Victor Sen Yung, Acting - KorPlix:Korean Person Archives

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Victor Sen Yung
Acting

Victor Sen Yung
Known For
Acting
Birthday
1915-10-18,San Francisco, California, USA
Gender
Male
Biography
Victor Sen Young (born Victor Cheung Young or Sen Yew Cheung; October 18, 1915 – body discovered November 9, 1980) was an American character actor, best known for playing Jimmy Chan in the Charlie Chan films and Hop Sing in the Western series Bonanza. He was born in San Francisco, California to Gum Yung Sen and his first wife, both immigrants from China. His mother died during the flu epidemic of 1919. His father placed Victor and his younger sister, Rosemary, in a children's shelter, and returned to his homeland to seek another wife. He returned in 1922 with his new wife, Lovi Shee, forming a household with his two children. Sen Yung made his first significant acting debut in the 1938 film Charlie Chan in Honolulu, as the Chinese detective's "number two son", Jimmy Chan. Sen Yung played Jimmy Chan in 11 Charlie Chan films between 1938 and 1942. Moonlighting from the popular Chan series, Sen Yung won critical acclaim playing the nuanced role of Ong Chi Seng, a young attorney assisting Howard Joyce, in defending Leslie Crosbie, in The Letter. Like other Chinese-American actors, he was cast in Japanese parts during World War II, like his role as the treacherous Japanese-American Joe Totsuiko in the 1942 Humphrey Bogart film Across the Pacific. During World War II he joined the U.S. Army Air Forces just as his erstwhile co-star Sidney Toler was set to revive the dormant Charlie Chan series at Monogram Pictures. Sen Yung's military obligations forced him to decline rejoining the series immediately, but Monogram gave him a standing invitation to work there after his tour of duty. Sen Yung's military service included work in training films at the First Motion Picture Unit and a role in the Army Air Forces' play and film Winged Victory. In 1946 Sen Yung resumed his Hollywood career at Monogram, now billed as Victor Sen Young, and reunited with Sidney Toler. Toler's health was failing; Monogram was conserving Toler's waning energy, limiting his scenes and giving him long rest periods during filming. To relieve the burden on Toler, Monogram entrusted much of the action to Victor Sen Young; he and either Mantan Moreland or Willie Best shared much of the footage in Toler's final three films, Dangerous Money, Shadows Over Chinatown, and The Trap. The addition of Moreland as Chan's black chauffeur, Birmingham Brown, reflected the fact that by this time the Chan pictures had a significant following among black Americans, who liked a film series that for once did not feature a white hero. Moreland's popularity in the Chan pictures was so great that he was booked for a nationwide vaudeville tour. Following Toler's death in 1947, Victor Sen Young appeared in five of the remaining six Charlie Chan features. His character "Jimmy" was renamed "Tommy". Victor Sen Young continued to work in motion pictures and television in roles ranging from featured players (affable or earnest Asian characters) to bit roles (clerks, houseboys, waiters, etc.). Arguably even more than for his work in the Charlie Chan films, Victor Sen Yung is remembered as "Hop Sing," the irascible cook and general factotum on the iconic television series Bonanza, appearing in 107 episodes between 1959 and 1973. Sen Yung was also an accomplished and talented chef. He frequently appeared on cooking programs and authored The Great Wok Cookbook in 1974.

