tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post4679235238166333566..comments2023-11-03T06:02:02.128-07:00Comments on By Ken Levine: the unknown star of THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOWBy Ken Levinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17305293821975250420noreply@blogger.comBlogger53125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-59893900802126512412013-12-02T17:04:39.999-08:002013-12-02T17:04:39.999-08:00Maybe the most underrated man in Hollywood history...Maybe the most underrated man in Hollywood history. Pigeonholed by most as a minor character actor, but his record as a producer puts him above better-known names like Spelling. Invented the spin-off, championed integration, even bankrolled Fouad Said's invention of the Cinemobile so that I SPY could feature exotic locales impossible for other TV shows. Heck, he even undercut his own typecasting by being a great guy and exemplary husband. Sheldon, you had us all fooled!Davehttp://www.daveconleyportfolio.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-86130457031566580802011-11-17T14:02:56.597-08:002011-11-17T14:02:56.597-08:00Absolutely Sheldon and Leonard are named after him...Absolutely Sheldon and Leonard are named after him; Prady's on record.<br /><br />Howard Wolowitz is also named after a real person -- Prady's business partner in the small computer company, the creators of the filePro (then Profile) database program which was original sold by Radio Shack (and is still in production).Baylinkhttp://baylink.pitas.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-3481769025102016992011-11-06T18:22:55.802-08:002011-11-06T18:22:55.802-08:00Leonard was great as the race track tout on Benny....Leonard was great as the race track tout on Benny.Ronnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-79616535156901071472011-11-04T21:07:14.321-07:002011-11-04T21:07:14.321-07:00Great story. I had no idea Sheldon Leonard did any...Great story. I had no idea Sheldon Leonard did any of that. In fact, all I remember about Sheldon was from Bill Cosby's piece about him jumping into Lake Titicaca.HogsAteMySisterhttp://hogsatemysister.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-86964838047113804312011-11-04T17:33:55.295-07:002011-11-04T17:33:55.295-07:00The following Chuck Lorre vanity card shows that h...The following Chuck Lorre vanity card shows that he did indeed get The Big Bang Theory characters from Sheldon Leonard<br /><br /><a href="http://www.chucklorre.com/index-bbt.php?p=187" rel="nofollow">www.chucklorre.com/index-bbt.php?p=187</a><br /><br />CHUCK LORRE PRODUCTIONS, #187<br /><br /> Awright, shut up, siddown and listen. I am da immortal spirit Sheldon Leonard and for da last few years I've been using da body of Chuck Lorre to channel my ideas for new sitcoms. For da record, he's a stinkin' lousy channel and my ideas are much better than what he's puttin' on television. Dis is why I am breaking my anonymity. No matter how specifical I tell da kid what to write, he still manages to cock it up. Dharma & Greg? What da hell was dat? I specifically said "do a show about a queer guy who loves a straight chick, and she loves him back, but they can't, you know, bump uglies." But does Lorre listen? No way Jose. The putz turns it inside out, winds up with hippie chick loves uptight lawyer and then wonders why he can't buy an Emmy. (I did find a writing team to act as a channel for dat pitch, which worked out pretty good, Emmy and cash-wise.) Anyway, back to Lorre. Couple years later while he's sleepin', I whisper to him, "Two brudders inherit a midget." Funny, right? What's Lorre do? You got it. Two and a Half Men. Gimme a break! Anyway, I decide to give the mook one last chance. While he's under da gas at the dentist, I tell him to do a show about four wise guys and a sexy dame what knows da score. So what does da knucklehead do? Scientists and a waitress! It just breaks my heart. But at least the dope managed to slip my name in dis one. Now if you'll excuse me, I gotta schlep over to Milton Berle's crypt for a little pinochle with the boys.