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{{short description|American actor (1915–1980)}}

{{Use American English|date=July 2020}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2021}}
{{Infobox person
{{Infobox person
| name = Victor Sen Yung
| name = Victor Sen Yung
| image = Dangerous Money (1946) - Victor Sen Yung (cropped).jpg
| image = Shadows Over Chinatown (1946) Press Photo of Victor Sen Yung.jpg
| caption =
| caption = Sen Yung, {{circa|1946}}
| birth_name = Sen Yew Cheung or <br />Victor Cheung Young
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1915|10|18}}
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1915|10|18}}
| birth_place = [[San Francisco, California]], U.S.
| birth_place = [[San Francisco, California]], U.S.
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1980|11|9|1915|10|18}}<ref name="State Journal">Wisconsin State Journal, November 10, 1980, Section 1, Page 10</ref>
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1980|11|9|1915|10|18}}<ref name="calbirths">[https://www.californiabirthindex.org/birth/victor_c_young_born_1915_330619 DOB per California Birth Index], californiabirthindex.org. Accessed June 19, 2023.</ref><ref name="State Journal">Wisconsin State Journal, November 10, 1980, Section 1, p. 10</ref>
| death_place = [[North Hollywood, California]], U.S.
| death_place = [[North Hollywood, California]], U.S.
| resting_place = Greenlawn Memorial Park, [[Colma, California]]
| resting_place = [[Greenlawn Memorial Park (Colma, California)|Greenlawn Memorial Park]], [[Colma, California]], U.S.
| othername = Sen Yung<br />Sen Young<br />Victor Sen Young<br />Victor Young
| othername = Sen Yung<br />Sen Young<br />Victor Sen Young<br />Victor Young
| occupation = Actor
| occupation = Actor
| yearsactive = 1937–1980
| yearsactive = 1937–1980
| signature = Signature of Victor Sen Yung, September 6, 1971 (inside header).jpg
}}
}}
⚫
[[File:Dangerous Money (1946) - Yung & Best 1.jpg|thumb|250px|Victor Sen Yung and [[Willie Best]] in ''[[Dangerous Money]]'' (1946) ]]
'''Victor Sen Yung''' ({{zh|t=[[wikt:揚|揚]][[wikt:森|森]]|s=扬森|first=t|p=Yáng Sēn|j=Joeng4 Sam1}}; October 18, 1915 – November 9, 1980)<ref name="State Journal"/> 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.<ref>His father's name is given in the dedication to the ''Great Wok Cookbook''.</ref>


'''Victor Sen Yung''' (born '''Victor Cheung Young''' or '''Sen Yew Cheung'''; October 18, 1915 – body discovered November 9, 1980<ref name="calbirths" /><ref name="State Journal"/>) was an American [[character actor]], best known for playing Jimmy Chan in the [[Charlie Chan]] films and [[List of Bonanza characters#Hop Sing|Hop Sing]] in the western series ''[[Bonanza]]''.
⚫
When his mother died during the [[1918 flu pandemic|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. His father returned in 1922, with his new wife Lovi Shee, once again forming a household with his two children.<ref>''United States Census, 1930'', Household of Gum Young Sen, San Francisco (Districts 251-409), San Francisco, California. NARA Publication: T626, roll 209; Enumeration District Number: 0393; Family Number: 584; Sheet Number and Letter: 30B; Line Number: 59</ref> During his acting career, Victor was given billing under a variety of names, including '''Sen Yung''', '''Sen Young''', '''Victor Sen Young''', and '''Victor Young'''.

==Early life==
⚫
Sen Yung was born in [[San Francisco, California]] to Gum Yung Sen and his first wife, both immigrants from China.<ref>His father's name is given in the dedication to the ''Great Wok Cookbook''.</ref> When his mother died during the [[1918 flu pandemic|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, once again forming a household with his two children.<ref>''United States Census, 1930'', Household of Gum Young Sen, San Francisco (Districts 251-409), San Francisco, California. NARA Publication: T626, roll 209; Enumeration District Number: 0393; Family Number: 584; Sheet Number and Letter: 30B; Line Number: 59</ref>


==Career==
==Career==
===Charlie Chan films and military service===
{{one source|section|date=March 2017}}
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. In this movie, [[Sidney Toler]] replaced the recently deceased [[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 10 Charlie Chan films between 1938 and 1942. He played the crucial role of lawyer's clerk Ong Chi Seng alongside [[Bette Davis]] in ''[[The Letter (1940 film)|The Letter]]'' (1940).
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. In this movie, [[Sidney Toler]] replaced the recently deceased [[Warner Oland]] as [[Charlie Chan]] and Sen Yung replaced Oland's "number one son" Lee, who had been played by [[Keye Luke]]. Luke left the series in 1938, leading to the need for a "number two son".{{sfn|Backer|2012|p=88}} Sen Yung played Jimmy Chan in 11 Charlie Chan films between 1938 and 1942.{{sfn|Backer|2012|p=88}} Sen Yung played the character of Jimmy Chan very much as Luke played Lee Chan, namely as the bumbling, Americanized son who constantly hinders his father's work.{{sfn|Backer|2012|p=88}} The cultural clash between Chan ''père'', a Chinese immigrant whose values were fundamentally those of China as expressed in his amusing pseudo-Confucian aphorisms vs. his well meaning, but inept Americanized sons gave the series much of its appeal, together with the fact that for all of Charlie Chan's putdowns of his sons there was a genuine paternal love and warmth being expressed.{{sfn|Huang|2010|p=265}}

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 (played by [[James Stephenson (actor)|James Stephenson]]), defending Leslie Crosbie (played by [[Bette Davis]]), accused of murder in the classic [[Warner Bros.]] film noir melodrama, ''[[The Letter (1940 film)|The Letter]]'' (1940), directed by [[William Wyler]]. In common with other [[Chinese American|Chinese-American]] actors, Sen Yung was cast in [[Japanese people|Japanese]] parts during World War II, such as 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]]. According to author James L. Neibaur, Sen Yung's military obligations forced him to decline rejoining the series immediately, but Monogram gave him a standing invitation to work there when his tour of duty was up. He was temporarily replaced in the Charlie Chan series by [[Benson Fong]], who played "number three son" Tommy Chan (and once by Keye Luke's real-life brother, [[Edwin Luke]], as "number four son" Eddie Chan). 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 (play)|Winged Victory]]''.<ref>''San Antonio Light'', September 29, 1944, p. 8-C</ref>

⚫
[[File:Dangerous Money (1946) - Yung & Best 1.jpg|thumb|Victor Sen Young and [[Willie Best]] in ''[[Dangerous Money]]'' (1946) ]]
In 1946 Sen Yung resumed his [[Cinema of the United States|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 (1946 film)|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.{{sfn|Huang|2010|p=263-264}} Moreland's popularity in the Chan pictures was so great that he was booked for a nationwide vaudeville tour, forcing him to be replaced in ''Dangerous Money'' by Willie Best.

