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Willie Fung

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Willie Fung
Fung in Secret Valley (1937)
Born(1896-03-03)3 March 1896
Canton, Great Qing
Died16 April 1945(1945-04-16) (aged 49)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Resting placeAngelus-Rosedale Cemetery
Other namesWilly Fung
OccupationActor
Years active1922–1944

Willie Fung (3 March 1896 – 16 April 1945) was a Chinese-American film actor who played supporting roles in 125 American films from 1922 to 1944. Like many Chinese actors working in Hollywood during the era, he often played Japanese characters.[1]

Biography

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Born in Canton, China,[2] Fung made a name for himself as an actor on the stage in San Francisco.[3] After moving to Los Angeles after his uncle's peanut[4] business collapsed during the depression, Fung — who was reportedly an acquaintance of Jean Harlow[5] — made his film debut in 1922 in Hurricane's Gal. The majority of his roles were in Westerns and dramas.

Behind the scenes, he was an advocate for fair treatment of studio actors.[4] While maintaining his acting career, he ran his own Chinese restaurant: New Moon Café in East Hollywood.[6][7][4]

Fung died of a coronary occlusion in Los Angeles on April 16, 1945 at the age of 49.[8] He is buried in Angelus-Rosedale Cemetery in Los Angeles.[9][10]

Career

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Willie Fung experienced racist typecasting throughout his career. As Hal Erickson scaldingly said: "Chinese character actor Willie Fung spent his entire Hollywood career imprisoned by the Hollywood Stereotype Syndrome...Fung was the personification of the 'Yellow Peril'...buck-toothed, pigtailed, pidgin-English-spouting comedy relief."[11]

Despite being in 125 films over the course of 22 years of acting, his time and effort lacked respect from his peers, and he was frowned upon by critics and historians.[4]

