Lee Van Cleef facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lee Van Cleef
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Van Cleef in Death Rides a Horse (1967)
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| Born |
Clarence LeRoy Van Cleef Jr.
January 9, 1925 Somerville, New Jersey, U.S.
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| Died | December 16, 1989 (aged 64) Oxnard, California, U.S.
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| Resting place | Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills) |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1952–1989 |
| Spouse(s) |
Patsy Ruth Kahle
(m. 1943; div. 1958)Joan Marjorie Drane
(m. 1960; div. 1974)Barbara Havelone
(m. 1976) |
| Children | 3 |
| Military career | |
| Service/ |
 US Navy |
| Years of service | 1942–1946 |
| Rank |  Sonarman First Class |
| Unit | USS Incredible (AM-249) |
| Battles/wars | 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. (born January 9, 1925 – died December 16, 1989) was an American actor. He acted in over 170 movies and TV shows. His career lasted almost 40 years. He is most famous for starring in Italian Spaghetti Westerns. These are Western movies made in Europe. His best-known roles were in the Dollars Trilogy films. These include For a Few Dollars More (1965) and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966). Both were directed by Sergio Leone.
Lee Van Cleef was born and grew up in New Jersey. He served in the United States Navy during World War II. He worked on a minesweeper, a ship that clears underwater mines. He earned a Bronze Star for his brave actions. After acting on stage, he made his first movie in the Western High Noon (1952). He played a silent outlaw in this Oscar-winning film.
Van Cleef had sharp, angular facial features. He often played quiet, tough characters. Because of this, he was usually cast as a villain or a supporting actor. He appeared in many Westerns and crime dramas. After a serious car crash, his acting career slowed down. However, he became a big star when director Sergio Leone offered him a main role. This was in the movie For a Few Dollars More. The film was a huge success. It made him a popular actor, especially in Europe.
Van Cleef went on to star in many other films. These include Leone's The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966). He also appeared in Death Rides a Horse (1967), Day of Anger (1967), and Sabata (1969). Later films included Escape from New York (1981). He also played the main character, John Peter McAllister, in the TV series The Master (1984).
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Early Life and Military Service
Lee Van Cleef was born on January 9, 1925. His parents were Marion Lavinia Van Fleet and Clarence LeRoy Van Cleef. He was born in Somerville, New Jersey. Lee finished high school early at age 17. He joined the United States Navy in September 1942.
After his training, Van Cleef worked on a submarine chaser. Then he moved to a minesweeper called the USS Incredible. On this ship, he worked as a sonarman. A sonarman uses sound waves to detect objects underwater.
His ship first patrolled the Caribbean. Then it moved to the Mediterranean. It helped with the landings in southern France during Operation Dragoon. In January 1945, the Incredible went to the Black Sea. It cleared mines near the Soviet Navy base at Sevastopol, Crimea. Later, the ship helped with air-sea rescue missions.
Van Cleef left the Navy in March 1946. He had reached the rank of Sonarman First Class. He also earned the Bronze Star. This award is given for heroic actions in combat. He also received the Good Conduct Medal. Because of where he served, he also earned several other medals. These included the European–African–Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, the Asiatic–Pacific Campaign Medal, the American Campaign Medal, and the World War II Victory Medal.
Acting Career Highlights
After leaving the Navy, Lee Van Cleef started acting. His first role was in a play called Our Town. He then played a boxer in the play Heaven Can Wait. Talent scouts noticed him during these plays. They were impressed by his strong stage presence. One scout helped him get an audition for the play Mister Roberts in New York City.
Van Cleef's first movie was High Noon in 1952. A film producer named Stanley Kramer saw him in Mister Roberts. Kramer offered Van Cleef a role. Van Cleef was often cast as a villain. This was because of his sharp features, piercing eyes, and hawk-like nose. He played Tony Romano in Kansas City Confidential (1952). This led to his famous role as Angel Eyes in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966).
Besides Westerns and science fiction films, he also starred in three early noir films. These were Kansas City Confidential (1952), Vice Squad (1953), and The Big Combo (1955).
Van Cleef also appeared in many TV shows. His first TV role was in the Western series Sky King in 1952. He appeared in shows like The Adventures of Kit Carson and The Lone Ranger. He played Jesse James in Stories of the Century in 1954. He also guest-starred in popular Westerns like Tales of Wells Fargo and The Rifleman.
He often played minor villains or henchmen. His characters often died in his early Westerns and gangster movies. He appeared in an episode of The Andy Griffith Show. He also played a villain in the 1962 movie The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. This film starred John Wayne and James Stewart.
Becoming a Star
In 1965, director Sergio Leone chose Van Cleef for a main role. This was in the movie For a Few Dollars More. He starred alongside Clint Eastwood. Leone then cast Van Cleef again with Eastwood. This time, Van Cleef played the main bad guy, Angel Eyes. This was in the famous Western The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966).
These roles in Leone's films made Van Cleef a huge star. He became famous for his roles in Spaghetti Westerns. He often played central, sometimes even heroic, characters. Some of these films include The Big Gundown (1966), Death Rides a Horse (1967), and Day of Anger (1967). He also played the main character in Sabata (1969) and its sequel Return of Sabata (1971).
Later in his career, he had a supporting role in the movie Escape from New York (1981). In 1984, he played a ninja master in the TV series The Master. The show only lasted for thirteen episodes. Overall, Van Cleef acted in 90 movies and 109 TV shows during his 38-year career.
Personal Life
Lee Van Cleef was married three times. His first marriage was to Patsy Ruth Kahle in 1943. They had three children: Alan, Deborah, and David. They divorced in 1958. His second marriage was to Joan Marjorie Drane, from 1960 to 1974. His last marriage was to Barbara Havelone in 1976. She was still married to him when he passed away.
He had an accident while building a playhouse for his daughter. He lost the last part of the middle finger on his right hand.
In 1958, Van Cleef was in a very bad car crash. He almost lost his life and his acting career. He hurt his knee so badly that doctors thought he would never ride a horse again. This injury caused him pain for the rest of his life. His recovery was long and difficult. It stopped his acting for a while. During this time, he started a business in interior decoration with his second wife, Joan. He also enjoyed painting, especially pictures of the sea and landscapes.
Death
Lee Van Cleef had heart disease from the late 1970s. He even had a pacemaker put in during the early 1980s. Despite this, he kept working in films until he died on December 16, 1989. He was 64 years old. He collapsed at his home in Oxnard, California, from a heart attack. Throat cancer was also listed as a cause of death. He was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery, Hollywood Hills, California. His grave marker has a special message about his many villain roles: "BEST OF THE BAD".
Images for kids
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Van Cleef in Death Rides a Horse (1967)
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Van Cleef in Kansas City Confidential (1952)
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Van Cleef (left) with Jean Wallace and Earl Holliman in The Big Combo (1955)
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Van Cleef in Death Rides a Horse (1968)
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Van Cleef's grave at Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills
See also
In Spanish: Lee Van Cleef para niños
