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Gerardo de Leon

Gerardo de Leon

Director and writer, also editor · Died July 25, 1981, aged 67 · 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).

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
September 12, 1913
Died
July 25, 1981 (aged 67)
From
Manila, Philippines
Works as
Director and writer, also editor
Titles
6 on MovieCove · 43 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 26% in 30 days

What are Gerardo de Leon's films like?

Across their 6 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Survival and Morality.

Genres

Drama3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 38th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Action2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 15th percentile
: browse their Action movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Survival
39%
Morality
21%
Power
21%
Society
19%
Survival4 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice2 titles, browse their movies with this themeOppression2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 6 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Dark: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their dark movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 0 · Serious 3 · Dark 3

Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 6 · Stylized 0 · Heightened 0

Intense: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their intense movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 0 · Charged 3 · Intense 3

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

A split, not a type: Steady 3 · Shifting 2 · Whiplash 1

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 6 · Some laughs 0 · Funny 0

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 1 · Even-paced 4 · Relentless 1

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 2 · Engaged 4 · Full focus 0

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 6 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
5
Thrilling
2
Triumphant
3
Melancholic
1
Dread
1
Other
3

How their films linger

Hopeful2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy2
  • Bittersweet3
  • Tragic1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Gerardo de Leon's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 3 of their 6 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Gerardo de Leon's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

43 credits, 6 with a MovieCove page.

  • Banaue: Stairway to the Sky(1975)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Fe, Esperanza, Caridad (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    Director · Screenplay · Story

  • Women in Cages(1971)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films

  • Lilet (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Director

  • Mad Doctor of Blood Island (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Director

  • Brownout (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Director

  • Brides of Blood(1968)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films

  • Curse of the Vampires (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    Director

  • Wanted: Johnny L (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    Director

  • Ang Daigdig ng mga Api (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Director

  • The Blood Drinkers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    Director

  • The Walls of Hell(1964)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films

  • Anak ni Dyesebel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    Director

  • El Filibusterismo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Director

  • The Moises Padilla Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Director

  • Noli Me Tángere (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Director · Screenplay

  • Huwag Mo Akong Limutin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Director · Writer

  • Terror Is a Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Director

  • Aawitan Kita (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Director

  • Surrender - Hell!(1959)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • Hanggang sa Dulo ng Daigdig (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Director

  • Cavalry Command (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Director

  • Bicol Express (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Director

  • Saigon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Director

  • Sanda Wong (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Director

  • Pedro Penduko (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    Director

  • Ifugao (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    Director · Producer

  • Dyesebel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    Director

  • Ang Bagong Maestra (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    Director

  • Ang Sawa sa Lumang Simboryo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    Director

  • Sisa (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Director

  • Diego Silang (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Director

  • Kamay ni Satanas (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    Director

  • 48 Hours (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    Director

  • Padre Burgos(1949)

    Director

  • Ikaw Ay Akin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

    Director

  • The Dawn of Freedom (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    Director

  • Tatlong Maria (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    Director

  • Ang Maestra (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    Director

  • Ama at Anak (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    Director · Actor

  • Ruisenor (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    Actor

  • Bahay Kubo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    Director

  • Ang Pagbabalik (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    Actor

Career shape

A full career of 42 titles from 1937 to 1975.

Highest rated

Women in Cages (1971)

Midcredits 15th

Most popular right now

Brides of Blood (1968)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting3 of 42: 2 only acting, 1 with another roleDirecting40 of 42: 34 only directing, 6 with another roleWriting4 of 42: 0 only writing, 4 with another roleProducing1 of 42: 0 only producing, 1 with another role

42 titles, 6 with more than one role — directing and writing overlap on 4 of them.

By decade

1930s4 · 3 acting · 2 crew1940s5 · crew1950s16 · crew1960s13 · crew1970s4 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it.

How do Gerardo de Leon's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 15th percentile, the median of the 5 of 6 with a score; across their 6 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 36th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

36thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 6

Approval · how many liked their films

12thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 6

Reach · how many have seen their films

12thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 6

Midcredits score across 5 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up1
  • 25th to 49th1
  • Below 25th3

Shape of the crowd

4 of their 5 titles are Mixed.

  • Divisive1
  • Mixed4

Most divisive · director, writer

Banaue: Stairway to the Sky (1975)

96th percentile spread · 28% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · editor

Surrender - Hell! (1959)

Midcredits 38th · 32% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 58/100 and the pacing 46/100 in their films, across 4 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a director.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Gerardo de Leon work with?

People who share at least 2 of Gerardo de Leon's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Andres Centenera shares the most, 4.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers