Victor Sen Yung
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- October 18, 1915
- Died
- November 1, 1980
- Birthplace
- San Francisco, California, USA
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
The Man with Bogart's Face 1980
as Mr. Wing
The Killer Elite 1975
as Wei Chi
The Red Pony 1973
as Mr. Sing / Carni man / Mr. Green
Kung Fu: The Way of the Tiger, the Sign of the Dragon 1972
as Chuen
The Hawaiians 1970
as Chun Fat (uncredited)
A Flea in Her Ear 1968
as Oke Saki
The Movie Orgy 1968
as Self (archive footage)
Confessions of an Opium Eater 1962
as Wing Young
Flower Drum Song 1961
as Frankie Wing
Dragon by the Tail 1961
as Dr. Wing Chin-Ni
The Saga of Hemp Brown 1958
as Chang
The Hunters 1958
as Korean farmer
Jet Attack 1958
as Capt. Chon
She Demons 1958
as Sammy Ching
Men in War 1957
as North Korean Sniper Prisoner
Accused of Murder 1956
as Hank - Bayliss' Houseboy (uncredited)
The Family Nobody Wanted 1956
Actor
Flight to Hong Kong 1956
as Airline Ticket Clerk (uncredited)
The Rawhide Years 1956
as Chang - Steward (uncredited)
Blood Alley 1955
as Cpl. Wang
The Left Hand of God 1955
as John Wong
Soldier of Fortune 1955
as Goldie - Hotel Waiter (uncredited)
Jump Into Hell 1955
as Lt. Thatch
Port of Hell 1954
as Detonation Ship Radioman
The Shanghai Story 1954
as Sun Lee
Jubilee Trail 1954
as Mickey - Chinese Man (uncredited)
Trader Tom of the China Seas 1954
as Wang
Forbidden 1953
as Allan Chung
The Blue Gardenia 1953
as Blue Gardenia Waiter (uncredited)
Target Hong Kong 1953
as Johnny Wing (uncredited)
Cripple Creek 1952
as Postal Clerk (uncredited)
The Sniper 1952
as Tom
Hong Kong 1952
as Mr. Howe (uncredited)
Valley of Fire 1951
as Ching Moon
Peking Express 1951
as Chinese Captain (uncredited)
The Law and the Lady 1951
as Chinese Manager (uncredited)
Secrets of Monte Carlo 1951
as Chinese Clerk (uncredited)
The Groom Wore Spurs 1951
as Ignacio
Grounds for Marriage 1951
as Oscar, Chris' Valet
Woman on the Run 1950
as Sammy Chung
The Breaking Point 1950
as Mr. Sing
A Ticket to Tomahawk 1950
as Long Time
Key to the City 1950
as MC at the Blue Duck (uncredited)
And Baby Makes Three 1949
as Lem Kee
Chinatown at Midnight 1949
as Hotel Proprietor
Oh, You Beautiful Doll 1949
as Houseboy
Red Light 1949
as Vincent (uncredited)
The Sickle or the Cross 1949
as Major
Tuna Clipper 1949
as Oriental Dock Worker
Boston Blackie's Chinese Venture 1949
Actor
State Department: File 649 1949
as Johnny Han
Rogues' Regiment 1948
as Rickshaw Boy (uncredited)
The Feathered Serpent 1948
as Tommy Chan
The Golden Eye 1948
as Tommy Chan (as Victor Sen Young)
The Shanghai Chest 1948
as Tommy Chan
Docks of New Orleans 1948
as Tommy Chan
Half Past Midnight 1948
as Sam
To the Ends of the Earth 1948
as Chinese Pilot (uncredited)
Intrigue 1947
as Western Union Clerk (uncredited)
The Chinese Ring 1947
as Tommy Chan
The Flame 1947
as Chang
The Crimson Key 1947
as Wing - Houseboy
Web of Danger 1947
as Sam
The Trap 1946
as Jimmy Chan
Dangerous Millions 1946
as Lin Chow
Dangerous Money 1946
as Jimmy Chan
G.I. War Brides 1946
as Waiter (uncredited)
Shadows Over Chinatown 1946
as Jimmy Chan
Betrayal from the East 1945
as Omaya
Winged Victory 1944
as Lee (uncredited)
Lost Angel 1943
as Chinese Man (uncredited)
Night Plane from Chungking 1943
as Captain Po
China 1943
as Lin Wei
Manila Calling 1942
as Armando
Across the Pacific 1942
as Joe Totsuiko
Little Tokyo, U.S.A. 1942
Actor
Moontide 1942
as Jimmy Takeo
The Mad Martindales 1942
as Jefferson Gow
Secret Agent of Japan 1942
as Fu Yen
Castle in the Desert 1942
as Jimmy Chan
A Yank on the Burma Road 1942
as Wing
Charlie Chan in Rio 1941
as Jimmy Chan
They Met in Bombay 1941
as Gin Ling (uncredited)
Dead Men Tell 1941
as Jimmy Chan
Murder Over New York 1940
as Jimmy Chan
The Letter 1940
as Ong Chi Seng
Charlie Chan at the Wax Museum 1940
as Jimmy Chan
Charlie Chan's Murder Cruise 1940
as Jimmy Chan
Charlie Chan in Panama 1940
as Jimmy Chan
Escape to Paradise 1939
Actor
Barricade 1939
as Undetermined Role
20,000 Men a Year 1939
as Harold Chong
Charlie Chan at Treasure Island 1939
as Jimmy Chan
Charlie Chan in Reno 1939
as Jimmy Chan
Torchy Blane in Chinatown 1939
as Chinese Entertainer with Sword
Charlie Chan in Honolulu 1938
as James Chan
Shadows Over Shanghai 1938
as Wang
Mr. Moto Takes a Chance 1938
as Soldier
International Settlement 1938
as Bellboy / Onlooker in Street
Thank You, Mr. Moto 1937
as Onlooker with Street Acrobats / Elevator Operator (uncredited)
Double or Nothing 1937
as Minor Role (uncredited)
The Good Earth 1937
as Peasant (uncredited)
Credits from TMDB.