Victor Sen Yung

Victor Sen Yung

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.

Acting

1977

How the West Was Won
Tv

Hospital Attendant

1975

Isis
Tv

Mr. Chen

1973

The Red Pony
Movie

Mr. Sing / Carni man / Mr. Green

1972

Kung Fu
Tv

Old Mandarin

1972

Kung Fu
Tv

Farmer

1972

Kung Fu
Tv

Master Ling (uncredited)

1972

1970

Night Gallery
Tv

Joseph the Butler

1970

The Hawaiians
Movie

Chun Fat (uncredited)

1969

Hawaii Five-O
Tv

Dr. Leo Kuh

1968

The Movie Orgy
Movie

Self (archive footage)

1965

The F.B.I.
Tv

Mayor Eto

1965

The F.B.I.
Tv

Mr. Kwong

1965

The F.B.I.
Tv

Joseph Sakanishi

1964

Mickey
Tv

Unknown

1961

1961

87th Precinct
Tv

Charlie, 1st Tattoo Parlor Owner

1961

Dragon by the Tail
Movie

Dr. Wing Chin-Ni

1960

1960

Thriller
Tv

Bartender

1959

1958

1958

The Hunters
Movie

Korean farmer

1958

Jet Attack
Movie

Capt. Chon

1958

She Demons
Movie

Sammy Ching

1957

Perry Mason
Tv

Mickey Fong

1957

1957

Men in War
Movie

North Korean Sniper Prisoner

1956

Accused of Murder
Movie

Hank - Bayliss' Houseboy (uncredited)

1956

Flight to Hong Kong
Movie

Airline Ticket Clerk (uncredited)

1956

The Rawhide Years
Movie

Chang - Steward (uncredited)

1955

1955

Soldier of Fortune
Movie

Goldie - Hotel Waiter (uncredited)

1955

1954

1953

Forbidden
Movie

Allan Chung

1953

The Blue Gardenia
Movie

Blue Gardenia Waiter (uncredited)

1952

Cripple Creek
Movie

Postal Clerk (uncredited)

1952

Hong Kong
Movie

Mr. Howe (uncredited)

1951

The Law and the Lady
Movie

Chinese Manager (uncredited)

1950

1950

The Jack Benny Program
Tv

Chinese cafeteria employee

1950

Key to the City
Movie

MC at the Blue Duck (uncredited)

1949

1949

Red Light
Movie

Vincent (uncredited)

1948

Rogues' Regiment
Movie

Rickshaw Boy (uncredited)

1948

To the Ends of the Earth
Movie

Chinese Pilot (uncredited)

1947

1947

Intrigue
Movie

Western Union Clerk (uncredited)

1946

The Trap
Movie

Jimmy Chan

1946

1943

Lost Angel
Movie

Chinese Man (uncredited)

1943

China
Movie

Lin Wei

1942

1942

Moontide
Movie

Jimmy Takeo

1942

1941

They Met in Bombay
Movie

Gin Ling (uncredited)

1941

1940

The Letter
Movie

Ong Chi Seng

1939

Barricade
Movie

Undetermined Role

1939

Torchy Blane in Chinatown
Movie

Chinese Entertainer with Sword

1938

International Settlement
Movie

Bellboy / Onlooker in Street

1937

Double or Nothing
Movie

Minor Role (uncredited)

1937

The Good Earth
Movie

Peasant (uncredited)

Infos

Full Name
Victor Sen Yung
Gender
Male
Date of Birth
10/18/1915
Date of Death
11/1/1980
Also Known As

Victor Cheung Young

Sen Yew Cheung

Sen Yung

Sen Young

Victor Sen Young

Victor Young