Jack sheldon, played Buddy Overstreet, our hero. Buddy was a quiet, hard working, honest, loveable character. He was shy and a little clumbsy. Not overly stupid or smart. Just an average joe. Kind... even forgiving with his torementors, when circumstances allowed. His pursuers were not overly dumb either, so how did he manage to stay alive? Buddy was a opportunist. He was willing to take any avenue out, be it over, under, around or through. Although he was never violent, he was not opposed to pushing his killers to slow them down. It was always a narrow escape, but of course he always managed. Sheldon's small stature made Buddy even more the victim, although Sheldon's facial expressions and body language did that anyway. Although Sheldon had not done much acting, playing the trumpet being his trade, he was a natural. He brought a quality to Buddy that made him believeable.  Like David Jansen's portrayal of The Fugitive, which the show was fashioned after, Buddy had a nervous quality to him. His tense body and nervouse finger twitching made him seem real. Sheldon had not really planned on trying out for the part of Buddy, although its hard to imagine anyone else being able to pull of those facial expressions like Sheldon. It was his friend who talked him into it, after being turned down himself, being told he walked funny.  After watching Sheldon walk, he got the part, and suddenly Buddy Overstreet's narrow escape became a topic on many school playgrounds.

Jack Sheldon is one of the jazz greats and is considered the jokester of jazz.  Mr. triple threat as he is known has been playing professionally since age thirteen. He played in the Military band and after his discharge, moved to the West Coast where he became a popular figure playing and recording with top musicians including Benny Goodman and Art Pepper. He was seen nightly on the Merv Griffin Show where he was the featured soloist, resident comedian, and musical director.  Sheldon had an eighteen year association with Griffin who said Sheldon had a unforgettable voice. He was also a regular on the Cara Williams Show, performed live at the end of Alf's Hit Talk Show and The Ellen Degeneres Show.  He performed with Benny Goodman and Bill Berry's big band and with his own groups.  Sheldon recorded regularly with Concord and his Butterfly label.  Along with Lester Young in the 30's, Dizzy Gillespien in the 40's, and Zoot Simms in the 50's, he is one of the original Lions of The West Coast Sound.  Sheldon has his own signature sound, Mel Davis calls it " a voice." An inner sound that comes from his heart and soul.  In the 50's, Sheldon played an important role in developing the era's bebop sound and has collaborated with greats like Frank Sinatra, Dexter Gordon, Shelly Manne, Curtis Counce, Mel Torme, Peggy Lee, Stan Kenton, Rosemary Clooney, Tony Bennett, Sammy Davis Jr. and Lena Horne, to name a few.  He has been nominated five times for the "Playboy International Artist of The Year Award."  Sheldon has been featured on many soundtracks over the years including The Super, White Men Can't Jump, For The Boys, Mr. Saturday Night, Speechless, Forget Paris, and the song The Shadow of Your Smile in the film "The Sandpiper", was written with Sheldon in mind to play the lead trumpet.  His passionate trumpet solo immortalized Johnny Mandel's song, The Shadow Of Your Smile. was Merv Griffin's favorite song and Sheldon played it at Griffin's memorial service.  One from The Heart, included a haunting trumpet solo by Sheldon and he performed several cuts in Foreign Affairs, including the solo at the end, Burma Shave. As a vocalist, Sheldon has been ranked one of the top jazz singers of the day. and is featured on many soundtracks such as Speechless, Norman Jewison's Bogus, Stuart Saves His Family and is the voice in many of School House Rock's specials, including Conjunction Junction and I'm Just a Bill.(If you have never heard these or just want to reminise, you'll find them at the bottom of this page.) Many animated shows have also featured his talented vocals including The Simsons, Family Guy, Mr. Sensitivity in Johnny Bravo and in the 1980's was the voice of Louie the Lightning Bug, in the animated musical for kids promoting safety with electricity.  Run Buddy Run was not the only acting role Sheldon had, others included Dragnet, and Star Trek-the next generation, and the television series, What Makes Sammy Run. Sheldon is also the subject of a award winning documentary Trying To Get Good, the Jazz Odessy of Jack Sheldon.  The film features interviews with Clint Eastwood, Billy Crystal, Merv Griffin, Chris Botti, Dave Fishberg, Johnny Mandel, and Tierney Sutton. Jack Sheldon is considered a legend in his own time, and why wouldn't he be?