Sidney Schechtel was born in Chicago, Illinois, on the 11th of February 1917. He went to Northwestern University in Chicago where he began writing scripts for plays. His education complete, Sidney began working as a writer on films and musicals, winning an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay in 1947. He then moved into TV and wrote such hits as I Dream of Jeannie and Hart to Hart..
He wrote his first novel, The Naked Face, in 1969. 17 more novels followed which have sold over 300 million copies. He also wrote 10 films and 7 Broadway and West End plays. In addition there is also Sheldon’s autobiography, The Other Side of Me, in which he reveals his struggles with bipolar disorder. He died on the 30th of January 2007 at the age of 89.
Sidney Sheldon's early life was devoted to TV screenwriting - it was not until after 50 that he turned his attention to writing novels. The Los Angeles Times called him Mr. Blockbuster and Prince of Potboilers. How much do you know about the man and his creations? Test yourself in this quiz.
1.
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Before he became a novelist, Sheldon was a successful TV screenwriter, receiving an Emmy nomination in 1967 for which sitcom starring Barbara Eden? |
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[ ] |
The Beverly Hillbillies |
[ ] |
Bewitched |
[ ] |
Get Smart! |
[ ] |
I Dream of Jeannie |
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2.
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What is the title of Sheldon's first novel, published in 1970? |
|
[ ] |
The Naked Face |
[ ] |
The Naked Gun |
[ ] |
The Naked Jungle |
[ ] |
The Naked Sun |
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3.
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Sheldon's novel Bloodline was adapted into a 1979 film starring whom as a billion dollar heiress? |
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[ ] |
Candice Bergen |
[ ] |
Audrey Hepburn |
[ ] |
Jean Simmons |
[ ] |
Natalie Wood |
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4.
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Sheldon died of pneumonia in 2007 in Rancho Mirage, in which US state? |
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[ ] |
Arizona |
[ ] |
California |
[ ] |
Colorado |
[ ] |
New Mexico |
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5.
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What is the title of Sheldon's 2005 autobiography? |
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[ ] |
The Other Side Of Me |
[ ] |
The Other Side Of Midnight |
[ ] |
The Other Side Of The Moon |
[ ] |
The Other Side Of The Sun |
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6.
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In Sheldon's 1991 novel The Doomsday Conspiracy, the hero, a US Naval Intelligence agent, is sent where to investigate a crashed weather balloon? |
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[ ] |
Austria |
[ ] |
Bulgaria |
[ ] |
Romania |
[ ] |
Switzerland |
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7.
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What is the profession of Toby Temple, a central character in Sheldon's novel A Stranger in the Mirror? |
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[ ] |
Actor |
[ ] |
Lawyer |
[ ] |
Policeman |
[ ] |
Secret Agent |
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8.
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In which 1998 Sheldon novel does the central character, Ashley, suffer from MPD (Multiple Personality Disorder)? |
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[ ] |
Tell Me Your Dreams |
[ ] |
Tell Me Your Fortune |
[ ] |
Tell Me Your Nightmares |
[ ] |
Tell Me Your Secrets |
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9.
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Another of Sheldon's TV creations was Hart to Hart. Who starred as Jonathan Hart in the series? |
|
[ ] |
Cary Grant |
[ ] |
Rock Hudson |
[ ] |
Lee Majors |
[ ] |
Robert Wagner |
|
|
10.
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Sheldon's 1982 novel Master of the Game spans six generations of which family? |
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[ ] |
The Blackadders |
[ ] |
The Blackstocks |
[ ] |
The Blackwells |
[ ] |
The Blackwoods |
|
|
1.
|
Before he became a novelist, Sheldon was a successful TV screenwriter, receiving an Emmy nomination in 1967 for which sitcom starring Barbara Eden? |
|
[ ] |
The Beverly Hillbillies |
[ ] |
Bewitched |
[ ] |
Get Smart! |
[x] |
I Dream of Jeannie |
|
|
2.
|
What is the title of Sheldon's first novel, published in 1970? |
|
[x] |
The Naked Face |
[ ] |
The Naked Gun |
[ ] |
The Naked Jungle |
[ ] |
The Naked Sun |
|
|
3.
|
Sheldon's novel Bloodline was adapted into a 1979 film starring whom as a billion dollar heiress? |
|
[ ] |
Candice Bergen |
[x] |
Audrey Hepburn |
[ ] |
Jean Simmons |
[ ] |
Natalie Wood |
|
|
4.
|
Sheldon died of pneumonia in 2007 in Rancho Mirage, in which US state? |
|
[ ] |
Arizona |
[x] |
California |
[ ] |
Colorado |
[ ] |
New Mexico |
|
|
5.
|
What is the title of Sheldon's 2005 autobiography? |
|
[x] |
The Other Side Of Me |
[ ] |
The Other Side Of Midnight |
[ ] |
The Other Side Of The Moon |
[ ] |
The Other Side Of The Sun |
|
|
6.
|
In Sheldon's 1991 novel The Doomsday Conspiracy, the hero, a US Naval Intelligence agent, is sent where to investigate a crashed weather balloon? |
|
[ ] |
Austria |
[ ] |
Bulgaria |
[ ] |
Romania |
[x] |
Switzerland |
|
|
7.
|
What is the profession of Toby Temple, a central character in Sheldon's novel A Stranger in the Mirror? |
|
[x] |
Actor |
[ ] |
Lawyer |
[ ] |
Policeman |
[ ] |
Secret Agent |
|
|
8.
|
In which 1998 Sheldon novel does the central character, Ashley, suffer from MPD (Multiple Personality Disorder)? |
|
[x] |
Tell Me Your Dreams |
[ ] |
Tell Me Your Fortune |
[ ] |
Tell Me Your Nightmares |
[ ] |
Tell Me Your Secrets |
|
|
9.
|
Another of Sheldon's TV creations was Hart to Hart. Who starred as Jonathan Hart in the series? |
|
[ ] |
Cary Grant |
[ ] |
Rock Hudson |
[ ] |
Lee Majors |
[x] |
Robert Wagner |
|
|
10.
|
Sheldon's 1982 novel Master of the Game spans six generations of which family? |
|
[ ] |
The Blackadders |
[ ] |
The Blackstocks |
[x] |
The Blackwells |
[ ] |
The Blackwoods |
|
|