Lee Van Cleef, Acting - KorPlix:Korean Person Archives

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Lee Van Cleef
Acting

Lee Van Cleef
Known For
Acting
Birthday
1925-01-09,Somerville, New Jersey, USA
Gender
Male
Biography
Clarence LeRoy "Lee" Van Cleef Jr. 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. Military service: After basic training and further training at the Naval Fleet Sound School, Van Cleef was assigned to a submarine chaser and then to a minesweeper, USS Incredible, on which he worked as a sonarman. After leaving the Navy, Van Cleef read for a part in Our Town at the Little Theater Group in Clinton, New Jersey and received his first stage role. From there, he continued to meet with the group and audition for parts. The next biggest part was that of the boxer, Joe Pendleton, in the play Heaven Can Wait. During this time, he was observed by visiting talent scouts, who were impressed by Van Cleef's stage presence and delivery. One of these scouts later took him to New York City talent agent Maynard Morris of the MCA agency, who then sent him to the Alvin Theater for an audition. Van Cleef's screen debut came in High Noon. During a performance of Mister Roberts in Los Angeles, he was noticed by film director Stanley Kramer, who offered Van Cleef a role in his upcoming film. Kramer originally wanted Van Cleef for the role of the deputy Harvey Pell, but as he wanted Van Cleef to have his "distinctive nose" fixed, Van Cleef declined the role in favor of the part of the silent gunslinger Jack Colby. He was then cast mostly in villainous roles, due to his sharp cheeks and chin, piercing eyes, and hawk-like nose, from the part of Tony Romano in Kansas City Confidential (1952), culminating 14 years later in Sergio Leone's The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) 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". Description above from the Wikipedia article Lee Van Cleef, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Filmography

7.672

High Noon
1952-06-09

For a Few Dollars More

8

For a Few Dollars More
1965-12-18

Escape from New York

7.1

Escape from New York
1981-05-23

7

The Tin Star
1957-10-23

Kansas City Confidential

7

Kansas City Confidential
1952-11-11

Gunfight at the O.K. Corral

7

Gunfight at the O.K. Corral
1957-05-30

7

The Big Combo
1955-02-13

6.6

Pardners
1956-08-01

5

The Octagon
1980-08-14

6.3

Barquero
1970-07-29

4.5

Speed Zone
1989-04-21

It Conquered the World

4.8

It Conquered the World
1956-07-14

5.485

Beyond the Law
1968-04-10

6.6

Ride Lonesome
1959-02-01

The Young Lions

6.756

The Young Lions
1958-04-02

The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms

6.573

The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms
1953-06-13

The Stranger and the Gunfighter

5.3

The Stranger and the Gunfighter
1974-01-01

Peter Baumgartner, Filmkameramann

0

Peter Baumgartner, Filmkameramann
2014-01-01

6

The Lonely Man
1957-06-21

Accused of Murder

4.5

Accused of Murder
1956-12-21

The Magnificent Seven Ride!

