Remembering a Classic TV Legend: Sheldon Leonard

Sheldon Leonard (February 22, 1907 - January 10, 1997) was a television giant of years gone by. He was an actor, a producer, and a director of many of the most popular classic tv shows that we all know and love. His work has produced some of the most prolific entertainment in television history, yet most people do not know his name; let's pay a visit to some of Sheldon Leonard's classic tv shows, and the roles in which he played (literally and figuratively):

Before he became the classic tv mogul that he was before his death in 1997, Sheldon Leonard started his illustrious television career as an actor in an obscure film titled My Mummy's Arms (1934). He completed a couple of other forgettable movie projects before he finally hit pay dirt with a bit part in a movie that would go on to be a part of a celebrated film series. Another Thin Man (1934) was the third installment in the classic film series, The Thin Man (1934). In the film, Leonard starred beside Hollywood movie legends, William Powell and Myrna Loy. Leonard's role in Another Thin Man (1934) was not a large one, but at the time of the film's release, Powell and Loy were at the top of the industry, and this advantage afforded the neophyte actor a huge career boost. From there, Leonard gained steady work in a long stream of film projects which kept him well fed, but most importantly, kept him working and allowed his face and name to become easily identifiable.

Nine years after his first acting role, Leonard dared to venture out of the acting sphere into the writing arena. He wrote the screenplay for a film called Shadow of Terror (1945). The film was not very popular upon its release, but it reflected Sheldon Leonard's strong talent as a writer. Hollywood was now aware of the fact that Sheldon Leonard was not just an ordinary actor, he had that special something that made him stand at the head of the pack...immense creativity and versatility. He would not return strongly to writing until 1963, when he wrote many episodes of the classic tv standard, The Andy Griffith Show (1960 - 1968). His time lapse from writing was filled with more prominent work.

Because his work was well known in the industry, Hollywood took a chance and allowed him to direct several key television shows. Episodes of classic tv favorites, General Electric Theater (1953), Lassie (1954 -1974), and The Real McCoys (1957-1963) brought Leonard even greater professional recognition and respect. His biggest break came when he was invited to direct several episodes of yet another classic tv standard. Make Room for Daddy (1957 - 1964) starring Danny Thomas and Marjorie Lord, was one of the top television series of its time, when Sheldon Leonard directed seven episodes, his mark was truly felt. After finding directorial success on Make Room for Daddy (1957-1964), it was smooth sailing for Sheldon Leonard, he had paid his dues, and now his time had truly arrived.

Sheldon Leonard went on to produce many of the aforementioned shows, as well as an impressive list of some of the best loved classic television shows in history. Most prominently, he was the executive producer of the vast majority of The Andy Griffith Show (1960 - 1968), The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961 - 1966), and I Spy (1965-1968). Later on in life, the seventies through the early nineties, Sheldon Leonard would return to acting, he did many guest spots on the most popular shows in the referenced twenty year span. On every show in which he appeared, he was a much loved, respected and welcomed guest star. Sheldon Leonard died on January 10, 1997 in Culver City, California. If you are a classic tv fan, you have most likely seen his name sprawled across your television set, but the memory fails. The next time you catch an episode of The Andy Griffith Show (1960 - 1968) on TV Land, I'm sure that you will recognize his name.