Sheldon Leonard
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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. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
, New York City, the son of middle-class Jewish parents Anna Levit and Frank Bershad. He graduated from Syracuse University 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 phonology, sound system of New York City English is popularly known as a New York accent. The New York metropolitan area, New York metropolitan accent is one of the most recognizable accent (sociolinguistics), accents of the United States, ...
, 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 ''Another Thin Man'' is a 1939 American detective film directed by W. S. Van Dyke, the third of six in the ''Thin Man'' series. It again stars William Powell and Myrna Loy as Nick and Nora Charles and is based on Dashiell Hammett's Continen ...
'' (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 loos ...
'' (1946; as bartender Nick), '' To Have and Have Not'' (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 also bo ...
'' (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, 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 lu ...
'' (1946). On radio from 1945 to 1955, Leonard played an eccentric racetrack
tout A tout is any person who solicits business or employment in a persistent and annoying manner (generally equivalent to a ''solicitor'' or '' barker'' in American English, or a ''spruiker'' in Australian English). An example would be a person who ...
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 televis ...
'' 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 Martin and Lewis were an American comedy duo, comprising singer Dean Martin and comedian Jerry Lewis. They met in 1945 and debuted at Atlantic City's 500 Club on July 25, 1946; the team lasted ten years to the day. Before they teamed up, Martin ...
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. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...
Merrie Melodies cartoons directed by Robert McKimson. In the adventure movie '' The Iroquois Trail'' (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) 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 sitc ...
. 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 f ...
'' (aka ''
Make Room For Daddy ''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 ...
'') (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. The ...
'' (1960–68); '' Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C.'' (1964–69); and ''
I Spy I spy is a guessing game where one player (the ''spy'' or ''it'') chooses an object within sight and announces to the other players that "I spy with my little eye something beginning with...", naming the first letter of the object. Other players a ...
'' (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 Carl Reiner (March 20, 1922 – June 29, 2020) was an American actor, stand-up comedian, director, screenwriter, and author whose career spanned seven decades. He was the recipient of many awards and honors, including 11 Primetime Emmy Awards, ...
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 Product ...
'' (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 ''Linus the Lionhearted'' is an American Saturday morning animated television series that aired on CBS from September 26, 1964 to December 11, 1965, originally airing in black and white. Colorized versions of the episodes started airing on ABC in ...
in a series of
Post Post or POST commonly refers to: *Mail, the postal system, especially in Commonwealth of Nations countries **An Post, the Irish national postal service **Canada Post, Canadian postal service **Deutsche Post, German postal service **Iraqi Post, Ira ...
Crispy Critters Crispy Critters was a breakfast cereal manufactured by Post Cereals starting in 1963. The sweetened cereal, made of oats, consisted of animal-shaped pieces similar to animal crackers. Television commercials featured a cartoon lion, Linus the Lionhe ...
cereal TV commercials in 1963–64, which led to a ''Linus'' cartoon series that aired on Saturday (and later, Sunday) mornings on
CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
(1964–66) and ABC (1967–69). He also was briefly the star of his own television show ''
Big Eddie ''Big Eddie'' is an American television sitcom that aired on CBS from August 23 until November 7, 1975. Its first three episodes, in a Saturday night time slot, did well in the ratings, but after it was moved to Friday nights, it had little succ ...
'' (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 ''
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. The ...
''. Leonard is informally credited with developing the practice of using an episode of a series as a
backdoor pilot A television pilot (also known as a pilot or a pilot episode and sometimes marketed as a tele-movie), in United States television, is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell a show to a television network or other distri ...
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.'' 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 '' Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C.'', 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 ...
) 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'', 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.


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 eccentric ...
, 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. Bill Cosby included an impersonation of Sheldon Leonard in one track of his 1966 hit comedy album ''
Wonderfulness ''Wonderfulness'' (1966) is the fourth album of stand-up comedy performances by Bill Cosby. The title comes from a catchphrase used in Cosby's television series, ''I Spy''. This was the first of several Cosby albums to be recorded live at Harr ...
''. 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 con ...
'', 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 Sheldon Lee Cooper, Ph.D., Sc.D., is a fictional character in the CBS television series ''The Big Bang Theory'' and its spinoff series ''Young Sheldon'', portrayed by actors Jim Parsons and Iain Armitage respectively (with Parsons as the latter ...
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 C ...
'' because the writers were fans of his work.