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" (author [[Scott MacGillivray]] contends that "Jimmy" was so closely associated with Sidney Toler that audiences would miss seeing Toler opposite him, resulting in Monogram making the change).


===Bonanza===
In common with other [[Chinese American|Chinese-American]] actors, Sen Yung was cast in [[Japanese people|Japanese]] parts during World War II, such as his role as the treacherous Japanese-American Joe Totsuiko in the 1942 [[Humphrey Bogart]] film ''[[Across the Pacific]]''.
Arguably even more than for his work in the Charlie Chan films, Victor Sen Yung is well remembered as "Hop Sing," the irascible cook and general factotum on the iconic television series ''[[Bonanza]]'', appearing in 107 episodes between 1959 and 1973.<ref name="MeTV">{{cite web|url=https://www.metv.com/stories/the-actor-who-played-bonanzas-hop-sing-actually-was-an-acclaimed-chef|title=The actor who played Bonanza's Hop Sing actually was an acclaimed chef|date=March 13, 2019|publisher=MeTV National Limited Partnership|access-date=2020-10-20}}</ref>
''Bonanza'' series creator [[David Dortort]] told the [[Archive of American Television]] that the "Hop Sing" character generated massive [[fandom]] - "Victor was just absolutely delightful. He loved the part; he loved doing it. In fact, he began to develop fans, to the extent that I wrote him in as the featured part in a number of shows.”<ref name="MeTV"/>


===Other roles===
⚫
During World War II, he joined the U.S. [[Army Air Forces]]. During his military service, he was replaced in the Charlie Chan series by [[Benson Fong]], who played "number three son", Tommy Chan. 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 (play)|Winged Victory]]''.<ref>''San Antonio Light'', September 29, 1944, p. 8-C</ref>
Victor Sen Young had roles in numerous motion pictures and television series, ranging from featured players (affable or earnest Asian characters) to bit roles (clerks, houseboys, waiters, etc.). He was cast as the compassionate Chinese restaurant owner "Quong Kee" in [[Tombstone, Arizona]], in the 1957 episode, "Quong Kee", of the [[Television syndication|syndicated television]] [[anthology series]] ''[[Death Valley Days]]'', hosted by [[Stanley Andrews]]. In the story, an aging Quong Kee recalls how in 1881 he brought together the Bostonians Art Gresham (Walter Kelley) and his mother (played by Mary Newton) with the saloon musician Ann Bailey ([[Eugenia Paul]]), who after a topsy-turvy romance became Mrs. Art Gresham.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0556712/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_52|title=Quong Kee on ''Death Valley Days''|publisher=Internet Movie Database|access-date=November 5, 2018}}</ref>


In ''[[Bachelor Father (American TV series)|Bachelor Father]]'' (1957-62), Victor Sen Yung had a recurring role as the scheming "Uncle Charlie", a character that Asian rights activist [[Guy Aoki]] commends as "a slick, Americanized character. I thought it was great that way back in the ’50s, audiences saw a Chinese American who acted just like anyone else."<ref name="Rafu">{{Cite web| url=http://www.rafu.com/2014/07/into-the-next-stage-rediscovering-sammee-tong-in-bachelor-father/|last=Aoki|first=Guy|date=10 July 2014|title=INTO THE NEXT STAGE: REDISCOVERING SAMMEE TONG IN 'BACHELOR FATHER'|publisher=Rafu Shimpo|access-date=2020-10-20}}</ref>
After the war, Sen Yung resumed his [[Hollywood]] career. The Charlie Chan series was now in the hands of [[Monogram Pictures]], with Sidney Toler continuing in the leading role. Toler's health was failing by 1946; author [[Scott MacGillivray]] contends that Monogram was conserving Toler's energy and shooting around him wherever possible, even reusing two-year-old footage to finish Toler's last film. To relieve the burden on Toler, Monogram hired his original screen foil, Sen Yung (now billing himself as Victor Sen Young). He and [[Mantan Moreland]] shared the spotlight in Toler's final two films, ''Shadows over Chinatown'' and ''The Trap''.


In the early 1970s, Sen Yung had a recurring role in seven episodes of the television series ''[[Kung Fu (1972 TV series)|Kung Fu]]'', which starred [[David Carradine]] as a [[Shaolin Monastery|Shaolin]] monk, also in the [[Old West]].
Following Toler's death in 1947, Victor Sen Young continued to work in motion pictures but also moved into television, playing affable or earnest Asian characters. He is probably best remembered as [[Hop sing|Hop Sing]], the cook on the long-running television series ''[[Bonanza]]'', appearing in 102 episodes between 1959 and 1973.


==Skilled chef==
Sen Yung was also an accomplished and talented chef. He frequently appeared on cooking programs, and authored ''[[The Great Wok Cookbook]]'' in 1974.
Sen Yung was also an accomplished and talented chef. He frequently appeared on cooking programs, and authored ''The Great Wok Cookbook'' in 1974.<ref name="MeTV"/>


==Plane hijacking==
==Plane hijacking==
In 1972, Yung was on [[Pacific Southwest Airlines Flight 710]], which was hijacked. The FBI stormed the plane, and in the ensuing gunfire Sen Yung was shot in the small of the back. He and another wounded passenger survived, but a third passenger and the two hijackers were killed.<ref>''Ada Evening News'', July 6, 1972, p. 1</ref>
In 1972, Sen Young was on [[Pacific Southwest Airlines Flight 710]], which was hijacked. The FBI stormed the plane, and in the ensuing gunfire Sen Young was shot in the lower back. He and another wounded passenger survived, but a third passenger and the two hijackers were killed.<ref>''Ada Evening News'', July 6, 1972, p. 1</ref>


In 1975, he appeared on [[Garry Moore]]'s ''[[To Tell The Truth]]'' show and related the events of the hijacking. With Yung dressed in a sport coat and flanked by two dissimilar imposters, none of the four panelists was able to choose him as the character actor.
In 1975, he appeared on [[Garry Moore]]'s ''[[To Tell The Truth]]'' and related the events of the hijacking. With Sen Young dressed in a sportcoat and flanked by two dissimilar imposters, none of the four panelists chose him as the character actor.


