Sidney Sheldon

Discover the life and legacy of Sidney Sheldon (1917-2007), the American novelist, screenwriter, and television creator whose suspenseful storytelling captivated millions. Dive into his career across film, TV, and best-selling fiction, and explore his enduring influence.

Introduction

Sidney Sheldon (born February 11, 1917, died January 30, 2007) was a remarkably versatile and prolific American writer. He achieved success in stage, film, television, and finally in novels — in each field earning acclaim and massive audiences. He is best known today for his romantic suspense and thriller novels, such as The Other Side of Midnight, Rage of Angels, and Master of the Game. His works have sold hundreds of millions of copies worldwide, making him one of the most widely read novelists in history.

Sheldon’s life is a portrait of reinvention: from Hollywood screenwriter to television showrunner, and later to blockbuster novelist. His stories often center on strong, resourceful women navigating high stakes, power, betrayal, and ambition. In this article, we’ll trace his early life, his multi-phase career, his personality and themes, quotations, and the lessons his life holds.

Early Life and Family

Sidney Sheldon was born Sidney Schechtel in Chicago, Illinois.

From an early age, Sheldon showed literary ambition. At age 10, he sold a poem for $5.

He attended East High School in Denver, Colorado, then enrolled at Northwestern University on a scholarship and participated in drama groups. However, he left Northwestern after about six months to support his family.

During World War II, Sheldon enlisted in the War Training Service (part of the Army Air Corps) but was discharged because of a slipped disc before active deployment.

Sheldon also struggled personally with mental health. He was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and later in life spoke of a suicide attempt when he was 17.

Career and Achievements

Sidney Sheldon’s career can be segmented into phases: screenwriting & Broadway, television, and novel writing.

Film, Broadway & Screenwriting

Sheldon began his professional writing career in Hollywood, initially working as a script reader and rewriting scripts for studios, especially during the 1930s and 1940s.

His breakout success in Hollywood came in 1947 when he co-wrote The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer, for which he won an Academy Award (Oscar) for Best Original Screenplay.

Beyond that, he wrote many screenplays (and sometimes directed) for musicals, comedies, and drama films, including Easter Parade, Annie Get Your Gun, The Buster Keaton Story, among others.

Simultaneously, Sheldon wrote for Broadway — his stage credits include Redhead, Jackpot, Roman Candle, Alice in Arms, and more. Redhead earned him a Tony Award in 1959.

Television & Show Creation

Sheldon made a successful pivot into television. He created (or co-created) and wrote for a number of iconic TV shows. Among them:

• The Patty Duke Show (1963–1966) — Sheldon wrote or co-wrote almost every episode during the show’s run.

• I Dream of Jeannie (1965–1970) — Sheldon produced and wrote most scripts (sometimes under pseudonyms).

• Hart to Hart (1979–1984) — another of his television creations.

He often used pen names (e.g. Mark Rowane, Allan Devon, Christopher Golato) so as not to flood screen credits with his name.

Novels & Best-Seller Success

Though Sheldon had long been a writer, he began his career as a novelist relatively late. His first novel, The Naked Face, was published in 1969 and earned him acclaim and awards (a nomination for the Edgar Award for best first novel).

His next novel, The Other Side of Midnight (1973), became a major commercial success, hitting No. 1 on The New York Times Best Seller list.

Over his life, Sheldon published 18 novels. These have sold over 300 million copies, translated into dozens of languages.

Some of his famous titles include:

• The Other Side of Midnight

• Memories of Midnight

• Rage of Angels

• Master of the Game (which remained No. 1 for weeks)

• If Tomorrow Comes

• Nothing Lasts Forever

• Tell Me Your Dreams

• The Doomsday Conspiracy

Many of his novels were adapted into TV miniseries or films.

Awards & Accomplishments

• Oscar for The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer (1947)

• Tony Award for Redhead (1959)

• Named one of the top-selling fiction authors; his novels rank among the most translated and reprinted in the world.

• He is often cited as one of the few people to win in multiple media (film, stage, TV, novels).

Personality, Themes & Literary Style

Personality & Work Ethic

Sheldon was known as a workaholic, always generating stories, scripts, or novels. He claimed that writing books gave him a freedom that other mediums did not.

He also revealed vulnerability in his autobiography The Other Side of Me (2005), especially around mental health, identity, and his internal struggles.

Themes & Motifs

Some recurring features in Sheldon’s literary and dramatic works:

• Strong, complex female protagonists: Many of his novels center on women who fight adversity, betrayal, and systemic injustice, yet retain agency and femininity.

• High-stakes drama & suspense: His plots are often fast-paced, twisty, with betrayals, conspiracies, and moral dilemmas.

• Power, ambition, and corruption: Many stories revolve around wealth, legacy, and the darker side of success.

• Romance entwined with danger: He often blends romantic elements with thriller plots.

• Narrative craft & page-turning: His writing style tends toward clarity, dramatic pacing, and avoiding unnecessary digression.

Because Sheldon had experience across media, his novels often have a cinematic, episodic feel, with scene changes, shifts of viewpoint, and vivid settings.

Famous Quotes

Here are a few attributed quotations reflecting Sheldon’s thoughts on writing, life, and perseverance:

“Don’t give up. There are too many nay-sayers out there who will try to discourage you. Don’t listen to them. The only one who can make you give up is yourself.”
“I love writing books. Movies are a collaborative medium, and everyone is second-guessing you. When you do a novel, you’re on your own. It’s a freedom that doesn’t exist in any other medium.”
“I like to write about women who are talented and capable, but most important, retain their femininity. Women have tremendous power — their femininity, because men can’t do without it.”
“Life can be so cruel.”
“The greatest lesson in life is to know that even fools are right sometimes.”

(Some of these are paraphrased from interviews and his autobiography.)

Lessons from Sidney Sheldon’s Life

1. Reinvent yourself boldly
   Sheldon moved across multiple fields—film, theater, TV, novels—and found success in each. Your creative identity need not be fixed.

2. Perseverance in the face of rejection
   His early years were filled with script rejections, odd jobs, and struggle — yet he kept writing.

3. Channel hardship into creativity
   Personal struggles (mental health, financial difficulty) did not stop him; instead, they contributed to his depth and resilience.

4. Master your medium, then break new ground
   He first mastered screenwriting, then brought those skills to television, then to novels — carrying narrative discipline with him.

5. Tell stories with heart and suspense
   His success shows that combining emotional depth, strong characters, and tension can reach wide audiences.

6. Value creative freedom
   His remark about novels being a space of autonomy hints at the idea that art often thrives where constraints are fewer.

7. Leave a lasting legacy
   Through translation, adaptation, and enduring popularity, Sheldon’s work continues to reach new readers and viewers.

Conclusion

Sidney Sheldon stands as a remarkable figure in 20th-century American popular literature and media—a polymath who built successful careers in Hollywood, Broadway, television, and fiction. His transition to a novelist in midlife, and his ability to command global readership, show how talent, discipline, and reinvention combine.

His legacy is not simply in the volume of his work or his sales, but in his capacity to entertain while exploring ambition, betrayal, power, and human resilience. For those who love suspense, drama, and strong characters, his stories still resonate.

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