lee van cleef

Lee Van Cleef’s hawk nose and squinty, sinister leer made him a beloved villain in movie westerns of the 1950s and 1960s. [1]

Lee Van Cleef (January 9, 1925 ‘ December 16, 1989) was an American film actor who appeared mostly in Western and action pictures. [2]

…..I raised the subject of his career as a top-notch heavy, and learned surprisingly that Lee Van Cleef did not view his body of work as a series of violent spectacles. [3]

Van Cleef played henchmen and heavies in dozens of films, including High Noon (1952, getting plugged in the end by Gary Cooper), The Quiet Gun (1957), and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962, getting slugged in the end by John Wayne). [1]

Van Cleef was missing the last joint of his middle finger, a disfigurement prominently featured in the climactic gunfight of THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY. [4]

As the film opened, the outlaws strode into a saloon. [...] It is part of his chapter on Lee Van Cleef. [3]

With our Resume service you can add photos and build a complete resume to help you achieve the best possible presentation on the IMDb. [5]

I suggested his naval service in both theaters of World War II undoubtedly offered numerous models for some of his screen roles and ordeals. [3]

The roles made his career: Van Cleef spent the next decade in Italy and Spain, starring in westerns and action flicks like Il Grande Duello (1972) and Diamante Lobo (1976). [1]

That’s what I’ve been trying to do with every damn picture since I knew what I was doing. [3]

He also played one of Lee Marvin ’s villainous henchmen in the 1962 John Ford classic The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, with James Stewart and John Wayne. [2]

His sharp features and piercing eyes led to his casting as a villain in scores of films, though in later years he was often a film’s protagonist, such as with his co-lead role as a bounty hunter in For a Few Dollars More. [1]

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. [5]

Once I learned what I was doin’, which only took a picture or two, I tried to flnd some extra dimension to every character, a sympathetic area. [3]

Sources:
[1] Lee Van Cleef: Biography from Answers.com
[2] Lee Van Cleef - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
[3] Lee Van Cleef Interview
[4] Lee Van Cleef Picture, Profile, Gossip, and News at CelebrityWonder.com
[5] Lee Van Cleef - Biography

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