Leslie Sands (19 May 1921 – 9 May 2001) was a British actor and writer of TV and film. Born in Bradford, Yorkshire, Sands usually specialized in dour types in authority, often policemen.His many TV roles included the lead character role of Cluff, The Saint, The Avengers, Z-Cars (where he also wrote several episodes), The Main Chance, Department S, Juliet Bravo, The Two Ronnies, Murder Most English, Boon and Stay Lucky.His TV writing credits include Van Der Valk and A Family at War as well as Z-Cars.His film roles included Sidney Lumet's The Deadly Affair (1967) and Terence Young's Bloodline (1979).Leslie Sands also wrote a number of plays, the most notable being Intent to Murder.
Deep-voiced British character actor of stage and screen. Made his theatrical debut at the Lyceum in Sheffield, in 1941. Had several seasons with the National Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company. Often performed in works by fellow Bradford-born playwright J.B. Priestley. Popular guest appearances in many TV shows, including Z Cars (1962) and The Two Ronnies (1971).
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Served in the RAF during World War II.
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Son of a Bradford mill worker and amateur entertainer.
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Supporting actor Peter Yates was a paper boy serving Sands' house from 1962-1965, and remembers the actor as a charming and generous man. His regular periodicals included "The Sun" and "The Listener" and he was frequently to be heard busily typing in his study.
Actor
Title
Year
Status
Character
Very Like a Whale
1980
TV Movie
Sir Jock's father
The Dick Francis Thriller: The Racing Game
1979
TV Series
Jack Beater
Bloodline
1979
Doctor
One Fine Day
1979
TV Movie
Commissionaire
The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin
1978
TV Series
Thruxton Appleby
Wodehouse Playhouse
1978
TV Series
The Earl of Wivelscombe
The Upchat Line
1977
TV Series
Mr. Johnson
Cottage to Let
1977
TV Series
Ernest Pope
Murder Most English: A Flaxborough Chronicle
1977
TV Series
Walter Grope
Big Boy Now!
1977
TV Series
Bert Sorrel
Cilla's World of Comedy
1976
TV Series
Charlie Bradshaw
Three Days in Szczecin
1976
TV Movie
Edward Gierek
Murder
1976
TV Series
Peter Brown
The Littlest Horse Thieves
1976
Foreman Sam Carter
My Brother's Keeper
1975
TV Series
Mr. Rankin
Cilla's Comedy Six
1975
TV Series
Charlie Bradshaw
Armchair Theatre
1958-1974
TV Series
Trevor / Sir Henry Merritt / Police Inspector / ...
Wessex Tales
1973
TV Mini-Series
Sir John Grebe
Love Story
1973
TV Series
Walter
Jack the Ripper
1973
TV Mini-Series
New Scotland Yard
1973
TV Series
Sebastian Barrios
The Roses of Eyam
1973
TV Movie
Thomas Stanley
Thirty-Minute Theatre
1966-1972
TV Series
John Abdey / General Serevich / Oliver Cromwell / ...
