There was a TV program on the movie business and character actors I saw on TV years ago hosted by Burt Reynolds and suddenly (I was expecting Lee to be on it) Burt Reynolds says something like "here is movie tough guy Lee Van Cleef" and Lee is being interviewed by someone off camera and this is the way he looked. I well remember the walking stick with the ball on top.
Also Lee was reported at the time, if I remember correctly, about 1981 or 2, as starring in a movie that was to be shot in Texas but I never saw anything about it again and the movie never came out. My guess is the movie either never went before the cameras or production of it was not completed or it was completed and never released. Lee's pacemaker ordeal in the early 80's may have had something to do with it. Also I think Dallas star Linda Gray was to be in the film too and it could be that Lee is dressed like this and has the beard for that film. I could be mistaken though as the dates may be wrong and it is possible and even likely that the movie never went before the cameras.
There was a war picture to be shot in Europe reported in Variety in the early 70's that was to star Lee Van Cleef, Mike Conners, Telly Salavas and a few other noted stars that never was made or if they started on it, it wasn't completed.
It would be interesting to find out how many films Lee was approached for that either never were made or never finished or never released.
Of course there is the one that was completed but probably never released that was shot in Mexico and Lee and Dabbs Greer were in it and got stranded in Mexico when the producer told them he was out of money and would not provide transportation for them to return to California. I had never heard of this until I happened to have the opportunity to speak with Dabbs Greer personally and I eventually brought up Lee Van Cleef to him and suddenly, out of the blue, Greer related this story to me. It was very interesting to hear from Greer about how he and Lee was stuck for several days in Mexico with no funds to travel back to LA. And Greer was thankful Lee was there as Lee made the ordeal easier for Greer to handle as Greer said that it upset him tremendously and that Lee brought calm and confidence to this awful situation that he will never forget and Greer had many kind things to say about Lee and what a great friend and guy he was to him and many others.
I remember reading of a couple of films mentioned in Variety and the L.A. Times that Lee was to appear in. One was about a big game hunter in Africa. I've forgotten the name of the film. The other was to be called "Spaghetti Western" and was to have been made in the 1980s including Woody Strode, Guy Madison and Jack Elam. There was also a rumor he was to have been in Bandolero and was to have been offered the Dean Martin role. This makes some sense because if you notice on the LP of the score Martin is not shown as if they hadn't selected the actor to play the role.
There was a TV program on the movie business and character actors I saw on TV years ago hosted by Burt Reynolds and suddenly (I was expecting Lee to be on it) Burt Reynolds says something like "here is movie tough guy Lee Van Cleef" and Lee is being interviewed by someone off camera and this is the way he looked. I well remember the walking stick with the ball on top.
ReplyDeleteAlso Lee was reported at the time, if I remember correctly, about 1981 or 2, as starring in a movie that was to be shot in Texas but I never saw anything about it again and the movie never came out. My guess is the movie either never went before the cameras or production of it was not completed or it was completed and never released. Lee's pacemaker ordeal in the early 80's may have had something to do with it. Also I think Dallas star Linda Gray was to be in the film too and it could be that Lee is dressed like this and has the beard for that film. I could be mistaken though as the dates may be wrong and it is possible and even likely that the movie never went before the cameras.
There was a war picture to be shot in Europe reported in Variety in the early 70's that was to star Lee Van Cleef, Mike Conners, Telly Salavas and a few other noted stars that never was made or if they started on it, it wasn't completed.
It would be interesting to find out how many films Lee was approached for that either never were made or never finished or never released.
Of course there is the one that was completed but probably never released that was shot in Mexico and Lee and Dabbs Greer were in it and got stranded in Mexico when the producer told them he was out of money and would not provide transportation for them to return to California. I had never heard of this until I happened to have the opportunity to speak with Dabbs Greer personally and I eventually brought up Lee Van Cleef to him and suddenly, out of the blue, Greer related this story to me. It was very interesting to hear from Greer about how he and Lee was stuck for several days in Mexico with no funds to travel back to LA. And Greer was thankful Lee was there as Lee made the ordeal easier for Greer to handle as Greer said that it upset him tremendously and that Lee brought calm and confidence to this awful situation that he will never forget and Greer had many kind things to say about Lee and what a great friend and guy he was to him and many others.
I remember reading of a couple of films mentioned in Variety and the L.A. Times that Lee was to appear in. One was about a big game hunter in Africa. I've forgotten the name of the film. The other was to be called "Spaghetti Western" and was to have been made in the 1980s including Woody Strode, Guy Madison and Jack Elam. There was also a rumor he was to have been in Bandolero and was to have been offered the Dean Martin role. This makes some sense because if you notice on the LP of the score Martin is not shown as if they hadn't selected the actor to play the role.
ReplyDelete