James Sheldon

{{about||the American football player, coach, and college athletics administrator|James M. Sheldon|the English footballer|Jamie Sheldon}}

{{short description|American television director}}

{{Infobox person

|name = James Sheldon

|birth_name = Leonard James Schleifer{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/18/arts/television/james-sheldon-director-whose-career-reflected-tvs-evolution-dies-at-95.html|title=James Sheldon, Director, Dies at 95; Career Reflected TV's Evolution|first=Anita|last=Gates|work=The New York Times|date=March 17, 2016|access-date=January 4, 2022}}

|birth_date = {{birth date|1920|11|12}}

|birth_place = Manhattan, New York, U.S.

|death_date = {{death date and age|2016|03|12|1920|11|12}}

|death_place = Manhattan, New York, U.S.

|occupation = Television director

|alma mater = University of North Carolina{{Cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/james-sheldon-dead-television-director-876923/|title=James Sheldon, Prolific Director for Television, Dies at 95|first=Mike|last=Barnes|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=March 20, 2016|access-date=January 4, 2022}}

|years_active = 1952–1986

|children = 2{{Cite web|url=https://www.thewrap.com/james-sheldon-pioneering-and-prolific-tv-director-dies-at-95/|title=James Sheldon, Pioneering and Prolific TV Director, Dies at 95|first=Todd|last=Cunningham|work=TheWrap|date=March 20, 2016|access-date=January 4, 2022}}

}}

Leonard James Schleifer, also known as James Sheldon (November 12, 1920 – March 12, 2016), was an American television director.{{Cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lifestyle/lifestyle-news/late-director-james-sheldon-james-dean-affairs-men-1302428/|title=Late Director James Sheldon on James Dean and Affairs With Men|first=Matthew|last=Rettenmund|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=July 9, 2020|access-date=January 4, 2022}}

Sheldon directed for television programs including The Twilight Zone, The Fugitive, The Donna Reed Show, The Millionaire, Death Valley Days, Route 66, The Love Boat, M*A*S*H, The Dukes of Hazzard, Gunsmoke, Bridget Loves Bernie, Room 222, Harbor Command, Love, American Style, The Waltons, The Virginian, That Girl. The Man from U.N.C.L.E., My Three Sons, Petticoat Junction, Naked City and Sledge Hammer!. He died in March 2016 at his home in Manhattan, New York from complications of cancer, at the age of 95.{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2016/tv/news/james-sheldon-dead-tv-director-1201734880/|title=James Sheldon, Prolific TV Director, Dies at 95|first=Alex|last=Stedman|work=Variety|date=March 20, 2016|access-date=January 4, 2022}}{{Cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/article/2016/03/20/james-sheldon-dead-tv-director-dies-95/|title=James Sheldon dead: Twilight Zone, MASH TV director dies at 95|first=Nick|last=Romano|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|date=March 20, 2016|access-date=January 4, 2022}}

In an interview with novelist Matthew Rettenmund in 2015, Sheldon spoke candidly about his bisexuality, his relationships with actress Loretta Young and actor Clark Gable's daughter Judy Lewis and Ernst Lubitsch's daughter Nicola Lubitsch, discovering Troy Donohue, and his friendships with Tony Randall and James Dean.{{Cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lifestyle/lifestyle-news/late-director-james-sheldon-james-dean-affairs-men-1302428/|title=Late Director James Sheldon on James Dean and Affairs With Men|first=Matthew|last=Rettenmund|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=9 July 2020|access-date=18 March 2022}}