Lee Van Cleef

Acting • Born 1925-01-09 – Died 1989-12-16

Acting3Somerville, New Jersey, USA

Biography

Clarence LeRoy "Lee" Van Cleef Jr. (January 9, 1925 – December 16, 1989) 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. 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".

Filmography

163 credits

High Noon

Movie • 1952

Jack Colby

For a Few Dollars More

Movie • 1965

Col. Douglas Mortimer

Escape from New York

Movie • 1981

Police Commissioner Bob Hauk

The Tin Star

Movie • 1957

Ed McGaffey

Kansas City Confidential

Movie • 1952

Tony Romano

Gunfight at the O.K. Corral

Movie • 1957

Ed Bailey

The Big Combo

Movie • 1955

Fante

Pardners

Movie • 1956

Gus

The Octagon

Movie • 1980

McCarn

Barquero

Movie • 1970

Travis

Speed Zone

Movie • 1989

Grandfather

It Conquered the World

Movie • 1956

Dr. Tom Anderson

Beyond the Law

Movie • 1968

Billy Joe Cudlip

Ride Lonesome

Movie • 1959

Frank

The Young Lions

Movie • 1958

1st Sgt. Rickett

The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms

Movie • 1953

Corp. Stone

The Stranger and the Gunfighter

Movie • 1974

Dakota

Peter Baumgartner, Filmkameramann

Movie • 2014

(archive footage)

The Lonely Man

Movie • 1957

Faro

Accused of Murder

Movie • 1956

Police Sgt. Emmett Lackey

The Magnificent Seven Ride!

Movie • 1972

Marshal Chris Adams

The Bravados

Movie • 1958

Alfonso Parral

The Grand Duel

Movie • 1972

Sheriff Clayton

Take a Hard Ride

Movie • 1975

Kiefer

Ten Wanted Men

Movie • 1955

Al Drucker

The Big Gundown

Movie • 1967

Jonathan Corbett

Armed Response

Movie • 1986

Burt Roth

Thieves of Fortune

Movie • 1990

Sergio Danielo Christophero

Death Rides a Horse

Movie • 1967

Ryan

Sabata

Movie • 1969

Sabata

Return of Sabata

Movie • 1971

Sabata / Major

Mean Frank and Crazy Tony

Movie • 1973

Frankie

When the West Was Fun: A Western Reunion

Movie • 1979

Self

Tribute to a Bad Man

Movie • 1956

Fat Jones

Machete

Movie • 1958

Miguel

Day of Anger

Movie • 1967

Frank Talby

Vice Squad

Movie • 1953

Pete Monty

El Condor

Movie • 1970

Jaroo

China Gate

Movie • 1957

Maj. Cham

Kid Vengeance

Movie • 1976

McClain

Killing Machine

Movie • 1984

Julot

God's Gun

Movie • 1976

Father John / Lewis

Jungle Raiders

Movie • 1985

Warren

Bad Man's River

Movie • 1971

Roy King

Commandos

Movie • 1968

MSgt. Sullivan

The Lawless Breed

Movie • 1952

Dirk Hanley

Captain Apache

Movie • 1971

Capt. Apache

The Bandits of Corsica

Movie • 1953

Nerva

Arena

Movie • 1953

Smitty

Gypsy Colt

Movie • 1954

Hank

The Hard Way

Movie • 1980

McNeal

Raiders of Old California

Movie • 1957

Damon Pardee

The Commander

Movie • 1988

Col. Mazzarini

Arrow In The Dust

Movie • 1954

Tillotson Henchman

Code Name: Wild Geese

Movie • 1984

Archie 'China' Travers

Dawn at Socorro

Movie • 1954

Earl Ferris

Princess of the Nile

Movie • 1954

Hakar (uncredited)