==Death and Legacy==
==Death and legacy==
{{more citations needed|section|date=March 2017}}
{{more citations needed|section|date=March 2017}}
Victor Sen Yung died under unusual circumstances in his [[North Hollywood, Los Angeles|North Hollywood]] home in 1980. The actor, who ran a small mail-order Chinese pottery business, was creating clayware and curing the items with an oven, and died of natural gas poisoning from a gas leak. His body was found November 10, but he had reportedly been dead at least ten days.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=950&dat=19801110&id=1WFQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=vVgDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7125,2598510&hl=en | title='Bonanza's' Hop Sing found dead | date=November 10, 1980 | work=Evening Independent | location=[[St. Petersburg, Florida]] | page=11-A | accessdate=June 3, 2018}}</ref>
Victor Sen Young died in his [[North Hollywood, Los Angeles|North Hollywood]] home in 1980, aged 65. The actor, who ran a small mail-order Chinese pottery business, was creating clayware and curing the items with an oven, and died of [[natural gas]] poisoning from a gas leak. His body was found November 9, but he had reportedly been dead at least ten days, from possibly around October 31.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=950&dat=19801110&id=1WFQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=vVgDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7125,2598510&hl=en |title='Bonanza's' Hop Sing found dead |date=November 10, 1980 |work=Evening Independent | location=[[St. Petersburg, Florida]] |page=11-A |access-date=June 3, 2018}}</ref>


Some reports suggested at first that the actor had been murdered,<ref>''Valley Independent'', November 11, 1980, page 8</ref> but police ultimately ruled the death accidental.<ref>Indiana (Pennsylvania) ''Gazette'', November 10, 1980, page 4</ref>
Some reports suggested that he was murdered,<ref>''Valley Independent'', November 11, 1980, page 8</ref> but police ultimately ruled the death accidental.<ref>Indiana (Pennsylvania) ''Gazette'', November 10, 1980, page 4</ref> The eulogy at his funeral was given by fellow ''Bonanza'' actor [[Pernell Roberts]], who also paid the funeral expenses. He is buried at [[Greenlawn Memorial Park (Colma, California)|Greenlawn Memorial Park]] in Colma, California.


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]]. The eulogy at his funeral was delivered by fellow ''Bonanza'' actor [[Pernell Roberts]], who also paid the funeral expenses.
The Victor Sen Young memorial scholarship is awarded each year by the Chinese Alumni Association of the [[University of California, Berkeley]], where Sen Young majored in [[animal husbandry]].


