Lee Van Cleef

Lee Van Cleef

1925-01-09 Somerville, New Jersey, USA 94 Credits

Biography

Clarence LeRoy "Lee" Van Cleef Jr. (January 9, 1925 – December 16, 1989) was an American actor best known for his roles in Spaghetti Westerns such as For A Few Dollars More and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Hatchet-faced with piercing eyes, he had declined to have his nose altered to play a sympathetic character in his film debut, High Noon, and was relegated to a non-speaking outlaw as a result. For a decade he was typecast as a minor villain, his sinister features overshadowing his acting sk...

Known For

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Complete Filmography

The Conqueror: Hollywood Fallout

The Conqueror: Hollywood Fallout

2024

as Self (archive footage)

8.0
Acting

The story of one of the great environmental disasters to befall the United States, and the terrible movie that helped bring the catastrophe to light.

Peter Baumgartner, Filmkameramann

2014

as (archive footage)

Acting

Peter Baumgartner talks about his life and work as a DoP for Erwin C. Dietrich and Jess Franco.

Octagon : le combat des maîtres

Octagon : le combat des maîtres

2003

Acting

Klaus Kinski: I'm not an actor

2000

as Col. Douglas Mortimer (archive footage)

Acting

Klaus Kinski is one of the few German actors who has achieved international fame. He made headlines. And disappeared behind them. Kinski lived his par...

Thieves of Fortune

Thieves of Fortune

1990

as Sergio Danielo Christophero

3.0
Acting

A beautiful woman must perform feats of bravery in order to inherit a $28 million fortune and win the man she loves.

The Best of the Martial Arts Films

The Best of the Martial Arts Films

1990

as Self (archive footage)

8.7
Acting

The most explosive barehanded combat sequences ever filmed. An electrifying video of martial arts mastery and mayhem. This program takes a behind-the-...

Speed Zone

Speed Zone

1989

as Grandfather

4.5
Acting

An illegal race that takes place over the United States and nothing will stop this bunch of racers except for the occasional cop or a damsel in distre...

The Commander

The Commander

1988

as Col. Mazzarini

5.5
Acting

Lewis Collins is back to leading mercenaries on the move in Southeast Asia. This time the cast is unusually good including Lee Van Cleef, Brett Halsey...

Armed Response

Armed Response

1986

as Burt Roth

4.8
Acting

One of Tanaka's underlings has stolen a rare statuette that he had planned to use as a peace offering between the local Yakusa and Chinese Tong. He hi...

Jungle Raiders

Jungle Raiders

1985

as Warren

3.7
Acting

An expedition enters an unexplored jungle to search for a legendary ruby.

The Master Ninja 5

The Master Ninja 5

1985

as John Peter McAllister

10.0
Acting

Lee Van Cleef stars as John Peter McAllister, who as a reverend master of the Ninja warrior society, deserts the order the order to search for his mis...

Master Ninja

Master Ninja

1985

as John Peter McAllister

4.7
Acting

Aging skilled master ninja, John Peter McAllister, and his young apprentice search for John's long lost daughter, all the while his old enemies try to...

Code Name: Wild Geese

Code Name: Wild Geese

1984

as Archie 'China' Travers

5.2
Acting

Commander Robin Wesley, leader of a group of mercenaries, go to the Golden Triangle in Southeast Asia to overthrow the dictator, who is a major manufa...

Killing Machine

Killing Machine

1984

as Julot

4.7
Acting

After a gang of thugs brands a hard working truck driver a traitor and murders his bride, He retaliates by being even more violent than his attackers...

Master Ninja II

Master Ninja II

1984

as John Peter McAllister

7.0
Acting

Lee Van Cleef and Timoty Van Patten are back in this "sequel" to their last "movie" about a ninja and his apprentice battling evil wherever they go. I...

Escape from New York

Escape from New York

1981

as Police Commissioner Bob Hauk

7.1
Acting

In a world ravaged by crime, the entire island of Manhattan has been converted into a walled prison where brutal prisoners roam free. After the US pre...

The Octagon

The Octagon

1980

as McCarn

5.0
Acting

Scott James, a veteran martial arts expert, is recruited as the protector of the wealthy and beautiful Justine after she becomes the target of a ninj...

