You’d think Lee Van Cleef would hail from Italy since he’s known for Sergio Leone’s Spaghetti Westerns: For a Few Dollars More (1965) and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) starring Clint Eastwood. But the late actor was actually an all-American guy who enlisted in the US Navy. For his service in the 1940s, Van Cleef received the Bronze Star and the Good Conduct Medal. Once he returned home, Lee began acting on stage. Yet with his high cheekbones and fit physique, the 6′2″ stunner was meant to be on camera! As such, he made his movie debut in the Gary Cooper Western High Noon (1952). Guest spots on televised Westerns (The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin, Bonanza, Gunsmoke, The Lone Ranger, The Rifleman, Wagon Train) followed. With his piercing gaze and strong jawline, Van Cleef had fans rooting for the bad guy! During the fifties, he appeared alongside Burt Lancaster in Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957); Henry Fonda in The Tin Star (1957); and Gregory Peck in The Bravados (1958). In 1962, John Ford directed Lee, James Stewart and John Wayne in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance and How the West Was Won. By 1971, the topless hottie touted his tanned abs and gams while donning a loin cloth in Captain Apache. Lee also performed in other genres, including the WWII drama The Young Lions (1958) with Marlon Brando and the sci-fi action flick Escape from New York (1981). But we’re wild about his Wild West look!