==Select filmography==
==Selected filmography==
{{Div col|colwidth=30em}}
{{Div col|colwidth=30em}}
*''[[Mr. Moto Takes a Chance]]'' (1938) (uncredited) Khmer soldier
*''[[The Good Earth (film)|The Good Earth]]'' (1937) .... Chinese peasant boy (uncredited)
*''[[Double or Nothing (1937 film)|Double or Nothing]]'' (1937) .... Minor Role (uncredited)
⚫
*''[[Shadows Over Shanghai]]'' (1938) Wang (as Victor Young)
*''[[Thank You, Mr. Moto (film)|Thank You, Mr. Moto]]'' (1937) .... Onlooker with Street Acrobats / Chinese Elevator Operator (uncredited)
*''[[Charlie Chan in Honolulu]]'' (1938) James Chan (as Sen Yung)
*''[[Charlie Chan in Reno]]'' (1938) James Chan (as Sen Yung)
*''[[International Settlement (film)|International Settlement]]'' (1938) .... Bellboy / Onlooker in Street (uncredited)
*''[[Charlie Chan at Treasure Island]]'' (1939) Jimmy Chan (as Sen Yung)
*''[[Mr. Moto Takes a Chance]]'' (1938) .... Khmer soldier (uncredited)
*''[[20,000 Men a Year]]'' (1939) Harold Chong
*''[[Shadows Over Shanghai]]'' (1938) .... Wang (as Victor Young)
*''[[Escape to Paradise]]'' (1939) (uncredited)
*''[[Charlie Chan in Honolulu]]'' (1938) .... James Chan (as Sen Yung)
*''[[Charlie Chan in Panama]]'' (1940) Jimmy Chan (as Sen Yung)
*''[[Torchy Blane in Chinatown]]'' (1939) .... Chinese Entertainer with Sword (uncredited)
*''[[Charlie Chan's Murder Cruise]]'' (1940) Jimmy Chan (as Sen Yung)
*''[[Charlie Chan in Reno]]'' (1939) .... James Chan (as Sen Yung)
*''[[Charlie Chan at the Wax Museum]]'' (1940) Jimmy Chan (as Sen Yung)
*''[[Charlie Chan at Treasure Island]]'' (1939) .... Jimmy Chan (as Sen Yung)
*''[[The Letter (1940 film)|The Letter]]'' (1940) Ong Chi Seng (as Sen Yung)
*''[[20,000 Men a Year]]'' (1939) .... Harold Chong
*''[[Murder Over New York]]'' (1940) Jimmy Chan (as Sen Yung)
*''[[Barricade (1939 film)|Barricade]]'' (1939) .... Minor Role (uncredited)
*''[[Dead Men Tell]]'' (1941) Jimmy Chan(as Sen Yung)
*''[[Escape to Paradise]]'' (1939) .... (uncredited)
*''[[They Met in Bombay]]'' (1941) (uncredited) Gin Long
*''[[Charlie Chan in Panama]]'' (1940) .... Jimmy Chan (as Sen Yung)
*''[[Charlie Chan in Rio]]'' (1941) Jimmy Chan (as Sen Yung)
*''[[Charlie Chan's Murder Cruise]]'' (1940) .... Jimmy Chan (as Sen Yung)
*''[[A Yank on the Burma Road]]'' (1942) Wing (as Sen Yung)
*''[[Charlie Chan at the Wax Museum]]'' (1940) .... Jimmy Chan (as Sen Yung)
*''[[Castle in the Desert]]'' (1942) Jimmy Chan (as Sen Yung)
*''[[The Letter (1940 film)|The Letter]]'' (1940) .... Ong Chi Seng (as Sen Yung)
*''[[Secret Agent of Japan]]'' (1942) Fu Yen (as Sen Yung)
*''[[Murder Over New York]]'' (1940) .... Jimmy Chan (as Sen Yung)
*''[[Moontide]]'' (1942) Takeo (as Sen Yung)
*''[[Dead Men Tell]]'' (1941) .... Jimmy Chan (as Sen Yung)
*''[[The Mad Martindales]]'' (1942) Jefferson Gow
*''[[They Met in Bombay]]'' (1941) .... Gin Long (uncredited)
*''[[Little Tokyo, U.S.A.]]'' (1942) Okono
*''[[Charlie Chan in Rio]]'' (1941) .... Jimmy Chan (as Sen Yung)
*''[[Across the Pacific]]'' (1942) Joe Totsuiko (as Sen Young)
*''[[A Yank on the Burma Road]]'' (1942) .... Wing (as Sen Yung)
*''[[Manila Calling]]'' (1942) Armando
*''[[Castle in the Desert]]'' (1942) .... Jimmy Chan (as Sen Yung)
*''[[China (1943 film)|China]]'' (1943) Lin Wei-third brother (as Sen Yung)
*''[[Secret Agent of Japan]]'' (1942) .... Fu Yen (as Sen Yung)
*''[[Night Plane from Chungking]]'' (1943) Captain Po (as Sen Yung)
*''[[Moontide]]'' (1942) .... Takeo (as Sen Yung)
*''[[Betrayal from the East]]'' (1945) Omaya (as Sen Young)
*''[[The Mad Martindales]]'' (1942) .... Jefferson Gow
*''[[Shadows Over Chinatown]]'' (1946) Jimmy Chan (as Victor Sen Young)
*''[[Little Tokyo, U.S.A.]]'' (1942) .... Okono
*''[[Dangerous Money]]'' (1946) Jimmy Chan (as Victor Sen Young)
*''[[Across the Pacific]]'' (1942) .... Joe Totsuiko (as Sen Yung)
*''[[Dangerous Millions]]'' (1946) Lin Chow (as Victor Sen Young)
*''[[Manila Calling]]'' (1942) .... Armando
*''[[The Trap (1946 film)|The Trap]]'' (1946) Jimmy Chan (as Victor Sen Young)
*''[[China (1943 film)|China]]'' (1943) .... Lin Wei-third brother (as Sen Yung)
*''[[Web of Danger]]'' (1947) Sam
*''[[Night Plane from Chungking]]'' (1943) .... Captain Po (as Sen Yung)
*''[[Lost Angel (film)|Lost Angel]]'' (1943) .... Chinese Man (uncredited)
*''[[The Crimson Key]]'' (1947) Wing-houseboy
*''[[The Flame (1947 film)|The Flame]]'' (1947) Chang
*''[[Winged Victory (film)|Winged Victory]]'' (1944) .... Lee Chang (uncredited)
*''[[The Chinese Ring]]'' (1947) Tommy Chan (as Victor Sen Young)
*''[[Betrayal from the East]]'' (1945) .... Omaya (as Sen Young)
⚫
*''[[Shadows Over Chinatown]]'' (1946) .... Jimmy Chan (as Victor Sen Young)
⚫
*''[[Intrigue (film)|Intrigue]]'' (1947) (uncredited) Western Union clerk
*''[[To the Ends of the Earth]]'' (1947) (uncredited) Chinese pilot
*''[[G.I. War Brides]]'' (1946) .... Chinese Waiter (uncredited)
*''[[Dangerous Money]]'' (1946) .... Jimmy Chan (as Victor Sen Young)
*''[[Half Past Midnight]]'' (1948) Sam-hotel porter
*''[[Docks of New Orleans]]'' (1948) Tommy Chan (as Victor Sen Young)
*''[[Dangerous Millions]]'' (1946) .... Lin Chow (as Victor Sen Young)
*''[[Shanghai Chest]]'' (1948) Tommy Chan (as Victor Sen Young)
*''[[The Trap (1946 film)|The Trap]]'' (1946) .... Jimmy Chan (as Victor Sen Young)
*''[[The Golden Eye]]'' (1948) Tommy Chan (as Victor Sen Young)
*''[[Web of Danger]]'' (1947) .... Sam
*''[[Rogues Regiment]]'' (1948) (uncredited) Rickshaw boy
*''[[The Crimson Key]]'' (1947) .... Wing, houseboy
*''[[The Feathered Serpent (1948 film)|The Feathered Serpent]]'' (1948) Tommy Chan
*''[[The Flame (1947 film)|The Flame]]'' (1947) .... Chang (as Victor Sen Young)
*''[[The Chinese Ring]]'' (1947) .... Tommy Chan (as Victor Sen Young)
*''[[Oh, You Beautiful Doll (film)|Oh, You Beautiful Doll]]'' (1949) houseboy
⚫
*''[[Intrigue (1947 film)|Intrigue]]'' (1947) .... Western Union clerk (uncredited)
*''[[State Department: File 649]]'' (1949) Johnny Han
*''[[Tuna Clipper]]'' (1949) Oriental dock worker
*''[[To the Ends of the Earth]]'' (1947) .... Chinese pilot (uncredited)
*''[[Chinatown at Midnight]]'' (1949) Hotel proprietor
*''[[Docks of New Orleans]]'' (1948) .... Tommy Chan (as Victor Sen Young)
*''[[And Baby Makes Three]]'' (1949) (uncredited) Lem Kee
*''[[Half Past Midnight]]'' (1948) .... Sam, hotel porter
*''[[Shanghai Chest]]'' (1948) .... Tommy Chan (as Victor Sen Young)
*''[[The Sickle or the Cross]]'' (1949)
*''[[Key to the City]]'' (1950) (uncredited) Chinese MC at the Blue Duck
*''[[The Golden Eye]]'' (1948) .... Tommy Chan (as Victor Sen Young)
*''[[A Ticket to Tomahawk]]'' (1950) Long Time
*''[[Rogues Regiment]]'' (1948) .... Rickshaw boy (uncredited)
*''[[The Breaking Point (1950 film)|The Breaking Point]]'' (1950) Mr. Sing
*''[[The Feathered Serpent (1948 film)|The Feathered Serpent]]'' (1948) .... Tommy Chan (as Victor Sen Young)
*''[[Woman on the Run]]'' (1950) Sammy Chung
*''[[State Department: File 649]]'' (1949) .... Johnny Han
*''[[Boston Blackie's Chinese Venture]]'' (1949) .... Movie Theatre Ticket Taker (uncredited)
*''[[Grounds for Marriage]]'' (1951) Oscar, Chris' valet
*''[[The Groom Wore Spurs]]'' (1951) Ignacio
*''[[Tuna Clipper]]'' (1949) .... Oriental dock worker
*''[[Secrets of Monte Carlo]]'' (1951) (uncredited) Chinese clerk
*''[[The Sickle or the Cross]]'' (1949) .... Major
*''[[Peking Express]]'' (1951) (uncredited) Chinese captain
*''[[Red Light (film)|Red Light]]'' (1949) .... Vincent, Houseboy (uncredited)
*''[[Hong Kong (film)|Hong Kong]]'' (1952) (uncredited) Mr. Howe
*''[[Oh, You Beautiful Doll (film)|Oh, You Beautiful Doll]]'' (1949) .... Houseboy (uncredited)
*''[[The Sniper (1952 film)|The Sniper]]'' (1952) (uncredited) Tom
*''[[Chinatown at Midnight]]'' (1949) .... Hotel proprietor
*''[[Cripple Creek (film)|Cripple Creek]]'' (1952) (uncredited) Chinese interpreter
*''[[And Baby Makes Three]]'' (1949) .... Lem Kee (uncredited)
*''[[Target Hong Kong]]'' (1953) (uncredited) Johnny Wing
*''[[Key to the City]]'' (1950) .... Chinese MC at the Blue Duck (uncredited)
*''[[The Blue Gardenia]]'' (1953) (uncredited) Waiter
*''[[A Ticket to Tomahawk]]'' (1950) .... Long Time
*''[[Forbidden (1953 film)|Forbidden]]'' (1953) Allan Chung
*''[[The Breaking Point (1950 film)|The Breaking Point]]'' (1950) .... Mr. Sing
*''[[Trader Tom of the China Seas]]'' (1954) Wang
*''[[Woman on the Run]]'' (1950) .... Sammy Chung
*''[[Jubilee Trail]]'' (1954) (uncredited) Mickey-Chinese man
*''[[Grounds for Marriage]]'' (1951) .... Oscar, Chris' valet
*''[[The Shanghai Story]]'' (1954) Sun Lee
*''[[The Groom Wore Spurs]]'' (1951) .... Ignacio
*''[[The Left Hand of God]]'' (1955) John Wong
*''[[Secrets of Monte Carlo]]'' (1951) .... Chinese clerk (uncredited)
*''[[Jump Into Hell]]'' (1955) (uncredited) Lt. Thatch
*''[[Peking Express]]'' (1951) .... Chinese captain (uncredited)
*''[[Blood Alley]]'' (1955) (uncredited) Cpl. Wang
*''[[The Law and the Lady (1951 film)|The Law and the Lady]]'' (1951) .... Chinese Manager (uncredited)
*''[[The Rawhide Years]]'' (1955) (uncredited) Chang-steward
*''[[Valley of Fire (film)|Valley of Fire]]'' (1951) .... Laundryman Ching Moon (uncredited)
*''[[Accused of Murder]]'' (1956) (uncredited) Hank-Bayliss' houseboy
*''[[Hong Kong (film)|Hong Kong]]'' (1952) .... Mr. Howe (uncredited)
*''[[Men in War]]'' (1957) North Korean prisoner/sniper
*''[[The Sniper (1952 film)|The Sniper]]'' (1952) .... Tom (uncredited)
*''[[She Demons (film)|She Demons]]'' (1958) Sammy Ching
*''[[Cripple Creek (film)|Cripple Creek]]'' (1952) .... Chinese interpreter (uncredited)
*''[[Jet Attack]]'' (1958) Capt. Chon
*''[[Target Hong Kong]]'' (1953) .... Johnny Wing (uncredited)
*''[[The Hunters (1958 film)|The Hunters]]'' ([[1958 in film|1958]]) Korean farmer
*''[[The Blue Gardenia]]'' (1953) .... Waiter (uncredited)
*''[[Flower Drum Song]]'' ([[1961 in film|1961]]) Frankie Wing
*''[[Forbidden (1953 film)|Forbidden]]'' (1953) .... Allan Chung
*''[[Confessions of an Opium Eater]]'' ([[1962 in film|1962]]) Wing Young
*''[[Trader Tom of the China Seas]]'' (1954) .... Wang
*''[[Jubilee Trail]]'' (1954) .... Mickey-Chinese man (uncredited)
⚫
*''[[A Flea in Her Ear (film)|A Flea in Her Ear]]'' ([[1968 in film|1968]]) Oke Saki
*''[[The Killer Elite]]'' ([[1975 in film|1975]]) Wei Chi
*''[[The Shanghai Story]]'' (1954) .... Sun Lee
*''[[The Man with Bogart's Face]]'' ([[1980 in film|1980]]) Mr. Wing
*''[[Port of Hell]]'' (1954) .... Detonation Ship Radioman
*''[[Jump Into Hell]]'' (1955) .... Lt. Thatch (uncredited)
*''[[Soldier of Fortune (1955 film)|Soldier of Fortune]]'' (1955) .... Goldie - Hotel Waiter (uncredited)
*''[[The Left Hand of God]]'' (1955) .... John Wong
*''[[Blood Alley]]'' (1955) .... Cpl. Wang (uncredited)
*''[[The Rawhide Years]]'' (1955) .... Chang, steward (uncredited)
*''[[Flight to Hong Kong]]'' (1956) .... Airline Ticket Clerk (uncredited)
*''[[Accused of Murder]]'' (1956) .... Hank-Bayliss' houseboy (uncredited)
*''[[Men in War]]'' (1957) .... North Korean prisoner / sniper
*''[[She Demons (film)|She Demons]]'' (1958) .... Sammy Ching
*''[[Jet Attack]]'' (1958) .... Capt. Chon
*''[[The Hunters (1958 film)|The Hunters]]'' (1958) .... Korean farmer
*''[[The Saga of Hemp Brown]]'' (1958) .... Chang - Bartender (uncredited)
*''[[Flower Drum Song (film)|Flower Drum Song]]'' (1961) .... Frankie Wing
*''[[Confessions of an Opium Eater]]'' (1962) .... Wing Young
⚫
*''[[A Flea in Her Ear (film)|A Flea in Her Ear]]'' (1968) .... Oke Saki
*''[[The Hawaiians (film)|The Hawaiians]]'' (1970) .... Chun Fat (uncredited)
*''[[The Killer Elite]]'' (1975) .... Wei Chi
*''[[The Man with Bogart's Face]]'' (1980) .... Mr. Wing (final film role)
{{div col end}}
{{div col end}}


