Benson Fong
| Benson Fong | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 10, 1916 Sacramento, California |
| Died | August 1, 1987 (aged 70) Los Angeles, California |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1936–86 |
Benson Fong (Chinese: 鄺炳雄, pinyin: Kuàng Bǐngxióng; October 10, 1916 – August 1, 1987) was an American character actor.
Born in Sacramento, California, Fong was from a mercantile family. After graduating from high school in Sacramento, he studied briefly in China before joining relatives in commercial activities in California.[1]
Contents |
[edit] Career
Beginning in 1937, he appeared in minor film roles, though he later had important roles in many films, including The Keys of the Kingdom, His Majesty O'Keefe, Flower Drum Song, and Our Man Flint. During World War II he was often cast in either Japanese or Chinese roles. He is best remembered as Number Three Son "Tommy Chan" in the Charlie Chan movies of 1944-46. His later career as an actor included many TV appearances. He was "The Old One" in Kung Fu.
Modern audiences will remember him as Mr. Tang Wu in Disney's The Love Bug. Actress Michele Lee later said that the 52-year-old actor had to have his jet-black hair sprayed bright white to make him look older.[2]
In later life Benson Fong became a successful restaurateur, and opened several Ah Fong restaurants in California.
[edit] Death
Fong died of a stroke in Los Angeles, California in 1987, survived by his wife Gloria and five children. He was cremated, and his ashes scattered at sea.[3]
[edit] Partial filmography
- Charlie Chan at the Opera (1936) .... Opera Extra
- The Fighting Devil Dogs (1938) .... Gehorda outlaw [Ch. 9]
- Behind the Rising Sun (1943) .... Japanese Officer with message
- Destroyer (1943)
- Destination Tokyo (1943) .... Japanese
- Charlie Chan in the Secret Service (1944) .... Tommie Chan
- Up in Arms (1944) .... Japanese sentry
- The Purple Heart (1944) .... Moy Ling
- Charlie Chan in The Chinese Cat (1944) .... Tommy Chan, #3 Son
- Dragon Seed (1944) .... Student
- Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo (1944) .... Young Dr. Chung
- The Keys of the Kingdom (1944) .... Joseph
- China Sky (1945) .... Chung
- The Scarlet Clue (1945) .... Tommy Chan
- Back to Bataan (1945) .... Officer making broadcast
- Nob Hill (1945) .... Chinese boy
- Secret Agent X-9 (1945) .... Dr. Hakahima
- The Shanghai Cobra (1945) .... Tommy Chan
- First Yank Into Tokyo (1945) .... Capt. Tanahe
- The Red Dragon (1945) .... Tommy Chan
- Dark Alibi (1946) .... Tommy Chan
- Deception (1946) .... Jimmy, Hollenius' Servant
- Calcutta (1947) .... Young Chinese Clerk
- Women in the Night (1948) .... Chang
- Hazard (1948) .... Houseboy
- Boston Blackie's Chinese Venture (1949) .... Wong's Salescler
- Chinatown at Midnight (1949) .... Joe Wing
- Korea Patrol (1951) .... Kim, So. Korean scout
- Three Husbands (1951) .... George
- Peking Express (1951) .... Wong
- Submarine Command (1952) .... South Korean officer
- Back at the Front (1952) .... Rickshaw boy
- His Majesty O'Keefe (1954) .... Mr. Chou
- Dragonfly Squadron (1954) .... Capt. Liehtse
- Conquest of Space (1955) .... Imoto
- The Left Hand of God (1955) .... Chun Tien (husband of dying woman)
- The Scarlet Hour (1956)
- Five Gates to Hell (1959) .... Gung Sa
- Walk Like a Dragon (1960) .... Wu
- Flower Drum Song (1961) .... Wang
- Girls! Girls! Girls! (1962) .... Kin Yung
- Our Man Flint (1966) .... Dr. Schneider
- The Love Bug (1968) .... Mr. Tang Wu
- Travis Logan, D.A. (1971) .... Alfred Ling
- Kung Fu (1972) .... Han Fei
- Charley Varrick (1973) .... Honest John
- A Time for Love (1974)
- The Strongest Man in the World (1975) .... Ah Fong
- He Is My Brother (1976) .... Kiko
- Oliver's Story (1978) .... John Hsiang
- Spider-Man: The Dragon's Challenge (1979) .... Min Lo Chan
- S.O.B. (1981) .... Chef
- Jinxed! (1982) .... Dr. Wing
- Moonlight (1982) .... Clifford Wu
- The Glitter Dome (1984) .... Wing
- Kung Fu:The Movie (1986) .... The Old One
[edit] References
- ^ "Benson Fong Is Dead at 70; Was in Film and TV 40 Years". The New York Times. August 4, 1987. http://www.nytimes.com/1987/08/04/obituaries/benson-fong-is-dead-at-70-was-in-film-and-tv-40-years.html?scp=17&sq=david%20carradine%20kung%20fu&st=cse. Retrieved 2010-08-17.
- ^ DVD commentary, The Love Bug, 2003
- ^ *"Benson Fong". Find a Grave. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=7449659. Retrieved October 24, 2010.
