Leonard Hill is the Executive Producer of Rags to Riches, the lighthearted, musical-drama series going into its second season.
His production company originally founded as Hill-Mandelker Films (with the late Phil Mandelker) in September 19801, followed Hill's exit as Vice President of Movies for Television with ABC Entertainment.
In less than six years! Hill Films produced an array of high-quality television projects. Among the sixteen movies the company has produced are "Mae West," "Having It All," "Dream House," "Freedom," "The Cartier Affair," "Mirrors,” "Prince of Bel Air," and "The Last Fling." The company also produced the highly acclaimed, Emmy-nominated series, "The Long Hot Summer” in 1985 starring Don Johnson, Cybill Shepherd and Ava Gardner.
Hill Films has also been active in the area of dramatic series. The company has turned out the CBS series, "Tucker's Witch," "The Insiders" for ABC and the NBC pilot, "High School, U.S.A."
Hills rise through the executive ranks at ARC was rapid. He joined the company as an Executive Producer in 1976 and one year later was promoted to Senior Executive Producer. In 1978, he was named Vice President of the Motion Pictures for Television division.
During his tenure at ABC, Hill was responsible for over-seeing development and production of a slate of approximately 30 motion pictures for television annually. He initiated and supervised the development and production of popular and critically acclaimed TV movies such as "The Jericho Mile,'' "Amber Waves," "Friendly Fire," "A Question of Love," "Elvis," and "The Cracker Factory." Other lauded productions Hill brought to television included, "Like Normal People," "Intimate Strangers," "Young Joe: The Forgotten Kennedy," "Off The Minnesota Strip" and "Attica."
Prior to joining ABC, Hill served for two years with NBC, first as Manager, Primetime Series and later as Director, Motion Pictures for Television. Positions as a Program Executive with Paramount Television, Associate Producer for MTM Enterprises and Production Coordinator for Universal Television preceded his assignment at NBC. During the 1973-74 television season, Hill was a writer for the "Adam-12" series.
A Los Angeles native, Hill was graduated Summa Cum Laude from Yale University in 1969 and received a MA degree in Education and History from Stanford University in 1971.
In addition to his current title of Executive Producer of "Rags to Riches," Hill Films continues to produce films for television and series.
Leonard Hill is 38 and resides in Westwood.
Biography written by Hanson & Schwam public relations, 1987.