Selected filmography

Actor * '' The People's Enemy'' (1935) as Third Department of Justice Representative * '' Ouanga'' (1936) as LeStrange, the Overseer * ''
Another Thin Man ''Another Thin Man'' is a 1939 American detective film directed by W. S. Van Dyke, the third of six in the ''Thin Man'' series. It again stars William Powell and Myrna Loy as Nick and Nora Charles and is based on Dashiell Hammett's Continen ...
'' (1939) as Phil Church * ''
Tall, Dark and Handsome "Tall, dark, and handsome" is a phrase that refers to an appealing man, often found in romantic fiction aimed at women. History The term came to prominent use in the early 1900s and was commonly used in Hollywood during the 1920s to describe Ru ...
'' (1941) as Pretty Willie Williams * ''
Private Nurse ''Private Nurse'' is a 1941 American drama film directed by David Burton and written by Samuel G. Engel. The film stars Jane Darwell, Brenda Joyce, Sheldon Leonard, Robert Lowery, Ann E. Todd and Kay Linaker. The film was released on August ...
'' (1941) as John Winton * ''
Buy Me That Town ''Buy Me That Town'' is a 1941 American comedy film directed by Eugene Forde and written by Murray Boltinoff, Harry A. Gourfair, Gordon Kahn and Martin Rackin. The film stars Lloyd Nolan, Constance Moore, Albert Dekker, Sheldon Leonard, Bar ...
'' (1941) as Chink Moran * ''
Week-End in Havana ''Week-End in Havana'' (also known as ''A Week-End in Havana'' and ''That Week-End in Havana'') is a 1941 20th Century Fox Technicolor musical film directed by Walter Lang and starring Alice Faye and Carmen Miranda. It was the second of three pict ...
'' (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 ''City Without Men'' is a 1943 American film noir crime film directed by Sidney Salkow and starring Linda Darnell, Edgar Buchanan and Michael Duane. It was released by Columbia Pictures on January 14, 1943. A group of women lives in a boarding ...
'' (1943) as Monk LaRue * '' Taxi, Mister'' (1943) as Gangster Louis Glorio / The Frisco Ghost * '' Hit the Ice'' (1943) as 'Silky' Fellowsby * ''
Passport to Suez ''Passport to Suez'' (1943; also known as ''A Night of Adventure'' and ''The Clock Strikes Twelve'') is the 20th film featuring the Lone Wolf character. It was the eleventh of fifteen in the Columbia Pictures series, and the last to star Warren ...
'' (1943) as Johnny Booth * ''
Harvest Melody ''Harvest Melody'' is a 1943 American musical film directed by Sam Newfield and written by Allan Gale. The film stars Lane Sisters, Rosemary Lane, Johnny Downs, Charlotte Wynters, Sheldon Leonard, Luis Alberni, Claire Rochelle, Syd Saylor, Marjor ...
'' (1943) as Chuck * '' Klondike Kate'' (1943) as 'Sometime' Smith * '' Timber Queen'' (1944) as Smacksie Golden * '' Uncertain Glory'' (1944) as Henri Duval * '' Trocadero'' (1944) as Mickey Jones * '' Gambler's Choice'' (1944) as Chappie Wilson * '' To Have and Have Not'' (1944) as Lt. Coyo * '' The Falcon in Hollywood'' (1944) as Louie Buchanan * '' Zombies on Broadway'' (1945) as Ace Miller * ''
Crime, Inc. ''Crime, Inc.'' is a 1945 American film noir crime film directed by Lew Landers starring Leo Carrillo, Tom Neal and Martha Tilton. Plot summary The film, based on a story by former crime reporter Martin Mooney, is about a newspaper journalist ...
'' (1945) as Capt. Ferrone * ''
Radio Stars on Parade ''Radio Stars on Parade'' is a 1945 American comedy film directed by Leslie Goodwins from a screenplay by Robert E. Kent and Monte Brice, from Kent's original story. Produced and distributed by RKO Radio Pictures, it was released on August 1, 1 ...
'' (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 ''Frontier Gal'' is a 1945 American Western film directed by Charles Lamont and starring Yvonne De Carlo and Rod Cameron. Plot Johnny Hart heads for Red Gulch, looking for the mystery man who murdered his partner. He quickly meets Lorena Dumon ...
