I salute Keye Luke, the first Chinese-American contract player signed with RKO, Universal, and MGM and was one of the most prominent Asian actors of American cinema in the mid-20th century. Luke was born in Canton, China, to a father who owned an art shop, but grew up in Seattle. Before becoming an actor he was a local artist in Seattle and, later, Hollywood, working on several of the murals inside Graumans Chinese Theatre. He did some of the original artwork for the 1933 King Kong pressbook. Luke also painted the casinos mural in The Shanghai Gesture. He published a limited edition set of pen and ink drawings of The Rubiyat of Omar Khayyam in the 1950s. Other art done by Luke included the dust jackets for books published in the 1950s and 1960s. It was through his studio art work that he was recruited for his first movie roles. Luke made his film debut in The Painted Veil (1934), and the following year gained his first big role, as Charlie Chans eldest son in Charlie Chan in Paris. He worked so well with Warner Oland, the actor playing Chan, that Number One Son became a regular character in the series, alternately helping and distracting Pop Chan in each of his murder cases. Luke left the Charlie Chan series in 1938, shortly after Oland died. The unfinished Oland-Luke film Charlie Chan at the Ringside was completed as Mr. Motos Gamble, with Luke now opposite Peter Lorre. Unlike some performers who failed to establish themselves beyond a single role, Keye Luke continued to work prolifically in Hollywood, at several studios. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer cast him in a recurring role in its Dr. Kildare film series, and Monogram Pictures featured him in its Frankie Darro comedies and starred him as Mr. Wong in Phantom of Chinatown. Unlike Boris Karloff, who had preceded him in the Mr. Wong role, Luke played the detective without any exotic touches. Though his Mr. Wong was of Chinese descent and able to speak Chinese, he was otherwise an ordinary American gumshoe, with no trace of a foreign accent or Oriental philosophy. RKO Radio Pictures used Luke in its popular adventures of The Falcon and Mexican Spitfire. Luke also worked at Universal Pictures, where he played two-fisted valet/chauffeur Kato in its “Green Hornet” serials. In 1958, Luke had a featured Broadway role in the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, “Flower Drum Song,” directed by Gene Kelly. The soundtrack album captures his singing of the part of Mr. Wang, the family patriarch. Keye Luke also worked in television. In 1955, he played Li Wong, a laundryman and property owner in the episode Annie and the Chinese Puzzle of the syndicated western series, “Annie Oakley.” He made two guest appearances on “Perry Mason”: in 1962 he played murderer C.C. Chang in The Case of the Weary Watchdog; in 1965 he played house servant Choy in The Case of the Feather Cloak. In 1972, Number One Son ascended to the role of Charlie Chan himself, thus becoming the first actor of Chinese descent to play the role: he supplied the voice of Mr. Chan in the animated television series, “The Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan.” He was also known for his role of Master Po in the television series, “Kung Fu” (see below). He also appeared in episodes of M*A*S*H, General Hospital, Magnum, P.I., and Miami Vice. For his contribution to show business, Luke was honored by having a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on the sidewalk in front of
Posted on: Mon, 03 Nov 2014 17:23:44 +0000
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