Les Blank

Career Overview

Les Blank has 110 screen credits in a career dating back to 1960. Their work is anchored in the Les Blank: Always for Pleasure universe with 14 titles. Signature works include All In This Tea, Lagniappe, The Maestro: King of the Cowboy Artists. Explore the interactive character relationship maps on each title page to trace how their roles connect across franchises.

Personal Facts

Known For: Directing
Gender: male
Known Credits: 110
Birth Date: 1935-11-27
Birth Place: Tampa, Florida, USA

Known For

Associated Universes

Les Blank: Always for Pleasure (14 titles)

Frequent Collaborators

Werner Herzog (2 collaborations)
David Lee Hoffman (1 collaborations)
Song Diefeng (1 collaborations)
Angela Justice (1 collaborations)
Professor Longhair (1 collaborations)
Gerald Gaxiola (1 collaborations)
Alice Gaxiola (1 collaborations)
Peter Mollica (1 collaborations)
Peter William Brown (1 collaborations)
Nadine Starbuck (1 collaborations)

Credits

directing (48 credits)
- You Can't Squeeze Blood Out Of A Turnip
  director
  
  directing
  
  2026
- Motorcycle Moment
  director
  
  directing
  
  2025
- Thailand Moment
  director
  
  directing
  
  2015
- How To Smell A Rose: A Visit with Ricky Leacock at his Farm in Normandy
  director
  
  directing
  
  2014
- All In This Tea
  director
  
  directing
  
  2007
- Lagniappe
  director
  
  directing
  
  2006
- The Maestro Rides Again!
  director
  
  directing
  
  2005
- The Maestro: King of the Cowboy Artists
  director
  
  directing
  
  1995
- Sworn to the Drum: A Tribute to Francisco Aguabella
  director
  
  directing
  
  1995
- My Old Fiddle: A Visit with Tommy Jarrell in the Blue Ridge
  director
  
  directing
  
  1994
- Marc and Ann
  director
  
  directing
  
  1991
- Puamana
  director
  
  directing
  
  1991
- Innocents Abroad
  director
  
  directing
  
  1991
- Julie: Old Time Tales of the Blue Ridge
  director
  
  directing
  
  1991
- Yum, Yum, Yum! A Taste of the Cajun and Creole Cooking of Louisiana
  director
  
  directing
  
  1990
- I Went to the Dance
  director
  
  directing
  
  1989
- Ry Cooder & The Moula Banda Rhythm Aces: Let's Have a Ball
  director
  
  directing
  
  1988
- POV
  
  - Marc and Ann (1991) ... director directing
  
  1988
- Huey Lewis and the News: Before!
  director
  
  directing
  
  1987
- Živeli! Medicine for the Heart
  director
  
  directing
  
  1987
- Gap-Toothed Women
  director
  
  directing
  
  1987
- Cigarette Blues
  director
  
  directing
  
  1985
- Six Short Films of Les Blank (1960-1985)
  director
  
  directing
  
  1985
- In Heaven There Is No Beer?
  director
  
  directing
  
  1984
- Sprout Wings and Fly
  director
  
  directing
  
  1983
- Burden of Dreams
  director
  
  directing
  
  1982
- Werner Herzog Eats His Shoe
  director
  
  directing
  
  1980
- Garlic Is as Good as Ten Mothers
  director
  
  directing
  
  1980
- Del mero corazón
  director
  
  directing
  
  1979
- Always for Pleasure
  director
  
  directing
  
  1978
- Chulas Fronteras
  director
  
  directing
  
  1976
- A Poem Is a Naked Person
  director
  
  directing
  
  1974
- Hot Pepper
  director
  
  directing
  
  1973
- Dry Wood
  director
  
  directing
  
  1973
- Spend It All
  director
  
  directing
  
  1972
- A Well Spent Life
  director
  
  directing
  
  1971
- The Ways of Water
  director
  
  directing
  
  1971
- Chicken Real
  director
  
  directing
  
  1970
- The Sun's Gonna Shine
  director
  
  directing
  
  1969
- Mr. Charlie, Your Rollin’ Mill Is Burnin’ Down
  director
  
  directing
  
  1969
- The Blues Accordin' to Lightnin' Hopkins
  director
  
  directing
  
  1968
- God Respects Us When We Work, But Loves Us When We Dance
  director
  
  directing
  
  1968
- Lightnin' Les
  director
  
  directing
  
  1968
- Dizzy Gillespie
  director
  
  directing
  
  1964
- Softball Umpire
  director
  
  directing
  
  1962
- And Freedom Came?!
  director
  
  directing
  
  1962
- Strike!
  director
  
  directing
  
  1961
- Running Around Like a Chicken With Its Head Cut Off
  director
  
  directing
  
  1960
camera (23 credits)
- Tattoo Uprising
  director of photography
  
  camera
  
  2019
- Lagniappe
  director of photography
  
  camera
  
  2006
- The Maestro: King of the Cowboy Artists
  director of photography
  
  camera
  
  1995
- Hole in the Soul
  camera operator
  
  camera
  
  1994
- Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse
  camera operator
  
  camera
  
  1991
- I Went to the Dance
  director of photography
  
  camera
  
  1989
- Ry Cooder & The Moula Banda Rhythm Aces: Let's Have a Ball
  director of photography
  
