Richard Loo (October 1, 1903 – November 20, 1983) was an American film actor who was one of the most familiar Asian character actors in American films of the 1930s and 1940s. He appeared in more than 120 films between 1931 and 1982.
Richard Loo (October 1, 1903 – November 20, 1983) was an American film actor who was one of the most familiar Asian character actors in American films of the 1930s and 1940s. He appeared in more than 120 films between 1931 and 1982.
Chinese by ancestry and Hawaiian by birth, Loo spent his youth in Hawaii, then moved to California as a teenager. He graduated from the University of California at Berkeley and began a career in business.
The stock market crash of 1929 and the subsequent economic depression forced Loo to start over. He became involved with amateur, then professional, theater companies and in 1931 made his first film. Like most Asian actors in non-Asian countries, he played primarily small, stereotypical roles, though he rose quickly to familiarity, if not fame, in a number of films.
His stern features led him to be a favorite movie villain, and the outbreak of World War II gave him greater prominence in roles as vicious Japanese soldiers in such successful pictures as The Purple Heart (1944) and God Is My Co-Pilot (1945). Loo was most often typecast as the Japanese enemy pilot, spy or interrogator during World War II. In the film The Purple Heart he plays a Japanese Imperial Army general who commits suicide because he cannot break down the American prisoners. According to his daughter, Beverly Jane Loo, he didn't mind being typecast as a villain in these movies as he felt very patriotic about playing those parts.
In 1944 he appeared as a Chinese army lieutenant opposite Gregory Peck in The Keys of the Kingdom. He had a rare heroic role as a war-weary Japanese-American soldier in Samuel Fuller's Korean War classic The Steel Helmet (1951), but he spent much of the latter part of his career performing stock roles in films and minor television roles.
In 1974 he appeared as the Thai billionaire tycoon Hai Fat in the James Bond film The Man with the Golden Gun, opposite Roger Moore and Christopher Lee.
Loo was also a teacher of Shaolin monks in three episodes of the 1972–1975 hit TV series Kung Fu and made a further three appearances as a different character. His last acting appearance was in The Incredible Hulk TV series in 1981, but he continued to act in Toyota commercials into 1982.
Loo died of a cerebral hemorrhage on November 20, 1983, age 80.
[biography (excerpted) from Wikipedia]
External links
IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/nm0519618
Wikipedia: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q352701
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Filmography (Movies)
The Men Who Made the Movies: Samuel Fuller
Character:Sgt. Tanaka (archive footage) (uncredited)
Release Date:02/07/2002
Kung Fu: The Movie
Character:Master Sun
Release Date:01/02/1986
Collision Course: Truman vs. MacArthur
Character:Chiang-Kai-Shek
Release Date:04/01/1976
The Man with the Golden Gun
Character:Hai Fat
Release Date:04/12/1974
Kung Fu: The Way of the Tiger, the Sign of the Dragon
Character:Master Sun
Release Date:22/02/1972
Chandler
Character:Leo
Release Date:01/12/1971
One More Train to Rob
Character:Mr. Chang
Release Date:19/02/1971
Marcus Welby, M.D.: A Matter of Humanities
Character:Kenji Yamashita
Release Date:26/03/1969
