Sergio Leone Web Board

General Information => General Discussion => Topic started by: uno hombre on February 16, 2003, 12:18:33 AM

Title: Van Cleef's right hand
Post by: uno hombre on February 16, 2003, 12:18:33 AM

hello spagetti-lovers,
 i am new to this board but have been a leone fan since the sixties when i first saw GBU. having recently viewed this film again, i noticed that Van Cleef is missing the end of the middle finger of his right hand. does anyone know the story behind this ? just think how fortunate he and we are that it is only his middle finger and not his trigger finger ! thanks in advance for any replies
                                                                                 PL

Title: Re:Van Cleef's right hand
Post by: cigar joe on February 16, 2003, 07:11:00 AM

I think it was bit off by a horse  :)

Title: Re:Van Cleef's right hand
Post by: English Bob on February 17, 2003, 08:12:33 AM

I heard that he said it was lost in an accident building a tree house for his kids, or possibly in a bar fight, but I'm not certain.

Title: Re:Van Cleef's right hand
Post by: cigar joe on February 17, 2003, 09:29:36 AM

You are right it was doing some kind of construction, I just checked the Van Cleef site.

Title: Re:Van Cleef's right hand
Post by: aussiedave on February 25, 2003, 03:45:20 AM

I prefer the horse bite answer. Sounds better!!!!!

Title: Re:Van Cleef's right hand
Post by: Mannaja on March 08, 2003, 11:13:40 PM

"Nine fingered man, four-barrelled Derringer
 He´s the only invincible man in the countryside..."

Title: Re:Van Cleef's right hand
Post by: Angel Eyes on March 11, 2003, 10:35:07 AM

In the prequel to FOD, he has it shot off by one of the Jacksons in a dispute over a card game.

Title: Re:Van Cleef's right hand
Post by: Cusser on March 11, 2003, 12:41:35 PM

Hey, poster "Angel Eyes" is using my picture (Cusser/Cussboy).  I believe in Return of Sabata someone teases him about needing an extra trigger finger...

Title: Re:Van Cleef's right hand
Post by: shorty larsen on March 11, 2003, 12:51:48 PM

Christopher Frayling tells us that Lee Van Cleef had a serious accident (he don't say any more) "which made it difficult for him to walk. If you look at his films, he walks very badly. His legs were very buckled. His knee particularly never actually recovered from that accident".

Frayling don't mention anything about a finger.

Can we suppose that an accident of such magnitude costed Van Cleef's finger too?

Title: Re:Van Cleef's right hand
Post by: shorty larsen on March 11, 2003, 12:59:43 PM

According to the site

http://members.aol.com/ilcattivo2/bio.htm,

The accident was a car one, and due to Van Cleef alcohol problems. But it has nothing to do with his finger.

He cut it off while building a studio off his house in Granada.

English Bob and Cigar Joe were wright.

Title: Re:Van Cleef's right hand
Post by: Angel Eyes on March 12, 2003, 05:21:55 AM

REmember Cussboy, when I'm paid to do a job I always follow it through...