'' (1945) as 'Blackie' Shoulders * ''
The Gentleman Misbehaves ''The Gentleman Misbehaves'' is a 1946 American musical comedy film directed by George Sherman and starring Bob Haymes and Hillary Brooke. It was produced and distributed by Columbia Pictures. Plot Cast * Bob Haymes as Edgar Raleigh * Osa Ma ...
'' (1946) as Trigger Stazzi * ''
Her Kind of Man ''Her Kind of Man'' is a 1946 American crime film noir directed by Frederick De Cordova, and starring Dane Clark, Janis Paige and Zachary Scott. The film is not to be confused with ''His Kind of Woman'' (1951) starring Robert Mitchum and Jane Ru ...
'' (1946) as Felix Bender * ''
Rainbow Over Texas ''Rainbow Over Texas'' is a 1946 American Western film in which Roy Rogers plays himself as a famous cowboy-singer returning to Texas. Directed by Frank McDonald from a story by Max Brand, it co-stars George "Gabby" Hayes and Dale Evans. The s ...
'' (1946) as Kirby Haynes * '' Somewhere in the Night'' (1946) as Sam * '' Bowery Bombshell'' (1946) as Ace Deuce Baker * ''
The Last Crooked Mile ''The Last Crooked Mile'' is a 1946 American crime film directed by Philip Ford and written by Jerry Sackheim and Jerome Gruskin. The film stars Don "Red" Barry, Ann Savage, Adele Mara, Tom Powers, Sheldon Leonard and Nestor Paiva. The film was ...
'' (1946) as Ed 'Wires' MacGuire * ''
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 lu ...
'' (1946) as Police Sgt. Joe Portugal * ''
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 loos ...
'' (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 Baghdad ...
'' (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 '' (1947) as Louie, in 'Fabulous Joe' * '' The Fabulous Joe'' (1947) as Louie * '' The Gangster'' (1947) as Cornell * ''
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) as Detective Sgt. Mike Frontelli * ''
Alias a Gentleman ''Alias a Gentleman'' is a 1948 American romantic comedy film directed by Harry Beaumont and starring Wallace Beery. The supporting cast includes Dorothy Patrick, Tom Drake, Gladys George and Sheldon Leonard. Plot Jim Breedin has been in priso ...
'' (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 ''Two Knights from Brooklyn'' is a 1949 film directed by Kurt Neumann and starring William Bendix, Joe Sawyer, and Grace Bradley. It chronicles the adventures of two average "Joes" that form a taxi company in Brooklyn, foil the notorious gangster, ...
'' (1949) as Louis Glorio / The Frisco Ghost (archive footage) * '' Daughter of the Jungle'' (1949) as Dalton Kraik * ''
My Dream Is Yours ''My Dream Is Yours'' is a 1949 Technicolor musical romantic comedy film starring Jack Carson, Doris Day, and Lee Bowman. Plot The film opens in Los Angeles, where Doug Blake is dumped as a manager by Gary Mitchell. He goes to New York City to ...
'' (1949) as Fred Grimes * ''
Take One False Step ''Take One False Step'' is a 1949 American film noir crime film directed by Chester Erskine and starring William Powell and Shelley Winters. Plot Married college professor Andrew Gentling reluctantly agrees to have a drink with Catherine Sykes, ...
'' (1949) as Pacciano * '' The Iroquois Trail'' (1950) as Chief Ogane * '' Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man'' (1951) as Morgan * '' Behave Yourself!'' (1951) as Shortwave Bert * '' Come Fill the Cup'' (1951) as Lennie Garr * '' Here Come the Nelsons'' (1952) as Duke * '' Kiddin' the Kitten'' (1952) as Dodsworth (voice) * ''
Young Man with Ideas ''Young Man with Ideas'' is a 1952 romantic comedy film directed by Mitchell Leisen and starring Ruth Roman and Glenn Ford. It was released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The screenplay concern a young small-town lawyer, who moves his family from Monta ...
'' (1952) as Rodwell 'Brick' Davis * '' Sock-a-Doodle-Do'' (1952) as Kid Banty (voice) * ''
