Lee Van Cleef | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Van Cleef inDeath Rides a Horse (1967) | |
| Born | Clarence LeRoy Van Cleef Jr. (1925-01-09)January 9, 1925 Somerville, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Died | December 16, 1989(1989-12-16) (aged 64) Oxnard, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1952–1989 |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 4 |
| Military career | |
| Branch |  US Navy |
| Service years | 1942–1946 |
| Rank |  SonarmanFirst Class |
| Unit | USSIncredible (AM-249) |
| Conflicts | World War II |
| Awards |  Bronze Star Good Conduct Medal American Campaign Medal European–African–Middle Eastern Campaign Medal Asiatic–Pacific Campaign Medal World War II Victory Medal |
Clarence LeRoy Van Cleef Jr. (January 9, 1925 – December 16, 1989) was an American actor. He appeared in over 170 film and television roles in a career spanning nearly 40 years, but is best known as a star ofspaghetti Westerns, holding starring roles in theSergio Leone-directedDollars Trilogy films,For a Few Dollars More (1965) andThe Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966). In 1983, he received aGolden Boot Award for his contribution to the Western film and television genre.
Van Cleef served in theUnited States Navy duringWorld War II aboard theminesweeperUSS Incredible, earning aBronze Star for his actions. After acting on stage in regional theatre, he made his film debut in theOscar-winning WesternHigh Noon (1952) in a non-speaking outlaw cast role. With distinctive, angular features and a taciturn screen persona, Van Cleef was typecast as minor villain and supporting player in Westerns andCrime Dramas.[1] After suffering serious injuries in a car crash, Van Cleef's acting career started to decline. He achieved stardom when Leone gave him the co-leading role inFor a Few Dollars More (1965).
Van Cleef later appeared inThe Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966),The Big Gundown (1967),Death Rides a Horse (1967),Day of Anger (1967),Beyond the Law (1968),Sabata (1969) and its sequelReturn of Sabata (1971),Barquero (1970),El Condor (1970),Captain Apache (1971),The Magnificent Seven Ride! (1972),The Grand Duel (1972),Mean Frank and Crazy Tony (1973),The Stranger and the Gunfighter (1974),Take a Hard Ride (1975),The Hard Way (1980),The Octagon (1980),Escape from New York (1981), andArmed Response (1986). He played the lead role of John Peter McAllister on the martial-arts television seriesThe Master (1984).
Lee Van Cleef was born on January 9, 1925, inSomerville, New Jersey,[2] to Marion Lavinia Van Fleet and Clarence LeRoy Van Cleef. His father was a pharmacist and his mother a concert pianist, both of Dutch descent. Lee graduated fromSomerville High School and enlisted in the United States Navy in September 1942.[3][4]
After completing his military training, Van Cleef was assigned to asubmarine chaser called theUSS SC-681 and then to a minesweeper called theUSS Incredible, on which he worked as asonarman.[5][6]
The ship initially patrolled theCaribbean, then moved to theMediterranean, participating in thelandings in southern France. In January 1945,Incredible moved to theBlack Sea, and performed sweeping duties out of theSoviet Navy base atSevastopol,Crimea. Afterwards, the ship performed air-sea rescue patrols in the Black Sea before returning toPalermo, Sicily.[7]
By the time of his discharge in March 1946, he had achieved the rank of sonarman first class (SO1) and had earned his mine-sweeper patch. He also had been awarded theBronze Star and theGood Conduct Medal. By virtue of his deployments, Van Cleef also qualified for theEuropean-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal,Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, theAmerican Campaign Medal, and theWorld War II Victory Medal.[8] He was discharged from the Navy in 1946.[9]
| Bronze Star | ||
| Good Conduct Medal | ||
| European–African–Middle Eastern Campaign Medal | ||
| Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal | ||
| American Campaign Medal | ||
| World War II Victory Medal |
After leaving the navy, Van Cleef returned home to Somerville where he played in an amateur dance band.[10] Van Cleef received his first acting role as George in the playOur Town at the Little Theater Group inClinton, New Jersey.[1] His next role was a boxer named Joe Pendleton in the playHeaven Can Wait. A talent scout took him to New York City talent agent Maynard Morris of theMCA agency, who sent him to theAlvin Theater, where he won a role inMister Roberts.[11]
Van Cleef made his screen debut inHigh Noon.[2] During a performance ofMister Roberts in Los Angeles, he was noticed by film producerStanley Kramer, who offered Van Cleef a role in his upcoming film. Kramer wanted Van Cleef for the role of the deputy Harvey Pell, but wanted Van Cleef to have his nose fixed. Van Cleef declined the role in favor of the part of the silent gunslinger Jack Colby. He was cast inKansas City Confidential (1952),Vice Squad (1953),The Big Combo (1955),It Conquered the World (1956) andThe Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966).[12][13]
In 1952, he made his television debut when he was cast in the episode "Formula for Fear" of the Western aviation seriesSky King. Van Cleef appeared six times between 1953 and 1955 on the children'ssyndicated Western seriesThe Adventures of Kit Carson. He was cast three times in syndicated Western series,The Range Rider. He appeared in episode 82 of the television seriesThe Lone Ranger in 1952.[14] In 1954, he appeared asJesse James in the syndicated seriesStories of the Century.[15]
In 1955, he was cast twice on the syndicated Western series,Annie Oakley and guest-starred on theCBS Western seriesBrave Eagle. Van Cleef played a villain in an episode ofThe Adventures of Champion the Wonder Horse in 1955. He played Cherokee Bob in theNBC Western seriesTales of Wells Fargo in 1957.[16] In 1958, he was cast as Ed Murdock, a rodeo performer trying to reclaim the title in the event atMadison Square Garden in New York City, onRichard Diamond, Private Detective.[17]
Van Cleef played different characters on four episodes ofABC'sThe Rifleman, withChuck Connors, between 1959 and 1962 (as Stinger in S2 E31 "The Prodigal" 1960), and twice on ABC'sTombstone Territory. In 1958, he was cast as Deputy Sid Carver in the episode "The Great Stagecoach Robbery" of another syndicated Western series,Frontier Doctor, starringRex Allen. In 1959, Van Cleef appeared as Luke Clagg in the episode "Strange Request" of theNBC Western seriesRiverboat, as Jumbo Kane in the episode "The Hostage" on theCBS Western series "Wanted Dead or Alive", and in an episode ofMaverick titled "Red Dog" in 1961.