Man at the Top
1972
TV Series
Arnold Clayton
Suspicion
1972
TV Series
Mosher
ITV Saturday Night Theatre
1969-1972
TV Series
Harry Masters / Mr. Barfield
The Ragman's Daughter
1972
Doris' father
One More Time
1970
Inspector Crock
Comedy Playhouse
1970
TV Series
George Hillbright
Department S
1970
TV Series
Draper
The Wednesday Play
1966-1969
TV Series
Brack / Yorky / Narrator
Z Cars
1962-1969
TV Series
Det. Chief Supt. Miller
Det. Supt. Miller
The Main Chance
1969
TV Series
Charles Arkwright
ITV Playhouse
1967-1968
TV Series
Alfred / The Major General / Detective Inspector Buller
If There Weren't Any Blacks You'd Have to Invent Them
1968
TV Movie
The Blind Man
Dixon of Dock Green
1966-1968
TV Series
Harry Selby / Chinnery
The Gamblers
1967
TV Series
Martin Glover
Danger Route
1967
Man in Cinema
Mickey Dunne
1967
TV Series
Angelo Lombardi
Out of the Unknown
1966
TV Series
Andrew Maddox
The Deadly Affair
1966
Inspector
King of the River
1966
TV Series
Captain Gasser
The Mask of Janus
1965
TV Series
Andrei Borisov
Rapture
1965
First Gendarme
Cluff
1964-1965
TV Series
Det. Sgt. Caleb Cluff
The Four Seasons of Rosie Carr
1964
TV Mini-Series
Voice of Alec Farmer / Alec Farmer
Detective
1964
TV Series
Det. Sgt. Caleb Cluff
The Avengers
1964
TV Series
Captain Slim
The Saint
1963
TV Series
Sam Purdell
ITV Play of the Week
1963
TV Series
Semel
The Plane Makers
1963
TV Series
Tim Carter
ITV Television Playhouse
1963
TV Series
Arthur Bland
The Edgar Wallace Mystery Theatre
1960-1962
TV Series
Inspector Simons / Sgt. Harris
Walk in the Shadow
1962
Clyde - newspaper editor
BBC Sunday-Night Play
1961-1962
TV Mini-Series
Inspector Hubbard / Geoff Aubrey / Mr. Simons
Death Trap
1962
Inspector Simons
Where the Difference Begins
1961
TV Movie
Wilf
The Big Boys
1961
TV Movie
Douglas Driver
Yorky
1961
TV Series
Stanley Barlow
A Small Crisis
1961
TV Movie
Sir Edgar Pendleton
The Arson Squad
1961
TV Movie
Chris Hodge
Clue of the New Pin
1961
Sgt. Harris
Counter-Attack!
1960
TV Series
Tom Benson
Charlesworth
1959
TV Series
Dallas
Saturday Playhouse
1959
TV Series
Harry Hedges
All Aboard
1959
TV Series
Austin Carter
The Claverdon Road Job
1957
TV Movie
Police Sgt. Cargill
Story Conference
1956
TV Short
Spencer Whipple
BBC Sunday-Night Theatre
1955
TV Series
Rabbi Samuel
Stay Lucky
1991
TV Series
Leonard Hanley
The Play on One
1991
TV Series
Tom
Woof!
1991
TV Series
Mr Bradley
Boon
1989
TV Series
Mr. Sandford
A Sort of Innocence
1987
TV Series
Fred Edmunds
Wilderness Road
1986
TV Series
Arch
The Winning Streak
1985
TV Mini-Series
Bernard Savage
The Two Ronnies
1985
TV Series
Criminal Mastermind
Fresh Fields
1984
TV Series
Mr. Wylie
Juliet Bravo
1983
TV Series
Peter Braithwaite
The Black Adder
1983
TV Series
Lord Graveney
Take Three Women
1982
TV Series
Sir Frederick Marshall
BBC Play of the Month
1982
TV Series
Sam Shipley
Seven Dials Mystery
1981
TV Movie
Sir Oswald Coote
The Good Companions
1980-1981
TV Mini-Series
Narrator
For Services Rendered
1980
TV Movie
Leonard Ardsley
Writer
Title
Year
Status
Character
Van der Valk
1977
TV Series writer - 1 episode
Jubilee
TV Series 1 episode, 1977 writer - 1 episode, 1977
Ten from the Twenties
1975
TV Series dramatisation - 1 episode
Intent to Murder
1974
TV Movie
Hadleigh
1971-1973
TV Series writer - 2 episodes
Le crime de Janet Preston
1973
TV Movie novel
A Family at War
1970
TV Series writer - 1 episode
The Gold Robbers
1969
TV Mini-Series writer - 1 episode
Z Cars
1962-1968
TV Series writer - 7 episodes
The First Lady
1968
TV Series writer - 2 episodes
Sospecha
1964
TV Series 1 episode
The Plane Makers
TV Series writer - 2 episodes, 1963 story - 1 episode, 1963