Lee Van Cleef
Van Cleef served in the United States Navy during World War II aboard a minesweeper, earning a Bronze Star for his actions.After acting on stage in regional theatre, he made his film debut in the Oscar-winning Western High Noon (1952) in a non-speaking outlaw cast role.With distinctive, angular features and a taciturn screen persona, Van Cleef was typecast as minor villain and supporting player in Westerns and crime dramas.[3][4] After completing his military training, Van Cleef was assigned to a submarine chaser and then to a minesweeper called the USS Incredible, on which he worked as a sonarman.In January 1945, Incredible moved to the Black Sea, and performed sweeping duties out of the Soviet Navy base at Sevastopol, Crimea.[7] Van Cleef received his first acting role as George in the play Our Town at the Little Theater Group in Clinton, New Jersey.[13] In 1958, he was cast as Ed Murdock, a rodeo performer trying to reclaim the title in the event at Madison Square Garden in New York City, on Richard Diamond, Private Detective.In 1958, he was cast as Deputy Sid Carver in the episode "The Great Stagecoach Robbery" of another syndicated Western series, Frontier Doctor, starring Rex Allen.Van Cleef was cast with Pippa Scott and again with Chuck Connors in the 1960 episode "Trial by Fear" of the CBS anthology series The DuPont Show with June Allyson.A young Van Cleef also made an appearance on The Andy Griffith Show and as Frank Diamond in The Untouchables, in an episode entitled "The Unhired Assassin".[17] Leone then chose Van Cleef to appear again with Eastwood, this time as the primary antagonist, Angel Eyes, in the now seminal Western The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966).[27] He was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery, Hollywood Hills, California, with an inscription on his grave marker reading "BEST OF THE BAD", referring to his many notable acting performances as a villain.
Death Rides a HorseSomerville, New JerseyOxnard, CaliforniaUS NavySonarmanFirst ClassUSS Incredible (AM-249)World War IIBattle of the CaribbeanOperation DragoonBronze StarGood Conduct MedalAmerican Campaign MedalEuropean–African–Middle Eastern Campaign MedalAsiatic–Pacific Campaign MedalWorld War II Victory MedalGolden Bootspaghetti WesternsSergio LeoneDollars TrilogyFor a Few Dollars MoreThe Good, the Bad and the UglyGolden Boot AwardUnited States NavyminesweeperHigh Nooncrime dramasThe Big GundownDay of AngerBeyond the LawCommandosSabataReturn of SabataBarqueroEl CondorCaptain ApacheThe Magnificent Seven Ride!The Grand DuelMean Frank and Crazy TonyThe Stranger and the GunfighterTake a Hard RideGod's GunThe Rip-Off The Hard WayThe OctagonEscape from New YorkArmed ResponseThe MasterSomerville High Schoolsubmarine chaserUSS IncredibleCaribbeanMediterraneanlandings in southern FranceBlack SeaSoviet NavySevastopolCrimeaPalermoEuropean-African-Middle Eastern Campaign MedalAsiatic-Pacific Campaign MedalOur TownClinton, New JerseyAlvin TheaterMister RobertsStanley KramerKansas City ConfidentialVice SquadThe Big ComboSky KingsyndicatedThe Adventures of Kit CarsonThe Range RiderThe Lone RangerJesse JamesAnnie OakleyBrave EagleThe Adventures of ChampionTales of Wells FargoMadison Square GardenRichard Diamond, Private DetectiveThe RiflemanChuck ConnorsTombstone TerritoryFrontier DoctorRex AllenRiverboatWanted Dead or AliveMaverickJean WallaceEarl HollimanThe Real McCoysPippa Scottanthology seriesThe DuPont Show with June AllysonThe Andy Griffith ShowThe UntouchablesWarner BrothersThe AlaskansHave Gun – Will TravelWarner Bros.Colt .45Cimarron CityLaramieRod Cameron'sCity DetectiveState TrooperJohn BromfieldSheriff of CochiseThe Tin StarGunfight at the O.K. CorralBonanzaGunsmokeThe GraveThe Twilight ZoneLee MarvinJohn FordThe Man Who Shot Liberty ValanceJohn WayneJames StewartPerry MasonThe Travels of Jaimie McPheetersClint EastwoodJim BrownLeif GarrettChuck Norris