Van Cleef played a sentry on an episode of theABC sitcomThe Real McCoys. Van Cleef was cast withPippa Scott and again with Chuck Connors in the 1960 episode "Trial by Fear" of the CBSanthology seriesThe DuPont Show with June Allyson. A young Van Cleef also made an appearance onThe Andy Griffith Show and as Frank Diamond inThe Untouchables, in an episode entitled "The Unhired Assassin". He also appeared in an episode of the ABC/Warner Brothers Western seriesThe Alaskans.[18]
Van Cleef guest-starred on the CBS Western seriesHave Gun – Will Travel, on the ABC/Warner Bros. seriesColt .45, on the NBC Western seriesCimarron City andLaramie, and onRod Cameron's syndicatedcrime dramasCity Detective andState Trooper. He guest-starred in an episode ofJohn Bromfield's syndicated crime dramaSheriff of Cochise. Van Cleef starred as minor villains and henchmen in various Westerns, includingThe Tin Star andGunfight at the O.K. Corral.[19]
In 1960, he appeared as a villainous swindler in theBonanza episode, "The Bloodline" (December 31, 1960), and also made an appearance onGunsmoke. In 1961, he played a role on episode seven ("The Grave") of the third season ofThe Twilight Zone starringLee Marvin. He played a villainous henchman of Lee Marvin's titular character in the 1962John Ford movieThe Man Who Shot Liberty Valance starringJohn Wayne andJames Stewart. In 1963, he appeared onPerry Mason (episode: "The Case of the Golden Oranges"). That same year, he appeared in "The Day of the Misfits" onThe Travels of Jaimie McPheeters.
In 1965,Leone cast Van Cleef, whose career had yet to take off, as a main protagonist alongsideClint Eastwood inFor a Few Dollars More.[20] Leone then chose Van Cleef to appear again with Eastwood, this time as the primary antagonist, Angel Eyes, in the now seminal WesternThe Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966).
With his roles in Leone's films, Van Cleef became a major star of spaghetti Westerns, playing central, and often surprisingly heroic, roles in films such asThe Big Gundown (1966),Death Rides a Horse (1967),Day of Anger (1967), andThe Grand Duel (1972). He played the title role inSabata (1969) andReturn of Sabata (1971). Van Cleef starred in the Kung fu Spaghetti WesternThe Stranger and the Gunfighter (1974) and co-starred withJim Brown in an Italian-American co-production,Take a Hard Ride (1975). In his two final Westerns, he co-starred withLeif Garrett inGod's Gun (1976) andKid Vengeance (1977), both of which were filmed mainly in Israel. During the 1970s, Van Cleef also had leading roles in American Westerns, such asBarquero (1970),El Condor (1970) andThe Magnificent Seven Ride! (1972).
Van Cleef would later star alongsidePatrick McGoohan in theJohn Boorman produced crime thrillerThe Hard Way (1980). Van Cleef starred alongsideChuck Norris in the martial-arts filmThe Octagon (1980). Van Cleef later had a supporting role inJohn Carpenter'scult filmEscape from New York (1981).[21] He slipped out of the limelight in his later years.[22] In 1984, he was cast as aninja master in the NBC adventure seriesThe Master, but it was canceled after 13 episodes. Van Cleef also supportedLewis Collins inCode Name: Wild Geese (1984) and appeared alongsideDavid Carradine inArmed Response (1986). In all, Van Cleef is credited with 90 movie roles and 109 television appearances over a 38-year span.