5.4

The Magnificent Seven Ride!
1972-08-01

6.5

The Bravados
1958-06-25

6

The Grand Duel
1972-12-29

Take a Hard Ride

5.3

Take a Hard Ride
1975-10-29

5.8

Ten Wanted Men
1955-02-01

The Big Gundown

7.252

The Big Gundown
1967-03-03

5.1

Armed Response
1986-10-01

Thieves of Fortune

3

Thieves of Fortune
1990-05-31

Death Rides a Horse

6.978

Death Rides a Horse
1967-08-31

6.172

Sabata
1969-09-16

Return of Sabata

6

Return of Sabata
1971-09-03

Mean Frank and Crazy Tony

5

Mean Frank and Crazy Tony
1973-11-23

When the West Was Fun: A Western Reunion

0

When the West Was Fun: A Western Reunion
1979-06-05

Tribute to a Bad Man

7

Tribute to a Bad Man
1956-03-30

5.9

Machete
1958-12-01

6.953

Day of Anger
1967-12-19

5.9

Vice Squad
1953-07-31

5.6

El Condor
1970-06-19

6

China Gate
1957-05-22

5.3

Kid Vengeance
1976-12-01

Killing Machine

4.6

Killing Machine
1984-05-10

5.1

God's Gun
1976-02-01

5

Jungle Raiders
1985-08-01

Bad Man's River

4.4

Bad Man's River
1971-12-03

5.7

Commandos
1968-11-19

The Lawless Breed

6.6

The Lawless Breed
1952-12-28

4.4

Captain Apache
1971-10-27

The Bandits of Corsica

5.8

The Bandits of Corsica
1953-02-27

4.7

Arena
1953-06-24

6.3

Gypsy Colt
1954-04-02

5.6

The Hard Way
1980-02-19

Raiders of Old California

4.7

Raiders of Old California
1957-11-01

5.5

The Commander
1988-04-28

Arrow In The Dust

5.9

Arrow In The Dust
1954-04-25

Code Name: Wild Geese

5.2

Code Name: Wild Geese
1984-10-05

Dawn at Socorro

7.2

Dawn at Socorro
1954-09-01

Princess of the Nile

7.1

Princess of the Nile
1954-07-01

The Perfect Killer

2

The Perfect Killer
1977-11-30

Untamed Frontier

7.2

Untamed Frontier
1952-07-23

The Yellow Tomahawk

6

The Yellow Tomahawk
1954-05-01

5.5

Joe Dakota
1957-10-27

Treasure of Ruby Hills

4

Treasure of Ruby Hills
1955-01-23

The Vanishing American

4

The Vanishing American
1955-11-17

The Badge of Marshal Brennan

6

The Badge of Marshal Brennan
1957-04-14

6.4

The Quiet Gun
1957-07-18

3

The Nebraskan
1953-12-02

Gun Battle at Monterey

4

Gun Battle at Monterey
1957-10-27

Rails Into Laramie

6.3

Rails Into Laramie
1954-04-14

6.4

Jack Slade
1953-11-08

Last Stagecoach West

4.3

Last Stagecoach West
1957-07-16

5.2

The Squeeze
1978-10-25

The Slowest Gun in the West

2

The Slowest Gun in the West
1960-05-07

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance

7.778

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
1962-04-13

Octagon : le combat des maîtres

0

Octagon : le combat des maîtres
2003-01-01

6.1

Tumbleweed
1953-12-01

Posse from Hell

6.1

Posse from Hell
1961-03-01

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

8.5

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
1966-12-22

5.6

A Man Alone
1955-10-17

Klaus Kinski: I'm not an actor

0

Klaus Kinski: I'm not an actor
2000-05-21

How the West Was Won

7

How the West Was Won
1962-11-02

3.422

The Conqueror
1956-03-28

The Master Ninja 5

10

The Master Ninja 5
1985-01-01

I Cover the Underworld

6

I Cover the Underworld
1955-05-19

The Best of the Martial Arts Films

8.8

The Best of the Martial Arts Films
1990-01-01

6.6

The Desperado
1954-06-20

The Road to Denver

6

The Road to Denver
1955-06-15

4.7

Master Ninja
1984-03-08

Nowhere to Hide

5

Nowhere to Hide
1977-06-05

Master Ninja II

7

Master Ninja II
1984-01-20

Day of the Badman

6.5

Day of the Badman
1958-01-29