The Sand Pebbles
Character:Major Chin
Release Date:20/12/1966
A Girl Named Tamiko
Character:Otani
Release Date:27/12/1962
Diamond Head
Character:Yamagata (uncredited)
Release Date:27/12/1962
Confessions of an Opium Eater
Character:George Wah
Release Date:20/06/1962
The Scavengers
Character:
Release Date:01/10/1959
Hong Kong Affair
Character:Li Noon
Release Date:11/05/1958
The Quiet American
Character:Mr. Heng
Release Date:08/02/1958
Battle Hymn
Character:Gen. Kim (scenes deleted)
Release Date:14/02/1957
Around the World in 80 Days
Character:Saloon Manager (uncredited)
Release Date:17/10/1956
The Conqueror
Character:Captain of Wang's guard
Release Date:28/03/1956
Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing
Character:Robert Hung
Release Date:18/08/1955
House of Bamboo
Character:Inspector Kito's Voice (voice) (uncredited)
Release Date:01/07/1955
Soldier of Fortune
Character:Gen. Po Lin
Release Date:24/05/1955
The Shanghai Story
Character:Officer
Release Date:01/09/1954
Living It Up
Character:Dr. Lee
Release Date:04/08/1954
The Bamboo Prison
Character:Commandant Hsai Tung
Release Date:15/06/1954
Hell and High Water
Character:Hakada Fujimori
Release Date:01/02/1954
China Venture
Character:Chang Sung
Release Date:07/09/1953
Destination Gobi
Character:Commanding Officer, Japanese POW Camp
Release Date:20/03/1953
Target Hong Kong
Character:Fu Chao
Release Date:06/02/1953
5 Fingers
Character:
Release Date:22/02/1952
I Was an American Spy
Character:Col. Masamato
Release Date:14/04/1951
The Steel Helmet
Character:Sergeant Tanaka
Release Date:24/01/1951
Malaya
Character:Colonel Genichi Tomura
Release Date:27/12/1949
The Clay Pigeon
Character:Ken Tokoyama
Release Date:03/03/1949
State Department: File 649
Character:Marshal Yun Usu
Release Date:11/02/1949
Rogues' Regiment
Character:Kao Pang
Release Date:28/12/1948
The Cobra Strikes
Character:Hyder Ali
Release Date:24/04/1948
Half Past Midnight
Character:Lee Gow
Release Date:01/03/1948
To the Ends of the Earth
Character:Commissioner Lu (uncredited)
Release Date:07/02/1948
Women in the Night
Character:Colonel Noyama
Release Date:02/01/1948
Beyond Our Own
Character:James Wong
Release Date:16/11/1947
Web of Danger
Character:Wing
Release Date:10/06/1947
Seven Were Saved
Character:Colonel Yamura
Release Date:28/03/1947
Tokyo Rose
Character:Colonel Suzuki
Release Date:08/02/1946
Prison Ship
Character:Capt. Okisawa
Release Date:15/11/1945
First Yank into Tokyo
Character:Col. Hideko Okanura
Release Date:05/09/1945
Back to Bataan
Character:Maj. Hasko
Release Date:30/05/1945
China's Little Devils
Character:Colonel Huraji
Release Date:27/05/1945
China Sky
Character:Col. Yasuda
Release Date:16/05/1945
Betrayal from the East
Character:Lt. Cmdr. Miyazaki, alias Tani
Release Date:24/04/1945
God Is My Co-Pilot
Character:Tokyo Joe
Release Date:07/04/1945
The Keys of the Kingdom
Character:Lt. Shon
Release Date:15/12/1944
The Story of Dr. Wassell
Character:Chinese Doctor on Train (uncredited)
Release Date:04/07/1944
The Purple Heart
Character:General Ito Mitsubi
Release Date:25/02/1944
So Proudly We Hail
Character:Japanese Radio Announcer (Voice) (Uncredited)
Release Date:09/09/1943
Destroyer
Character:Japanese Submarine Commander
Release Date:19/08/1943
Behind the Rising Sun
Character:Japanese Officer Dispensing Opium
Release Date:01/08/1943
China
Character:Lin Yun
Release Date:21/04/1943
Flight for Freedom
Character:Mr. Yokahata (uncredited)
Release Date:14/04/1943
