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30-456: Lee Van Cleef stars as a mostly silent lone gunman who foils a plan by some leaders of a small Texas town to rob their own bank and sell the town to the railroad. William Berger co-stars as Banjo, an opposing gunman. With Yul Brynner cast in the lead role, this film was originally going to be entitled Indio Black , but the title was changed after the first Sabata film proved successful and had inspired many imitators. Lee Van Cleef , star of

60-416: A 38-year span. Van Cleef married Patsy Ruth Kahle in 1943 and the couple had three children, Alan, Deborah and David, before divorcing in 1958. In 1960, he married Joan Marjorie Drane, from whom he was divorced in 1974. He married Barbara Havelone in 1976, who survived him upon his death in 1989. He lost the last joint of his right-hand middle finger while building a playhouse for his daughter. The finger

90-614: A Hard Ride (1975). In two of his final westerns he co-starred with Leif Garrett in God's Gun (1976) and Kid Vengeance (1977), both of which were filmed mainly in Israel. During the 1970's Van Cleef also had leading roles, in American Westerns such as Barquero (1970), El Condor (1970) and The Magnificent Seven Ride! (1972). Van Cleef starred alongside Chuck Norris in the martial arts film The Octagon (1980). Van Cleef later had

120-783: A Horse (1967), Day of Anger (1967), Beyond the Law (1968), Commandos (also 1968), Sabata (1969) and its sequel Return of Sabata (1971), Barquero (1970) , El Condor (also 1970), Captain Apache (1971) , The Magnificent Seven Ride! (1972), The Grand Duel (also 1972), Mean Frank and Crazy Tony (1973), The Stranger and the Gunfighter (1974), Take a Hard Ride (1975), God's Gun (1976), The Rip-Off (1978), television film The Hard Way (1979), The Octagon (1980), Escape from New York (1981), Code Name: Wild Geese (1984), and Armed Response (1986). He played

150-582: A sentry on an episode of the ABC sitcom The Real McCoys . 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". He also appeared in an episode of

180-677: A small Texas town and seeks revenge on a robber baron, determined to steal back some money that the man has stolen from the towns people. This section includes characters who will appear or have appeared in the Sabata franchise. The Sabata Trilogy was released on DVD by MGM / UA in October 2005. As was common with successful Spaghetti Western franchises, such as the Dollars Trilogy , Django or Sartana series, several other Sabata imitators were released. None of these are considered part of

210-594: A supporting role in John Carpenter 's cult film Escape from New York (1981). He slipped out of the limelight in his later years. In 1984, he was cast as a ninja master in the NBC adventure series The Master , but it was canceled after thirteen episodes. Van Cleef also appeared alongside David Carradine in Armed Response (1986). In all, Van Cleef is credited with 90 movie roles and 109 television appearances over

240-619: A taciturn screen persona, Van Cleef was typecast as minor villain and supporting player in Westerns and crime dramas . After suffering serious injuries in a car crash, Van Cleef's acting career started to decline. He achieved stardom when Leone offered him the co-leading role in For a Few Dollars More . Van Cleef appeared in films such as The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966), The Big Gundown (1967), Death Rides

270-433: A villain. God%27s Gun God's Gun (also known as Diamante Lobo ) is a 1976 Italian-Israeli Spaghetti Western directed by Gianfranco Parolini (credited as Frank Kramer) and starring Lee Van Cleef , Jack Palance , Leif Garrett and Sybil Danning . Palance plays the head of a malicious group of bandits and Van Cleef plays a double-role of brothers: a priest and a reformed gunfighter. Leif Garrett plays

300-742: The American Campaign Medal , and the World War II Victory Medal . He was discharged from the navy in 1946. After leaving the navy, Van Cleef returned home to Somerset. He played in an amateur dance band. Van Cleef received his first acting role as George in the play Our Town at the Little Theater Group in Clinton, New Jersey . His next role was that of the boxer, Joe Pendleton, in the play Heaven Can Wait . A talent scout took him to New York City talent agent Maynard Morris of

