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.
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.
External links
IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/nm0950958
Wikipedia: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1229342
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Filmography (Movies)
The Man with Bogart's Face
Character:Mr. Wing
Release Date:03/10/1980
The Killer Elite
Character:Wei Chi
Release Date:19/12/1975
The Red Pony
Character:Mr. Sing / Carni man / Mr. Green
Release Date:18/03/1973
Kung Fu: The Way of the Tiger, the Sign of the Dragon
Character:Chuen
Release Date:22/02/1972
The Hawaiians
Character:Chun Fat (uncredited)
Release Date:17/06/1970
A Flea in Her Ear
Character:Oke Saki
Release Date:27/11/1968
The Movie Orgy
Character:Self (archive footage)
Release Date:01/01/1968
Confessions of an Opium Eater
Character:Wing Young
Release Date:20/06/1962
Flower Drum Song
Character:Frankie Wing
Release Date:09/11/1961
Dragon by the Tail
Character:Dr. Wing Chin-Ni
Release Date:30/01/1961
The Saga of Hemp Brown
Character:Chang
Release Date:05/09/1958
The Hunters
Character:Korean farmer
Release Date:01/09/1958
Jet Attack
Character:Capt. Chon
Release Date:15/02/1958
She Demons
Character:Sammy Ching
Release Date:03/01/1958
Men in War
Character:North Korean Sniper Prisoner
Release Date:03/05/1957
Accused of Murder
Character:Hank - Bayliss' Houseboy (uncredited)
Release Date:21/12/1956
The Family Nobody Wanted
Character:
Release Date:20/12/1956
Flight to Hong Kong
Character:Airline Ticket Clerk (uncredited)
Release Date:08/10/1956
The Rawhide Years
Character:Chang - Steward (uncredited)
Release Date:01/07/1956
Blood Alley
Character:Cpl. Wang
Release Date:01/10/1955
The Left Hand of God
Character:John Wong
Release Date:02/09/1955
Soldier of Fortune
Character:Goldie - Hotel Waiter (uncredited)
Release Date:24/05/1955
Jump Into Hell
Character:Lt. Thatch
Release Date:01/04/1955
Port of Hell
Character:Detonation Ship Radioman
Release Date:05/12/1954
The Shanghai Story
Character:Sun Lee
Release Date:01/09/1954
Jubilee Trail
Character:Mickey - Chinese Man (uncredited)
Release Date:15/05/1954
Trader Tom of the China Seas
Character:Wang
Release Date:06/01/1954
Forbidden
Character:Allan Chung
Release Date:02/12/1953
The Blue Gardenia
Character:Blue Gardenia Waiter (uncredited)
Release Date:20/03/1953
Target Hong Kong
Character:Johnny Wing (uncredited)
Release Date:06/02/1953
Cripple Creek
Character:Postal Clerk (uncredited)
Release Date:30/06/1952
The Sniper
Character:Tom
Release Date:09/05/1952
Hong Kong
Character:Mr. Howe (uncredited)
Release Date:18/04/1952
Valley of Fire
Character:Ching Moon
Release Date:20/11/1951
Peking Express
Character:Chinese Captain (uncredited)
Release Date:01/08/1951
The Law and the Lady
Character:Chinese Manager (uncredited)
Release Date:20/07/1951
Secrets of Monte Carlo
Character:Chinese Clerk (uncredited)
Release Date:20/06/1951
The Groom Wore Spurs
Character:Ignacio
Release Date:13/03/1951
Grounds for Marriage
Character:Oscar, Chris' Valet
Release Date:12/01/1951
Woman on the Run
Character:Sammy Chung
Release Date:10/11/1950
The Breaking Point
Character:Mr. Sing
Release Date:06/10/1950
A Ticket to Tomahawk
Character:Long Time
Release Date:19/05/1950
Key to the City
Character:MC at the Blue Duck (uncredited)
Release Date:02/02/1950
And Baby Makes Three
Character:Lem Kee
Release Date:02/12/1949
Chinatown at Midnight
Character:Hotel Proprietor
Release Date:17/11/1949
Oh, You Beautiful Doll
Character:Houseboy
Release Date:11/11/1949
Red Light
Character:Vincent (uncredited)
Release Date:30/09/1949
The Sickle or the Cross
Character:Major
Release Date:01/07/1949
Tuna Clipper
Character:Oriental Dock Worker
Release Date:11/04/1949
Boston Blackie's Chinese Venture
Character:
Release Date:02/03/1949
State Department: File 649
Character:Johnny Han
Release Date:11/02/1949
Rogues' Regiment
Character:Rickshaw Boy (uncredited)
Release Date:28/12/1948
The Feathered Serpent
Character:Tommy Chan
Release Date:19/12/1948
The Golden Eye
Character:Tommy Chan (as Victor Sen Young)
Release Date:29/08/1948
The Shanghai Chest
Character:Tommy Chan
Release Date:11/07/1948
Docks of New Orleans
Character:Tommy Chan
Release Date:21/03/1948
Half Past Midnight
Character:Sam
Release Date:01/03/1948
To the Ends of the Earth
Character:Chinese Pilot (uncredited)
Release Date:07/02/1948
The Chinese Ring
Character:Tommy Chan
Release Date:06/12/1947
Intrigue
Character:Western Union Clerk (uncredited)
Release Date:06/12/1947
The Flame
Character:Chang
Release Date:24/11/1947
The Crimson Key
Character:Wing - Houseboy
Release Date:02/07/1947
Web of Danger
Character:Sam
Release Date:10/06/1947
The Trap
Character:Jimmy Chan
Release Date:30/11/1946
Dangerous Millions
Character:Lin Chow
Release Date:27/11/1946
Dangerous Money
Character:Jimmy Chan
Release Date:12/10/1946
G.I. War Brides
Character:Waiter (uncredited)
Release Date:12/08/1946
Shadows Over Chinatown
Character:Jimmy Chan
Release Date:27/06/1946
Betrayal from the East
Character:Omaya
Release Date:24/04/1945
Winged Victory
Character:Lee (uncredited)
Release Date:22/12/1944
Lost Angel
Character:Chinese Man (uncredited)
Release Date:23/12/1943
Night Plane from Chungking
Character:Captain Po
Release Date:31/05/1943
China
Character:Lin Wei
Release Date:21/04/1943
Manila Calling
Character:Armando
Release Date:16/10/1942
Across the Pacific
Character:Joe Totsuiko
Release Date:04/09/1942
Little Tokyo, U.S.A.
