grimes * '' Take One False Step'' (1949) as Pacciano * ''

'' (1950) as Chief Ogane * ''

Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man ''Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man'' is a 1951 American science fiction comedy film directed by Charles Lamont and starring the team of Abbott and Costello alongside Nancy Guild. The film depicts the misadventures of Lou Francis and Bu ...

'' (1951) as Morgan * '' Behave Yourself!'' (1951) as Shortwave Bert * ''

Come Fill the Cup ''Come Fill the Cup'' is a 1951 film starring James Cagney and Gig Young, directed by Gordon Douglas. Young's performance was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Cagney plays an alcoholic newspaperman. He has a memorable li ...

'' (1951) as Lennie Garr * ''

Here Come the Nelsons ''Here Come the Nelsons'' is a 1952 American comedy film starring real-life husband and wife Ozzie and Harriet Nelson and their sons David and Ricky Nelson. The supporting cast includes Rock Hudson, Sheldon Leonard, Jim Backus, Gale Gordon ...

'' (1952) as Duke * '' Kiddin' the Kitten'' (1952) as Dodsworth (voice) * '' Young Man with Ideas'' (1952) as Rodwell 'Brick' Davis * ''

Sock-a-Doodle-Do ''Sock-A-Doodle-Do'' is a 1952 Warner Bros. ''Looney Tunes'' animated short directed by Robert McKimson. The cartoon was released on May 10, 1952, and features Foghorn Leghorn and the Barnyard Dawg. The voices are performed by Mel Blanc, though Ba ...

'' (1952) as Kid Banty (voice) * '' Breakdown'' (1952) as Nick Sampson * ''

Stop, You're Killing Me :''There was also a Two Ronnies mini-series of this name.'' ''Stop, You're Killing Me'' is a 1952 black comedy film directed by Roy Del Ruth and starring Broderick Crawford and Claire Trevor. Premise The surprise appearance of four corpses interf ...

'' (1952) as Lefty * ''

A Peck o' Trouble A, or a, is the first letter and the first vowel of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''a'' (pronounced ), plural ''aes'' ...

'' (1953) as Dodsworth (voice) * '' The Diamond Queen'' (1953) as Mogul * '' Money From Home'' (1953) as Jumbo Schneider * ''

'' (1955) as Harry the Horse * '' Pocketful of Miracles'' (1961) as Steve Darcey * '' The Brink's Job'' (1978) as J. Edgar Hoover Producer * ''

'' (1953–1964). He also appeared onscreen as Phil Brokaw (1957–1961). * ''

'' (1960–1968). * ''

'' (1961–1966). He also appeared onscreen in the season 3 episode "Big Max Calvada". * '' Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.'' (1964–1969). He also appeared onscreen in the season 5 episode "A Star is Not Born". * '' I Spy'' (1965–1968). * '' Accidental Family'' (1967–1968) * '' My World and Welcome to It'' (1969–1970) * '' From a Bird's Eye View'' (1970–1971) * '' Shirley's World'' (1971–1972) Director * '' It's Always Jan'' * ''

'' * ''

'' * '' My Favorite Martian'' (pilot only) * '' I Spy'' * ''Lassie'' (4 episodes, Season 1: 1954)

References

External links

*
Sheldon Leonard
at

Turner Classic Movies Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is an American movie-oriented pay-TV network owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in 1994, Turner Classic Movies is headquartered at Turner's Techwood broadcasting campus in the Midtown business district of ...