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Actor
Lee Van Cleef
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.
Born January 9, 1925† December 16, 1989 Somerville, New Jersey, USA1 movie on MoviHero
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THE PERSON BEHIND THE ROLES
About Lee Van Cleef
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. …
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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".
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MOVIHERO CREDITS
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- 2024The Conqueror: Hollywood FalloutSelf (archive footage)
- 2014Peter Baumgartner, Filmkameramann(archive footage)
- 2000Klaus Kinski: I'm not an actorCol. Douglas Mortimer (archive footage)
- 1990Thieves of FortuneSergio Danielo Christophero
- 1990The Best of the Martial Arts FilmsSelf
- 1989Speed ZoneGrandfather
- 1988The CommanderCol. Mazzarini
- 1986Armed ResponseBurt Roth
- 1985Jungle RaidersWarren
- 1985The Master Ninja 5John Peter McAllister
- 1984Code Name: Wild GeeseArchie 'China' Travers
- 1984Killing MachineJulot
- 1984Master NinjaJohn Peter McAllister
- 1984Master Ninja IIJohn Peter McAllister
- 1981Escape from New YorkPolice Commissioner Bob Hauk
- 1980The OctagonMcCarn
- 1980The Hard WayMcNeal
- 1979When the West Was Fun: A Western ReunionSelf
- 1978The SqueezeChris Gretchko / Ray Sloan
- 1977The Perfect KillerHarry Chapman
- 1977Nowhere to HideIke Scanlon
- 1976Kid VengeanceMcClain
- 1976God's GunFather John / Lewis
- 1975Take a Hard RideKiefer
- 1974The Stranger and the GunfighterDakota
- 1973Mean Frank and Crazy TonyFrankie
- 1972The Grand DuelSheriff Clayton
- 1972The Magnificent Seven Ride!Marshal Chris Adams
- 1971Captain ApacheCapt. Apache
- 1971Bad Man's RiverRoy King
- 1971Return of SabataSabata / Major
- 1970BarqueroTravis
- 1970El CondorJaroo
- 1969SabataSabata
- 1968CommandosMSgt. Sullivan
- 1968Beyond the LawBilly Joe Cudlip
- 1967Day of AngerFrank Talby
- 1967Death Rides a HorseRyan
- 1967The Big GundownJonathan Corbett
- 1965For a Few Dollars MoreCol. Douglas Mortimer
- 1962How the West Was WonRiver Pirate
- 1962The Man Who Shot Liberty ValanceReese
- 1961Posse from HellLeo
- 1960The Slowest Gun in the WestSam Bass
- 1959Ride LonesomeFrank
- 1959Guns Girls and GangstersMike Bennett
- 1958MacheteMiguel
- 1958The BravadosAlfonso Parral
- 1958The Young Lions1st Sgt. Rickett
- 1958Day of the BadmanJake Hayes
- 1957The Tin StarEd McGaffey
- 1957Raiders of Old CaliforniaDamon Pardee
- 1957Gun Battle at MontereyKirby
- 1957Joe DakotaAdam Grant
- 1957The Quiet GunDoug Sadler
- 1957Last Stagecoach WestSteve Margolies
- 1957The Lonely ManFaro
- 1957Gunfight at the O.K. CorralEd Bailey
- 1957China GateMaj. Cham
- 1957The Badge of Marshal BrennanShad Donaphin
- 1956Accused of MurderPolice Sgt. Emmett Lackey
- 1956PardnersGus
- 1956It Conquered the WorldDr. Tom Anderson
- 1956Tribute to a Bad ManFat Jones
- 1956The ConquerorChepei
- 1955The Vanishing AmericanJay Lord
- 1955A Man AloneClanton
- 1955The Naked StreetHarry Goldish (uncredited)
- 1955The Road to DenverPecos Larry
- 1955I Cover the UnderworldFlash Logan
- 1955The Big ComboFante
- 1955Ten Wanted MenAl Drucker
- 1955Treasure of Ruby HillsFrank Emmett
- 1954Dawn at SocorroEarl Ferris
- 1954Princess of the NileHakar (uncredited)
- 1954The DesperadoPaul Clayton/Buck Clayton
- 1954The Yellow TomahawkFire Knife
- 1954Arrow In The DustTillotson Henchman
- 1954Rails Into LaramieAce Winton
- 1954Gypsy ColtHank
- 1953The NebraskanPvt. Reno Benton
- 1953TumbleweedMarv
- 1953Jack SladeBolt Mackay
- 1953Vice SquadPete Monty
- 1953ArenaSmitty
- 1953The Beast from 20,000 FathomsCorp. Stone
- 1953White LightningBrutus Allen
- 1953The Bandits of CorsicaNerva
- 1952The Lawless BreedDirk Hanley
- 1952Kansas City ConfidentialTony Romano
- 1952Untamed FrontierDave Chittun
- 1952High NoonJack Colby
CHARACTER GUIDES
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Angel Eyes
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
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Aldo Giuffrè
1 shared film on MoviHeroActor
Antonio Casale
1 shared film on MoviHeroActor
Benito Stefanelli
1 shared film on MoviHeroActor