Best-selling Author Sidney Sheldon Dead at 89

Sidney Sheldon, an Oscar-winning Hollywood screenwriter, died in California on Tuesday at the age of 89.

Sidney Sheldon, an Oscar-winning Hollywood screenwriter who went on to become one of the world's most prolific novelists, died in California on Tuesday at the age of 89, a publicist said.

Sheldon died of complications from pneumonia at the Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage, near his Palm Springs home, said Sean Rossall, publicist at Warren Cowan and Associates.

Sheldon became an American icon in the 1970s with novels like "The Other Side of Midnight" and "Bloodline," bestsellers spun out of international intrigue and the sexual liberation of the era. Strong women were often the main characters.

He published 18 novels, translated into 51 languages, and sold 300 million copies, making him a paperback stand staple for decades.

But before his career in fiction took off after turning 50, the Chicago native had made his mark in Hollywood movies and television and in Broadway theater.

His big break came in 1948 when he won an Academy Award for original screenplay for "The Bachelor and the Bobby Soxer" starring Cary Grant and Myrna Loy.

In 1963, he turned to television as screenwriter for "The Patty Duke Show" and followed up in 1964 by creating, producing and writing the hit show "I Dream of Jeannie."

In 2005, he wrote his memoir "The Other Side of Me" in which he offered a rare glimpse into the lives of stars like Grant, Judy Garland and Frank Sinatra.

Sheldon is survived by his wife, Alexandra, and a daughter, Mary.