The Hard Way

The Hard Way

1980

as McNeal

5.6
Acting

John Connor is a soon-to-retire hitman that agrees to take on one last job. After years plying his deadly trade, he has finally had enough. Seeking to...

When the West Was Fun: A Western Reunion

1979

as Self

Acting

Some of TV and film's popular western actors reunite in this tribute special hosted by Glenn Ford.

The Squeeze

The Squeeze

1978

as Chris Gretchko / Ray Sloan

5.2
Acting

A retired safe cracker is recruited by a young conman to return to the "business" for a million dollar heist.

The Perfect Killer

The Perfect Killer

1977

as Harry Chapman

2.0
Acting

Betrayed by his girl and best friend, thief Harry Chapman takes the fall for a racetrack robbery. While in prison, he is offered a chance to participa...

Nowhere to Hide

Nowhere to Hide

1977

as Ike Scanlon

5.0
Acting

A special unit of the U.S. Marshal's Service is assigned to protect a syndicate hitman who is to testify against his former bosses, who have put out a...

Kid Vengeance

Kid Vengeance

1976

as McClain

5.3
Acting

One of Cannon Films' two 1976 Italian-Israeli co-productions starring Lee Van Cleef and Leif Garrett (Gianfranco Parolini's Pistola di Dio was the oth...

God's Gun

God's Gun

1976

as Father John / Lewis

5.2
Acting

Priest turned vigilante Father John hunts down a gang of criminals, led by Sam Clayton, who killed a man in a local bar. On the gang's return to the t...

Take a Hard Ride

Take a Hard Ride

1975

as Kiefer

5.3
Acting

After his cattle rancher boss dies, right-hand man Pike is given the job of returning $86,000 to some families who live across the border in Sonora, M...

The Stranger and the Gunfighter

The Stranger and the Gunfighter

1974

as Dakota

5.3
Acting

During a hold-up in the Wild West, Dakota kills a rich old Chinese man, Wang. Later, he is captured, sentenced, and is about to be hanged - and he nev...

Mean Frank and Crazy Tony

Mean Frank and Crazy Tony

1973

as Frankie

4.4
Acting

There's trouble in Frankie Diomede's criminal empire in Genoa. A French gangster has moved into his territory, so he flies home to take care of busine...

The Grand Duel

The Grand Duel

1972

as Sheriff Clayton

6.1
Acting

A grizzled ex-sheriff helps a man framed for murder to confront the powerful trio of brothers who want him dead.

The Magnificent Seven Ride!

The Magnificent Seven Ride!

1972

as Marshal Chris Adams

5.5
Acting

Marshal Chris Adams turns down a friend's request to help stop the depredations of a gang of Mexican bandits. When his wife is killed by bank robbers ...

Bad Man's River

Bad Man's River

1971

as Roy King

4.5
Acting

Robber Roy King loses his wife, Alicia, to revolutionary Montero. Despite their rivalry they collaborate in an attempt to rob the Mexican government o...

Captain Apache

Captain Apache

1971

as Capt. Apache

4.6
Acting

The title character is a US army Captain of Native American descent who is asked to investigate the murder of an Indian agent. His only clue is "April...

Return of Sabata

Return of Sabata

1971

as Sabata / Major

6.0
Acting

Master gunslinger Sabata arrives in Hobsonville, a town completely owned by McIntock, a robber baron who is taxing the inhabitants for the cost of fut...

Barquero

Barquero

1970

as Travis

6.3
Acting

Jake Remy leads a gang of outlaw cutthroats making their escape toward Mexico from a successful robbery. Barring their way is a river--crossable only ...

El Condor

El Condor

1970

as Jaroo

5.6
Acting

Luke, an escaped convict, and Jaroo, a loner gold prospector, team up with a band of Apache Indians in 19th century Mexico to capture a large, heavily...

Sabata

Sabata

1969

as Sabata

6.3
Acting

Several pillars of society have robbed an Army safe containing $100,000 so they can buy the land upon which the coming railroad will be built. But the...

Commandos

Commandos

1968

as MSgt. Sullivan

5.8
Acting

Sgt. Sullivan puts together a group of Italian-Americans into disguise as Italian soldiers in order to infiltrate a North African camp held by the Ita...