Line 134: Line 169:
*''[[Adventures of Superman (TV series)|Adventures of Superman]]'' 1 episode (Harry Wong in "The Riddle of the Chinese Jade") (1953)
*''[[Adventures of Superman (TV series)|Adventures of Superman]]'' 1 episode (Harry Wong in "The Riddle of the Chinese Jade") (1953)
*''[[Chevron Theatre]]'' 1 episode (Yin Yun in "Black Lead") (1953)
*''[[Chevron Theatre]]'' 1 episode (Yin Yun in "Black Lead") (1953)
*''[[Waterfront (TV series)|Waterfront]]'' 1 episode (Cecil Imai in "Fog Bound") (1954)
*''Waterfront'' 1 episode (Cecil Imai in "Fog Bound") (1954)
*''[[Biff Baker, U.S.A.]]'' 1 episode (Yin Yun in "Black Lead") (1954)
*''[[Biff Baker, U.S.A.]]'' 1 episode (Yin Yun in "Black Lead") (1954)
*''[[Stories of the Century]]'' 1 episode (Chang (uncredited) in "Black Bart") (1954)
*''[[Stories of the Century]]'' 1 episode (Chang (uncredited) in "Black Bart") (1954)
Line 141: Line 176:
*''[[Medic (TV series)|Medic]]'' 1 episode (Dr. Nagano in "Flash of Darkness") (1955) as Victor Sen-Yung
*''[[Medic (TV series)|Medic]]'' 1 episode (Dr. Nagano in "Flash of Darkness") (1955) as Victor Sen-Yung
*''[[The Star and the Story]] 1 episode (Peng in "The Back to Beyond") (1955)
*''[[The Star and the Story]] 1 episode (Peng in "The Back to Beyond") (1955)
*''[[Crusader (TV series)|Crusader]]'' 1 episode (Lu Chen in "A Little Friend") (1956)
*''Crusader'' 1 episode (Lu Chen in "A Little Friend") (1956)
*''[[The Lone Ranger (TV series)|The Lone Ranger]]'' (ABC) 1 episode (Lee Po in "The Letter Bride") (1956) as Victor Sen Young
*''[[The Lone Ranger (TV series)|The Lone Ranger]]'' (ABC) 1 episode (Lee Po in "The Letter Bride") (1956) as Victor Sen Young
*''[[Crossroads (1955 TV series)|Crossroads]]'' 1 episode (Sam Lu in "Big Sombrero") (1957)
*''[[Crossroads (1955 TV series)|Crossroads]]'' 1 episode (Sam Lu in "Big Sombrero") (1957)
Line 154: Line 189:
*''[[Shotgun Slade]]'' 1 episode (Willy Sing - Tong man in "Sudden Death") (1960)
*''[[Shotgun Slade]]'' 1 episode (Willy Sing - Tong man in "Sudden Death") (1960)
*''[[Thriller (U.S. TV series)|Thriller]]'' 1 episode (Bartender in "The Twisted Image") (1960)
*''[[Thriller (U.S. TV series)|Thriller]]'' 1 episode (Bartender in "The Twisted Image") (1960)
*''[[Checkmate (TV series)|Checkmate]]'' 1 episode (Han in "Terror From the East") (1961)
*''[[Checkmate (American TV series)|Checkmate]]'' 1 episode (Han in "Terror From the East") (1961)
*''[[Hong Kong (TV series)|Hong Kong]]'' 2 episodes (Yang in "Blind Bargain") (1960) (Tung Poy in "Nightcry") (1961)
*''[[Hong Kong (TV series)|Hong Kong]]'' 2 episodes (Yang in "Blind Bargain") (1960) (Tung Poy in "Nightcry") (1961)
*''[[The Rifleman]]'' 1 episode (Wang Chi in "The Queue") (1961)
*''[[The Rifleman]]'' 1 episode (Wang Chi in "The Queue") (1961)
*''[[Perry Mason (TV series)|Perry Mason]]'' (CBS) 2 episodes (Mickey Fong in "The Case of the Garrulous Gambler") (1959) (Sheng in "The Case of the Malicious Mariner") (1961)
*''[[Perry Mason (1957 TV series)|Perry Mason]]'' (CBS) 2 episodes (Mickey Fong in "The Case of the Garrulous Gambler") (1959) (Sheng in "The Case of the Malicious Mariner") (1961)
*''[[Bachelor Father (U.S. TV series)|Bachelor Father]]'' 6 episodes (Cousin Charlie Fong/Lee) (1960–1961)
*''[[Bachelor Father (U.S. TV series)|Bachelor Father]]'' 6 episodes (Cousin Charlie Fong/Lee) (1960–1961)
*''[[The Jack Benny Program]]'' 1 episode (Chinese cafeteria employee in "Jack Goes to Cafeteria") (1961)
*''[[The Jack Benny Program]]'' 1 episode (Chinese cafeteria employee in "Jack Goes to Cafeteria") (1961)
Line 175: Line 210:
*''[[Get Smart]]'' 2 episodes (Yamasaki in "A Tale of Two Tails") (1968) (Abe Fu Yung in "I Am Curiously Yellow") (1970)
*''[[Get Smart]]'' 2 episodes (Yamasaki in "A Tale of Two Tails") (1968) (Abe Fu Yung in "I Am Curiously Yellow") (1970)
*''[[Night Gallery]]'' 1 episode (Joseph the butler in "Rare Objects") (1972)
*''[[Night Gallery]]'' 1 episode (Joseph the butler in "Rare Objects") (1972)
*''[[Bonanza]]'' 106 episodes [[Hop Sing]] (1959–1973)
*''[[Bonanza]]'' 106 episodes [[Hop Sing (Bonanza)|Hop Sing]] (1959–1973)
*''[[The Red Pony]]'' (TV movie) (Mr. Sing/Carni man/Mr.Green) (1973)
*''[[The Paul Lynde Show]]'' 1 episode (Mr. Fong in "Back Talk") (1973)
*''[[The Red Pony (1973 film)|The Red Pony]]'' (TV movie) (Mr. Sing/Carni man/Mr.Green) (1973)
*''[[Kung Fu (TV series)|Kung Fu]]'' 7 episodes (1972–1974)
*''[[Kung Fu (1972 TV series)|Kung Fu]]'' 7 episodes (1972–1974)
*''[[Police Woman (TV series)|Police Woman]]'' 1 episode (Ah Choy in "Nothing Left to Lose") (1975)
*''[[Police Woman (TV series)|Police Woman]]'' 1 episode (Ah Choy in "Nothing Left to Lose") (1975)
*''[[Barbary Coast (TV series)|Barbary Coast]]'' 1 episode (Soong in "Guns for a Queen") (1975)
*''[[Barbary Coast (TV series)|Barbary Coast]]'' 1 episode (Soong in "Guns for a Queen") (1975)
*''[[Isis]]'' 1 episode (Mr. Chen in "Year of the Dragon") (1976)
*''[[Isis (TV series)|Isis]]'' 1 episode (Mr. Chen in "Year of the Dragon") (1976)
*''[[How the West Was Won (TV series)|How the West Was Won]]'' 1 episode (Hospital attendant in "China Girl") (1979)
*''[[How the West Was Won (TV series)|How the West Was Won]]'' 1 episode (Hospital attendant in "China Girl") (1979)
{{div col end}}
{{div col end}}
Line 186: Line 222:
==References==
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}

