Sheldon Leonard's Wonderful Life

Sheldon Leonard's Wonderful Life

The story of the man who revolutionized the sitcom

2011 · 72 min · ★ 10.0 · Documentary

A loving tribute to a forgotten pioneer of the golden age of television. Starting out as a Runyonesque character actor, Sheldon Leonard went on to produce some of the most beloved and groundbreaking shows of all time, such as The Andy Griffith Show, The Danny Thomas Show, The Dick Van Dyke Show and I Spy. A rare treat, this film is a delightful retrospective of Leonard’s body of work, including priceless clips from his productions— as well as his hilarious appearances on shows such as The Jack Benny Program—and interviews with many of his friends and colleagues, including Mary Tyler Moore, Andy Griffith, Dick Van Dyke, Carl Reiner, Ron Howard and Leonard himself.

Directed by Allan Holzman · Written by Allan Holzman

Your Rating

Cast

Make it a double feature

2h 46m together

Sheldon Leonard's Wonderful Life

Area of Conflict

Both from Allan Holzman.

More from Allan HolzmanSee all →

Sounds of Memphis

Sounds of Memphis · 2002

Sounds of Memphis

MovieMusicDocumentary

A look into the birth of the soul music scene on Beale Street in Memphis, Tennessee. Chronicles the rise of soul music, the creation of many iconic songs, and the effect that the genre would have on generations to come. Featuring interviews with B.B. King, Isaac Hayes, Steve Copper, and many other legendary artists.

From Walt's Table: A Tribute to Disney's Nine Old Men

From Walt's Table: A Tribute to Disney's Nine Old Men · 2005

From Walt's Table: A Tribute to Disney's Nine Old Men

Film critic Joel Siegel gets together with a group of animators, directors and producers to discuss and pay tribute to their mentors and Walt Disney's core group of animators, The Nine Old Men

Old Man River

Old Man River · 1999

MovieDocumentary

Documentary film version of the stage show in which actress Cynthia Gates Fujikawa explores the story of her father, actor Jerry Fujikawa, who had a long career in films and television, most often as a stereotyped Asian. The daughter, in the course of searching out her late father's history, discovers many things that she had not known, among them that her father had spent time in Manzanar, the internment camp for Japanese-Americans during World War II, that he had had a family prior to hers, and that somewhere out there was a sister she had never known existed.

Area of Conflict

Area of Conflict · 2017

Area of Conflict

MovieActionAdventure

Human traffickers wipe out a young girl's family and village. She then seeks revenge on those responsible, eventually becoming first the hunted then turning into the hunters with the mercenary hired to eliminate her.

New Wave: Dare to be Different

New Wave: Dare to be Different · 2017

New Wave: Dare to be Different

MovieDocumentaryMusic

U2, Talking Heads, Depeche Mode, Blondie, Duran Duran, Tears for Fears, The Clash, The Cure: Over half a billion records sold but you may never have heard of them if not for a small suburban radio station on Long Island, NY: WLIR. In August, 1982, a small group of radio visionaries knew they couldn't compete with the mega-stations in New York City. With one brave decision, they changed the sound of radio forever. Program Director Denis McNamara, the 'LIR crew and the biggest artists of the era tell the story of how they battled the FCC, the record labels, mega-radio and all the conventional rules to create a musical movement that brought the New Wave to America.

Critters 2

Critters 2 · 1988

MovieComedyHorror

Three bounty hunters from space fly back to the town of Grovers Bend, hoping to save local residents from a new batch of Critter eggs.

Cloud Dancer

Cloud Dancer · 1980

An aerobatic pilot comes to terms with his work, his photographer ex-lover and a brash newcomer.

Crazy Mama

Crazy Mama · 1975

MovieCrimeAction

Melba Stokes, her mother Sheba and daughter Cheryl embark on a crime spree after their California beauty parlor is repossessed. Their destination is Arkansas, where the three generations of women want to reclaim the family farm.

Battle Beyond the Stars

Battle Beyond the Stars · 1980

Battle Beyond the Stars

MovieScience FictionAction

A young farmer assembles a band of diverse mercenaries to defend his peaceful planet from an evil tyrant.

Forbidden World

Forbidden World · 1982

Forbidden World

MovieHorrorScience Fiction

In the distant future, a federation marshal arrives at a research lab on a remote planet where a genetic experiment has gotten loose and begins feeding on the dwindling scientific group.

Grunt! The Wrestling Movie

Grunt! The Wrestling Movie · 1985

Grunt! The Wrestling Movie

MovieActionComedy

A documentary crew follows the tale of a pro wrestler who disappeared and seems to have now returned to the sport under a new guise.

Shoot the Sun Down

Shoot the Sun Down · 1978

Shoot the Sun Down

Couple of strangers arrive in a small town, each one after a different thing.

Firecracker

Firecracker · 1981

MovieActionThriller

Femme fatale martial arts expert teaches the mafia a lesson.

The Sleeping Car

The Sleeping Car · 1990

The Sleeping Car

Jason moves into an abandoned train car where he resurrects the vicious ghost of his landlady's dead husband... The Mister. After some near-fatal encounters with the violent specter, he consults a local exorcist.

Intimate Stranger

Intimate Stranger · 1991

Intimate Stranger

MovieThrillerTV Movie

A policeman guards a barroom singer whose phone-sex sideline has put a killer on her trail.

Checkered Flag or Crash

Checkered Flag or Crash · 1977

Checkered Flag or Crash

MovieAdventureAction

Hard-charging race car driver "Walkaway" Madden, nicknamed so for his history of walking away from car crashes, just wants to win the big Manilla 1000 off-road race. Photojournalist C.C. Wainwright intends to ride with him in that race. But Walkaway just wants to get rid of her. Fast-talking promoter Bo Cochran wants the race completed by any means necessary.

More Like This

Disclosure

Disclosure · 2020

MovieDocumentary

An investigation of how Hollywood's fabled stories have deeply influenced how Americans feel about transgender people, and how transgender people have been taught to feel about themselves.

Friends: The Reunion

Friends: The Reunion · 2021

Friends: The Reunion

MovieDocumentaryComedy

The cast of Friends reunites for a once-in-a-lifetime celebration of the hit series, an unforgettable evening filled with iconic memories, uncontrollable laughter, happy tears, and special guests.

Rate this film

Your ratings make Midnight smarter