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-92081904855363258792011-11-04T07:19:15.480-07:002011-11-04T07:19:15.480-07:00Sheldon Leonard's most memorable line: "R...Sheldon Leonard's most memorable line: "Relax, Brillo-head." <br /><br />This is from Albert Brooks' 1940s radio show, the most accomplished of his pre-natal work.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-32106724088223806782011-11-04T06:12:04.826-07:002011-11-04T06:12:04.826-07:00Another tidbit: At the time of his death, Sheldon ...Another tidbit: At the time of his death, Sheldon and his wife had been married 66 years.<br /><br />Today a hot young standup comedian comes along, and the impulse is to give them a sitcom. Sheldon Leonard saw Bill Cosby emerge and gave him his own <b>drama</b> (I SPY). That's thinking outside the box.ajmhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13290036970774359522noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-56885974624371505752011-11-02T23:22:48.526-07:002011-11-02T23:22:48.526-07:00Sheldon Leonard is known to me by the few times I ...Sheldon Leonard is known to me by the few times I saw him acting in a film or on a tv show. I remember him as a heavy whose appearance i celebrated, if only to hear him speak with that thick accent from one of the boroughs of n.y. and that faux sinister persona. There is something special about a man; who can muster a convincing peril, at the same time, a subtle humor. in the corporate boardrooms of P&G and others, he must have been hard to resist.petersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05177633465057241565noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-30226892428025533722011-11-02T20:47:45.831-07:002011-11-02T20:47:45.831-07:00Bill Cosby does a wonderful routine about Sheldon ...Bill Cosby does a wonderful routine about Sheldon Leonard on his "Wonderfulness" album called "Niagara Falls." He sounds more like W.C. Fields than he does Leonard, but it's a great routine about "Shel" and his bride on their honeymoon.Donaldnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-51876014312099431242011-11-02T17:44:50.950-07:002011-11-02T17:44:50.950-07:00THAT is what a producer should do.<b>THAT</b> is what a producer should do.DyHrdMEThttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07621011643939597497noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-80825420854305703612011-11-02T10:04:37.957-07:002011-11-02T10:04:37.957-07:00Interesting point about Sheldon and Leonard. Neve...Interesting point about Sheldon and Leonard. Never made the connection. Love the episode with him. "The kid breaks me up.:Ruby Rose and the Big Little Angels 3https://www.blogger.com/profile/06173252316434699745noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-19675588940178742552011-11-02T09:07:16.751-07:002011-11-02T09:07:16.751-07:00In the '70s I got around by hitchhiking. It wa...In the '70s I got around by hitchhiking. It was very safe and people were willing to give you a ride no matter where you were going. <br /><br />One day I was in front of the Troubadour and a man in a Rolls-Royce beckoned me with two fingers holding a cigar. Sheldon Leonard. <br /><br />I was stunned, but managed to stay cool. I was getting ready to take a trip to London and was very excited about it. He told me that one of the nice things about being in London is that it's a short plane ride from almost all of Europe. Amsterdam, Paris, and Madrid are all a couple of hours away. I was going to be backpaking -- I didn't tell him that -- but I appreciated teh information. <br /><br />When I got out of the car I said "Thank you, Mr. Leonard" and I think he was surprised that the long-haired hiopie recognized him. <br /><br />The man was a giant. TV is better because of him. <br /><br />WV: prediest -- The main qualification to win the Miss West Virginia competitionTod Hunterhttp://tod-hunter.netnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-59796373659040755732011-11-02T05:06:16.577-07:002011-11-02T05:06:16.577-07:00Before someone else says it, Sheree North played B...Before someone else says it, Sheree North played Big Eddie's wife, she was not married to Sheldon Leonard.<br /><br />WV: cowle - Judge on "X Factro"Brian Phillipshttp://ultrasonicremote.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-82626976512874582472011-11-02T05:01:30.649-07:002011-11-02T05:01:30.649-07:00Blaze Morgan said...