Filmography

6.647

The Movie Orgy
1968-01-01

Chinatown at Midnight

6

Chinatown at Midnight
1949-11-17

Flower Drum Song

6.271

Flower Drum Song
1961-11-09

Charlie Chan at Treasure Island

6.733

Charlie Chan at Treasure Island
1939-08-31

Charlie Chan in Reno

6.474

Charlie Chan in Reno
1939-06-16

Charlie Chan in Honolulu

6.545

Charlie Chan in Honolulu
1938-12-30

6.336

Forbidden
1953-12-02

Woman on the Run

6.8

Woman on the Run
1950-11-10

Castle in the Desert

7.075

Castle in the Desert
1942-02-02

6.4

Moontide
1942-05-29

Betrayal from the East

6.4

Betrayal from the East
1945-04-24

4.765

She Demons
1958-01-03

The Left Hand of God

6.349

The Left Hand of God
1955-09-02

The Breaking Point

7.1

The Breaking Point
1950-10-06

Charlie Chan's Murder Cruise

6.833

Charlie Chan's Murder Cruise
1940-05-02

Charlie Chan at the Wax Museum

7.714

Charlie Chan at the Wax Museum
1940-09-06

Charlie Chan in Panama

6.833

Charlie Chan in Panama
1940-03-01

Murder Over New York

6.225

Murder Over New York
1940-12-13

Charlie Chan in Rio

6.467

Charlie Chan in Rio
1941-09-05

6.528

Dead Men Tell
1941-03-28

Dangerous Money

5.885

Dangerous Money
1946-10-12

Shadows Over Chinatown

6.154

Shadows Over Chinatown
1946-06-27

6.789

The Trap
1946-11-30

5.752

The Hunters
1958-09-01

5.833

The Flame
1947-11-24

5.375

Jet Attack
1958-02-15

7.287

The Letter
1940-11-21

Across the Pacific

6.608

Across the Pacific
1942-09-04

Docks of New Orleans

6.071

Docks of New Orleans
1948-03-21

The Chinese Ring

5.118

The Chinese Ring
1947-12-06

The Shanghai Chest

6.583

The Shanghai Chest
1948-07-11

The Feathered Serpent

6.077

The Feathered Serpent
1948-12-19

5.567

The Golden Eye
1948-08-29

A Yank on the Burma Road

6

A Yank on the Burma Road
1942-01-29

6.875

China
1943-04-21

The Shanghai Story

5.05

The Shanghai Story
1954-09-01

7.75

Tuna Clipper
1949-04-11

Night Plane from Chungking

6.5

Night Plane from Chungking
1943-05-31

Shadows Over Shanghai

5.333

Shadows Over Shanghai
1938-10-14

The Crimson Key

4.5

The Crimson Key
1947-07-02

Mr. Moto Takes a Chance

5.816

Mr. Moto Takes a Chance
1938-06-11

The Sickle or the Cross

7

The Sickle or the Cross
1949-07-01

Kung Fu: The Way of the Tiger, the Sign of the Dragon

7.172

Kung Fu: The Way of the Tiger, the Sign of the Dragon
1972-02-22

The Killer Elite

5.796

The Killer Elite
1975-12-19

5.5

Web of Danger
1947-06-10

Secret Agent of Japan

5.5

Secret Agent of Japan
1942-04-03

Escape to Paradise

5.4

Escape to Paradise
1939-12-22

6.34

The Good Earth
1937-06-02

8

Lost Angel
1943-12-23

To the Ends of the Earth

5.889

To the Ends of the Earth
1948-02-07

Target Hong Kong

5.75

Target Hong Kong
1953-02-06

7.5

Peking Express
1951-08-01

Accused of Murder

4.8

Accused of Murder
1956-12-21

6.333

Winged Victory
1944-12-22

Key to the City

6.5

Key to the City
1950-02-02

8

Manila Calling
1942-10-16

5.964

Cripple Creek
1952-06-30

5.525

The Hawaiians
1970-06-17

The Rawhide Years

5.571

The Rawhide Years
1956-07-01

The Blue Gardenia

6.5

The Blue Gardenia
1953-03-20

Soldier of Fortune

6.016

Soldier of Fortune
1955-05-24

Double or Nothing

6.714

Double or Nothing
1937-09-17

5.167

Jubilee Trail
1954-05-15

Rogues' Regiment

6.75

Rogues' Regiment
1948-12-28

Boston Blackie's Chinese Venture

6.167

Boston Blackie's Chinese Venture
1949-03-02

Thank You, Mr. Moto

6.238

Thank You, Mr. Moto
1937-12-24

Little Tokyo, U.S.A.

