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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Octagon : le combat des maîtres | 2003-01-01 | |
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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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The Master Ninja 5 | John Peter McAllister | 1985-01-01 |
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La leggenda del rubino malese | Warren | 1985-08-01 |
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Goma-2 | Julot | 1984-05-10 |
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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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Escape from New York | Police Commissioner Bob Hauk | 1981-05-23 |
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The Octagon | McCarn | 1980-08-14 |
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The Hard Way | McNeal | 1980-02-19 |
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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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Quel pomeriggio maledetto | Harry Chapman | 1977-11-30 |
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Nowhere to Hide | Ike Scanlon | 1977-06-05 |
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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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Bad Man's River | Roy King | 1971-10-14 |
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È tornato Sabata... hai chiuso un'altra volta! | Sabata / Major | 1971-09-03 |
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Captain Apache | Capt. Apache | 1971-10-27 |
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El Condor | Jaroo | 1970-06-19 |
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Barquero | Travis | 1970-07-29 |
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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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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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La resa dei conti | Jonathan Corbett | 1967-03-03 |
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Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo | Sentenza / Angel Eyes | 1966-12-22 |
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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 (uncredited) | 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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Day of the Badman | Jake Hayes | 1958-01-29 |
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Machete | Miguel | 1958-12-01 |
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The Bravados | Alfonso Parral | 1958-06-25 |
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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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Joe Dakota | Adam Grant | 1957-10-27 |
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Gunfight at the O.K. Corral | Ed Bailey | 1957-05-30 |
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The Lonely Man | Faro | 1957-06-21 |
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China Gate | Maj. Cham | 1957-05-22 |
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Gun Battle at Monterey | Kirby | 1957-10-27 |
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The Tin Star | Ed McGaffey | 1957-11-06 |
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Raiders of Old California | Damon Pardee | 1957-11-01 |
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Last Stagecoach West | Steve Margolies | 1957-07-16 |
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Tribute to a Bad Man | Fat Jones | 1956-03-30 |
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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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The Conqueror | Chepei | 1956-03-28 |
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Pardners | Gus | 1956-08-01 |
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I Cover the Underworld | Flash Logan | 1955-05-19 |
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The Naked Street | Harry Goldish (uncredited) | 1955-08-01 |
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The Road to Denver | Pecos Larry | 1955-06-15 |
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The Big Combo | Fante | 1955-02-13 |
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A Man Alone | Clanton | 1955-10-17 |
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Treasure of Ruby Hills | Frank Emmett | 1955-01-23 |
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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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Princess of the Nile | Hakar (uncredited) | 1954-07-01 |
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Dawn at Socorro | Earl Ferris | 1954-09-01 |
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Arrow In The Dust | Tillotson Henchman | 1954-04-25 |
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The Desperado | Paul Clayton/Buck Clayton | 1954-06-20 |
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The Yellow Tomahawk | Fire Knife | 1954-05-01 |
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Gypsy Colt | Hank | 1954-04-02 |
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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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Vice Squad | Pete Monty | 1953-07-31 |
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Arena | Smitty | 1953-06-24 |
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The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms | Corp. Stone | 1953-06-13 |
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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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Jack Slade | Bolt Mackay | 1953-11-08 |
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The Lawless Breed | Dirk Hanley | 1952-12-28 |
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Untamed Frontier | Dave Chittun | 1952-07-23 |
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High Noon | Jack Colby | 1952-06-09 |
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Kansas City Confidential | Tony Romano | 1952-11-11 |