White Lightning

6

White Lightning
1953-03-08

Guns, Girls and Gangsters

5.9

Guns, Girls and Gangsters
1959-01-01

The Naked Street

6

The Naked Street
1955-08-01

The Andy Griffith Show

7.568

The Andy Griffith Show
1960-10-03

77 Sunset Strip

6.7

77 Sunset Strip
1958-10-10

7

Mr. Lucky
1959-10-24

6.5

Gunsmoke
1955-09-10

7.6

Perry Mason
1957-09-21

General Electric Theater

5.5

General Electric Theater
1953-02-01

5

Hawaiian Eye
1959-10-07

7.5

Zorro
1957-10-10

The Twilight Zone

8.447

The Twilight Zone
1959-10-02

6.308

Laredo
1965-09-16

The Adventures of Champion

5.3

The Adventures of Champion
1955-09-23

7

Rawhide
1959-01-09

Have Gun, Will Travel

7.4

Have Gun, Will Travel
1957-09-14

My Mother the Car

3.6

My Mother the Car
1965-09-14

Yancy Derringer

6

Yancy Derringer
1958-10-02

Schlitz Playhouse of Stars

6.5

Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
1951-10-05

Richard Diamond, Private Detective

6.2

Richard Diamond, Private Detective
1957-07-01

4.8

Bronco
1958-09-23

5.5

The Alaskans
1959-10-04

5.7

Black Saddle
1959-01-10

6.4

Branded
1965-01-24

Wanted: Dead or Alive

6.9

Wanted: Dead or Alive
1958-09-06

7

The Rifleman
1958-09-30

5.7

The Dakotas
1963-01-07

5.4

Lawman
1958-10-05

Law of the Plainsman

6

Law of the Plainsman
1959-10-01

6.2

Riverboat
1959-09-13

0

Wire Service
1956-10-04

Buffalo Bill Jr.

5

Buffalo Bill Jr.
1955-03-01

Cavalcade of America

3.5

Cavalcade of America
1952-10-01

4.9

The Master
1984-01-20

0

City Detective
1953-09-07

The Adventures of Kit Carson

5.3

The Adventures of Kit Carson
1951-08-11

The DuPont Show with June Allyson

6.3

The DuPont Show with June Allyson
1959-09-21

The Ford Television Theatre

6

The Ford Television Theatre
1952-10-02

The Adventures of Boston Blackie

4

The Adventures of Boston Blackie
1951-09-08

0

Studio 57
1954-09-21

6.8

Maverick
1957-09-22

The Lone Ranger

6.8

The Lone Ranger
1949-09-15

6.2

The Deputy
1959-09-12

5.4

Lawman
1958-10-05

5.5

Casey Jones
1957-10-08

The Untouchables

7.8

The Untouchables
1959-10-15

7

Rawhide
1959-01-09

6.4

Trackdown
1957-10-04

5.8

Cheyenne
1955-09-20

6.5

Gunsmoke
1955-09-10

6.5

Gunsmoke
1955-09-10

Cavalcade of America

3.5

Cavalcade of America
1952-10-01

Schlitz Playhouse of Stars

6.5

Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
1951-10-05

Schlitz Playhouse of Stars

6.5

Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
1951-10-05

Schlitz Playhouse of Stars

6.5

Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
1951-10-05

Schlitz Playhouse of Stars

6.5

Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
1951-10-05

Four Star Playhouse

5.7

Four Star Playhouse
1952-09-25

The Lone Ranger

6.8

The Lone Ranger
1949-09-15

The Ford Television Theatre

6

The Ford Television Theatre
1952-10-02

7.5

Bonanza
1959-09-12

Tombstone Territory

6.3

Tombstone Territory
1957-10-16

Have Gun, Will Travel

7.4

Have Gun, Will Travel
1957-09-14

77 Sunset Strip

6.7

77 Sunset Strip
1958-10-10

5.8

Cheyenne
1955-09-20

5

State Trooper
1956-09-25

6.4

Wagon Train
1957-09-18

The Gene Autry Show

4.8

The Gene Autry Show
1950-07-23

The Gene Autry Show

4.8

The Gene Autry Show
1950-07-23

5.6

Annie Oakley
1954-01-09

0

Studio 57
1954-09-21

5.6

Annie Oakley
1954-01-09

Stories of the Century

5.7

Stories of the Century
1954-01-23

Stagecoach West

6

Stagecoach West
1960-10-04