When moviegoers hear the name Lee Van Cleef, they usually picture leather holsters, dusty saloons, and Ennio Morricone soundtracks. While his work in Italian Westerns made him an international superstar, the 1970s saw Van Cleef step out of the saddle to reinvent himself across a wide array of contemporary genres.
Throughout the decade, Van Cleef brought his formidable screen presence to gritty Euro-crime (poliziotteschi), international heist thrillers, cold-blooded assassin flicks, and hard-nosed television pilots. Yet while his Spaghetti Westerns get 4K restorations and lavish box sets, a significant portion of his 1970s modern-day thrillers remain trapped on low-res DVDs, obscure VHS transfers, or lost television archives.
Here are five non-Western Lee Van Cleef titles from the 1970s that boutique physical media labels like Vinegar Syndrome, Radiance, or Severin need to resurrect on Blu-ray.
1. Mean Frank and Crazy Tony (aka Escape from Death Row / Dio, sei un padreterno!, 1973)
Directed by Michele Lupo, this film stars Van Cleef as Frank Diomede ("Mean Frank"), an iron-fisted mob boss locked away in a brutal prison. Enter Tony (played by Tony Lo Bianco), an over-eager, erratic petty criminal who idolizes Frank and wants to form a partnership.
Why it needs HD: It’s a fast-paced, violent, and surprisingly funny entry in the 1970s Euro-crime genre. Riz Ortolani’s driving score alone deserves an uncompressed audio track, and the gritty prison brawls and car chases were built for a 2K restoration.
Current Status: Stuck in low-grade DVD multipacks or low-res streaming rips.
2. The Perfect Killer (aka Objetivo: matar / Satanic Mechanic, 1977)
Directed by Mario Siciliano, Van Cleef stars as Harry Chapman, an aging, taciturn hitman recruited by the mob out of prison. As he tries to carry out his contracts, he finds himself double-crossed by a treacherous former lover (Carmen Cervera) and stalked by a sadistic, unhinged rival assassin (Alberto Dell'Acqua).
Why it needs HD: It’s a downbeat, atmospheric crime film with a score by Stelvio Cipriani and classic late-period Van Cleef grit. Seeing Van Cleef navigate the deadly cat-and-mouse game against Dell'Acqua's psychopath is pure Euro-thriller material.
Current Status: Relegated to obscure, murky VHS rips and muddy grey-market DVD pressings.
3. Nowhere to Hide (aka Scanlon / Fatal Chase, 1977)
Directed Jack Starrett (Race with the Devil, Cleopatra Jones), this NBC TV-movie stars Van Cleef as Ike Scanlon, a veteran U.S. Marshal heading a special unit assigned to protect a mob hitman (Tony Musante) turning state's evidence.
Why it needs HD: This proposed series pilot plays like a sharp 1970s police procedural with high-stakes escort tension. Van Cleef brings gravitas to the badge, supported by a great '70s character-actor cast including Charles Robinson, David Proval, and Russell Johnson.
Current Status: Never received a commercial retail release on modern home video; only exists as bootleg collector prints sourced from original television broadcasts.
4. The Squeeze (aka The Rip-Off / Controrapina, 1978)
Directed by Antonio Margheriti (The Stranger and the Gunfighter, Take a Hard Ride), the film stars Van Cleef as Chris Gretchko, a veteran safecracker coaxed into one last diamond heist in New York City. The stacked cast includes Karen Black as an eccentric neighbor who helps him hide out, Edward Albert as his young partner, Lionel Stander as his trusted fence, and Robert Alda as the police captain closing in.
Why it needs HD: It marks one of Van Cleef's memorable late-'70s lead roles in a heist picture, shot on location in New York and Hamburg. Between Margheriti's kinetic direction, Paolo Vasile's soundtrack, and the chemistry between Van Cleef, Karen Black, and Lionel Stander, it’s a prime candidate for a 2K scan.
Current Status: Largely stuck in low-res transfers and bargain-bin VHS/DVD releases with no official HD release worldwide.
5. The Hard Way (1979)
The Pitch: A tense, melancholic cat-and-mouse game between two absolute acting heavyweights.
This late-'70s British TV film made by ITC pairs Van Cleef with Patrick McGoohan (The Prisoner). McGoohan plays a weary hitman who wants out of the trade, while Van Cleef plays his ruthless employer who refuses to let him retire quietly.
Why it needs HD: Unlike his broader action movies, The Hard Way is a quiet, somber thriller that highlights Van Cleef's underrated dramatic chops. The chemistry between McGoohan and Van Cleef is electrifying.
Current Status: Released on a bare-bones UK DVD years ago, but it has never seen a proper modern transfer or Blu-ray release.
Lee Van Cleef’s 1970s work in non-Western genres highlights his incredible adaptability as an actor. Whether playing a mob boss, an aging safecracker, or a U.S. Marshal, he commanded the screen with effortless authority. It's time for boutique labels to look beyond the desert and give these gritty crime classics the High-Definition treatments they deserve.
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