Famous Genealogies

Biography

Van Cleef was born Clarence LeRoy Van Cleef, Jr. in Somerville, New Jersey, the son of Marion Levinia (née Van Fleet) and Clarence LeRoy Van Cleef, Sr. both of Dutch ancestry. Van Cleef served in the United States Navy aboard minesweepers and subchasers during World War II and became an actor after a brief career as an accountant.

His first acting experiences were on stage, including a small role in the original Broadway production of Mister Roberts. His first film was the classic Western High Noon, in which he played a villain. He also had a bit part as the sharpshooter in the climax of The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms around the same time. In 1956 he co-starred with Peter Graves in the B-grade science fiction movie It Conquered the World.

In addition to Westerns and the science fiction films, three of his early major roles were in noir films, Kansas City Confidential of 1952, Vice Squad of 1953, and The Big Combo of 1955. All have attained status as classic noir films of the 1950s and Van Cleef's roles, though as secondary characters and villains, were memorable.

Source :  http://www.wikipedia.org/