Beyond the Law

Beyond the Law

1968

as Billy Joe Cudlip

5.8
Acting

A thief takes the job as a town sheriff in order to rob a silver shipment before his ex-partner can grab it.

Day of Anger

Day of Anger

1967

as Frank Talby

7.0
Acting

A scruffy garbage boy becomes the pupil of famed gunfighter Talby, and the stage for confrontation is set when the gunman overruns the boy's town thro...

Death Rides a Horse

Death Rides a Horse

1967

as Ryan

7.0
Acting

Bill Meceita, a boy whose family was murdered in front of him by a gang, sets out 15 years later to exact revenge. On his journey, he finds himself co...

The Big Gundown

The Big Gundown

1967

as Jonathan Corbett

7.3
Acting

Unofficial lawman John Corbett hunts down Cuchillo Sanchez, a Mexican peasant accused of raping and killing a 12-year-old girl.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

1966

as Sentenza / Angel Eyes

8.5
Acting

While the Civil War rages on between the Union and the Confederacy, three men – a quiet loner, a ruthless hitman, and a Mexican bandit – comb the Amer...

For a Few Dollars More

For a Few Dollars More

1965

as Col. Douglas Mortimer

8.0
Acting

Two bounty hunters both pursue the brutal and sadistic bandit, El Indio, who has a large bounty on his head.

How the West Was Won

How the West Was Won

1962

as River Pirate (uncredited)

7.0
Acting

The epic tale of the development of the American West from the 1830s through the Civil War to the end of the century, as seen through the eyes of one ...

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance

1962

as Reese

7.8
Acting

Questions arise when Senator Stoddard attends the funeral of a local man named Tom Doniphon in a small Western town. Flashing back, we learn Doniphon ...

Posse from Hell

Posse from Hell

1961

as Leo

6.2
Acting

Banner Cole is a tough sheriff's deputy who forms a small posse to go after 4 death cell escapees who killed the sheriff , along with 3 other men, and...

The Slowest Gun in the West

The Slowest Gun in the West

1960

as Sam Bass

2.0
Acting

The town of Primrose, Arizona is beset by outlaws, so the towns people hire Fletcher Bissell III (A.K.A. The Silver Dollar Kid) as their new sheriff. ...

Ride Lonesome

Ride Lonesome

1959

as Frank

6.7
Acting

On the way to pick up the bounty on a wanted murderer, a bounty hunter stops at a staging post where he is forced to continue his journey with two out...

Guns, Girls and Gangsters

Guns, Girls and Gangsters

1959

as Mike Bennett

6.1
Acting

Chuck Wheeler gets out of the Pen and sets up an elaborate heist of Vegas casino money travelling by armored truck. He enlists the help of shady club ...

Machete

Machete

1958

as Miguel

5.9
Acting

This 1959 film-noir take on "Othello," filmed in Puerto Rico, stars Mari Blanchard as flirtatious Jean, who marries an older man, plantation owner Don...

The Bravados

The Bravados

1958

as Alfonso Parral

6.5
Acting

Jim Douglass arrives in the small town of Rio Arriba in order to witness the hanging of the four men he believes murdered his wife. When the convicts ...

The Young Lions

The Young Lions

1958

as 1st Sgt. Rickett

6.8
Acting

The lives of three young men, a German and two Americans, during WWII.

Day of the Badman

Day of the Badman

1958

as Jake Hayes

6.5
Acting

Judge Jim Scott must contend with the vicious relatives of a murderer he's about to sentence...and his unfaithful fiancee.

The Tin Star

The Tin Star

1957

as Ed McGaffey

7.0
Acting

An experienced bounty hunter helps a young sheriff learn the meaning of his badge.

Raiders of Old California

Raiders of Old California

1957

as Damon Pardee

4.7
Acting

A villainous cavalry officer is trying to force the owner of a hacienda to give him his land when a courageous settler comes to the rescue.

Joe Dakota

Joe Dakota

1957

as Adam Grant

5.6
Acting

A stranger rides into town and says he is looking for a local Indian. Told he left town, the truth everyone has been hiding comes out including the st...

Gun Battle at Monterey

Gun Battle at Monterey

1957

as Kirby

4.6
Acting

An outlaw saved by a Mexican girl hunts the holdup partner who shot him in the back.

