- Born
- Died
- Birth nameLeonard James Schleifer
- Nickname
- Jimmy
- James Sheldon was born on November 12, 1920 in Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA. He was a director and producer, known for The Twilight Zone (1959), Robert Montgomery Presents (1950) and The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1964). He was married to Dr. Eleanor Harriet Bernert. He died on March 12, 2016 in Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA.
- SpouseDr. Eleanor Harriet Bernert(March 19, 1950 - 1960) (divorced, 2 children)
- His father took him to see a Richard Wagner opera at the Metropolitan Opera when he was a youth; he was impressed by the spectacle. Since he couldn't sing or play an instrument, he became interested in directing as a way of contributing creatively to a performance.
- In addition to directing, he discovered several actors and actresses and gave them early breaks in their careers, notably Tony Randall.
- A job as an usher at NBC helped get him into the general vicinity of show business. By his early 20s he was an assistant director on radio, which mostly meant timing the program and making sure that no naughty words got out over the air. He moved from directing radio to TV in 1948.
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content
