Lee Van Cleef

1925 - 1989 (heart attack)
American born Somerville

Height 6' 2" (1.88 m) . One of the great movie villains, Lee Van Cleef started out as an accountant. He served in the U.S. Navy aboard minesweepers and subchasers during World War II. After the war he worked as an office administrator, becoming involved in amateur theatrics in his spare time. An audition for a professional role led to a touring company job in "Mr. Roberts". His performance was seen by Stanley Kramer, who cast him as henchman Jack Colby in High Noon (1952), a role that brought him great recognition despite the fact that he had no dialogue. For the next decade he played a string of memorably villainous characters, primarily in westerns but also in crime dramas such as The Big Combo (1955). His hawk nose and steely, slit eyes seemed destined to keep him always in the realm of heavies, but in the mid-'60s Sergio Leone cast him as the tough but decent Col. Mortimer opposite Clint Eastwood in Per qualche dollaro in più (1965). A new career as a western hero (or at least anti-hero) opened up, and Van Cleef became an international star, though in films of decreasing quality. In the 1980s he moved easily into action and martial-arts movies, and starred in "The Master" (1984), a TV series featuring almost non-stop martial arts action. He died of a heart attack in December 1989, and was buried at Forest Lawn in the Hollywood Hills. Spouse Barbara Havelone (13 July 1976 - 16 December 1989) (his death), Joanie (1960 - ?), Patsy Ruth (1943 - ?) (divorced) 3 children.

Thieves of Fortune (1990) , Speed Zone! (1989) , Commander, Der (1988) , Armed Response (1986) , Leggenda del rubino malese, La (1985) , Geheimcode: Wildgänse (1984) , Goma-2 (1984) , "The Master" (1984) , Escape from New York (1981) , The Octagon (1980) , The Hard Way (1979) , The Squeeze (1978) , Nowhere to Hide (1977) , Kid Vengeance (1977) , Diamante Lobo (1976) , Quel pomeriggio maledetto (1976) , Take a Hard Ride (1975) , Là dove non batte il sole (1974) , Dio, sei proprio un padreterno! (1973) , Grande duello, Il (1972) , The Magnificent Seven Ride! (1972) , Bad Man's River (1971) , Captain Apache (1971) , È tornato Sabata... hai chiuso un'altra volta (1971) , Barquero (1970) , Condor, El (1970) , Ehi amico... c'è Sabata, hai chiuso! (1969) , Commandos (1968) , Al di là della legge (1968) , Giorni dell'ira, I (1967) , Da uomo a uomo (1967) , Buono, il brutto, il cattivo, Il (1966) , Resa dei conti, La (1966) , "Gunsmoke" (1960) , "Laredo" (1966) , "Branded" (1965) , Per qualche dollaro in più (1965) , "My Mother the Car" (1965) , "The Andy Griffith Show" (1965) , "Rawhide" (1964) , "Destry" (1964) , "The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters" (1963) , "Laramie" (1960) , "Have Gun - Will Travel" (1962) , "The Dick Powell Show" (1963) , "Perry Mason" (1963) , "The Dakotas" (1963) , "Ripcord" (????) , How the West Was Won (1962) , "The Rifleman" (1959) , "Death Valley Days" (1962) , The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962) , "Bronco" (1961) , "The Joey Bishop Show" (1962) , "The Twilight Zone" (1961) , "Cheyenne" (1961) , Posse from Hell (1961) , "Stagecoach West" (1961) , "Maverick" (1961) , "Hawaiian Eye" (1961) , "Bonanza" (1960) , "Lawman" (1958) , "77 Sunset Strip" (1960) , "Colt .45" (1958) , "Mr. Lucky" (1960) , "The Deputy" (1960) , The Slowest Gun in the West (1960), "Black Saddle" (1960) , "The Untouchables" (1960) , "The Alaskans" (1960) , "Hotel de Paree" (1960) , "The DuPont Show with June Allyson" (1960) , "Law of the Plainsman" (1959) , "Riverboat" (1959) , "The Real McCoys" (1959) , "Wanted: Dead or Alive"(1959) , "Yancy Derringer" (1959) , "Tombstone Territory" (1959) , "Cimarron City" (1959) , Ride Lonesome (1959) , "Northwest Passage" (1959) , Guns, Girls, and Gangsters (1959) , Machete (1958) , "Frontier Doctor" (1958) , "Zorro" (1958) , The Bravados (1958) , "State Trooper" (1958) , The Young Lions (1958) , "Richard Diamond, Private Detective" (1958) , Day of the Bad Man (1958) , "Wagon Train" (1958) , "Trackdown" (1957) , Raiders of Old California (1957) , "Casey Jones" (1957) , Gun Battle at Monterey (1957) , The Tin Star (1957) , "General Electric Theater" (1957) , Joe Dakota (1957) , The Lonely Man (1957) , The Last Stagecoach West (1957) , China Gate (1957) , The Badge of Marshal Brennan (1957) , "Schlitz Playhouse of Stars" (1953) , "Tales of Wells Fargo" (1957) , "Soldiers of Fortune" (1957) , The Quiet Gun (1957) , Accused of Murder (1956) , "Crossroads" (1956) , "Sheriff of Cochise" (1956) , "Wire Service" (1956) , "The Ford Television Theatre" (1956) , Pardners (1956) , It Conquered the World (1956) , Tribute to a Bad Man (1956) , "Studio 57" (1956) , The Conqueror (1956) , "Brave Eagle" (1955) , "The Adventures of Kit Carson" (1953), The Vanishing American (1955) , A Man Alone (1955) , The Naked Street (1955) , The Road to Denver (1955) , "The Man Behind the Badge" (1955) , I Cover the Underworld (1955) , "Buffalo Bill, Jr." (1955) , "Annie Oakley" (1955) , "TV Reader's Digest" (1955) , Man Without a Star (1955) , The Big Combo (1955) , Ten Wanted Men (1955) , Treasure of Ruby Hills (1955) , "The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin" (1954) , "The Gene Autry Show" (1953) , Dawn at Socorro (1954) , The Desperado (1954) , Princess of the Nile (1954) , "Cavalcade of America"(1953) , The Yellow Tomahawk (1954) , Rails Into Laramie (1954) , Arrow in the Dust (1954) , "Stories of the Century" (1954) , "Waterfront" (????) , Tumbleweed (1953) , Private Eyes (1953) , The Nebraskan (1953) , Jack Slade (1953) , Vice Squad (1953) , "The Lone Ranger" (1952) , Arena (1953) , "Space Patrol" (1952), The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953) , Gypsy Colt (1953) , White Lightning (1953) , The Bandits of Corsica (1953) , "Four Star Playhouse" (1953) , The Lawless Breed (1953) , "The Range Rider" (1952) , "Boston Blackie" (1952) , Kansas City Confidential (1952) , "Sky King" (1952) , Untamed Frontier (1952) , High Noon (1952)