Lee Van Cleef
Born
January 9, 1925
Died
December 16, 1989 (64 years old)
Known For
Acting
Place of Birth
Somerville, New Jersey, USA
Clarence LeRoy "Lee" Van Cleef Jr. was an American actor best known for his roles in Spaghetti Westerns such as For A Few Dollars More and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Hatchet-faced with piercing eyes, he had declined to have his nose altered to play a sympathetic character in his film debut, High Noon, and was relegated to a non-speaking outlaw as a result. For a decade he was typecast as a minor villain, his sinister features overshadowing his acting skills. After suffering serious injuries in a car crash, Van Cleef began to lose interest in his apparently waning career by the time Sergio Leone gave him a major role in For a Few Dollars More. The film made him a box-office draw, especially in Europe.
Military service:
After basic training and further training at the Naval Fleet Sound School, Van Cleef was assigned to a submarine chaser and then to a minesweeper, USS Incredible, on which he worked as a sonarman.
After leaving the Navy, Van Cleef read for a part in Our Town at the Little Theater Group in Clinton, New Jersey and received his first stage role. From there, he continued to meet with the group and audition for parts. The next biggest part was that of the boxer, Joe Pendleton, in the play Heaven Can Wait. During this time, he was observed by visiting talent scouts, who were impressed by Van Cleef's stage presence and delivery. One of these scouts later took him to New York City talent agent Maynard Morris of the MCA agency, who then sent him to the Alvin Theater for an audition.
Van Cleef's screen debut came in High Noon. During a performance of Mister Roberts in Los Angeles, he was noticed by film director Stanley Kramer, who offered Van Cleef a role in his upcoming film. Kramer originally wanted Van Cleef for the role of the deputy Harvey Pell, but as he wanted Van Cleef to have his "distinctive nose" fixed, Van Cleef declined the role in favor of the part of the silent gunslinger Jack Colby. He was then cast mostly in villainous roles, due to his sharp cheeks and chin, piercing eyes, and hawk-like nose, from the part of Tony Romano in Kansas City Confidential (1952), culminating 14 years later in Sergio Leone's The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)
Despite suffering from heart disease from the late 1970s and having a pacemaker installed in the early 1980s, Van Cleef continued to work in films until his death on December 16, 1989, at age 64. He was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery, Hollywood Hills, California, with an inscription on his grave marker referring to his many acting performances as a villain: "BEST OF THE BAD". Description above from the Wikipedia article Lee Van Cleef, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Known For
The Conqueror: Hollywood Fallout
Self (archive footage)
2024
Peter Baumgartner, Filmkameramann
(archive footage)
2014
Octagon : le combat des maîtres
2003
Klaus Kinski: I'm not an actor
Col. Douglas Mortimer (archive footage)
2000
Thieves of Fortune
Sergio Danielo Christophero
1990
The Best of the Martial Arts Films
Self (archive footage)
1990
Speed Zone
Grandfather
1989
The Commander
Col. Mazzarini
1988
Armed Response
Burt Roth
1986
Jungle Raiders
Warren
1985
The Master Ninja 5
John Peter McAllister
1985
Master Ninja
John Peter McAllister
1985
Code Name: Wild Geese
Archie 'China' Travers
1984
Killing Machine
Julot
1984
Master Ninja II
John Peter McAllister
1984
The Master
John Peter McAllister · (13 episodes)
1984
Escape from New York
Police Commissioner Bob Hauk
1981
The Octagon
McCarn
1980
The Hard Way
McNeal
1980
When the West Was Fun: A Western Reunion
Self
1979
The Squeeze
Chris Gretchko / Ray Sloan
1978
The Perfect Killer
Harry Chapman
1977
Nowhere to Hide
Ike Scanlon
1977
Kid Vengeance
McClain
1976
God's Gun
Father John / Lewis
1976
Take a Hard Ride
Kiefer
1975
The Stranger and the Gunfighter
Dakota
1974
Mean Frank and Crazy Tony
Frankie
1973
The Grand Duel
Sheriff Clayton
1972
The Magnificent Seven Ride!
