  clarence leroy "lee" van cleef, jr. (january 9, 1925 â december 16, 1989), was an american film actor who appeared mostly in westerns and action pictures. his sharp features and piercing eyes led to his being cast as a villain in scores of films, such as kansas city confidential, high noon, the man who shot liberty valance, and the good, the bad and the ugly. after his success in the last of these, he played the hero in many of his later movies. == youth == van cleef was born on january 9, 1925 in somerville, new jersey, the son of marion levinia (nÃ©e van fleet) and clarence leroy van cleef sr. both of his parents were of dutch ancestry. the rumor that van cleef's mother was also of indonesian ancestry has been proven false. at the age of 17, van cleef obtained his high school diploma early in his senior year in order to enlist in the united states navy in september, 1942. after basic training and further training at the naval fleet sound school, he was assigned to a subchaser and then to a minesweeper, the , patrolling the caribbean sea where he worked as sonarman. van cleef's ship also did cruise orders in the crimean sea and participated in the invasion of southern france. van cleef was awarded commendations in the form of: the american theater and african-mediterranean-european ribbons plus one bronze star. upon discharge from active duty in march, 1946, van cleef had also earned sonar-man first class, the mine sweeping insignia, the asiatic pacific medal, the good conduct medal, the eyes of gabriel plaque and the wwii victory medal. after leaving the navy, van cleef worked a series of jobs, including working on a cattle ranch, caretaker of a summer camp in maine and subsequently accounting. == career == it was following his time in the navy that van cleef was cajoled by a friend into reading for a part in an upcoming play, our town, at the little theater group in clinton, new jersey. van cleef actually got the part. from there, van cle
1925_births 1989_deaths 20th-century_American_male_actors American_male_film_actors American_male_television_actors American_military_personnel_of_World_War_II American_people_of_Dutch_descent Burials_at_Forest_Lawn_Memorial_Park_(Hollywood_Hills) Cardiovascular_disease_deaths_in_California Deaths_from_myocardial_infarction Male_Spaghetti_Western_actors Male_Western_(genre)_film_actors Male_actors_from_Los_Angeles,_California Male_actors_from_New_Jersey Male_actors_from_Oxnard,_California People_from_Somerville,_New_Jersey United_States_Navy_sailors