Sheldon was prominent in the 1930s, first working on Broadway plays and then in motion pictures, notably writing the successful comedy "The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer" (1947) which earned him an Oscar in 1948. He went on to work in television, where his works spanned a 20-year period during which he created "The Patty Duke Show" (1963–66), "I Dream of Jeannie" (1965–70) and "Hart to Hart" (1979–84). After turning 50, he began writing best-selling romantic suspense novels, such as "Master of the Game" (1982), "The Other Side of Midnight" (1973) and "Rage of Angels" (1980). His 18 novels have sold over 300 million copies in 51 languages. Sheldon is consistently cited as one of the top ten best selling fiction writers of all time.