Gerardo de Leon

Directing

Gerardo de Leon

Born 1913-09-12 · Manila, Philippines

Gerardo de León (September 12, 1913 - July 25, 1981) was a Filipino actor turned film director, who made his acting debut in the 1934 movie Ang Dangal. De León, who was born as Gerardo Ilagan, was a member of the Ilagan clan of Philippine motion pictures, which includes Robert Arevalo, Liberty Ilagan and Ronaldo Valdez, and musical scorer Tito Arévalo. De León was a medical doctor by profession, but his ultimate love for film has won him over. He made eight more films as an actor before he became a director. He made his directorial debut in 1939's Bahay-Kubo, starring Fely Vallejo (who he later married). One of his unfinished projects was in the late Fernando Poe, Jr.'s Juan de la Cruz in 1972. Nicknamed "Manong", de León holds the sole distinction of being the most awarded film director in the history of the Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences' FAMAS Awards, the Philippines' Oscars. From 1952 to 1971, he was awarded seven FAMAS Awards, three of them he received three years in a row. All of the films in which he won for Best Director also won for Best Picture at the FAMAS: Sawa sa Lumang Simboryo (1952), Hanggang sa Dulo ng Daigdig (1958), Huwag Mo Akong Limutin (1960), Noli Me Tangere (1961, adaptation of the novel Noli Me Tangere ), El Filibusterismo (1962), Daigdig ng mga Api (1965), Lilet (1971).

Acting credits

Behind the camera

Women in Cages poster
5.1

Carol Jeffries is a naive American woman staying in the Philippines. She is given ten years in prison after being set up by her drug-dealer boyfriend, Rudy. She endures the harsh conditions, sadistic head matron and attempts on her life, then convinces her cell-mates to try to escape with her through the jungle, in spite of the knowledge that ruthless trackers will be sent out after them.

Women in Cages

1971

Lilet poster
7.7

An unstable young woman finally blows the cover of her repressive family's dark secrets when her memories where unlocked with the help of an ardent suitor.

Lilet

1971

Padre Burgos poster
NR

This film reenacts the martyrdom of the Gomburza, high-lighting the events and occurrences prior to their execution. The movie focuses on the story of Fr. Jose Burgos and his involvement in the Cavite Mutiny of 1972.

Padre Burgos

1949

Sisa poster
9.0

A mother’s life is destroyed when her two sons, both altar boys, are accused of a crime they didn't commit. As the local authorities hunt them down and her family is torn apart, the trauma drives her into a state of madness as she wanders the town searching for them.

Sisa

1951

Brides of Blood poster
4.8

Americans investigating the results of nuclear radiation discover a man-eating monster on a remote island.

Brides of Blood

1968

Tatlong Maria poster
7.0

No synopsis available yet.

Tatlong Maria

1944

Aawitan Kita poster
NR

No synopsis available yet.

Aawitan Kita

1959

Diego Silang poster
7.0

This movie captures the core and colorful saga of the famous Ilocano hero Diego Silang.

Diego Silang

1951

Dyesebel poster
9.0

Dyesebel is a story of a girl with a mother who is really obsessed with mermaids. When she was born, she had deformities which her father was really angry. The family decided to relocate and leave their village so they can raise Dyesebel secretly and to avoid from angry mobs. Dyesebel met his guy Fredo who saved him when she was kidnapped.

Dyesebel

1953

Noli Me Tángere poster
6.4

Based on the revolutionary novel by Jose Rizal, the story follows Crisostomo Ibarra, a young Filipino man who returned from his studies in Europe, who discovered that his father was falsely imprisoned and abused by the Spanish friars, including Padre Damaso. While he is making plans to uplift the lives of his fellow countrymen, he faced resistance from the Spanish colonial government.

Noli Me Tángere

1961

Noli Me Tángere poster
6.4

Based on the revolutionary novel by Jose Rizal, the story follows Crisostomo Ibarra, a young Filipino man who returned from his studies in Europe, who discovered that his father was falsely imprisoned and abused by the Spanish friars, including Padre Damaso. While he is making plans to uplift the lives of his fellow countrymen, he faced resistance from the Spanish colonial government.

Noli Me Tángere

1961

The Blood Drinkers poster
5.6

Dr. Marco's most beloved Katrina has died. As a vampire, Marco has devised a plan to bring her back from the dead. It requires large amounts of human blood and will eventually necessitate the transplantation of a human heart.

The Blood Drinkers

1964

No artwork available
NR

Kamay ni Satanas tells of Ka Berto, an aged “albularyo” or folk healer, who has a great love for Senyang, a young pretty lass, the daughter of his good friend. Fearing that he has no chance at all, he sells his right hand to the devil in exchange for youth, good looks, and wealth.

Kamay ni Satanas

1950

No artwork available
6.5

Great Gerardo de Leon fantasy, about a legendary bandit and his python-guarded treasure trove.

Ang Sawa sa Lumang Simboryo

1952

48 Hours poster
6.0

A man has 48 hours to find the men who wronged him before a bullet lodged in his chest reaches his heart.

48 Hours

1950

El Filibusterismo poster
8.5

A vindictive Crisostomo Ibarra returns, and this time, disguised as a jeweler named Simoun, where he decides to solve the country's issues through violence.

El Filibusterismo

1962

Terror Is a Man poster
4.5

A mad scientist transforms a panther into a man-like creature that escapes and goes on a murderous rampage.

Terror Is a Man

1959

Curse of the Vampires poster
4.6

Siblings discover that their father has their vampire mother chained up in the cellar. The mother bites her son and soon everyone in the community is either dead or a vampire.

Curse of the Vampires

1966

The Walls of Hell poster
5.0

In the final days of the battle of Manila during World War II, fanatical Japanese naval forces barricade themselves inside the walls of Intramuros, the ancient Spanish walled city of Manila. In a suicidal last stand, the Japanese hold many thousand Filipinos captive within the fortress, despite the incessant bombardment of United States artillery. An American war correspondent, Murray, arrives at the front line where a guerrilla unit led by American Lieutenant Sorenson makes contact with a young Filipino fighter, Nardo, who has escaped the fortress through a sewer passage. Nardo proposes a plan to rescue the prisoners through the tunnel.

The Walls of Hell

1964

Wanted: Johnny L poster
NR

The biggest anti-crime picture of the year.

Wanted: Johnny L

1966

Mad Doctor of Blood Island poster
4.2

A man who loves to travel, travels to an island where a mad doctor is creating zombies.

Mad Doctor of Blood Island

1969

The Dawn of Freedom poster
NR

This film was made by the Japanese occupation authorities in the Philippines as a propaganda film to show the Philippine people the "benefits" of the Japanese invasion and takeover of their country.

The Dawn of Freedom

1944

Banaue: Stairway to the Sky poster
7.0

Amidst the background of the rice terraces, the story of an Igorota and daughter of a chieftain is told as she underwent trials to keep another tribe from conquering her own.

Banaue: Stairway to the Sky

1975

Banaue: Stairway to the Sky poster
7.0

Amidst the background of the rice terraces, the story of an Igorota and daughter of a chieftain is told as she underwent trials to keep another tribe from conquering her own.

Banaue: Stairway to the Sky

1975