330-908: The CBS Western series Brave Eagle . Van Cleef played a villain in an episode of The Adventures of Champion the Wonder Horse in 1955. He played Cherokee Bob in the NBC Western series Tales of Wells Fargo in 1957. 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 . Van Cleef played different characters on four episodes of ABC 's The Rifleman , with Chuck Connors , between 1959 and 1962 (as Stinger in S2 E31 "The Prodigal" 1960), and twice on ABC's Tombstone Territory . In 1958, he

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360-692: The MCA agency, who sent him to the Alvin Theater where he won a role in Mister Roberts . Van Cleef's screen debut came in High Noon . During a performance of Mister Roberts in Los Angeles, he was noticed by film producer Stanley Kramer , who offered Van Cleef a role in his upcoming film. Kramer wanted Van Cleef for the role of the deputy Harvey Pell, but wanted Van Cleef to have his nose fixed. Van Cleef declined

390-470: The "official" series. They include: Lee Van Cleef Clarence LeRoy Van Cleef Jr. (January 9, 1925 – December 16, 1989) was an American actor. He appeared in over 170 film and television roles in a career spanning nearly 40 years, but is best known as a star of spaghetti westerns , particularly the Sergio Leone -directed Dollars Trilogy films, For a Few Dollars More (1965) and The Good,

420-838: The ABC/ Warner Brothers Western series The Alaskans . Van Cleef guest-starred on the CBS Western series Have Gun – Will Travel , on the ABC/ Warner Bros. series Colt .45 , on the NBC Western series Cimarron City and Laramie , and on Rod Cameron's syndicated crime dramas City Detective and State Trooper . He guest-starred in an episode of John Bromfield 's syndicated crime drama Sheriff of Cochise . Van Cleef starred as minor villains and henchmen in various Westerns, including The Tin Star and Gunfight at

450-559: The Bad and the Ugly (1966). With his roles in Leone's films, Van Cleef became a major star of Spaghetti Westerns , playing central, and often surprisingly heroic, roles in films such as The Big Gundown (1966), Death Rides a Horse (1967), Day of Anger (1967), and The Grand Duel (1972). He played the title role in Sabata (1969) and Return of Sabata (1971), and co-starred with Jim Brown in an Italian-American co-production, Take

480-620: The Bad and the Ugly (1966). In 1983, he received a Golden Boot Award for his contribution to the Western film and television genre. 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

510-565: The Golden Oranges"). That same year, he appeared in "The Day of the Misfits" on The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters . In 1965, Leone cast Van Cleef, whose career had yet to take off, as a main protagonist alongside Clint Eastwood in For a Few Dollars More . 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,

540-584: The O.K. Corral . In 1960, he appeared as a villainous swindler in the Bonanza episode, "The Bloodline" (December 31, 1960) and also made an appearance on Gunsmoke . In 1961, he played a role on episode 7 ("The Grave") of the third season of The Twilight Zone starring Lee Marvin . He played a villainous henchman of Lee Marvin's titular character in the 1962 John Ford movie The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance starring John Wayne and James Stewart . In 1963, he appeared on Perry Mason (episode: "The Case of

570-473: The children's syndicated Western series The Adventures of Kit Carson . He was cast three times in syndicated Western series, The Range Rider . He appeared in episode 82 of the television series The Lone Ranger in 1952. In 1954, he appeared as Jesse James in the syndicated series Stories of the Century . In 1955, he was cast twice on the syndicated Western series, Annie Oakley and guest-starred on

600-414: The fearless but unarmed Father John. After that, the gang member responsible for the murder is broken out of jail. Vowing revenge, the gang ambushes and guns Father John down on the steps of his church, and then take over the town while waiting for the arrival of the next stagecoach. However, Johnny O'Hara (Leif Garrett), a local boy, manages to escape with a couple of their horses and rides off to Mexico in

