Sidney Sheldon

Sidney Sheldon (February 11, 1917 – January 30, 2007) was an American playwright, screenwriter, television producer, and novelist whose career spanned more than five decades and multiple entertainment industries. Born Sidney Schechtel in Chicago, Illinois, he grew up during the Great Depression, working various jobs before moving to New York City to pursue a career in writing. His early work included contributions to Broadway musicals, where he developed a flair for crafting witty dialogue and engaging plots.

In the 1940s, Sheldon shifted his focus to Hollywood, where he became a prolific screenwriter. He won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer (1947), starring Cary Grant, Myrna Loy, and Shirley Temple. Over the next two decades, he wrote or contributed to the scripts of numerous films, often specializing in romantic comedies and dramas that blended humor with heartfelt emotion.

Sheldon also found success on Broadway as a playwright, penning works such as Redhead (1959), a murder-mystery musical starring Gwen Verdon, which won the Tony Award for Best Musical. His theatrical writing combined strong character development with tightly constructed plots, skills that would serve him well in his later television and novel-writing careers.

In the 1960s and 1970s, Sheldon became one of television’s most successful writer-producers. He created hit series including The Patty Duke Show (1963–66), I Dream of Jeannie (1965–70), and Hart to Hart (1979–84), demonstrating an ability to appeal to broad audiences with charming, character-driven storytelling. His TV work was marked by memorable characters, lighthearted humor, and romantic intrigue.

In the 1970s, Sheldon turned to fiction writing, launching a third major career phase as one of the world’s best-selling novelists. His thrillers, including The Other Side of Midnight (1973), Master of the Game (1982), and If Tomorrow Comes (1985), became international bestsellers and were often adapted for television miniseries. By the time of his death in 2007, Sheldon had sold over 300 million books worldwide, leaving behind a legacy as a master storyteller across stage, screen, and page.