Lee Van Cleef

[indio]

i know he's great in the Leone films but what are his best roles in other spag. westerns?
i only know a few of his roles, i do like the big gundown.

[Cusser]

I'd say Van Cleef was good in Death Rides a Horse and Day of Anger as well as Big Gundown (but can't understand that if he was such a smart tracker/killer, that he didn't figure it out much sooner, and let Cuchillo outsmart him a few times).   And not too bad in Sabata.  I'd avoid Return of Sabata, Stranger and Gunfighter.

[indio]

yeah i like death rides a horse and i've just bought day of anger but its not here yet, looking forward to that.

[Belkin]

Check him out in a non western role in THE HARD WAY. Shot in Ireland in the late 70's.
REVIEW BELOW.

A brooding film in which one feels the angst of the retiring Irish hit-man (Patrick McGoohan) who foolishly agrees to do one last assassination. This quiet film is poignantly "narrated" by the gunman's estranged wife whose memories enter the story to provide a framework and background for the tragic figure and his family. Any "Prisoner" fan will see parallels between aspects of this plot and McGoohan's previous series: an agent who wants to give up his covert work but is not let off the hook so easily by his masters. The agent decides to leave anyway and is pursued relentlessly by his former bosses. In "The Hard Way" this pursuit takes us through rural Ireland to a dramatic showdown with Lee Van Cleef. An understated, interesting study, worth a look.

[Marco Leone]

"The Grand Duel" is a great film, with brilliant music too (which Tarantino used in Kill Bill).  Personally, I also like Blood Money aka The Stranger and the Gunfighter, but thats maybe just a matter of personal taste.

[HEX]

WHAT EVER U DO...

AVOID THESE AT ALL COST

GODS GUN(better then KID VENGEANCE... but still crap)

KID VENGEANCE(the worst van cleef ever. and the worst sw i have seen and i have seen more then 50 by now.)

THE STRANGER AND THE GUN FIGHTER( SORRY TO DISAGREE WITH U MARKO LEONE)

[HEX]

oh by the way DERRINGDO youre an obvious VAN CLEEF fan.
even though i said harsh things about "kid vengeance"(and they are true) it does not mean u shouldnt see it at least once.

i believe hardcore sw fans should watch the entire genre(even though there is over 400, but u can try to pull it off before youre time here is done)

even immense crap like KID VENGEANCE.(also since youre a CATTIVO fan u should sit and die for about an hour and a half just to watch it.

[Leone Admirer]

Just to ask is the Grand Duel definatly worth a viewing?

[Marco Leone]

"Grand Duel" is classic LVC!

I'm with Derringdo on God's Gun - I couldn't recommend it, but still enjoyed watching it.  Despite the annoying kid.

Hex - I'm not sure why I have such a love affair with The Stranger & the Gunfigher/Blood Money, but I just thought it was a great film - if you are in a mood for something not too serious.  But I would quite understand why many are not so keen.

The much laughed at Captain Apache is nearing the top of my viewing pile (for those that haven't heard me waffle about it before, I religiously watch the films in the order I buy them, and have spent far more money than I should have on them over the last few years, so have a backlog that should last until next April!  I purchased Captain Apache and have seen it gradually approach.  And, yes, I am quite looking forward to it!  ).

[HEX]

i added his best roles and one bad one. i did not bother adding more because i figured not to have a bunch of crappy sw on here(which he did a lot of).

RYAN-as this character he is his typical tough guy role but with a past he wants to set right.

FRANK TALBY-typical tough guy role again, only difference is he has a mid-life crisis.

SABATA- typical tough guy in the first film with a hint of comedy. the second being the better of the two roles(unfortunatly i cant say the same for the film) here he is in a different form. u have not quite seen him like this before, very comical in body language.

CUDLIP-does a great transformation from BANDIT to a good guy. too bad the film sucks.

CORBURT-typical tough guy role. but he is a somewhat of a introvert. he looks a bit tortured throughout the film. he cannot relate to normal people.

GRAND DUEL character- typical tough guy role. only he is not really an anti-hero. he is out to help the down trodden.

i am not sure what to say.... most of his roles are very much alike. ill go with his role in the second SABATA movie since it was so different.

[dave jenkins]

Uh, aren't all LVC's performances pretty much the same?

[grandpa_chum]

no... but a lot of them are.

and you can't fault him if the only offers he ever got were for basically the same character... honestly I'm surprised they are as different as they are... which to me a is a compliment to LVC.

[Leone Admirer]

I voted Ryan as I think thats his best performance non Leone wise, closely followed by Day of Anger

[grandpa_chum]

my thoughts exactly

[Banjo]

I say Sabata because this was Van Cleefs favourite role and he quite visibly played the part with relish-you can even see the twinkle in his eye!