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Sheldon Leonard ( February 22 1907 – January 10 , 1997 ), born Sheldon Leonard Bershad in New York City, was a pioneering American Film and Television Producer , director, writer, and actor. CAREER As an actor, Leonard specialized in playing supporting characters, especially gangsters or "heavies", in films such as '' It's A Wonderful Life '' (1946), '' To Have And Have Not '' (1944), and ''Open Secret'' (1948). His trademark was his especially thick New York accent. In radio, Leonard played an eccentric racetrack Tout on '' The Jack Benny Program '' in the late 1940s and early '50s. His role was to salute Benny out of the blue in railroad stations, on street corners, or in department stores ("hey Bud, come here a minute"), ask Benny what he was about to do, and then proceed to try to argue him out of his course of action by resorting to inane and irrelevant racing logic. He also appeared frequently on "The Adventures of the Saint," often playing gangsters and heavies, but also sometimes in more positive roles. But he is better known as the producer of hugely popular television series, including '' The Danny Thomas Show '' (1953–64), '' The Andy Griffith Show '' (1960–68), '' The Dick Van Dyke Show '' (1961–66), and '' I Spy '' (1965–68). The character of Andy Taylor was introduced in a 1960 episode of "The Danny Thomas Show," which led to the series of " The Andy Griffith Show ." Leonard is informally credited with inventing what we now know as the Spinoff on TV, although the concept began on radio two decades earlier with Fibber McGee and Molly spinning off The Great Gildersleeve. One of his last acting roles was a guest appearance on the TV series Cheers , in which he played the proprietor of "The Hungry Heifer," Norm Peterson 's favorite eating establishment. Leonard died at 89, and was buried at Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery in Culver City, California . TRIVIA
SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY Producer
Director
Actor
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