Philip Leacock was brought up in the Canary Islands and educated at the
English boarding school Bedales. He began in the film industry as a
camera assistant in 1935. After serving with the Army Kinematograph
Service during World War II, he joined the Crown Film Unit in 1948,
making his directing debut with
Life in Her Hands (1951). His
previous experience working on documentaries led to his second film,
The Brave Don't Cry (1952),
being a critical success. On the strength of this, he was signed by the
Rank Organisation as a contract director. Leacock had a reputation for
working well with children. Thus, many of his films, such as
The Spanish Gardener (1956),
centered around children, or adolescents, as in
Take a Giant Step (1959).
After 1963 Leacock moved to Hollywood, and concentrated almost
exclusively on directing episodic television and made-for-TV movies. He
retired in 1987 and died three years later while on vacation in London.
Falcon Crest(1981)
Bridges to Cross(1986)
Three Sovereigns for Sarah(1985)
Murder, She Wrote(1984)
American Playhouse(1980)
Hawaii Five-O(1968)
The New Land(1974)
Baffled(1972)
Cimarron Strip(1967)
Firecreek(1968)
Grierson(1973)as Self
A World of Innocent Sinners: The Fables of Philip Leacockas Self