The Quiet Gun

The Quiet Gun

1957

as Doug Sadler

6.4
Acting

A mild mannered sheriff must fight both a hired gun and local anti-Indian bigotry in a small frontier town.

Last Stagecoach West

Last Stagecoach West

1957

as Steve Margolies

4.3
Acting

The coming of the railroad to Cedar City spells the end of the stagecoach as the government gives the mail contract to the fastest means of delivery. ...

The Lonely Man

The Lonely Man

1957

as Faro

6.1
Acting

Aging gunslinger Jacob Wade hopes to settle down with his estranged son, but his old enemies have other plans for him. Gunslinger Jacob Wade finds his...

Gunfight at the O.K. Corral

Gunfight at the O.K. Corral

1957

as Ed Bailey

7.0
Acting

Lawman Wyatt Earp and outlaw Doc Holliday form an unlikely alliance which culminates in their participation in the legendary Gunfight at the O.K. Corr...

China Gate

China Gate

1957

as Maj. Cham

6.0
Acting

Near the end of the French phase of the Vietnam War, a group of mercenaries are recruited to travel through enemy territory to the Chinese border.

The Badge of Marshal Brennan

The Badge of Marshal Brennan

1957

as Shad Donaphin

6.0
Acting

Jim Davis is a man on the run. He comes across the body of a dead man wearing the badge of a marshal. He buries the body and takes the badge and rides...

Accused of Murder

Accused of Murder

1956

as Police Sgt. Emmett Lackey

4.5
Acting

A police detective finds himself entangled in the web of the underworld when he falls in love with a nightclub singer accused of murdering a crooked l...

Pardners

Pardners

1956

as Gus

6.7
Acting

Rich momma's boy Wade Kingsley Jr. an Eastern dude, tries to follow in his murdered father's footsteps by returning to the West to partner up with Sli...

It Conquered the World

It Conquered the World

1956

as Dr. Tom Anderson

4.8
Acting

An alien from Venus tries to take over the world with the help of a disillusioned human scientist, as his wife, his best friend and the friend's wife ...

Tribute to a Bad Man

Tribute to a Bad Man

1956

as Fat Jones

7.0
Acting

Jeremy Rodock is a tough horse rancher who strings up rustlers soon as look at them. Fresh out of Pennsylvania, Steve Miller finds it hard to get used...

The Conqueror

The Conqueror

1956

as Chepei

3.4
Acting

Mongol chief Temujin battles against Tartar armies and for the love of the Tartar princess Bortai. Temujin becomes the emperor Genghis Khan.

The Vanishing American

The Vanishing American

1955

as Jay Lord

4.0
Acting

A woman arrives in New Mexico to claim property she's inherited and receives an education in the greedy exploitation of the local Navajo.

A Man Alone

A Man Alone

1955

as Clanton

5.7
Acting

A gunfighter, stranded in the desert, comes across the aftermath of a stage robbery, in which all the passengers were killed. He takes one of the hors...

The Naked Street

The Naked Street

1955

as Harry Goldish (uncredited)

6.1
Acting

To make an honest woman of his pregnant sister, Rosalie, callous New York mobster Phil Regal intimidates witnesses and bribes a store clerk to get Ros...

The Road to Denver

The Road to Denver

1955

as Pecos Larry

6.0
Acting

The Mayhew brothers flee from one Texas town to another as older brother Bill repeatedly attempts to keep younger brother Sam out of jail. Bill finall...

I Cover the Underworld

I Cover the Underworld

1955

as Flash Logan

6.0
Acting

Gunner O'Hara is about to be released from prison after serving a five-year sentence, and receives a visit from his twin brother John, a divinity stud...

The Big Combo

The Big Combo

1955

as Fante

7.0
Acting

Police Lt. Leonard Diamond vies to bring a clever, well connected, and sadistic gangster to justice all the while obsessing over the gangster's girlfr...

Ten Wanted Men

Ten Wanted Men

1955

as Al Drucker

5.8
Acting

When his ward seeks protection with rival cattleman John Stewart, embittered, jealous rancher Wick Campbell hires ten outlaws to help him seize power ...