The Falcon Strikes Back
Character:Jerry
Release Date:01/04/1943
The Amazing Mrs. Holliday
Character:
Release Date:19/02/1943
Road to Morocco
Character:Chinese Announcer (uncredited)
Release Date:10/11/1942
Across the Pacific
Character:First Officer Miyuma
Release Date:04/09/1942
Wake Island
Character:
Release Date:11/08/1942
Star Spangled Rhythm
Character:Emperor Hirohito (uncredited)
Release Date:05/03/1942
Secret of the Wastelands
Character:Quan
Release Date:15/11/1941
Doomed to Die
Character:Tong Leader
Release Date:12/08/1940
The Fatal Hour
Character:Jeweler
Release Date:15/01/1940
Barricade
Character:Colonel Commander of Rescue Party
Release Date:08/12/1939
Daughter of the Tong
Character:Wong
Release Date:28/08/1939
Island of Lost Men
Character:General Ahn Ling
Release Date:16/08/1939
Lady of the Tropics
Character:Delaroch's Chauffeur
Release Date:11/08/1939
Miracles for Sale
Character:Chinese Soldier in Demo
Release Date:10/08/1939
Mr. Wong in Chinatown
Character:Tong Chief
Release Date:01/08/1939
Panama Patrol
Character:Tommy Young
Release Date:20/03/1939
North of Shanghai
Character:Jed's Pilot
Release Date:24/01/1939
Shadows Over Shanghai
Character:Fong
Release Date:14/10/1938
Too Hot to Handle
Character:Charlie (uncredited)
Release Date:16/09/1938
Blondes at Work
Character:Sam Wong (uncredited)
Release Date:05/02/1938
West of Shanghai
Character:Mr. Cheng
Release Date:30/10/1937
That Certain Woman
Character:Elevator Operator (uncredited)
Release Date:30/08/1937
The Good Earth
Character:Farmer (uncredited)
Release Date:02/06/1937
The Soldier and the Lady
Character:Tartar (Uncredited)
Release Date:09/04/1937
Lost Horizon
Character:Shanghai Airport Official (uncredited)
Release Date:03/03/1937
Stowaway
Character:Chinese Merchant (uncredited)
Release Date:25/12/1936
Mad Holiday
Character:Li Yat (uncredited)
Release Date:13/11/1936
Roaming Lady
Character:Chinese Seaman
Release Date:02/05/1936
China Seas
Character:Chinese Inspector at Gangplank (uncredited)
Release Date:09/08/1935
Stranded
Character:Chinese Groom (uncredited)
Release Date:29/06/1935
Student Tour
Character:Geisha's Customer
Release Date:05/10/1934
Now and Forever
Character:Hotel Clerk (uncredited)
Release Date:31/08/1934
The Bitter Tea of General Yen
Character:Captain Li
Release Date:25/12/1932
The Secrets of Wu Sin
Character:Charlie San
Release Date:15/12/1932
Television Appearances
The Incredible Hulk
Character:
The Hardy Boys / Nancy Drew Mysteries
Character:
Police Story
Character:
Kung Fu
Character:Master Sun
Kung Fu
Character:Ho Fai, The Weapons Master
Delphi Bureau
Character:Shen Si
McCloud
Character:Y.S. Chen (uncredited)
Hawaii Five-O
Character:Wong Tou
The Dick Cavett Show
Character:Self - Guest
Family Affair
Character:
I Dream of Jeannie
Character:Wong
The Wild Wild West
Character:
Honey West
Character:Tog - Chinese Fine Arts Thief
The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
Character:Dr. Yahama
Bewitched
Character:
Burke's Law
Character:Grass Slipper
The Outer Limits
Character:Li-Chin Sung
The Dakotas
Character:
The Beachcomber
Character:Ah Wei
My Three Sons
Character:
Hong Kong
Character:Leo
Maverick
Character:
Perry Mason
Character:Mr. Eng
The Man Called X
Character:
Navy Log
Character:
December Bride
Character:
Cavalcade of America
Character:
Cavalcade of America
Character:Ho Chung
Four Star Playhouse
Character:Jo-Kai
The Colgate Comedy Hour
Character:Self
Studio One
Character:
Images
