Victor Sen Yung
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- October 18, 1915
- Died
- November 1, 1980 (aged 65)
- Birthplace
- San Francisco, California, USA
Biography
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.
Known For
Photos
Filmography
The Man with Bogart's Face
Movie · as Mr. Wing
How the West Was Won
TV · as Hospital Attendant · 1 ep
The Killer Elite
Movie · as Wei Chi
Isis
TV · as Mr. Chen · 1 ep
Barbary Coast
TV · as Soong · 1 ep
Police Woman
TV · as Ah Choy · 1 ep
The Red Pony
Movie · as Mr. Sing / Carni man / Mr. Green
Kung Fu: The Way of the Tiger, the Sign of the Dragon
Movie · as Chuen
Kung Fu
TV · as Old Mandarin, Master Ling (uncredited), Chu, Farmer · 3 eps
The Paul Lynde Show
TV · 1 ep
The Hawaiians
Movie · as Chun Fat (uncredited)
Night Gallery
TV · as Joseph the Butler · 1 ep
Hawaii Five-O
TV · as Dr. Leo Kuh · 1 ep
The Movie Orgy
Movie · as Self (archive footage)
A Flea in Her Ear
Movie · as Oke Saki
Here's Lucy
TV · as Headwaiter, Murphy · 1 ep
The F.B.I.
TV · as Mayor Eto, Joseph Sakanishi, Mr. Kwong · 1 ep
Get Smart
TV · as Yamasaki, Abe Fu Yung · 1 ep
The Wild Wild West
TV · as Baron Kyosai · 1 ep
Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.
TV · 1 ep
Mickey
TV · 1 ep
The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
TV · as Servant · 1 ep
Confessions of an Opium Eater
Movie · as Wing Young
Flower Drum Song
Movie · as Frankie Wing
Dragon by the Tail
Movie · as Dr. Wing Chin-Ni
Mister Ed
TV · 1 ep
The Mike Douglas Show
TV · as Self · 1 ep
87th Precinct
TV · as Charlie, 1st Tattoo Parlor Owner · 1 ep
Thriller
TV · as Bartender · 1 ep
The Barbara Stanwyck Show
TV · as Dr. Wing Chin-Ni · 1 ep
Hong Kong
TV · as Yang · 1 ep
Hawaiian Eye
TV · as Sam, Al · 1 ep
Bonanza
TV · as Hop Sing · 92 eps
She Demons
Movie · as Sammy Ching
The Hunters
Movie · as Korean farmer
Jet Attack
Movie · as Capt. Chon
The Saga of Hemp Brown
Movie · as Chang
Yancy Derringer
TV · as Hon Lee · 1 ep
The Rifleman
TV · 1 ep
Men in War
Movie · as North Korean Sniper Prisoner
Perry Mason
TV · as Mickey Fong, Sheng · 1 ep
Richard Diamond, Private Detective
TV · as Magan · 1 ep
Accused of Murder
Movie · as Hank - Bayliss' Houseboy (uncredited)
The Rawhide Years
Movie · as Chang - Steward (uncredited)
Flight to Hong Kong
Movie · as Airline Ticket Clerk (uncredited)
The Family Nobody Wanted
Movie
Dr. Fu Manchu
TV · as Broadcaster (uncredited) · 1 ep
Broken Arrow
TV · as Ling Tang · 1 ep
The Left Hand of God
Movie · as John Wong
Soldier of Fortune
Movie · as Goldie - Hotel Waiter (uncredited)
Jump Into Hell
Movie · as Lt. Thatch
Blood Alley
Movie · as Cpl. Wang
Navy Log
TV · 1 ep
The Shanghai Story
Movie · as Sun Lee
Jubilee Trail
Movie · as Mickey - Chinese Man (uncredited)
Port of Hell
Movie · as Detonation Ship Radioman
Trader Tom of the China Seas
Movie · as Wang
Captain Midnight
TV · 1 ep
The Lone Wolf
TV · as Jack Wong · 1 ep
Forbidden
Movie · as Allan Chung
Target Hong Kong
Movie · as Johnny Wing (uncredited)
The Blue Gardenia
Movie · as Blue Gardenia Waiter (uncredited)
Cripple Creek
Movie · as Postal Clerk (uncredited)
Hong Kong
Movie · as Mr. Howe (uncredited)
The Sniper
Movie · as Tom
China Smith
TV · as George Loo · 3 eps