Marshal Chris Adams
1972
Bad Man's River
Roy King
1971
Captain Apache
Capt. Apache
1971
Return of Sabata
Sabata / Major
1971
Barquero
Travis
1970
El Condor
Jaroo
1970
Sabata
Sabata
1969
Commandos
MSgt. Sullivan
1968
Beyond the Law
Billy Joe Cudlip
1968
Day of Anger
Frank Talby
1967
Death Rides a Horse
Ryan
1967
The Big Gundown
Jonathan Corbett
1967
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Sentenza / Angel Eyes
1966
For a Few Dollars More
Col. Douglas Mortimer
1965
Laredo
(1 episode)
1965
My Mother the Car
(1 episode)
1965
Branded
(4 episodes)
1965
The Dakotas
(1 episode)
1963
How the West Was Won
River Pirate (uncredited)
1962
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
Reese
1962
Posse from Hell
Leo
1961
Stagecoach West
Lin Hyatt · (1 episode)
1960
The Andy Griffith Show
Skip · (1 episode)
1960
The Slowest Gun in the West
Sam Bass
1960
Mr. Lucky
(1 episode)
1959
The Untouchables
Frank Diamond · (2 episodes)
1959
Hawaiian Eye
(1 episode)
1959
The Alaskans
(1 episode)
1959
The Twilight Zone
Steinhart · (1 episode)
1959
Law of the Plainsman
Tracey · (1 episode)
1959
The DuPont Show with June Allyson
Peak · (1 episode)
1959
Riverboat
Luke Cragg · (1 episode)
1959
The Deputy
Cherokee Kid · (1 episode)
1959
Bonanza
Appling · (1 episode)
1959
Ride Lonesome
Frank
1959
Black Saddle
Frank Sandoe · (1 episode)
1959
Rawhide
Fred Grant · (1 episode)
1959
Rawhide
Deck Sommers · (1 episode)
1959
Guns, Girls and Gangsters
Mike Bennett
1959
Machete
Miguel
1958
77 Sunset Strip
(1 episode)
1958
77 Sunset Strip
Majeski · (1 episode)
1958
Lawman
(2 episodes)
1958
Lawman
Deputy Clyde Wilson · (1 episode)
1958
Yancy Derringer
Ike Milton · (1 episode)
1958
The Rifleman
(4 episodes)
1958
Bronco
(2 episodes)
1958
Wanted: Dead or Alive
Jumbo Kane · (1 episode)
1958
The Bravados
Alfonso Parral
1958
The Young Lions
1st Sgt. Rickett
1958
Day of the Badman
Jake Hayes
1958
The Tin Star
Ed McGaffey
1957
Raiders of Old California
Damon Pardee
1957
Joe Dakota
Adam Grant
1957
Gun Battle at Monterey
Kirby
1957
Tombstone Territory
Sam Carver · (1 episode)
1957
Zorro
(1 episode)
1957
Casey Jones
Mort Clio · (1 episode)
1957
Trackdown
Ben Fraser · (1 episode)
1957
Maverick
(1 episode)
1957
Perry Mason
Edward Doyle · (1 episode)
1957
Wagon Train
Rufe Beal · (1 episode)
1957
Have Gun, Will Travel
Golias · (1 episode)
1957
Have Gun, Will Travel
Corbin · (1 episode)
1957
The Quiet Gun
Doug Sadler
1957
Last Stagecoach West
Steve Margolies
1957
Richard Diamond, Private Detective
Ed Murdock · (1 episode)
1957
The Lonely Man
Faro
1957
Gunfight at the O.K. Corral
Ed Bailey
1957
China Gate
Maj. Cham
1957
The Badge of Marshal Brennan
Shad Donaphin
1957
Accused of Murder
Police Sgt. Emmett Lackey
1956
Wire Service
Al Sanders · (1 episode)
1956
State Trooper
Frank Parnessa · (1 episode)
1956
Pardners
Gus
1956
It Conquered the World
Dr. Tom Anderson
1956
Tribute to a Bad Man
Fat Jones
1956
The Conqueror
Chepei
1956
The Vanishing American
Jay Lord
1955
A Man Alone
Clanton
1955
The Adventures of Champion
Frank · (1 episode)
1955
Cheyenne
Braden · (1 episode)
1955
Cheyenne
Harry Bittercreek Bartender · (1 episode)
1955
Gunsmoke
Rad · (1 episode)
1955
Gunsmoke
John Hooker · (1 episode)
1955
Gunsmoke
Ike Jeffords · (1 episode)
1955
The Naked Street
Harry Goldish (uncredited)
1955
The Road to Denver
Pecos Larry
1955
I Cover the Underworld
Flash Logan
1955
Buffalo Bill Jr.
(2 episodes)
1955
The Big Combo
Fante
1955
Ten Wanted Men
Al Drucker
1955
Treasure of Ruby Hills
Frank Emmett
1955
Studio 57
(1 episode)
1954
Studio 57
Tommy · (1 episode)
1954
Dawn at Socorro
Earl Ferris
1954
Princess of the Nile
Hakar (uncredited)
1954
The Desperado
Paul Clayton/Buck Clayton
1954
The Yellow Tomahawk
Fire Knife
1954
Arrow In The Dust
Tillotson Henchman
1954
Rails Into Laramie
Ace Winton
1954
Gypsy Colt
Hank
1954
Stories of the Century
Jesse James · (1 episode)
1954
Annie Oakley
Amos Belcher · (1 episode)
1954
Annie Oakley
Tim Brennan · (1 episode)
1954
The Nebraskan
Pvt. Reno Benton
1953
Tumbleweed
Marv
1953
Jack Slade
Bolt Mackay
1953
City Detective
(1 episode)
1953
Vice Squad
Pete Monty
1953
Arena
Smitty
1953
The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms
Corp. Stone
1953
White Lightning
Brutus Allen
1953
The Bandits of Corsica
Nerva
1953
General Electric Theater
Dave Rudabaugh · (1 episode)
1953
The Lawless Breed
Dirk Hanley
1952
Kansas City Confidential
Tony Romano
1952
The Ford Television Theatre
(1 episode)
1952
The Ford Television Theatre
Stanley Perrin · (1 episode)
1952
Cavalcade of America
(2 episodes)
1952
Cavalcade of America
1st Mate Hawl Finch · (1 episode)
1952
Four Star Playhouse
Bob Wheeler aka Sonora Kid · (1 episode)
1952
Untamed Frontier
Dave Chittun
1952
High Noon
Jack Colby
1952
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
Dallas Clancy · (1 episode)
1951
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
Wink · (1 episode)
1951
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
Sheriff · (1 episode)
1951
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
Larkin · (1 episode)
1951
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
Cowboy · (1 episode)
1951
The Adventures of Boston Blackie
Captain Jansen · (1 episode)
1951
The Adventures of Boston Blackie
Lou · (1 episode)
1951
The Adventures of Kit Carson
(6 episodes)
1951
The Gene Autry Show
Hod - Henchman · (1 episode)
1950
The Gene Autry Show
Henchman Ray · (1 episode)
1950
The Lone Ranger
Bull Harper · (1 episode)
1949
The Lone Ranger
Jango · (1 episode)
1949