Sheldon Leonard

Sheldon Leonard Bershad (February 22, 1907 – January 11, 1997) was an American actor, producer, director, and screenwriter. Born in Manhattan, New York City, Leonard graduated from Syracuse University in 1929. Known for his thick New York accent, he specialized in playing supporting characters, often portraying gangsters or 'heavies'. Leonard's breakthrough role came in Another Thin Man (1939), where he played a soft-spoken but dangerous murder suspect. He went on to be typecast as smooth gangsters or streetwise guys in movies like It's a Wonderful Life (1946), To Have and Have Not (1944), Guys and Dolls (1955), and Open Secret (1948). He was a favorite of director Frank Capra.