That puts me in mind of that ...Blaze Morgan said...<br />That puts me in mind of that Tea Leoni sitcom in the mid-90's.<br /><br />"The Naked Truth". Yes they really did try a lot with that show, but I don't know whether that was inside tinkering or outside tinkering. The worst "fix" of a show I recall (save "Almost Perfect") was "Gabriel's Fire" with James Earl Jones and Dylan Walsh. Brilliant, literate, well-acted and it was retooled and made into "Pros and Cons" with Jones and Richard Crenna, which had a comedic tone. Bleh.<br />"Stupid" Dave Fontaine from "...Truth" was played by Mark Roberts, who is now working on "Mike and Molly".<br /><br /><br />Paul said...<br />Also, does anyone else remember watching Leonard in his 1975 sitcom BIG EDDIE?<br /><br />"If you ever need a friend...call Big Eddie! That's the man!"<br /><br />The above theme was recited/sung by Sheldon Leonard and a bunch of kids, antiphonally. It also starred his wife, Sheree North.<br /><br />The only show I remember(a person on iMdb remembers far more) featured a defective toy. His granddaughter gets a "Loopy-Doopy" toy but it is defective. Eddie takes the manufacturer to court. One witness for the prosecution was German, evinced by the accent, saluting and heel-clicking. He said it was impossible to assemble, or, more to the point, "You could go loopy trying to put the doopy thing together!"<br /><br />It lasted a season.<br /><br />WV: ballu. The bear from "Jungle Buuk"Brian Phillipshttp://ultrasonicremote.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-19235843864237789112011-11-02T04:53:16.517-07:002011-11-02T04:53:16.517-07:00In his memoir, Dick Van Dyke tells stories--all po...In his memoir, Dick Van Dyke tells stories--all positive--about the show. I can't remember what he said about Sheldon Leonard, but I do recall that he gave lots of credit and high praise to the writers.Eileen K.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-39140792862715984742011-11-02T04:34:38.784-07:002011-11-02T04:34:38.784-07:00Big Bang Theory co-creator Bill Prady confirms tha...Big Bang Theory co-creator Bill Prady confirms that they named their characters after Sheldon Leonard and that it was Chuck Lorre's idea. He also answers a few other interesting questions here:<br /><br />http://weblogs.variety.com/season_pass/2009/05/big-bang-theory-we-didnt-anticipate-how-protective-the-audience-would-feel-toward-our-guys.html<br /><br />"re Sheldon and Leonard named after the brilliant (producer) Sheldon Leonard of “The Andy Griffith Show,” “The Danny Thomas Show,” “The Dick Van Dyke Show,” “My Favorite Martian” and “I Spy?” (Binnie)<br />A. Yep. Chuck and I are both fans. Chuck’s idea."Chrisnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-79720641058470712522011-11-02T00:50:11.677-07:002011-11-02T00:50:11.677-07:00It must also be noted that Leonard directed the fi...It must also be noted that Leonard directed the first three episodes, thus helping to establish the show's visual style. <br /><br />WV: "ingster"--Director of STRANGER ON THE THIRD FLOOR. (No kidding!)cadavranoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-36549878641097089152011-11-01T21:37:17.477-07:002011-11-01T21:37:17.477-07:00www.examiner.com/classic-movie-in-new-york/from-ba...www.examiner.com/classic-movie-in-new-york/from-baby-sherry-to-sherry-baby-my-memorable-afternoon-with-sherry-jackson-p<br /><br />Here is another take on Sheldon Leonard, and Danny Thomas, that I came across recently.thomas tuckernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-16127469766302811442011-11-01T21:33:35.950-07:002011-11-01T21:33:35.950-07:00Like Ken, Sheldon also spent some time in Syracuse...Like Ken, Sheldon also spent some time in Syracuse, graduating from the university there in 1929 (he and I share that, as well as also having Stuyvesant High School in New York as our alma matas, albeit he was 50 years ahead of me). A nice, if not very useful piece of personal trivia.