Partial filmography

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Year Title Role Notes
1922 Hurricane's Gal Sing
1922 Broken Chains Chinese Man Uncredited
1923 Thundergate Minor Role Uncredited
1923 Her Temporary Husband Uncredited
1924 The Breaking Point Chinese Cook Uncredited
1924 The Iron Horse Chinaman Uncredited
1924 Thundering Hoofs Cook Uncredited
1926 The Blackbird Chinese Man Uncredited
1926 Chip of the Flying U Chinese Cook Uncredited
1926 The Two-Gun Man Quong
1926 The Road to Mandalay Man in Bar Uncredited
1926 The Blackbird Chinese Man Uncredited
1926 The Yellow Back Chinese
1926 Twinkletoes Chinaman Uncredited
1926 Tell It to the Marines Guard at door of besieged clinic Uncredited
1927 Whispering Smith Rides Wong
1927 Old San Francisco Chang Sue Lee's laughing servant Uncredited
1928 The Way of the Strong Chinese Cook Uncredited
1929 Chinatown Nights One of Riley's Henchmen Uncredited
1929 The Far Call Wing
1929 Where East Is East Servant Uncredited
1929 The Black Book Tin Lung Serial
1929 The Delightful Rogue Hi Lee (the cook) Uncredited
1929 The Virginian Hong Uncredited
1929 Shanghai Lady Bill Collector Uncredited
1930 The Lone Star Ranger The Barber Uncredited
1930 The Ship from Shanghai Shanghai Nightclub Patron Uncredited
1930 Dangerous Paradise Wang Alternative title: Two Against Death
1930 The Bad One Uncredited
1930 Shadow Ranch Camp Cook Uncredited
1930 The Sea God Sin Lee
1930 River's End Eskimo Uncredited
1931 Gun Smoke Wong
1931 Three Girls Lost Chinese Headwaiter Uncredited
1931 Night Nurse Hospital Patient Uncredited
1931 Chinatown After Dark Ling Chi Uncredited
1931 West of Broadway Wing, the cook
1932 Union Depot Chinese Man Uncredited
1932 Panama Flo Bartender at Sadie's Place Uncredited
1932 Shanghai Express Train Engineer Uncredited
1932 The Hatchet Man Notary Fung Loo / Bomb maker Uncredited
1932 Carnival Boat Chino Uncredited
1932 The Mouthpiece Chinese Waiter Uncredited
1932 Roar of the Dragon Chinese Sailor with Rifle Uncredited
1932 The Painted Woman Dealer Uncredited
1932 One Way Passage Hong Kong curio dealer Uncredited
1932 Red Dust Hoy
1932 The Mask of Fu Manchu Ship's Steward Uncredited
1932 Self Defense Charlie
1932 The Son-Daughter Chinese Merchant Uncredited
1933 The Bitter Tea of General Yen Officer Uncredited
1933 The Cohens and Kellys in Trouble Ah Chung Uncredited
1933 The Thrill Hunter Wong, the Cook
1933 Cocktail Hour Mori Uncredited
1933 Don't Bet on Love Charley Lee Uncredited
1933 The Narrow Corner Ah Kay, Saunder's Servant
1933 Tugboat Annie Chow, the Cook Uncredited
1933 Ladies Must Love Mr. Wong Uncredited
1933 Meet the Baron Chinese Man Uncredited
1934 Gambling Lady Ching - Syndicate Board Member Uncredited
1934 Crime Doctor Wah-Sing Uncredited
1934 You Belong to Me Waiter Uncredited
1934 A Lost Lady Forrester's cook
1934 Happiness Ahead Chinese Headwaiter Uncredited
1934 I Sell Anything Charlie Uncredited
1934 Gunfire Camp Cook
1934 Red Morning Ship's Steward
1934 Sequoia Sang Soo
1935 Ruggles of Red Gap Willie - Chinese Servant Uncredited
1935 Rocky Mountain Mystery Ling Yat
1935 Chinatown Squad Driver Uncredited
1935 Oil for the Lamps of China Kin
1935 Shanghai Wang Credited as Willy Fung
1935 Hop-Along Cassidy Salem
1935 China Seas Cabin Boy Ah Sing Uncredited
1935 One-Way Ticket Wing
1936 Call of the Prairie Wong
1936 Small Town Girl So-So Alternative title: One Horse Town
1936 Yellowstone Chinese Cook Uncredited
1936 The General Died at Dawn Bartender
1936 White Hunter Wong
1936 Happy Go Lucky Coolie Fisherman
1936 Stowaway Chang
1936 College Holiday Chinese Man in Junk Uncredited
1937 We Who Are About to Die Kwong
1937 Secret Valley Tabasco the Cook
1937 Lost Horizon Bandit Leader at fuel stop-over Uncredited
1937 Git Along Little Dogies Sing Low
1937 Top of the Town Prop Man Uncredited
1937 Come on, Cowboys Fong
1937 Wee Willie Winkie Mohammet Dihn
1937 The Red Rope Lee Chin the Cook Uncredited
1937 The Big Shot Wu Ping - the Dry Cleaner Uncredited
1937 Jungle Menace Chiang-Houseboy Serial
1937 The Trigger Trio Ranch Cook
1937 Wells Fargo Wang - MacKay's Servant Uncredited
1938 International Settlement Chinese Bartender Uncredited
1938 Border Wolves Ling Wong
1938 Sinners in Paradise Ping Alternative title: Secrets of a Sinner
1938 Pride of the West Sing Loo Uncredited
1938 The Road to Reno Lame Duck Alternative titles: The Lady and the Ranger
The Ranger and the Lady
1938 Too Hot to Handle Willie
1939 Honolulu Wong
1939 Nancy Drew... Reporter Mandarin Cafe Proprietor Uncredited
1939 The Gracie Allen Murder Case Houseboy Uncredited
1939 6,000 Enemies Wang
1939 The Girl and the Gambler Yen, the Chinese Laundryman Uncredited
1939 Maisie Lee
1939 Lady of the Tropics Ling Uncredited
1939 Hawaiian Nights Murphy
1939 Hollywood Cavalcade Willie
1939 Barricade Yen - Cady's Major Domo
1940 Viva Cisco Kid Houseboy Wang Uncredited
1940 Buck Benny Rides Again Chinese Cook Uncredited
1940 The Great Profile Confucius
1940 Seven Sinner Charlie, Shopkeeper Uncredited
1940 The Letter Chung Hi
1941 Saddle Mountain Roundup Fang Way
1941 Badlands of Dakota Wong Lee Uncredited
1941 Burma Convoy Smitty
1941 The Gay Falcon Jerry
1941 Public Enemies Lee Hong Alternative title: Gangs of the City
1942 North to the Klondike Waterlily
1942 Captains of the Clouds Willie
1942 The Tuttles of Tahiti Creditor Uncredited
1942 Tarzan's New York Adventure Sun Lee, the Chinese Tailor Uncredited
1942 A Desperate Chance for Ellery Queen Chinese Waiter Uncredited
1942 The Spoilers Chinese Man in Jail Cell Uncredited
1942 Meet the Stewarts Wong the Cook Uncredited
1942 Tortilla Flat Chin Kee, Fisherman Uncredited
1942 Halfway to Shanghai Mr. Wu
1942 Flying Tigers Jim 'Gin' Sling - Waiter Uncredited
1942 Destination Unknown Farmer
1942 The Moon and Sixpence Tiara's Chinese Cook Uncredited
1942 Seven Days' Leave Les Brown's Houseboy Uncredited
1942 The Black Swan Chinese Cook Uncredited
1943 They Got Me Covered Chinese Laundry Man Uncredited
1944 The Adventures of Mark Twain Chinese Man Uncredited

References

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  1. ^ "No Fun for Willie Fung". The Wilkes-Barre Record. 11 March 1942. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
  2. ^ Rielly, Edward J., ed. (2006). Baseball in the Classroom: Essays on Teaching the National Pastime. McFarland. p. 55. ISBN 0-786-48152-8.
  3. ^ "Ruth Will Not Act". St. Joseph News-Press. 20 November 1931. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
  4. ^ a b c d "West Adams Heritage Association | in Historic West Adams, Los Angeles, California". www.westadamsheritage.org. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
  5. ^ Moore, Charles R. (20 May 1941). "Hollywood Film Shop". Wilmington Daily Press Journal. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
  6. ^ "Chinese Actor Has Odd Hobby". Spokane Chronicle. 21 August 1936. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
  7. ^ "Hollywood Stars "Hide"". The Pittsburgh Press. 13 March 1938. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
  8. ^ Vazzana, Eugene Michael (2001). Silent Film Necrology. McFarland & Company Incorporated Pub. p. 185. ISBN 0-786-41059-0.
  9. ^ Ellenberger, Allan R. (2001). Celebrities in Los Angeles Cemeteries: A Directory. McFarland & Company Incorporated Pub. p. 192. ISBN 0-786-40983-5.
  10. ^ "Notice to Creditors". Los Angeles Evening Citizen News. 29 June 1945. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
  11. ^ "Willie Fung | Biography, Movie Highlights and Photos | AllMovie". 21 July 2019. Archived from the original on 21 July 2019. Retrieved 20 January 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
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