Lee Van Cleef - A Biographical, Film And Television Reference

by Mike Malloy

McFarland & Company (series)

Cult film star Lee Van Cleef began his movie career in Hollywood, appearing as evil-eyed villains in such 1950s and '60s Westerns as High Noon, Gunfight at the O.K. Corral and How the West was Won. But Van Cleef didn't achieve full-blown fame until he began starring in Spaghetti Westerns overseas. He played opposite Clint Eastwood in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly and For a Few Dollars More before becoming a tough-guy star in his own right. By the 1980s, Van Cleef was aging and in weakened health, but he still managed to give thrilling performances in such films as Escape from New York and in a weekly martial-arts TV series, "The Master."

Film-by-film and show-by-show, this work fully details Van Cleef's career. Each movie entry includes cast and credits, studio, running times, year of release, a plot synopsis and a brief overview of Van Cleef's role. The background of the ABC series "The Master" is then given, followed by an episode guide that provides airdate, cast and credits, a synopsis and a comment on the episode. Comprehensive information on Van Cleef's other appearances in television concludes the work.