<br /><br />Along with his race track tout on The Jack Benny Show, Leonard also played Silky Thompson on "The Burns & Allen Show" whose tough guy gangster was always being thrown off his game by Gracie, including the memorable episode where he sends his henchman (Herb Vigran, IIRC) to kidnap Gracie and keeps ending up abducting the wrong people -- Blanche Morton, Harry Von Zell, Ronald Reagan (yes, really). And before they settled on nothing but sports stars, Sheldon was one of the original pitchmen for Miller Lite in the mid-1970s, and helped make the originalad campaign the hit it was.Johnnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-25535404935223617992011-11-01T21:12:30.653-07:002011-11-01T21:12:30.653-07:00@Cap'n Bob -- Oops, that's what happens wh...@Cap'n Bob -- Oops, that's what happens when you're typing quickly and have the word "loud" running through your head to use in the next sentence!<br /><br />LOL -- my screw up. Thanks for catching my goof. Although, "racetrack lout" is a humorous image. :)Jake Mabehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01908036270824377919noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-20853185903358627292011-11-01T19:27:00.264-07:002011-11-01T19:27:00.264-07:00I also wondered about "Sheldon" and &quo...I also wondered about "Sheldon" and "Leonard" on TBBT. Thank you for the confirmation.<br /><br />Now, could someone find out if "Cameron" and "Mitchell" on MODERN FAMILY are an homage to the actor Cameron Mitchell? And if so, why?Buttermilk Skyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07430011403223875192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-31540971369325906792011-11-01T17:11:17.840-07:002011-11-01T17:11:17.840-07:00@Paul Duca--I do remember Big Eddie, but not that ...@Paul Duca--I do remember Big Eddie, but not that well. Didn't Leonard play a retired mobster?Kirkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02155991693956178030noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-64558259809497077612011-11-01T17:08:53.371-07:002011-11-01T17:08:53.371-07:00Speaking of "Pioneers of Television", I ...Speaking of "Pioneers of Television", I just saw a segment about I Spy. Supposedly, Sheldon Leonard wanted to fire Bill Cosby after the pilot was shot, but changed his mind after Robert Culp threatened to resign in protest. Now, it was Culp himself telling this story (patting himself on the back in the process), so who knows?<br /><br />On a different "Pioneers" (I've watched quite a few of those) Andy Griffith tells an interesting story about Sheldon Leonard. The pilot for Griffith's show was shot as an episode of "Make Room for Daddy". Griffith saw the amount of shouting Danny Thomas did between takes (he apparently wasn't all that different from his on-screen character) and this gave Griffith pause. He told Leonard he didn't think he could take such shouting on his own show week after week. Leonard assured Griffith, "Look, Danny likes to shout, so there's shouting. On your own show, if you don't like to shout, than there doesn't have to be any." And from everything I've ever read about Griffith's show, there wasn't.Kirkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02155991693956178030noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-33576112735407142352011-11-01T16:53:28.651-07:002011-11-01T16:53:28.651-07:00I knew that P & G used its clout to keep CBS f...I knew that P & G used its clout to keep CBS from pulling DICK VAN DYKE, but not to the point of threatening to pull all its advertising.<br />They did that as well a couple of years later. Lucille Ball was thinking of ending THE LUCY SHOW and that is the sword they rattled to get the network back to the negotiating table. They didn't sponsor her show, but CBS was going to move a top-rated P & G show into her vacated time slot, and they did not want that.<br /><br />When you ARE television's biggest single advertiser, you can do things like that.<br /><br /><br />Also, does anyone else remember watching Leonard in his 1975 sitcom BIG EDDIE?Paul Ducanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-75709527962858935032011-11-01T16:46:37.962-07:002011-11-01T16:46:37.962-07:00hmmm, the Huffington Post link is MIA. Something h...hmmm, the Huffington Post link is MIA. Something happen or is it just AOL hatred? [which is fine, everyone should hate AOL]YEKIMIhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01921751875397071034noreply@blogger.com