Fun Facts Friday: Sidney Sheldon

Sidney Sheldon (11 February, 1917 – 30 January, 2007) was an award-winning writer, director and producer. His career included Broadway plays, motion pictures, as well as television work.

Books by Sidney Sheldon*

Fun Facts about Sidney Sheldon:

1. Born as Sidney Schectel in Chicago, IL to Ascher and Natalie (nee Marcus), both of Jewish Russian origins. His father managed a jewelry store.
2. At age 10, the young Sidney sold his first piece of writing, a poem for $5. That’s about $80 in 2022, not bad at all.
3. During the Great Depression, he worked a variety of jobs until he graduated from East High School, Denver, CO.
4. The family wasn’t rich, and Sidney got a scholarship to Northwestern University. At the university he wrote short plays for the drama groups. Sadly, he dropped out after six months to help support his family.
5. During World War II Sidney enlisted as a pilot, but was discharged because of a recurring slipped disc. He moved to New York City and wrote for Broadway. At one time he had three musicals on Broadway: The Merry Widow, Jackpot, and Dream with Music.
6. Hollywood came calling in 1937. Mr. Sheldon got a job reviewing scripts and being part of making B movies. He sold his first script for South of Panama in 1941, for $250 ($4,618 in 2022 dollars).
7. In 1947 Sidney Sheldon won an Academy Award for his screenplay of The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer. Along with an Oscar, he also won a Tony (1959).
8. Sheldon created, produced and wrote I Dream of Jeannie. He wrote most of the episodes of The Patty Duke Show.
9. Sidney Sheldon’s first novel, The Naked Face (1969) was nominated for the Edgar Allan Poe Award. His second novel, The Other Side of Midnight, was a #1 bestseller.
10. Sidney Sheldon married Jorja Curtright, an actress and interior designer, in 1951. The couple had one daughter, Mary Sheldon, a writer on by her own right. They were married until her death in 1951.

Books by Sidney Sheldon*

Zohar — Man of la Book
*Ama­zon links point to an affil­i­ate account, the money is usually spent on books