  camera
  
  1988
- Gap-Toothed Women
  director of photography
  
  camera
  
  1987
- Cigarette Blues
  camera operator
  
  camera
  
  1985
- In Heaven There Is No Beer?
  director of photography
  
  camera
  
  1984
- Sprout Wings and Fly
  director of photography
  
  camera
  
  1983
- Burden of Dreams
  director of photography
  
  camera
  
  1982
- Garlic Is as Good as Ten Mothers
  director of photography
  
  camera
  
  1980
- Del mero corazón
  director of photography
  
  camera
  
  1979
- Always for Pleasure
  director of photography
  
  camera
  
  1978
- A Poem Is a Naked Person
  director of photography
  
  camera
  
  1974
- Mr. Charlie, Your Rollin’ Mill Is Burnin’ Down
  director of photography
  
  camera
  
  1969
- String Sounds
  "b" camera operator
  
  camera
  
  1969
- The Blues Accordin' to Lightnin' Hopkins
  director of photography
  
  camera
  
  1968
- New Sounds in Music
  camera operator
  
  camera
  
  1968
- Christopher Tree
  director of photography
  
  camera
  
  1967
- Seven Second Love Affair
  director of photography
  
  camera
  
  1965
- Pleasure Faire
  director of photography
  
  camera
  
  1964
actors (7 credits)
- Out in the Woods
  Self
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  2016
- How To Smell A Rose: A Visit with Ricky Leacock at his Farm in Normandy
  Self
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  2014
- Oh My God! It's Harrod Blank!
  Self
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  2008
- Six Short Films of Les Blank (1960-1985)
  Self
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1985
- A Poem Is a Naked Person
  Self
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1974
- Running Around Like a Chicken With Its Head Cut Off
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1960
- Here Comes Everybody
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1960
editing (10 credits)
- Treasure of the Lisu
  editor
  
  editing
  
  2010
- Del mero corazón
  additional editor
  
  editing
  
  1979
- Always for Pleasure
  editor
  
  editing
  
  1978
- Chulas Fronteras
  editor
  
  editing
  
  1976
- A Poem Is a Naked Person
  editor
  
  editing
  
  1974
- Spend It All
  editor
  
  editing
  
  1972
- A Well Spent Life
  editor
  
  editing
  
  1971
- Delusion of the Fury: A Ritual of Dream and Delusion
  editor
  
  editing
  
  1971
- The Arch
  editor
  
  editing
  
  1969
- Christopher Tree
  editor
  
  editing
  
  1967
writing (3 credits)
- Treasure of the Lisu
  story consultant
  
  writing
  
  2010
- Gap-Toothed Women
  writer
  
  writing
  
  1987
- A Poem Is a Naked Person
  writer
  
  writing
  
  1974
production (11 credits)
- The Maestro: King of the Cowboy Artists
  producer
  
  production
  
  1995
- Huey Lewis and the News: Before!
  producer
  
  production
  
  1987
- In the Land of the Owl Turds
  producer
  
  production
  
  1987
- Gap-Toothed Women
  producer
  
  production
  
  1987
- In Heaven There Is No Beer?
  producer
  
  production
  
  1984
- Burden of Dreams
  producer
  
  production
  
  1982
- Werner Herzog Eats His Shoe
  producer
  
  production
  
  1980
- Garlic Is as Good as Ten Mothers
  producer
  
  production
  
  1980
- Always for Pleasure
  producer
  
  production
  
  1978
- Mr. Charlie, Your Rollin’ Mill Is Burnin’ Down
  producer
  
  production
  
  1969
- The Blues Accordin' to Lightnin' Hopkins
  producer
  
  production
  
  1968
crew (8 credits)
- Puamana
  cinematography
  
  crew
  
  1991
- Innocents Abroad
  cinematography
  
  crew
  
  1991
- Playboy: Farmers' Daughters
  thanks
  
  crew
  
  1986
- Fitzcarraldo
  thanks
  
  crew
  
  1982
- Werner Herzog Eats His Shoe
  cinematography
  
  crew
  
  1980
- Spend It All
  cinematography
  
  crew
  
  1972
- A Well Spent Life
  cinematography
  
  crew
  
  1971
- The Ways of Water
  cinematography
  
  crew
  
  1971