Breakdown Breakdown may refer to: Breaking down *Breakdown (vehicle), failure of a motor vehicle in such a way that it cannot be operated *Chemical decomposition, also called chemical breakdown, the breakdown of a substance into simpler components *Decompo ...
'' (1952) as Nick Sampson * '' Stop, You're Killing Me'' (1952) as Lefty * '' A Peck o' Trouble'' (1953) as Dodsworth (voice) * '' The Diamond Queen'' (1953) as Mogul * '' Money From Home'' (1953) as Jumbo Schneider * ''
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 also bo ...
'' (1955) as Harry the Horse * '' Pocketful of Miracles'' (1961) as Steve Darcey * ''
The Brink's Job ''The Brink's Job'' is a 1978 American crime comedy drama film directed by William Friedkin and starring Peter Falk, Peter Boyle, Allen Garfield, Warren Oates, Gena Rowlands, and Paul Sorvino. It is based on the Brink's robbery of 1950 in Bos ...
'' (1978) as J. Edgar Hoover Producer * ''
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 f ...
'' (1953–1964). He also appeared onscreen as Phil Brokaw (1957–1961). * ''
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. The ...
'' (1960–1968). * ''
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 Product ...
'' (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 I spy is a guessing game where one player (the ''spy'' or ''it'') chooses an object within sight and announces to the other players that "I spy with my little eye something beginning with...", naming the first letter of the object. Other players a ...
'' (1965–1968). * ''
Accidental Family ''Accidental Family'' is an American sitcom broadcast on NBC during the first part of the 1967-68 U.S. television season. The show ran for sixteen episodes, from September 15, 1967, to January 5, 1968. The show aired on Fridays at 9:30pm, sandwi ...
'' (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 ''It's Always Jan'' is an American situation comedy that aired on CBS during the 1955-1956 television season. The series stars Janis Paige as a widowed nightclub singer struggling to make ends meet. Synopsis Janis Stewart is a war widow and str ...
'' * ''
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. The ...
'' * ''
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 f ...
'' * ''
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 Product ...
'' * ''
My Favorite Martian ''My Favorite Martian'' is an American sitcom that aired on CBS from September 29, 1963, to May 1, 1966, for 107 episodes. The show stars Ray Walston as "Uncle Martin" (the Martian) and Bill Bixby as Tim O'Hara. The first two seasons, totalin ...
'' (pilot only) * ''
I Spy I spy is a guessing game where one player (the ''spy'' or ''it'') chooses an object within sight and announces to the other players that "I spy with my little eye something beginning with...", naming the first letter of the object. Other players a ...
'' * ''Lassie'' (4 episodes, Season 1: 1954)


References


Further reading

* Leonard, Sheldon. ''And The Show Goes On: Broadway and Hollywood Adventures''. Limelight, 1995,


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 At ...
*
Sheldon Leonard at museum.tv
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Leonard, Sheldon 1907 births 1997 deaths 20th-century American businesspeople 20th-century American male actors American male film actors American male radio actors American male television actors American male voice actors American television directors Burials at Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery Film directors from New York City Jewish American male actors Jewish American writers Male actors from New York City People from Manhattan Primetime Emmy Award winners Stuyvesant High School alumni Syracuse University alumni Television producers from New York City Warner Bros. Cartoons voice actors 20th-century American Jews