==Books==
*{{cite book |last1=Backer |first1=Roy |title=Mystery Movie Series of 1930s Hollywood |date=2012 |publisher=McFarland |location=Jefferson |isbn=9780786490189}}
*{{cite book |last1=Huang |first1=Yunte |title=Charlie Chan: The Untold Story of the Honorable Detective and His Rendezvous with American History |date=2010 |publisher=Norton |location=New York |isbn=9780393079166}}


==External links==
==External links==
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[[Category:1915 births]]
[[Category:1915 births]]
[[Category:1980 deaths]]
[[Category:1980 deaths]]
⚫
[[Category:Hong Kong people of Taishan descent]]
[[Category:Hijacking survivors]]
[[Category:Hijacking survivors]]
[[Category:American people of Chinese descent]]
[[Category:American male film actors]]
[[Category:American male film actors]]
[[Category:20th-century American male actors]]
⚫
[[Category:American male actors of Chinese descent]]
[[Category:American male television actors]]
[[Category:American male television actors]]
[[Category:Accidental deaths in California]]
[[Category:Accidental deaths in California]]
Line 206: Line 246:
[[Category:Male actors from San Francisco]]
[[Category:Male actors from San Francisco]]
[[Category:First Motion Picture Unit personnel]]
[[Category:First Motion Picture Unit personnel]]
[[Category:20th-century American male actors]]
[[Category:American shooting survivors]]