Adventures of Superman
TV · as Harry Wong · 1 ep
Terry and the Pirates
TV · 2 eps
Peking Express
Movie · as Chinese Captain (uncredited)
Valley of Fire
Movie · as Ching Moon
Secrets of Monte Carlo
Movie · as Chinese Clerk (uncredited)
Grounds for Marriage
Movie · as Oscar, Chris' Valet
The Law and the Lady
Movie · as Chinese Manager (uncredited)
The Groom Wore Spurs
Movie · as Ignacio
Woman on the Run
Movie · as Sammy Chung
The Breaking Point
Movie · as Mr. Sing
Key to the City
Movie · as MC at the Blue Duck (uncredited)
A Ticket to Tomahawk
Movie · as Long Time
The Jack Benny Program
TV · as Chinese Cafeteria Employee · 1 ep
Chinatown at Midnight
Movie · as Hotel Proprietor
Tuna Clipper
Movie · as Oriental Dock Worker
The Sickle or the Cross
Movie · as Major
Boston Blackie's Chinese Venture
Movie
And Baby Makes Three
Movie · as Lem Kee
Red Light
Movie · as Vincent (uncredited)
Oh, You Beautiful Doll
Movie · as Houseboy
State Department: File 649
Movie · as Johnny Han
Docks of New Orleans
Movie · as Tommy Chan
The Shanghai Chest
Movie · as Tommy Chan
The Feathered Serpent
Movie · as Tommy Chan
The Golden Eye
Movie · as Tommy Chan (as Victor Sen Young)
To the Ends of the Earth
Movie · as Chinese Pilot (uncredited)
Rogues' Regiment
Movie · as Rickshaw Boy (uncredited)
Half Past Midnight
Movie · as Sam
The Flame
Movie · as Chang
The Chinese Ring
Movie · as Tommy Chan
The Crimson Key
Movie · as Wing - Houseboy
Web of Danger
Movie · as Sam
Intrigue
Movie · as Western Union Clerk (uncredited)
Dangerous Money
Movie · as Jimmy Chan
Shadows Over Chinatown
Movie · as Jimmy Chan
The Trap
Movie · as Jimmy Chan
G.I. War Brides
Movie · as Waiter (uncredited)
Dangerous Millions
Movie · as Lin Chow
Betrayal from the East
Movie · as Omaya
Winged Victory
Movie · as Lee (uncredited)
China
Movie · as Lin Wei
Night Plane from Chungking
Movie · as Captain Po
Lost Angel
Movie · as Chinese Man (uncredited)
Castle in the Desert
Movie · as Jimmy Chan
Moontide
Movie · as Jimmy Takeo
Across the Pacific
Movie · as Joe Totsuiko
A Yank on the Burma Road
Movie · as Wing
Secret Agent of Japan
Movie · as Fu Yen
Manila Calling
Movie · as Armando
Little Tokyo, U.S.A.
Movie
The Mad Martindales
Movie · as Jefferson Gow
Charlie Chan in Rio
Movie · as Jimmy Chan
Dead Men Tell
Movie · as Jimmy Chan
They Met in Bombay
Movie · as Gin Ling (uncredited)
Charlie Chan's Murder Cruise
Movie · as Jimmy Chan
Charlie Chan at the Wax Museum
Movie · as Jimmy Chan
Charlie Chan in Panama
Movie · as Jimmy Chan
Murder Over New York
Movie · as Jimmy Chan
The Letter
Movie · as Ong Chi Seng
Charlie Chan at Treasure Island
Movie · as Jimmy Chan
Charlie Chan in Reno
Movie · as Jimmy Chan
Escape to Paradise
Movie
Torchy Blane in Chinatown
Movie · as Chinese Entertainer with Sword
Barricade
Movie · as Undetermined Role
20,000 Men a Year
Movie · as Harold Chong
Charlie Chan in Honolulu
Movie · as James Chan
Shadows Over Shanghai
Movie · as Wang
Mr. Moto Takes a Chance
Movie · as Soldier
International Settlement
Movie · as Bellboy / Onlooker in Street
The Good Earth
Movie · as Peasant (uncredited)
Double or Nothing
Movie · as Minor Role (uncredited)
Thank You, Mr. Moto
Movie · as Onlooker with Street Acrobats / Elevator Operator (uncredited)