7

Little Tokyo, U.S.A.
1942-07-08

5.6

Intrigue
1947-12-06

The Man with Bogart's Face

6

The Man with Bogart's Face
1980-10-03

Flight to Hong Kong

7.3

Flight to Hong Kong
1956-10-08

10

Valley of Fire
1951-11-20

Secrets of Monte Carlo

8

Secrets of Monte Carlo
1951-06-20

Confessions of an Opium Eater

5.8

Confessions of an Opium Eater
1962-06-20

Grounds for Marriage

5

Grounds for Marriage
1951-01-12

5.136

Hong Kong
1952-04-18

10

The Red Pony
1973-03-18

The Saga of Hemp Brown

6.4

The Saga of Hemp Brown
1958-09-05

The Law and the Lady

6.4

The Law and the Lady
1951-07-20

4.167

Jump Into Hell
1955-04-01

And Baby Makes Three

5.083

And Baby Makes Three
1949-12-02

G.I. War Brides

9

G.I. War Brides
1946-08-12

International Settlement

6.333

International Settlement
1938-02-04

Torchy Blane in Chinatown

7

Torchy Blane in Chinatown
1939-02-02

6.717

The Sniper
1952-05-09

The Groom Wore Spurs

5

The Groom Wore Spurs
1951-03-13

6.5

Barricade
1939-12-08

20,000 Men a Year

6.2

20,000 Men a Year
1939-10-26

5.917

Red Light
1949-09-30

A Ticket to Tomahawk

6

A Ticket to Tomahawk
1950-05-19

6.7

Men in War
1957-05-03

The Mad Martindales

7.5

The Mad Martindales
1942-05-15

7

Port of Hell
1954-12-05

They Met in Bombay

7.289

They Met in Bombay
1941-06-27

Half Past Midnight

7

Half Past Midnight
1948-03-01

Oh, You Beautiful Doll

5.5

Oh, You Beautiful Doll
1949-11-11

State Department: File 649

5

State Department: File 649
1949-02-11

Trader Tom of the China Seas

10

Trader Tom of the China Seas
1954-01-06

Dangerous Millions

5.4

Dangerous Millions
1946-11-27

A Flea in Her Ear

6.5

A Flea in Her Ear
1968-11-27

5.9

Blood Alley
1955-10-01

Dragon by the Tail

0

Dragon by the Tail
1961-01-30

The Family Nobody Wanted

0

The Family Nobody Wanted
1956-12-20

6.774

Mister Ed
1961-01-05

6.7

Here's Lucy
1968-09-23

7.7

Kung Fu
1972-10-14

5.64

The F.B.I.
1965-09-19

7.172

Hawaii Five-O
1968-09-20

Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.

7.106

Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.
1964-09-25

7.706

Perry Mason
1957-09-21

7.788

Night Gallery
1970-12-16

5.6

Hawaiian Eye
1959-10-07

7

Mickey
1964-09-16

7.9

Get Smart
1965-09-18

The Wild Wild West

7.6

The Wild Wild West
1965-09-17

0

China Smith
1952-01-01

6.675

Thriller
1960-09-13

Yancy Derringer

6.182

Yancy Derringer
1958-10-02

Richard Diamond, Private Detective

6.8

Richard Diamond, Private Detective
1957-07-01

Adventures of Superman

6.6

Adventures of Superman
1952-09-19

The Paul Lynde Show

5.25

The Paul Lynde Show
1972-09-13

5.2

Navy Log
1955-09-20

7.1

The Rifleman
1958-09-30

Terry and the Pirates

5

Terry and the Pirates
1952-11-25

7.3

Dr. Fu Manchu
1956-09-03

Captain Midnight

6.5

Captain Midnight
1954-09-04

The Barbara Stanwyck Show

6.4

The Barbara Stanwyck Show
1960-09-19

6.423

Isis
1975-09-06

The Jack Benny Program

7.824

The Jack Benny Program
1950-10-28

7.9

Get Smart
1965-09-18

0

Hong Kong
1960-03-01

6.7

Here's Lucy
1968-09-23

The Mike Douglas Show

5.8

The Mike Douglas Show
1961-12-11

7.521

Bonanza
1959-09-12

7.706

Perry Mason
1957-09-21

How the West Was Won

6.955

How the West Was Won
1977-02-06

7.7

Kung Fu
1972-10-14

7.7

Kung Fu
1972-10-14

5.64

The F.B.I.
1965-09-19

6.2

Broken Arrow
1956-09-25

8.333

Barbary Coast
1975-09-08

7.8

87th Precinct
1961-09-25

8

The Lone Wolf
1954-04-09

5.6

Hawaiian Eye
1959-10-07

5.64

The F.B.I.
1965-09-19

6.422

Police Woman
1974-09-13

5.6

Hawaiian Eye
1959-10-07

7.7

Kung Fu
1972-10-14

The Man from U.N.C.L.E.

7.097

The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
1964-09-22

0

China Smith
1952-01-01