Latest revision as of 07:17, 3 November 2024

Victor Sen Yung
Sen Yung, c. 1946
Born
Sen Yew Cheung or
Victor Cheung Young

(1915-10-18)October 18, 1915
San Francisco, California, U.S.
DiedNovember 9, 1980(1980-11-09) (aged 65)[1][2]
North Hollywood, California, U.S.
Resting placeGreenlawn Memorial Park, Colma, California, U.S.
Other namesSen Yung
Sen Young
Victor Sen Young
Victor Young
OccupationActor
Years active1937–1980
Signature

Victor Sen Yung (born Victor Cheung Young or Sen Yew Cheung; October 18, 1915 – body discovered November 9, 1980[1][2]) was an American character actor, best known for playing Jimmy Chan in the Charlie Chan films and Hop Sing in the western series Bonanza.

Early life

[edit]

Sen Yung was born in San Francisco, California to Gum Yung Sen and his first wife, both immigrants from China.[3] When 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, once again forming a household with his two children.[4]

Career

[edit]

Charlie Chan films and military service

[edit]

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. In this movie, Sidney Toler replaced the recently deceased Warner Oland as Charlie Chan and Sen Yung replaced Oland's "number one son" Lee, who had been played by Keye Luke. Luke left the series in 1938, leading to the need for a "number two son".[5] Sen Yung played Jimmy Chan in 11 Charlie Chan films between 1938 and 1942.[5] Sen Yung played the character of Jimmy Chan very much as Luke played Lee Chan, namely as the bumbling, Americanized son who constantly hinders his father's work.[5] The cultural clash between Chan père, a Chinese immigrant whose values were fundamentally those of China as expressed in his amusing pseudo-Confucian aphorisms vs. his well meaning, but inept Americanized sons gave the series much of its appeal, together with the fact that for all of Charlie Chan's putdowns of his sons there was a genuine paternal love and warmth being expressed.[6]

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 (played by James Stephenson), defending Leslie Crosbie (played by Bette Davis), accused of murder in the classic Warner Bros. film noir melodrama, The Letter (1940), directed by William Wyler. In common with other Chinese-American actors, Sen Yung was cast in Japanese parts during World War II, such as 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. According to author James L. Neibaur, Sen Yung's military obligations forced him to decline rejoining the series immediately, but Monogram gave him a standing invitation to work there when his tour of duty was up. He was temporarily replaced in the Charlie Chan series by Benson Fong, who played "number three son" Tommy Chan (and once by Keye Luke's real-life brother, Edwin Luke, as "number four son" Eddie Chan). 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.[7]

Victor Sen Young and Willie Best in Dangerous Money (1946)

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.[8] Moreland's popularity in the Chan pictures was so great that he was booked for a nationwide vaudeville tour, forcing him to be replaced in Dangerous Money by Willie Best.

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" (author Scott MacGillivray contends that "Jimmy" was so closely associated with Sidney Toler that audiences would miss seeing Toler opposite him, resulting in Monogram making the change).

Bonanza

[edit]

Arguably even more than for his work in the Charlie Chan films, Victor Sen Yung is well remembered as "Hop Sing," the irascible cook and general factotum on the iconic television series Bonanza, appearing in 107 episodes between 1959 and 1973.[9] Bonanza series creator David Dortort told the Archive of American Television that the "Hop Sing" character generated massive fandom - "Victor was just absolutely delightful. He loved the part; he loved doing it. In fact, he began to develop fans, to the extent that I wrote him in as the featured part in a number of shows.”[9]

Other roles

[edit]

Victor Sen Young had roles in numerous motion pictures and television series, ranging from featured players (affable or earnest Asian characters) to bit roles (clerks, houseboys, waiters, etc.). He was cast as the compassionate Chinese restaurant owner "Quong Kee" in Tombstone, Arizona, in the 1957 episode, "Quong Kee", of the syndicated television anthology series Death Valley Days, hosted by Stanley Andrews. In the story, an aging Quong Kee recalls how in 1881 he brought together the Bostonians Art Gresham (Walter Kelley) and his mother (played by Mary Newton) with the saloon musician Ann Bailey (Eugenia Paul), who after a topsy-turvy romance became Mrs. Art Gresham.[10]

In Bachelor Father (1957-62), Victor Sen Yung had a recurring role as the scheming "Uncle Charlie", a character that Asian rights activist Guy Aoki commends as "a slick, Americanized character. I thought it was great that way back in the ’50s, audiences saw a Chinese American who acted just like anyone else."[11]

In the early 1970s, Sen Yung had a recurring role in seven episodes of the television series Kung Fu, which starred David Carradine as a Shaolin monk, also in the Old West.

Skilled chef

[edit]

Sen Yung was also an accomplished and talented chef. He frequently appeared on cooking programs, and authored The Great Wok Cookbook in 1974.[9]

Plane hijacking

[edit]

In 1972, Sen Young was on Pacific Southwest Airlines Flight 710, which was hijacked. The FBI stormed the plane, and in the ensuing gunfire Sen Young was shot in the lower back. He and another wounded passenger survived, but a third passenger and the two hijackers were killed.[12]

In 1975, he appeared on Garry Moore's To Tell The Truth and related the events of the hijacking. With Sen Young dressed in a sportcoat and flanked by two dissimilar imposters, none of the four panelists chose him as the character actor.

Death and legacy

[edit]

Victor Sen Young died in his North Hollywood home in 1980, aged 65. The actor, who ran a small mail-order Chinese pottery business, was creating clayware and curing the items with an oven, and died of natural gas poisoning from a gas leak. His body was found November 9, but he had reportedly been dead at least ten days, from possibly around October 31.[13]

Some reports suggested that he was murdered,[14] but police ultimately ruled the death accidental.[15] The eulogy at his funeral was given by fellow Bonanza actor Pernell Roberts, who also paid the funeral expenses. He is buried at Greenlawn Memorial Park in Colma, California.

The Victor Sen Young memorial scholarship is awarded each year by the Chinese Alumni Association of the University of California, Berkeley, where Sen Young majored in animal husbandry.

