Lee Van Cleef

[Crowley] took his hands out of his pockets and he raised them like Bruce Lee and then he smiled like Lee Van Cleef. (299)

Lee Van Cleef (1925-1989) was an American actor known for his memorable portrayals of villains in Westerns and action films. His high cheekbones, piercing eyes and sharp nose gave his face a sinister appearance. He once said, “Being born with a beady-eyed sneer was the best thing that ever happened to me.”

In the Chicago Tribune’s obituary for Van Cleef, Bob Greene wrote, “… movie audiences looked at him, and they were scared of him and they hated him and they wanted the hero to kill him.”

The inference is that Crowley’s smile made him look as evil as he possibly could — without changing into something dreadful.

Other sources:
“The Hawklike Guy We Loved to Hate” by Bob Greene, The Chicago Tribune, December 20, 1989. Accessed 10 October 2012. <http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1989-12-20/features/8903190601_1_lee-van-cleef-high-noon-guy>.
Excerpt from “Best of the Badmen” by Boyd Magers, Bob Nareau, and Bobby Copeland. Accessed 10 October 2012. <http://thebadnet.blogspot.com/2012_06_01_archive.html>.

Edition referenced in this article: UK Gollancz hardcover (2007)
Written by Lynette