1925-01-09 Somerville, New Jersey, USA
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".
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The Conqueror: Hollywood Fallout | Self (archive footage) | 2024-06-28 |
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Peter Baumgartner, Filmkameramann | (archive footage) | 2014-01-01 |
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Klaus Kinski - Ich bin kein Schauspieler | Col. Douglas Mortimer (archive footage) | 2000-05-21 |
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Thieves of Fortune | Sergio Danielo Christophero | 1990-05-31 |
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Speed Zone | Grandfather | 1989-04-21 |
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Der Commander | Col. Mazzarini | 1988-04-28 |
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Armed Response | Burt Roth | 1986-10-03 |
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La leggenda del rubino malese | Warren | 1985-08-01 |
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The Master Ninja 5 | John Peter McAllister | 1985-01-01 |
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Code Name: Wild Geese | Archie 'China' Travers | 1984-10-05 |
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Master Ninja II | John Peter McAllister | 1984-01-20 |
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Master Ninja | John Peter McAllister | 1984-01-20 |
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Goma-2 | Julot | 1984-05-10 |
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Escape from New York | Police Commissioner Bob Hauk | 1981-05-23 |
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The Hard Way | McNeal | 1980-02-19 |
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The Octagon | McCarn | 1980-08-14 |
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When the West Was Fun: A Western Reunion | Self | 1979-06-05 |
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The Squeeze | Chris Gretchko / Ray Sloan | 1978-10-25 |
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Nowhere to Hide | Ike Scanlon | 1977-06-05 |
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Quel pomeriggio maledetto | Harry Chapman | 1977-11-30 |
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Kid Vengeance | McClain | 1976-12-01 |
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Diamante Lobo | Father John / Lewis | 1976-02-01 |
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Take a Hard Ride | Kiefer | 1975-10-29 |
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El Kárate, el Colt y el Impostor | Dakota | 1974-01-01 |
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Dio, sei proprio un padreterno! | Frankie | 1973-11-23 |
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The Magnificent Seven Ride! | Marshal Chris Adams | 1972-08-01 |
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Il grande duello | Sheriff Clayton | 1972-12-29 |
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Captain Apache | Capt. Apache | 1971-10-27 |
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È tornato Sabata... hai chiuso un'altra volta! | Sabata / Major | 1971-09-03 |
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Bad Man's River | Roy King | 1971-10-14 |
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Barquero | Travis | 1970-07-29 |
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El Condor | Jaroo | 1970-06-19 |
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Ehi amico... c'è Sabata. Hai chiuso! | Sabata | 1969-09-16 |
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Commandos | MSgt. Sullivan | 1968-11-19 |
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Al di là della legge | Billy Joe Cudlip | 1968-04-10 |
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La resa dei conti | Jonathan Corbett | 1967-03-03 |
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Da uomo a uomo | Ryan | 1967-08-31 |
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I giorni dell'ira | Frank Talby | 1967-12-19 |
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Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo | Sentenza / Angel Eyes | 1966-12-23 |
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Per qualche dollaro in più | Col. Douglas Mortimer | 1965-12-18 |
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How the West Was Won | River Pirate | 1962-11-02 |
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The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance | Reese | 1962-04-13 |
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Posse from Hell | Leo | 1961-03-01 |
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The Slowest Gun in the West | Sam Bass | 1960-05-07 |
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Ride Lonesome | Frank | 1959-02-01 |
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Guns Girls and Gangsters | Mike Bennett | 1959-01-01 |
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The Young Lions | 1st Sgt. Rickett | 1958-04-02 |
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The Bravados | Alfonso Parral | 1958-06-25 |
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Day of the Badman | Jake Hayes | 1958-01-29 |
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Machete | Miguel | 1958-12-01 |
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The Quiet Gun | Doug Sadler | 1957-07-18 |
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The Badge of Marshal Brennan | Shad Donaphin | 1957-04-14 |
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Last Stagecoach West | Steve Margolies | 1957-07-16 |
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China Gate | Maj. Cham | 1957-05-22 |
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The Tin Star | Ed McGaffey | 1957-11-06 |
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Gunfight at the O.K. Corral | Ed Bailey | 1957-05-30 |
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Joe Dakota | Adam Grant | 1957-10-27 |
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Gun Battle at Monterey | Kirby | 1957-10-27 |
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Raiders of Old California | Damon Pardee | 1957-11-01 |
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The Lonely Man | Faro | 1957-06-21 |
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It Conquered the World | Dr. Tom Anderson | 1956-07-14 |
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Accused of Murder | Police Sgt. Emmett Lackey | 1956-12-21 |
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Pardners | Gus | 1956-08-01 |
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The Conqueror | Chepei | 1956-02-02 |
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Tribute to a Bad Man | Fat Jones | 1956-03-30 |
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The Road to Denver | Pecos Larry | 1955-06-15 |
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A Man Alone | Clanton | 1955-10-17 |
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I Cover the Underworld | Flash Logan | 1955-05-19 |
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The Big Combo | Fante | 1955-02-13 |
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The Naked Street | Harry Goldish (uncredited) | 1955-08-01 |
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Ten Wanted Men | Al Drucker | 1955-02-01 |
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The Vanishing American | Jay Lord | 1955-11-17 |
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Treasure of Ruby Hills | Frank Emmett | 1955-01-23 |
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Gypsy Colt | Hank | 1954-04-02 |
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The Yellow Tomahawk | Fire Knife | 1954-05-01 |
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The Desperado | Paul Clayton/Buck Clayton | 1954-06-20 |
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Dawn at Socorro | Earl Ferris | 1954-09-01 |
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Princess of the Nile | Hakar (uncredited) | 1954-07-01 |
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Arrow In The Dust | Tillotson Henchman | 1954-04-25 |
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Rails Into Laramie | Ace Winton | 1954-04-14 |
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The Bandits of Corsica | Nerva | 1953-02-27 |
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White Lightning | Brutus Allen | 1953-03-08 |
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Arena | Smitty | 1953-06-24 |
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Jack Slade | Bolt Mackay | 1953-11-08 |
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The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms | Corp. Stone | 1953-06-13 |
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Vice Squad | Pete Monty | 1953-07-31 |
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The Nebraskan | Pvt. Reno Benton | 1953-12-02 |
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Tumbleweed | Marv | 1953-12-01 |
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The Lawless Breed | Dirk Hanley | 1952-12-28 |
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Kansas City Confidential | Tony Romano | 1952-11-11 |
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High Noon | Jack Colby | 1952-06-09 |
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Untamed Frontier | Dave Chittun | 1952-07-23 |
