SHELDON LEONARD

February 22, 1907

Sheldon Leonard Bershad (known professionally as Sheldon Leonard) was born in New York City, son of middle class Jewish parents. He graduated from Syracuse University in 1929.  

As an actor, he specialized in playing supporting characters, especially gangsters or “heavies”, in films such as It’s a Wonderful Life (1946), To Have and Have Not (1944), and Guys and Dolls (1955). His trademark was his thick New York accent, usually delivered from the side of his mouth.

His screen acting career began in 1934 with a couple of short films. He was also heard on radio with Jack Benny.

He made his television debut in October 1952, but by that time he had already filmed his appearance on “I Love Lucy” played fast-talking appliance salesman Harry Martin, who sells Lucy the Handy Dandy vacuum cleaner in “Sales Resistance” (ILL S2;E17). 

In 1965, Sheldon Leonard turned salesman again – this time vending cigars – as part of “Danny Thomas’ Wonderful World of Burlesque” also starring Lucille Ball.

In May 1966, both Lucille Ball and Sheldon Leonard participated in a documentary TV film titled “The Magic of Broadcasting”.

In “Lucy Meets Sheldon Leonard” (TLS S5;E22), Mrs. Carmichael runs into producer / director Leonard, this time playing himself.

Leonard was an integral part of the Desilu family off-screen as well, producing and directing “Make Room for Daddy” including an episode that featured Lucy and Ricky Ricardo in 1959. He was one of the creators of “The Andy Griffith Show” also filmed at Desilu. He earned multiple Emmy nominations, winning three. 

He died in 1997 at age 89.  He was married to Frances Bober and had two children. 

In his 1995 book, And the Show Goes On: Broadway and Hollywood Adventures, Leonard wrote:

“Operating on the well-founded belief that a comedy show needs an audience to give it the authentic response that canned laughter can never duplicate, Desi brought in an audience to watch and react, while he used multiple-camera shooting technique borrowed from live TV.”

His name served as a namesake for the characters Sheldon Cooper and Leonard Hofstadter in the sitcom “The Big Bang Theory,” as the writers are fans of his work.