Lee got his first supporting role in Hotel (1967) after reading a scene opposite a friend as a favor in an audition for the film. His first screen test was a love scene with Karen Black which led him to become an actor under contract with MGM Studios, where he co-starred in Ice Station Zebra (1968) with Rock Hudson as well as various Aaron Spelling productions. After years of acting, Lee found a passion for working behind the camera and, in 1971, directed his first feature film, On the Line (1971). His son, Shane Stanley, was the youngest to ever receive an Emmy Award when he was 16 years old for his work on Desperate Passage (1987), which Lee directed and won two Emmys for. That special launched The Desperate Passage Series, which was nominated for thirty-three Emmys and won thirteen over a six year period. Daughter Quinn Gonzalez, from Lee's first marriage, is the granddaughter of legendary songwriter Johnny Burke of the Burke & Van Heusen team, (Misty, Pennies From Heaven, Swingin' on a Star). His film Street Pirates (1994) won him a CINE Golden Eagle Award for Best Documentary. Lee received The Christopher Award as well as many other top humanitarian honors for his work with America's probated youth, which were the theme for many of his TV specials. Lee wrote and directed Held for Ransom (2000) starring Dennis Hopper based on the novel by Lois Duncan I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997) as well as co-writing and directing Carman: The Champion (2001) which starred Michael Nouri Patricia Manterola and long time friend Jed Allan.
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Biography from TMDB.
- May 23, 1943 (83)
- Burlington, Vermont, USA
- Director, writer and producer
- 11 on MovieCove · 18 credits in all
What are Lee Stanley's films like?
Across a limited sample of 4 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 0 · Wry 0 · Earnest 4
Light 1 · Serious 3 · Dark 0
Grounded 4 · Stylized 0 · Heightened 0
Gentle 1 · Charged 2 · Intense 1
Steady 2 · Shifting 2 · Whiplash 0
Straight-faced 3 · Some laughs 1 · Funny 0
Slow burn 1 · Even-paced 3 · Relentless 0
Casual 3 · Engaged 1 · Full focus 0
Easy watch 1 · Affecting 2 · Heavy 1
Resolved 4 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 0
Moods and endings
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 Lee Stanley's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 6 of their 11 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (5).
Subscription and free streaming for Lee Stanley'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
18 credits, 11 with a MovieCove page.
Paloma's Flight (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)
Break Even(2020)
Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films
The Untold Story(2019)
Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films
Gridiron Gang(2006)
Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all filmsDream Chasers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)
Carman: The Champion(2001)
Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films
Held for Ransom (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)
Street Pirates (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)
A Step Apart (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)
The Thorn Birds (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)
S.W.A.T.(1975)
Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all shows
Terror in the Sky(1971)
Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all films
Assault on the Wayne(1971)
Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films
The Immortal (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)
Adam-12(1968)
Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all shows
Ice Station Zebra(1968)
Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films
Mannix(1967)
Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all shows
Blackboard Jungle(1955)
Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films
Career shape
A full career of 17 titles from 1955 to 2022.
Film career
- 1968Screen debut· Ice Station Zebra
Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.
How do Lee Stanley's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 43rd percentile, the median of all 8; across a limited sample of 4 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 19th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up3
- 50th to 74th2
- 25th to 49th6
Shape of the crowd
4 of their 11 titles are Crowd Pleasers.
- Universally Loved1
- Loved with Detractors1
- Cult Classic1
- Crowd Pleaser4
- Mixed4
Reviewers score the atmosphere 48/100 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 Lee Stanley work with?
People who share at least 2 of Lee Stanley's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Shane Stanley shares the most, 4.
Directors
- Shane StanleyShared titles: Break Even (2020), The Untold Story (2019), Gridiron Gang (2006), Carman: The Champion (2001)See all 4 shared titles with Shane Stanley
Producers
- Alan SkobinShared titles: Break Even (2020), The Untold Story (2019)See all 2 shared titles with Alan Skobin
- Bert BoeckmannShared titles: Break Even (2020), The Untold Story (2019)See all 2 shared titles with Bert Boeckmann
- Jane BoeckmannShared titles: Break Even (2020), The Untold Story (2019)See all 2 shared titles with Jane Boeckmann
- Neil ChisholmShared titles: Break Even (2020), The Untold Story (2019)See all 2 shared titles with Neil Chisholm