Lee Van Cleef

Actor

About

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Birth Place

Somerville, New Jersey, USA

Born

January 09, 1925

Died

December 14, 1989

Cause of Death

Apparent Heart Attack

Biography

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Lean, cool character player whose angular features marked him as a villain and who found his fortune as the hero of "spaghetti westerns" such as "For a Few Dollars More" (1965) and "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" (1967)....

Filmography

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The Best of the Martial Arts Films (1992)

Thieves of Fortune (1990)

Speed Zone (1989)

Killing Machine (1986)

Armed Response (1986)

Jungle Raiders (1984)

Inspector Warren

Photos & Videos

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For A Few Dollars More (1965) -- (Movie Clip) This Train'll Stop At Tucumcari

For A Few Dollars More (1965) -- (Movie Clip) Open, The Bounty Killers Appeared

Family & Companions

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Barbara Hevelone

Wife

Second wife; married in July 13, 1976.

Bibliography

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"Lee Van Cleef: A Biographical, Film and Television Reference"

Mike Malloy, McFarland

Biography

Lean, cool character player whose angular features marked him as a villain and who found his fortune as the hero of "spaghetti westerns" such as "For a Few Dollars More" (1965) and "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" (1967).

Filmography

Cast (Feature Film)

The Best of the Martial Arts Films (1992)

Thieves of Fortune (1990)

Speed Zone (1989)

Killing Machine (1986)

Armed Response (1986)

Jungle Raiders (1984)

Inspector Warren

Geheimcode Wildganse (1984)

Archie "China" Travers

Escape From New York (1981)

The Octagon (1980)

The Squeeze (1980)

Nowhere to Hide (1977)

Kid Vengeance (1977)

Take a Hard Ride (1975)

The Magnificent Seven Ride! (1972)

Captain Apache (1971)

Hunt the Man Down (1971)

Return Of Sabata (1971)

Barquero (1970)

El Condor (1970)

Day of Anger (1969)

Death Rides a Horse (1969)

The Big Gundown (1968)

Jonathan Corbett

For a Few Dollars More (1967)

Col. Douglas Mortimer

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (1966)

How the West Was Won (1963)

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)

Posse From Hell (1961)

Ride Lonesome (1959)

The Bravados (1958)

The Young Lions (1958)

Sergeant Rickett

Guns, Girls and Gangsters (1958)

Day of the Bad Man (1958)

Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957)

The Lonely Man (1957)

Raiders of Old California (1957)

Gun Battle at Monterey (1957)

Joe Dakota (1957)

China Gate (1957)

The Tin Star (1957)

Editor McGaffey

The Quiet Gun (1957)

Last Stagecoach West (1957)

The Badge of Marshal Brennan (1957)

Pardners (1956)

The Conqueror (1956)

It Conquered the World (1956)

Dr. Tom Anderson

Tribute to a Bad Man (1956)

Accused of Murder (1956)

Sgt. Emmett Lackey

The Vanishing American (1955)

Ten Wanted Men (1955)

The Road to Denver (1955)

A Man Alone (1955)

I Cover the Underworld (1955)

The Naked Street (1955)

Harry Goldische

Treasure of Ruby Hills (1955)

The Big Combo (1955)

The Yellow Tomahawk (1954)

Gypsy Colt (1954)

Dawn at Socorro (1954)

Arrow in the Dust (1954)

Rails into Laramie (1954)

The Desperado (1954)

Paul Creyton/Buck Creyton

Princess of the Nile (1954)

Jubilee Trail (1954)

Charles Hale's henchman

The Nebraskan (1953)

Bandits of Corsica (1953)

The Lawless Breed (1953)

The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953)

Corp. Stone, sharpshooter

Tumbleweed (1953)

Jack Slade (1953)

White Lightning (1953)

Vice Squad (1953)

Kansas City Confidential (1952)

Untamed Frontier (1952)

High Noon (1952)

Cast (Special)

The Great Mysteries of Hollywood (1981)

When the West Was Fun: A Western Reunion (1979)

Last Stagecoach West (1954)

Steve Margolis (Guest)

Life Events

1942

Employed as farm worker in New Jersey

1952

Film debut, "High Noon"

Photo Collections

Death Rides a Horse - Movie Poster

Death Rides a Horse - Movie Poster

Videos

For A Few Dollars More (1965) -- (Movie Clip) This Train'll Stop At Tucumcari Lee Van Cleef as Mortimer carries the opening scene, identified already as a bounty hunter, Jesús Guzmán the “carpetbagger” on the train, Roberto Camardiel as the station master in Tucumcari (though the real Tucumcari wasn’t established until 1901), in the second film in Sergio Leone’s trilogy starring Clint Eastwood, For A Few Dollars More, 1965.

For A Few Dollars More (1965) -- (Movie Clip) Open, The Bounty Killers Appeared Austere but arresting and unmistakable, a single shot from director Sergio Leone, a single piece of action, Ennio Morricone’s score and the distinctive graphics, opening the second film in the famous Clint Eastwood “Spaghetti Western” trilogy, For A Few Dollars More, 1965 and 1967.

High Noon (1952) -- (Movie Clip) Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darlin' Outlaws Colby (Lee Van Cleef), Ben Miller (Sheb Wooley) and Pierce (Robert Wilke) gather as Tex Ritter sings "Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darlin'" in the opening of Fred Zinnemann's High Noon, 1952.