Character:
Release Date:08/07/1942
Moontide
Character:Jimmy Takeo
Release Date:29/05/1942
The Mad Martindales
Character:Jefferson Gow
Release Date:15/05/1942
Secret Agent of Japan
Character:Fu Yen
Release Date:03/04/1942
Castle in the Desert
Character:Jimmy Chan
Release Date:02/02/1942
A Yank on the Burma Road
Character:Wing
Release Date:29/01/1942
Charlie Chan in Rio
Character:Jimmy Chan
Release Date:05/09/1941
They Met in Bombay
Character:Gin Ling (uncredited)
Release Date:27/06/1941
Dead Men Tell
Character:Jimmy Chan
Release Date:28/03/1941
Murder Over New York
Character:Jimmy Chan
Release Date:13/12/1940
The Letter
Character:Ong Chi Seng
Release Date:21/11/1940
Charlie Chan at the Wax Museum
Character:Jimmy Chan
Release Date:06/09/1940
Charlie Chan's Murder Cruise
Character:Jimmy Chan
Release Date:02/05/1940
Charlie Chan in Panama
Character:Jimmy Chan
Release Date:01/03/1940
Escape to Paradise
Character:
Release Date:22/12/1939
Barricade
Character:Undetermined Role
Release Date:08/12/1939
20,000 Men a Year
Character:Harold Chong
Release Date:26/10/1939
Charlie Chan at Treasure Island
Character:Jimmy Chan
Release Date:31/08/1939
Charlie Chan in Reno
Character:Jimmy Chan
Release Date:16/06/1939
Torchy Blane in Chinatown
Character:Chinese Entertainer with Sword
Release Date:02/02/1939
Charlie Chan in Honolulu
Character:James Chan
Release Date:30/12/1938
Shadows Over Shanghai
Character:Wang
Release Date:14/10/1938
Mr. Moto Takes a Chance
Character:Soldier
Release Date:11/06/1938
International Settlement
Character:Bellboy / Onlooker in Street
Release Date:04/02/1938
Thank You, Mr. Moto
Character:Onlooker with Street Acrobats / Elevator Operator (uncredited)
Release Date:24/12/1937
Double or Nothing
Character:Minor Role (uncredited)
Release Date:17/09/1937
The Good Earth
Character:Peasant (uncredited)
Release Date:02/06/1937
Television Appearances
How the West Was Won
Character:Hospital Attendant
Barbary Coast
Character:Soong
Isis
Character:Mr. Chen
Police Woman
Character:Ah Choy
Kung Fu
Character:Old Mandarin
Kung Fu
Character:Master Ling (uncredited)
Kung Fu
Character:Chu
Kung Fu
Character:Farmer
The Paul Lynde Show
Character:
Night Gallery
Character:Joseph the Butler
Here's Lucy
Character:Headwaiter
Here's Lucy
Character:Murphy
Hawaii Five-O
Character:Dr. Leo Kuh
The F.B.I.
Character:Mayor Eto
The F.B.I.
Character:Joseph Sakanishi
The F.B.I.
Character:Mr. Kwong
Get Smart
Character:
Get Smart
Character:Abe Fu Yung
The Wild Wild West
Character:Baron Kyosai
Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.
Character:
The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
Character:Servant
Mickey
Character:
The Mike Douglas Show
Character:Self
87th Precinct
Character:Charlie, 1st Tattoo Parlor Owner
Mister Ed
Character:
The Barbara Stanwyck Show
Character:Dr. Wing Chin-Ni
Thriller
Character:Bartender
Hong Kong
Character:Yang
Hawaiian Eye
Character:
Hawaiian Eye
Character:Sam
Hawaiian Eye
Character:Al
Bonanza
Character:Hop Sing (uncredited)
Bonanza
Character:Hop Sing
Yancy Derringer
Character:Hon Lee
The Rifleman
Character:
Perry Mason
Character:Mickey Fong
Perry Mason
Character:Sheng
Richard Diamond, Private Detective
Character:Magan
Broken Arrow
Character:Ling Tang
Dr. Fu Manchu
Character:Broadcaster (uncredited)
Navy Log
Character:
Captain Midnight
Character:
The Lone Wolf
Character:Jack Wong
Terry and the Pirates
Character:
Adventures of Superman
Character:Harry Wong
China Smith
Character:
The Jack Benny Program
Character:Chinese cafeteria employee
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