Lee Van Cleef was part of a past era of Westerns that made the genre legendary. Names like Clint Eastwood and John Wayne stole the show with their international hits, but the likes of Cleef, Franco Nero and a handful of others starred in some memorable flicks.
While Van Cleef is most recognizable for playing a villain in For a Few Dollars More, he played the hero riding off into the sunset just as much. Some of these films have gone on to influence more modern directors, particularly Quentin Tarantino, and Death Rides a Horse is a big inspiration for many of his films. Let's see how Van Cleef's films rank, across the board.
Return Of Sabata (1971): 5.7/10
Van Cleef returned for this film, the final in the trilogy after Yul Brynner took over the role in the second movie. Despite Van Cleef's triumphant return, the movie was met with negative reviews is often considered one of the worst Westerns made.
The movie follows Sabata working as a marksman for a circus, only to find the town mayor imposing heavy taxes on its people. Seeing an opportunity, Sabata takes on the mayor of the town in an effort to rob him. Despite the complex plot, the movie didn't fare well with fans or the box office.
The Magnificent Seven Ride! (1972): 5.7/10
A sequel to The Magnificent Seven, but not the original featuring Steve McQueen and Yul Brynner, this iteration stars Van Cleef as Chris Adams, out to get to rid of a gang of bandits. While it doesn't stand tall next to the original, the sequel does feature Gary Busey playing the character of Hank Allen.
Fans of the Western genre usually recall the original and disregard the sequels, but Van Cleef offers a performance worth the 100-minute watch.
Blood Money (1974): 5.8/10
This comedy Western from the 70s combines two genres for a bombastic adventure of guns and martial arts. Blood Money follows Lee Van Cleef alongside a martial artist in search of treasure.
Blood Money isn't a traditional Western, but it's the blueprint for later buddy-cop flicks that feature martial arts as part of the plot, like those starring Jackie Chan.
The Grand Duel (1972): 6.5/10
The Grand Duel, or Il Grando Duello, follows Van Cleef as a veteran Sherrif (who closely resembles a famous character of his from an Eastwood flick), determined to prove that a man framed for murder is innocent.
Despite the mediocre rating, The Grand Duel features some ambitious action scenes and stunts for the 70s.
Sabata (1969): 6.8/10
If the name "Clint Eastwood" is synonymous with The Man with No Name (Sergio Leone's Dollars Trilogy), Van Cleef's name is commonly associated with the character of Sabata. Bounty hunters are a common character in Westerns, hunting down outlaws who're up to no good. Sabata stars Cleef in search of a group of bandits who stole $100,000 from the bank. Cleef, playing the character of Sabata, teams up with a bandit named Carrachina and his partner, Banjo.
The three characters working in tandem resemble those from The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly while they work within the framework of the plot from Once Upon a Time in the West.
Barquero (1970): 6.3/10
Talk about the wrong place at the wrong time, Barquero stars Van Cleef as the captain of a ferry who refuses to be coerced by a gang of outlaws looking to escape after a successful robbery. Barquero isn't a traditional Western, but its unique plotline was a success.
Instead of playing a grizzled veteran gunslinger looking to complete one last job, it follows the point of view of a common man caught in the midst of a crime.
The Big Gundown (1966): 7.4/10
The Big Gundown features a "lawman" who pursues a Mexican bandit accused of raping and killing a 12-year-old girl. Revenge movies can be hit or miss because of their one-dimensional storylines, but The Big Gundown is proof these are some of the best Westerns out there.
Lee Van Cleef embodies a cold-hearted persona in one of his best performances, making it one of his most emotional roles.
Day Of Anger (1967): 7.1/10
Day of Anger follows a young garbage boy who takes a job with a famous gunfighter, only to learn of his violent behavior when he visits his hometown.
Van Cleef co-stars alongside Guiliano Gemma as Scott Mary, whose naive optimism clashes with the disgruntled veteran gunslinger.
Death Rides A Horse (1967): 7.1/10
Death Rides a Horse stars Van Cleef and John Phillip Law as two gunslingers teaming up to hunt down a clan of bandits. It's a classic young and passionate and old and experienced working together to conquer the outlaws who killed his family.
At the height of his career, this was one of Van Cleef's biggest movies outside of projects featuring Eastwood and other famous Western stars.
For A Few Dollars More (1965): 8.3/10
Not only is For a Few Dollars More Van Cleef's greatest movie, but it's also one of best Western's of all time, sitting beside The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. Much like the last entry of this list, it features two gunslingers teaming up to hunt down a big-time bounty.
Following the success of A Fistful of Dollars, Sergio Leone went on to create one of the best movie series of all time, with each entry better than the last.