Treasure of Ruby Hills

Treasure of Ruby Hills

1955

as Frank Emmett

3.5
Acting

Ranchers battle one another over water rights. Western.

Dawn at Socorro

Dawn at Socorro

1954

as Earl Ferris

7.2
Acting

Brett Wade, gambler, gunslinger, and classical pianist, is wounded in a gunfight with the Ferris clan; the doctor finds signs of tuberculosis. En rout...

Princess of the Nile

Princess of the Nile

1954

as Hakar (uncredited)

7.1
Acting

Shalimar, an Egyptian princess, striving to rid her country of its Bedouin conquerors, forms an alliance with Prince Haidi, son of the Caliph of Bagda...

The Desperado

The Desperado

1954

as Paul Clayton/Buck Clayton

6.6
Acting

"Only a fool sticks his neck out for somebody else. Don't get in the habit of it." Outlaw gunslinger Sam Garrett offers that sage wisdom to fellow fug...

The Yellow Tomahawk

The Yellow Tomahawk

1954

as Fire Knife

6.0
Acting

When the army insists on building a fort on Indian land, in defiance of a treaty, the warnings of a scout go unheeded.

Arrow In The Dust

Arrow In The Dust

1954

as Tillotson Henchman

5.8
Acting

Director Lesley Selander's 1954 western stars Sterling Hayden, Coleen Gray, Keith Larsen, Tom Tully, Lee Van Cleef and Jimmy Wakely.

Rails Into Laramie

Rails Into Laramie

1954

as Ace Winton

6.3
Acting

A federal agent arrives in Laramie to try to find out who is behind the efforts to stop the construction of a new railroad track.

Gypsy Colt

Gypsy Colt

1954

as Hank

6.3
Acting

In this trans-species remake of Lassie, Come Home, a faithful horse undertakes a perilous journey to return to the family it loves.

The Nebraskan

The Nebraskan

1953

as Pvt. Reno Benton

3.0
Acting

War looms on the horizon when an Army officer's American Indian aide is accused of murdering a tribal elder.

Tumbleweed

Tumbleweed

1953

as Marv

6.1
Acting

Jim Harvey is hired to guard a small wagon train as it makes its way west. The train is attacked by Indians and Harvey, hoping to persuade Aguila, the...

Jack Slade

Jack Slade

1953

as Bolt Mackay

6.4
Acting

A young boy witnesses his father murdered by bandits and grows into adulthood vowing revenge.

Vice Squad

Vice Squad

1953

as Pete Monty

5.9
Acting

A Los Angeles police captain (Edward G. Robinson) ties the case of a slain policeman to a bank robbery, all in a day.

Arena

Arena

1953

as Smitty

4.7
Acting

Left by his wife, a vain rodeo star picks up a floozy and rides a bad Brahman bull.

The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms

The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms

1953

as Corp. Stone

6.5
Acting

The controlled explosion of an atomic bomb in the Arctic Circle awakens a frozen dinosaur that will wreak havoc in New York City.

White Lightning

White Lightning

1953

as Brutus Allen

6.0
Acting

The Red Devils, a professional ice hockey team, owned by Jack Monohan, is in the midst of a long losing streak, due to bribes being accepted from gamb...

The Bandits of Corsica

The Bandits of Corsica

1953

as Nerva

5.8
Acting

Siamese twins separated at birth retain a psychic link; each feels the other's pain and happiness.

The Lawless Breed

The Lawless Breed

1952

as Dirk Hanley

6.6
Acting

After being released from prison, ex-gunfighter John Wesley Hardin hopes to have his autobiography published in order to rehabilitate his tarnished re...

Kansas City Confidential

Kansas City Confidential

1952

as Tony Romano

7.1
Acting

An ex-convict sets out to uncover who framed him for an armored car robbery.

Untamed Frontier

Untamed Frontier

1952

as Dave Chittun

7.2
Acting

The Denbow family denies access across their land to homesteaders. To evade a murder charge, Glenn Denbow marries Jane, the only witness who's in love...

High Noon

High Noon

1952

as Jack Colby

7.7
Acting

Will Kane, the sheriff of a small town in New Mexico, learns a notorious outlaw he put in jail has been freed, and will be arriving on the noon train....