Selected filmography

[edit]

Television

[edit]
  • Terry and the Pirates 2 episodes (Oriental in "Little Mandarin") (Taiwan in "The Randall Affair") (1953)
  • Adventures of Superman 1 episode (Harry Wong in "The Riddle of the Chinese Jade") (1953)
  • Chevron Theatre 1 episode (Yin Yun in "Black Lead") (1953)
  • Waterfront 1 episode (Cecil Imai in "Fog Bound") (1954)
  • Biff Baker, U.S.A. 1 episode (Yin Yun in "Black Lead") (1954)
  • Stories of the Century 1 episode (Chang (uncredited) in "Black Bart") (1954)
  • Your Favorite Story 1 episode ("The Man Trap") (1954)
  • Captain Midnight 1 episode (Ling in "The Lost Moon") (1954)
  • Medic 1 episode (Dr. Nagano in "Flash of Darkness") (1955) as Victor Sen-Yung
  • The Star and the Story 1 episode (Peng in "The Back to Beyond") (1955)
  • Crusader 1 episode (Lu Chen in "A Little Friend") (1956)
  • The Lone Ranger (ABC) 1 episode (Lee Po in "The Letter Bride") (1956) as Victor Sen Young
  • Crossroads 1 episode (Sam Lu in "Big Sombrero") (1957)
  • Richard Diamond, Private Detective 1 episode (Magan in "Chinese Honeymoon") (1958)
  • Navy Log 1 episode (Red Officer in "One Grand Marine") (1958)
  • Broken Arrow 1 episode (Ling Tang in "Courage of Ling Tang") (1958)
  • Death Valley Days 1 episode (Quon Lee in "Quon Lee") (1958)
  • Mike Hammer 1 episode ("The Last Aloha") (1959)
  • Yancy Derringer 1 episode (Hon Lee in "The Quiet Firecracker") (1959)
  • Man Without a Gun 1 episode (Ho Wang in "Daughter of the Dragon") (1959)
  • Bronco 1 episode (Mr. Fong in "Game at the Beacon Club") (1959)
  • Shotgun Slade 1 episode (Willy Sing - Tong man in "Sudden Death") (1960)
  • Thriller 1 episode (Bartender in "The Twisted Image") (1960)
  • Checkmate 1 episode (Han in "Terror From the East") (1961)
  • Hong Kong 2 episodes (Yang in "Blind Bargain") (1960) (Tung Poy in "Nightcry") (1961)
  • The Rifleman 1 episode (Wang Chi in "The Queue") (1961)
  • Perry Mason (CBS) 2 episodes (Mickey Fong in "The Case of the Garrulous Gambler") (1959) (Sheng in "The Case of the Malicious Mariner") (1961)
  • Bachelor Father 6 episodes (Cousin Charlie Fong/Lee) (1960–1961)
  • The Jack Benny Program 1 episode (Chinese cafeteria employee in "Jack Goes to Cafeteria") (1961)
  • Follow the Sun 1 episode (Wong in "Annie Beeler's Place") (1962)
  • Ensign O'Toole 1 episode (Shopkeeper in "Operation Kowana") (1962)
  • Hawaiian Eye 3 episodes (Archibald Chu Sin in "Secret of the Second Door") (1959) (Al in "Vanessa Vanishes") (1960) (Sam in "Blow Low, Blow Blue") (1963)
  • Mickey 1 episode (Fu Chu man in "The Way the Fortune Cookie Crumbles") (1964)
  • Kraft Suspense Theatre 1 episode (Captain Fong in "Jungle of Fear") (1965)
  • Mister Ed 1 episode (Waiter in "Coldfinger") (1965)
  • The Man From U.N.C.L.E. 1 episode (Servant in "The Abominable Snowman Affair") (1966)
  • The F.B.I. 2 episodes (Joseph Sakanishi in "The Hiding Place") (1966) (Mayor Eto in "The Death Wind") (1966)
  • Gomer Pyle, USMC 1 episode (Businessman in "You Bet Your Won Ton") (1967)
  • I Spy 2 episodes (Li Wing in "Weight of the World") (1965) (Han in "Pinwheel") (1968)
  • The Wild Wild West 1 episode (Baron Kyosai in "The Night of the Camera" (1968)
  • Hawaii Five-O 1 episode (Dr. Leo Kuh in "Face of the Dragon") (1969)
  • Here's Lucy 2 episodes (Waiter in "Lucy's Birthday") (1968) (Murphy in "Lucy and the Generation Gap") (1969)
  • Get Smart 2 episodes (Yamasaki in "A Tale of Two Tails") (1968) (Abe Fu Yung in "I Am Curiously Yellow") (1970)
  • Night Gallery 1 episode (Joseph the butler in "Rare Objects") (1972)
  • Bonanza 106 episodes Hop Sing (1959–1973)
  • The Paul Lynde Show 1 episode (Mr. Fong in "Back Talk") (1973)
  • The Red Pony (TV movie) (Mr. Sing/Carni man/Mr.Green) (1973)
  • Kung Fu 7 episodes (1972–1974)
  • Police Woman 1 episode (Ah Choy in "Nothing Left to Lose") (1975)
  • Barbary Coast 1 episode (Soong in "Guns for a Queen") (1975)
  • Isis 1 episode (Mr. Chen in "Year of the Dragon") (1976)
  • How the West Was Won 1 episode (Hospital attendant in "China Girl") (1979)

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b DOB per California Birth Index, californiabirthindex.org. Accessed June 19, 2023.
  2. ^ a b Wisconsin State Journal, November 10, 1980, Section 1, p. 10
  3. ^ His father's name is given in the dedication to the Great Wok Cookbook.
  4. ^ United States Census, 1930, Household of Gum Young Sen, San Francisco (Districts 251-409), San Francisco, California. NARA Publication: T626, roll 209; Enumeration District Number: 0393; Family Number: 584; Sheet Number and Letter: 30B; Line Number: 59
  5. ^ a b c Backer 2012, p. 88.
  6. ^ Huang 2010, p. 265.
  7. ^ San Antonio Light, September 29, 1944, p. 8-C
  8. ^ Huang 2010, p. 263-264.
  9. ^ a b c "The actor who played Bonanza's Hop Sing actually was an acclaimed chef". MeTV National Limited Partnership. March 13, 2019. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
  10. ^ "Quong Kee on Death Valley Days". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved November 5, 2018.
  11. ^ Aoki, Guy (July 10, 2014). "INTO THE NEXT STAGE: REDISCOVERING SAMMEE TONG IN 'BACHELOR FATHER'". Rafu Shimpo. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
  12. ^ Ada Evening News, July 6, 1972, p. 1
  13. ^ "'Bonanza's' Hop Sing found dead". Evening Independent. St. Petersburg, Florida. November 10, 1980. p. 11-A. Retrieved June 3, 2018.
  14. ^ Valley Independent, November 11, 1980, page 8
  15. ^ Indiana (Pennsylvania) Gazette, November 10, 1980, page 4

Books

[edit]
  • Backer, Roy (2012). Mystery Movie Series of 1930s Hollywood. Jefferson: McFarland. ISBN 9780786490189.
  • Huang, Yunte (2010). Charlie Chan: The Untold Story of the Honorable Detective and His Rendezvous with American History. New York: Norton. ISBN 9780393079166.
[edit]
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