How The West Was Won (1962) -- (Movie Clip) In The Spirit Of Your Forefathers Trapper Rawlings (James Stewart) is planning revenge on merchant bandit Hawkins (Walter Brennan) and crew, even as he’s fleecing bible beating Prescott (Karl Malden) and his clan (Agnes Moorehead, Debbie Reynolds, Carroll Baker et al), mayhem ensuing, in director Henry Hathaway’s segment of How The West Was Won, 1962.

Gypsy Colt (1954) -- (Movie Clip) These Come Home Horses Meg (Donna Corcoran) is distraught because her horse, who used to pick her up from school, has been sold, but today he turns up, bringing her home to her parents (Ward Bond, Frances Dee), and a confrontation with the trainer (Lee Van Cleef) who works for the new owner, in MGM’s Gypsy Colt, 1954.

Kansas City Confidential -- (Movie Clip) You Are From Tijuana? Framed Joe (John Payne) arrives with new friend Helen (Coleen Gray, her first scene, whom we will learn is the daughter of the master criminal) at the resort where Kane (Neville Brand) and Romano (Lee Van Cleef) realize he's taken the identity of their fellow hood, Teresa (Dona Drake) greeting, in Phil Karlson's Kansas City Confidential, 1952.

Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, The (1962) -- (Movie Clip) That's My Steak Men fight over meat, with Ranse (James Stewart) waiting table, Liberty (Lee Marvin) making trouble, and Tom (John Wayne) booting Strother Martin, in an outrageous confrontation from John Ford's The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, 1962.

Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, The (1962) -- (Movie Clip) Western Law Veteran senator Ranse Stoddard (James Stewart) begins narrating the long flashback, recalling his arrival on the stagecoach and his first encounter with the bandit (Lee Marvin) in John Ford's The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, 1962.

Gunfight At The O.K. Corral (1957) -- (Movie Clip) Get Out Whlle You Can Doc Holliday (Kirk Douglas) ducks his hotel bill and enters a saloon to settle a score with gambler Bailey (younger Lee Van Cleef), anticipating his own arrest, in John Sturges' Gunfight At The O.K. Corral, 1957.

Ride Lonesome (1959) -- (Movie Clip) I Did Him A Hurt Once With director Budd Boetticher’s landscapes, about an hour into the picture, we finally meet villain Frank (Lee Van Cleef) who, explaining to a sidekick (Dyke Johnson), begins to realize why bounty hunter Randolph Scott (not seen) doesn’t mind being followed, in Ride Lonesome, 1959.

Good, The Bad And The Ugly, The (1966) -- (Movie Clip) You Can Have The Rope Setenza (Lee Van Cleef) sees what's coming as Joe (Clint Eastwood) rescues Tuco (Eli Wallach) from hanging once again, building up toward the three-way confrontation in the desert, the climax in the third film in Sergio Leone's trilogy, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, 1966.

Good, The Bad And The Ugly, The (1966) -- (Movie Clip) Opening Credits Ennio Morricone's famous score tends to dominate the opening credit sequence for the final film in Sergio Leone's famed "Man With No Name" trilogy, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, 1967, with Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef and Eli Wallach.

Magnificent Seven Ride!, The (1972) -- Theatrical Trailer After two sequels shot in Spain, this third was made back in California, mostly around Joshua Tree National Park, again from the Mirisch Company, with Lee Van Cleef as the third to portray mercenary Chris (after Yul Brynner and George Kennedy), in the third and last sequel, with Luke Askew and Ralph Waite among his recruits, The Magnificent Seven Ride!, 1972.

For A Few Dollars More (1965) -- (U.S. Trailer) Two bounty hunters join forces to bring an outlaw to justice in For a Few Dollars More, 1965, the second film in Sergio Leone's trilogy starring Clint Eastwood.

Nebraskan, The - (Black-and-white Trailer) A frontier scout tries to make peace between settlers and the Sioux in The Nebraskan (1953).

Gypsy Colt - (Original Trailer) It's Lassie, Come Home but with a horse in Gypsy Colt (1954) starring Ward Bond.

Beast From 20,000 Fathoms, The - (Original Trailer) A nuclear blast in the Arctic awakens The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953).

Young Lions, The - (Original Trailer) A Jewish soldier (Montgomery Clift) faces anti-Semitism when he enlists to fight World War II in The Young Lions (1958).

Tin Star, The - (Original Trailer) An experienced bounty hunter (Henry Fonda) helps a young sheriff (Anthony Perkins) learn the meaning of his badge in Anthony Mann's The Tin Star (1957).

Dawn At Socorro - (Original Trailer) In one of Rory Calhoun's best westerns he plays a gunfighter turned gambler who falls in love with a dance-hall girl, then has to win her in a poker game.

Good, the Bad and the Ugly, The - (U.S. Trailer) Three men seek hidden loot during the Civil War in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966), the third film in Sergio Leone's Clint Eastwood trilogy.

Tribute To A Bad Man - (Original Trailer) A brutal rancher (James Cagney) has to soften his ways to win the woman he loves. Directed by Robert Wise.

Ride Lonesome - (Original Trailer) A bounty hunter (Randolph Scott) tries to bring a murderer to justice through perilous territory in Budd Boetticher's Ride Lonesome (1959).

High Noon - (Original Trailer) A retired marshall (Gary Cooper) must defend his town from a vengeful ex-con in High Noon (1952), directed by Fred Zinnemann.

Family

Clarence Van Cleef

Father

Marion Van Cleef

Mother

Companions

Barbara Hevelone

Wife

Second wife; married in July 13, 1976.

Bibliography

"Lee Van Cleef: A Biographical, Film and Television Reference"

Mike Malloy, McFarland

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