VAN CLEEF, Lee

(1929–1989)

   From the earliest days in his film career it was obvious that Lee Van Cleef would always be bad. His first role, though a nonspeaking part, is still memorable—that of one of Frank Miller’s thugs in High Noon (1952). Even here, the glare of sheer evil is evident in Van Cleef’s character’s menacing eyes. Throughout the 1950s he played the secondary heavy in Westerns, good and bad. Among the best are Gunfight at the O.K. Corral(1957), The Tin Star(1957), Ride Lonesome(1959), and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962).

   Like other American character actors, though, Van Cleef found a new career in Europe during the 1960s with Italian Westerns. His first role was in Sergio Leone’s 1965 film For a Few Dollars More (Per qualche dollaro in piu) in which he played Colonel Mortimer opposite Clint Eastwood. He followed the next year as Angel Eyes in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (Buono, il brutto, il cattivo, Il). From there he played in numerous spaghetti Westerns, rising to major stardom in Europe and to a lesser degree back in the United States. Van Cleef devotees, though, usually see the 1969 Sabata (Ehi amico ... c’e Sabata, hai chiuso!) as his best. Long after he left the scene, Lee Van Cleef has been seen as the quintessential antihero. The French Lucky Luke comics have a recurring character based on Van Cleef’s character in the Western spoof Shanghai Noon (2000).