The Perfect Killer

Movie • 1977

Harry Chapman

Untamed Frontier

Movie • 1952

Dave Chittun

The Yellow Tomahawk

Movie • 1954

Fire Knife

Joe Dakota

Movie • 1957

Adam Grant

Treasure of Ruby Hills

Movie • 1955

Frank Emmett

The Vanishing American

Movie • 1955

Jay Lord

The Badge of Marshal Brennan

Movie • 1957

Shad Donaphin

The Quiet Gun

Movie • 1957

Doug Sadler

The Nebraskan

Movie • 1953

Pvt. Reno Benton

Gun Battle at Monterey

Movie • 1957

Kirby

Rails Into Laramie

Movie • 1954

Ace Winton

Jack Slade

Movie • 1953

Bolt Mackay

Last Stagecoach West

Movie • 1957

Steve Margolies

The Squeeze

Movie • 1978

Chris Gretchko / Ray Sloan

The Slowest Gun in the West

Movie • 1960

Sam Bass

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance

Movie • 1962

Reese

Tumbleweed

Movie • 1953

Marv

Posse from Hell

Movie • 1961

Leo

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Movie • 1966

Sentenza / Angel Eyes

A Man Alone

Movie • 1955

Clanton

Klaus Kinski: I'm not an actor

Movie • 2000

Col. Douglas Mortimer (archive footage)

How the West Was Won

Movie • 1962

River Pirate (uncredited)

The Conqueror

Movie • 1956

Chepei

The Master Ninja 5

Movie • 1985

John Peter McAllister

I Cover the Underworld

Movie • 1955

Flash Logan

The Desperado

Movie • 1954

Paul Clayton/Buck Clayton

The Road to Denver

Movie • 1955

Pecos Larry

Master Ninja

Movie • 1984

John Peter McAllister

Nowhere to Hide

Movie • 1977

Ike Scanlon

White Lightning

Movie • 1953

Brutus Allen

Day of the Badman

Movie • 1958

Jake Hayes

Master Ninja II

Movie • 1984

John Peter McAllister

Guns, Girls and Gangsters

Movie • 1959

Mike Bennett

The Naked Street

Movie • 1955

Harry Goldish (uncredited)

The Conqueror: Hollywood Fallout

Movie • 2024

Self (archive footage)

The Andy Griffith Show

TV • 1960

Skip

77 Sunset Strip

TV • 1958

Gunsmoke

TV • 1955

Rad

Perry Mason

TV • 1957

Edward Doyle

General Electric Theater

TV • 1953

Dave Rudabaugh

Hawaiian Eye

TV • 1959

Zorro

TV • 1957

Laredo

TV • 1965

The Adventures of Champion

TV • 1955

Frank

Rawhide

TV • 1959

Fred Grant

Have Gun, Will Travel

TV • 1957

Golias

My Mother the Car

TV • 1965

Yancy Derringer

TV • 1958

Ike Milton

Schlitz Playhouse of Stars

TV • 1951

Dallas Clancy

Richard Diamond, Private Detective

TV • 1957

Ed Murdock

TV • 1963

Lawman

TV • 1958

Law of the Plainsman

TV • 1959

Tracey

Riverboat

TV • 1959

Luke Cragg

Wire Service

TV • 1956

Al Sanders

Buffalo Bill Jr.

TV • 1955

Cavalcade of America

TV • 1952

The Master

TV • 1984

John Peter McAllister

City Detective

TV • 1953

The Adventures of Kit Carson

TV • 1951

The DuPont Show with June Allyson

TV • 1959

Peak

The Ford Television Theatre

TV • 1952

Studio 57

TV • 1954

TV • 1949

Jango

The Ford Television Theatre

TV • 1952

Stanley Perrin

Bonanza

TV • 1959

Appling

Tombstone Territory

TV • 1957

Sam Carver

Have Gun, Will Travel

TV • 1957

Corbin

77 Sunset Strip

TV • 1958

Majeski

Cheyenne

TV • 1955

Harry Bittercreek Bartender

State Trooper

TV • 1956

Frank Parnessa

Wagon Train

TV • 1957

Rufe Beal

The Gene Autry Show

TV • 1950

Hod - Henchman

The Gene Autry Show

TV • 1950

Henchman Ray

Annie Oakley

TV • 1954

Amos Belcher

Studio 57

TV • 1954

Tommy

Annie Oakley

TV • 1954

Tim Brennan

Stories of the Century

TV • 1954

Jesse James

Stagecoach West

TV • 1960

Lin Hyatt

Boston Blackie

TV • 1951

Captain Jansen

Boston Blackie

TV • 1951

Lou

The Twilight Zone

TV • 1959

Steinhart

Mr. Lucky

TV • 1959

Kruger