630-590: The first Sabata film, had been offered the role, but had to decline because he was committed to The Magnificent Seven Ride! in the role of Chris Adams, which Brynner had made famous in The Magnificent Seven . Adiós, Sabata is set in Mexico under the rule of Emperor Maximilian I , and Sabata is hired to steal a wagonload of gold from the Austrian army. Lee Van Cleef returns to the role of Sabata, who goes to

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660-477: The hope of finding the priest's gunfighter twin brother (also Van Cleef). They meet and set off back across the border to clean up the town. Meanwhile, Sam Clayton discovers that he is Johnny's father. Also, it is revealed that some fifteen years earlier, during the American Civil War , Jenny O'Hara (Sybil Danning) had been one of Clayton's victims, adding to the mystery of Johnny's paternity. God's Gun

690-579: The lead role of John Peter McAllister on the martial arts television series The Master (1984). Lee Van Cleef was born on January 9, 1925, in Somerville, New Jersey , to Marion Lavinia Van Fleet and Clarence LeRoy Van Cleef. His father was a pharmacist and his mother a concert pianist, both of Dutch descent. Lee graduated from Somerville High School and enlisted in the United States Navy in September 1942. After completing his military training, Van Cleef

720-404: The main character in the film as Johnny, a fatherless kid who brings the reformed gunfighter to town to avenge his brother's murder. One day Sam Clayton (Jack Palance) and his gang arrive in the small town of Juno City where Father John (Lee Van Cleef) is the priest of the local church. The gang wreak havoc in town, raping a woman and knifing a man in the back. They leave town, only to be caught by

750-469: The role in favor of the part of the silent gunslinger Jack Colby. He was cast in Kansas City Confidential (1952), Vice Squad (1953), The Big Combo (1955), and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966). In 1952, he made his television debut when he was cast in the episode "Formula for Fear" of the Western aviation series Sky King . Van Cleef appeared six times between 1953 and 1955 on

780-761: The ship performed air-sea rescue patrols in the Black Sea before returning to Palermo , Sicily. By the time of his discharge in March 1946, he had achieved the rank of Sonarman First Class (SO1) and had earned his mine sweeper patch. He also had been awarded the Bronze Star and the Good Conduct Medal . By virtue of his deployments, Van Cleef also qualified for the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal , Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal ,

810-684: Was assigned to a submarine chaser and then to a minesweeper called the USS ; Incredible , on which he worked as a sonarman . The ship initially patrolled the Caribbean , then moved to the Mediterranean , participating in the landings in southern France . In January 1945, Incredible moved to the Black Sea , and performed sweeping duties out of the Soviet Navy base at Sevastopol , Crimea . Afterwards,

840-450: Was cast as Deputy Sid Carver in the episode "The Great Stagecoach Robbery" of another syndicated Western series, Frontier Doctor , starring Rex Allen . In 1959, Van Cleef appeared as Luke Clagg in the episode "Strange Request" of the NBC Western series Riverboat , as Jumbo Kane in the episode "The Hostage" on the CBS Western series " Wanted Dead or Alive ", and in an episode of Maverick titled "Red Dog" in 1961. Van Cleef played

870-677: Was featured in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966). Despite suffering from heart disease from the 1970s and having a pacemaker installed in the 1980s, Van Cleef continued to work in films until his death on December 16, 1989. He collapsed from a heart attack in his home in Oxnard, California . Throat cancer was listed as a secondary cause of death. 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

900-481: Was filmed in 1975 in Israel. Richard Boone walked off the film before it was completed, leaving his role to be dubbed by another actor. In an interview with Cleveland Amory in Israel in May 1976, Boone told Amory: "I'm starring in the worst picture ever made. The producer is an Israeli and the director is Italian, and they don't speak. Fortunately it doesn't matter, because the director is deaf in both ears." God's Gun

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