Van Cleef married Patsy Ruth Kahle in 1943 and the couple had three children before divorcing in 1958.[23] In 1960, he married Joan Marjorie Drane, and they divorced in 1974.[24] He married Barbara Havelone in 1976, who survived him upon his death in 1989.[25]
He lost the last joint of his right-hand middle finger while building a playhouse for his daughter.[26]
Despite suffering fromheart disease from the 1970s and having apacemaker installed in the 1980s,[27] Van Cleef continued to work in films until his death on December 16, 1989.[28] He collapsed from aheart attack in his home inOxnard, California.[29][30][31]Throat cancer was listed as a secondary cause of death.[32]
He was buried atForest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery, Hollywood Hills, California, with an inscription on his grave marker reading "BEST OF THE BAD", referring to his many notable acting performances as a villain.[33]
| Year | Title | Role(s) | Episode(s) | Network(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1952 | Sky King | Mark | "Formula for Fear" | NBC, ABC |
| Boston Blackie | Lou / Captain Jansen | "Inside Crime"; "Deep Six" | ||
| 1952–1953 | The Range Rider | 'El Latigo' / Joe 'Utah Joe' / Rocky Hatch | "Treasure of Santa Dolores"; "Outlaw's Double"; "Greed Rides the Range" | |
| The Lone Ranger | Joe Singer / 'Bull' Harper / Henchman Jango | "Desperado at Large"; "The Brown Pony"; "Stage to Estacado" | ||
| 1954–1962 | Death Valley Days | Unknown / Brogger | "Snowshoe Thompson"; "The Hat That Won the West" | |
| 1954 | The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin | Ed McCleod | "Rin Tin Tin and The Ranging River" | |
| 1955 | The Man Behind the Badge | Floyd | "The Case of the Desperate Moment" | CBS |
| Champion the Wonder Horse | Frank | "Crossroad Trail" | ||
| 1957 | Tales of Wells Fargo | Cherokee Bob | Alder Gulch | NBC |
| Trackdown | Ben | "The Town" | ||
| 1958 | Wagon Train | 'Rufe' Beal | "The Jesse Cowan Story" | |
| Zorro | Antonio Castillo | "Welcome to Monterey" | ||
| Richard Diamond, Private Detective | Ed Murdock | "Rodeo" | ||
| 1959 | Mr. Lucky | Unknown | "Dangerous Lady" | |
| Yancy Derringer | Ike Milton / Frank James | "Outlaw at Liberty" | ||
| Wanted: Dead or Alive | 'Jumbo' Kane | "The Hostage" | ||
| The Real McCoys | 1st Sentry | "Grandpa Fights the Air Force" | ||
| 1959–1962 | The Rifleman | Dan Maury / 'Stinger' / Wicks / Johnny Drako | "The Deadly Wait"; "The Prodigal"; "The Clarence Bibs Story"; "Death Never Rides Alone" | ABC |
| 1960 | The Slowest Gun in the West | Sam Bass | Television film | |
| 77 Sunset Strip | Deek | "Attic" | Warner Bros. | |
| Bonanza | Appling | "The Blood Line" | NBC | |
| 1960–63 | Laramie | Wes Torrey / Dawson / 'Mac' Morgan / Caleb | ".45 Calibre"; "Killer Odds"; "Vengeance"; "The Stranger" | |
| 1960–66 | Gunsmoke | Rad Meadows / Johnny Hooker / Ike Jeffords | "Old Flame"/"The Pariah"/"My Father, My Son" | |
| 1961 | Maverick | 'Wolf' McManus | "Red Dog" | |
| 1961–62 | Cheyenne | Braden / Larry Jackson / Harry | "Trouble Street"; "A Man Called Ragen"; "Man Alone" | |
| 1961 | The Twilight Zone | Steinhart | "The Grave" | CBS |
| Stagecoach West | Lin Hyatt | "Never Walk Alone" | ||
| 1963 | The Joey Bishop Show | Charlie | "Double Exposure" | |
| The Dakotas | Slade Tucker | "Thunder in Pleasant Valley" | ABC | |
| Perry Mason | Edward Doyle | "The Case of the Golden Oranges" | ||
| 1962–63 | Have Gun – Will Travel | Corbin / Golias | "The Treasure"; "Face of a Shadow" | |
| Ripcord | Henry Kane / Jack Martin | "Thoroughbred"; "The Money Mine" | ||
| 1964 | Rawhide | Fred Grant / Deck Sommers | "The Enormous Fist"; "Piney" | CBS |
| 1965 | The Andy Griffith Show | Purse Thief | "Banjo-Playing Deputy" | |
| My Mother the Car | Nick Fitch | "Burned at the Steak" | ||
| 1965–66 | Branded | Unknown | "The Richest Man in Boot Hill", "Call to Glory" | NBC |
| 1966 | Laredo | Mike 'Big Mike' Kelly | "Quarter Past Eleven" | |
| 1977 | No Where to Hide | Ike Scanlon | Television film | |
| 1980 | The Hard Way | McNeal | ITV | |
| 1984 | The Master | John Peter McAllister / The Master | All episodes; starring role | NBC |
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