Background
Sheldon was born in Chicago on February 17, 1917. His parents, of Russian Jewish ancestry, were Ascher “Otto” Schechtel, manager of a jewelry store, and Natalie Marcus.
Sheldon was born in Chicago on February 17, 1917. His parents, of Russian Jewish ancestry, were Ascher “Otto” Schechtel, manager of a jewelry store, and Natalie Marcus.
After graduating from East High School, Sidney attended Northwestern University and contributed short plays to drama groups.
Sidney Sheldon began writing as a youngster and at the age of ten he made his first sale of a poem for $10. During the Depression, he worked at a variety of jobs and while attending Northwestern University he contributed short plays to drama groups.At seventeen, he decided to try his luck in Hollywood. The only job he could find was as a reader of prospective film material at Universal Pictures for $22 a week. At night he wrote his own screenplays and was able to sell one called "South of Panama" to the studio for $250 in 1941.
During World War II, he served as a pilot in the Army Air Corps. After the war he established a reputation as being a prolific writer in the New York theater community.
Novels
•The Naked Face (1970)
•The Other Side of Midnight (1973)
•A Stranger in the Mirror (1976)
•Bloodline (1977)
•Rage of Angels (1980)
•Master of the Game (1982)
•If Tomorrow Comes (1985)
•Windmills of the Gods (1987)
•The Sands of Time (1988)
•Memories of Midnight (1990)
•The Doomsday Conspiracy (1991)
•The Stars Shine Down (1992)
•Nothing Lasts Forever (1994)
•Morning, Noon and Night (1995)
•The Best Laid Plans (1997)
•Tell Me Your Dreams (1998)
•The Sky Is Falling (2001)
•Are You Afraid of the Dark? (2004)
Novels - extrapolation by other authors
•Sidney Sheldon's Mistress of the Game by Tilly Bagshawe (2009)
•Sidney Sheldon's After the Darkness by Tilly Bagshawe (2010)
•Sidney Sheldon's Angel of the Dark by Tilly Bagshawe
Autobiography
•The Other Side of Me (2005)
Broadway Plays
•The Merry Widow
•Alice in Arms
•Redhead
•Roman Candle
•Gomes (London)
Films
•The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer
•Three Guys Named Mike
•Annie Get Your Gun
•Dream Wife
•You're Never Too Young
•Anything Goes
•Billy Rose's Jumbo
•Bloodline
Television
•The Patty Duke Show
•I Dream of Jeannie
•Nancy
•Hart to Hart
•If Tomorrow Comes (miniseries, based on his book)
Screenplays including: Billy Rose’s Jumbo, The Bachelor and the Bobby Soxer 1947, Easter Parade, Annie Get Your Gun, Dream Wife (also director), Buster Keaton Story (also director). Plays including: Roman Candle, Jackpot, Dream with Music, Alice in Arms, Redhead. Novels: The Naked Face 1970, The Other Side of Midnight 1975, A Stranger in the Mirror 1976, Bloodline 1977, Rage of Angels 1980, Master of the Game 1982, If Tomorrow Comes 1985, Windmills of the Gods 1987, Memories of Midnight.
He was married for more than 30 years to Jorja Curtright Sheldon, a stage and film actress who later became a prominent interior decorator. After her death in 1985 he married Alexandra Sheldon, a former child actress and advertising executive, in 1989.