Victor Sen Yung

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Victor Sen Yung (揚森, pinyin: Yáng Sēn) (born October 18, 1915 in San Francisco, California, died November 9, 1980 in North Hollywood, California) was an American character actor.

Sen Yung first made his mark in the 1938 film "Charlie Chan in Honolulu" as the Chinese detective's "number two son," Jimmy Chan. In this movie, Sidney Toler replaced the late Warner Oland as Charlie Chan and Sen Yung replaced Oland's "number one son" Lee, who had been played by Keye Luke. Sen Yung played Jimmy Chan in eleven Charlie Chan films between 1938 and 1942.

In common with other Chinese American actors, Sen Yung was cast in Japanese parts during World War II, like his role as the treacherous Japanese American Joe Totsuito in the 1942 Humphrey Bogart film "Across the Pacific." In the 1942 Chan film "Castle in the Desert," Jimmy Chan helped his father solve a mystery while on leave from the Army. Art mirrored life, as Sen Yung later joined the U.S. Army Air Force. During his military service he was replaced in the Charlie Chan series by Benson Fong, who played "number three son," Tommy Chan.

After the war Sen Yung resumed his Hollywood career, and in 1946 rejoined Sidney Toler for another Chan film, "Shadows Over China Town." Following Toler's death in 1947, Sen Yung made five additional Chan films with Roland Winters playing Charlie Chan (1947-1948). Interestingly, in the Roland Winters films, Sen Yung was Tommy Chan, not Jimmy.

Although the diminutive actor had dozens of credits in television and feature films (in mostly stereotypical roles), he is probably best remembered as Hop Sing, the cook on the long-running television series Bonanza. Sen Yung was in fact an excellent cook, and in 1974 authored "The Great Wok Cookbook."

Victor Sen Yung died mysteriously in his townhouse in 1980. Reportedly, the actor was creating clayware and curing the items via an oven, which inadvertently killed him with carbon monoxide asphyxiation.

There is a memorial scholarship named after him, awarded each year by the Chinese Alumni Association of his alma mater, University of California, Berkeley, where he had majored in animal husbandry.

[edit] Filmography

• The Man with Bogart's Face (1980) .... Mr. Wing
• Killer Elite, The (1975) .... Wei Chi
• The Red Pony (1973) (TV) .... Mr. Sing/Mr. Green
• Kung Fu (1972) (TV) .... Chuen
• The Hawaiians (1970) .... Chun Fat
• A Flea in Her Ear (1968) .... Oke Saki ... aka La Puce à l'oreille (1968) (France)
• Confessions of an Opium Eater'' (1962) .... Wing Young
• Flower Drum Song (1961) .... Frankie Wing
• Bonanza (1959) TV Series .... Hop Sing
• The Hunters (1958) .... Korean farmer
• The Saga of Hemp Brown (1958) .... Chang
• Jet Attack (1958) .... Capt. Chon
• She Demons (1958) .... Sammy Ching
• Bachelor Father (1957) TV Series .... Charlie Fong (1957-62)
• Men in War (1957) .... Korean Sniper
• Soldier of Fortune (1955) .... Goldie, Hotel Waiter
• Blood Alley (1955) .... Corporal Wang
• The Left Hand of God (1955) .... John Wong
• Port of Hell (1954) .... Enemy radioman
• Trader Tom of the China Seas (1954) .... Wang
• Forbidden (1953) .... Allan Chung
• Target Hong Kong (1952) .... Johnny Wing
• The Groom Wore Spurs (1951) .... Ignacio
• The Law and the Lady (1951) .... Chinese manager
• The Sickle or the Cross (1951) .... Major
• Valley of Fire (1951) .... Ching Moon
• The Breaking Point (1950) .... Mr. Sing
• Chinatown at Midnight (1950) .... Proprietor
• Ticket to Tomahawk, A (1950) .... Long Time
• Woman on the Run (1950) .... Sammy
• State Department: File 649 (1949) .... Johnny Hon, houseboy
• Oh, You Beautiful Doll (1949) .... Houseboy
  • Half Past Midnight (1948)
  • " The Feathered Serpent" (1948) .... Tommy Chan
• " The Golden Eye" (1948) .... Tommy Chan
• " Shanghai Chest" .... Tommy Chan
• " Docks of New Orleans" (1948) .... Tommy Chan
• The Crimson Key (1947) .... Wing
• The Flame (1947) .... Chang
• The Trap (1947) .... Jimmy Chan
• The Web of Danger (1947) .... Sam
• " The Chinese Ring" (1947) .... Tommy Chan
• Dangerous Money (1946) .... Jimmy Chan
• Dangerous Millions (1946)
• Shadows Over Chinatown (1946) .... Jimmy Chan
• Betrayal from the East (1945) (as Sen Young) .... Omaya
• China (1943) (as Sen Yung) .... Lin Wei
• The Mad Martindales (1942) .... Jefferson Gow
• Castle in the Desert (1942) (as Sen Yung) .... Jimmy Chan
• Across the Pacific (1942) (as Sen Yung) .... Joe Totsuiko
• Little Tokyo, U.S.A.'' (1942) .... Okono
• Manila Calling (1942) .... Amando
• Moontide'' (1942) .... Takeo
• Night Plane from Chungking (1942) .... Captain Po
• Secret Agent of Japan (1942) .... Fu Yen
• Yank on the Burma Road (1942) .... Wing
• Charlie Chan in Rio (1941) (as Sen Yung) .... Jimmy Chan
• Dead Men Tell (1941) .... Jimmy Chan
• The Letter (1940) (as Sen Yung) .... Ong Chi Seng
• Charlie Chan at the Wax Museum (1940) (as Sen Yung) .... Jimmy Chan
• Charlie Chan in Panama (1940) (as Sen Yung) .... Jimmy Chan
• Charlie Chan's Murder Cruise (1940) (as Sen Yung) .... Jimmy Chan
• Murder Over New York (1940) .... Jimmy Chan (as Sen Yung)
• Charlie Chan in Reno (1939) (as Sen Yung) .... James Chan
• 20,000 Men a Year (1939) .... Harold Chong
• Charlie Chan at Treasure Island (1939) .... James Chan
• Charlie Chan in Honolulu (1938) ....debute as Jimmy Chan
• Shadows Over Shanghai (1938) (as Victor Young)

[edit] External links

• Victor Sen Yung at the Internet Movie Database