Richard Loo
Acting
Richard Loo (October 1, 1903 – November 20, 1983) was an American film actor who was one of the most familiar Asian character actors in American films of the 1930s and 1940s. He appeared in more than 120 films between 1931 and 1982. Chinese by ancestry and Hawaiian by birth, Loo spent his youth in Hawaii, then moved to California as a teenager. He graduated from the University of California at Berkeley and began a career in business. The stock market crash of 1929 and the subsequent economic depression forced Loo to start over. He became involved with amateur, then professional, theater companies and in 1931 made his first film. Like most Asian actors in non-Asian countries, he played primarily small, stereotypical roles, though he rose quickly to familiarity, if not fame, in a number of films. His stern features led him to be a favorite movie villain, and the outbreak of World War II gave him greater prominence in roles as vicious Japanese soldiers in such successful pictures as The Purple Heart (1944) and God Is My Co-Pilot (1945). Loo was most often typecast as the Japanese enemy pilot, spy or interrogator during World War II. In the film The Purple Heart he plays a Japanese Imperial Army general who commits suicide because he cannot break down the American prisoners. According to his daughter, Beverly Jane Loo, he didn't mind being typecast as a villain in these movies as he felt very patriotic about playing those parts. In 1944 he appeared as a Chinese army lieutenant opposite Gregory Peck in The Keys of the Kingdom. He had a rare heroic role as a war-weary Japanese-American soldier in Samuel Fuller's Korean War classic The Steel Helmet (1951), but he spent much of the latter part of his career performing stock roles in films and minor television roles. In 1974 he appeared as the Thai billionaire tycoon Hai Fat in the James Bond film The Man with the Golden Gun, opposite Roger Moore and Christopher Lee. Loo was also a teacher of Shaolin monks in three episodes of the 1972–1975 hit TV series Kung Fu and made a further three appearances as a different character. His last acting appearance was in The Incredible Hulk TV series in 1981, but he continued to act in Toyota commercials into 1982. Loo died of a cerebral hemorrhage on November 20, 1983, age 80. [biography (excerpted) from Wikipedia]
Known for
Acting125
movieThe Men Who Made the Movies: Samuel Fuller
2002
Sgt. Tanaka (archive footage) (uncredited)
movieKung Fu: The Movie
1986
Master Sun
movieCollision Course: Truman vs. MacArthur
1976
Chiang-Kai-Shek
tvKung Fu
1972
Master Sun / Ho Fai, The Weapons Master
tvDelphi Bureau
1972
Shen Si
movieOne More Train to Rob
1971
Mr. Chang
tvMcCloud
1970
Y.S. Chen (uncredited)
movieMarcus Welby, M.D.: A Matter of Humanities
1969
Kenji Yamashita
tvHawaii Five-O
1968
Wong Tou
tvThe Dick Cavett Show
1968
Self - Guest
movieThe Sand Pebbles
1966
Major Chin
tvHoney West
1965
Tog - Chinese Fine Arts Thief
tvThe Man from U.N.C.L.E.
1964
Dr. Yahama
tvBurke's Law
1963
Grass Slipper
tvThe Outer Limits
1963
Li-Chin Sung
movieDiamond Head
1962
Yamagata (uncredited)
movieConfessions of an Opium Eater
1962
George Wah
tvBonanza
1959
General Mu Tsung
movieHong Kong Affair
1958
Li Noon
movieThe Quiet American
1958
Mr. Heng
tvPerry Mason
1957
Mr. Eng
movieBattle Hymn
1957
Gen. Kim (scenes deleted)
movieAround the World in 80 Days
1956
Saloon Manager (uncredited)
movieThe Conqueror
1956
Captain of Wang's guard
movieLove Is a Many-Splendored Thing
1955
Robert Hung
movieHouse of Bamboo
1955
Inspector Kito's Voice (voice) (uncredited)
movieSoldier of Fortune
1955
Gen. Po Lin
movieThe Shanghai Story
1954
Officer
movieLiving It Up
1954
Dr. Lee
movieThe Bamboo Prison
1954
Commandant Hsai Tung
movieHell and High Water
1954
Hakada Fujimori
movieChina Venture
1953
Chang Sung
movieDestination Gobi
1953
Commanding Officer, Japanese POW Camp
movieTarget Hong Kong
1953
Fu Chao
tvCavalcade of America
1952
Ho Chung
movieI Was an American Spy
1951
Col. Masamato
movieThe Steel Helmet
1951
Sergeant Tanaka
movieMalaya
1949
Colonel Genichi Tomura
movieThe Clay Pigeon
1949
Ken Tokoyama
movieState Department: File 649
1949
Marshal Yun Usu
movieRogues' Regiment
1948
Kao Pang
movieThe Cobra Strikes
1948
Hyder Ali
movieHalf Past Midnight
1948
Lee Gow
movieTo the Ends of the Earth
1948
Commissioner Lu (uncredited)
movieWomen in the Night
1948
Colonel Noyama
movieBeyond Our Own
1947
James Wong
movieSeven Were Saved
1947
Colonel Yamura
movieTokyo Rose
1946
Colonel Suzuki
moviePrison Ship
1945
Capt. Okisawa
movieFirst Yank into Tokyo
1945
Col. Hideko Okanura
movieBack to Bataan
1945
Maj. Hasko
movieChina's Little Devils
1945
Colonel Huraji
movieChina Sky
1945
Col. Yasuda
movieBetrayal from the East
1945
Lt. Cmdr. Miyazaki, alias Tani
movieGod Is My Co-Pilot
1945
Tokyo Joe
movieThe Keys of the Kingdom
1944
Lt. Shon
movieThe Story of Dr. Wassell
1944
Chinese Doctor on Train (uncredited)
movieThe Purple Heart
1944
General Ito Mitsubi
movieSo Proudly We Hail
1943
Japanese Radio Announcer (Voice) (Uncredited)
movieDestroyer
1943
Japanese Submarine Commander
movieBehind the Rising Sun
1943
Japanese Officer Dispensing Opium
movieYanks Ahoy
1943
Japanese Submarine Officer (uncredited)
movieChina
1943
Lin Yun
movieFlight for Freedom
1943
Mr. Yokahata (uncredited)
movieRoad to Morocco
1942
Chinese Announcer (uncredited)
movieAcross the Pacific
1942
First Officer Miyuma
movieStar Spangled Rhythm
1942
Emperor Hirohito (uncredited)
movieDoomed to Die
1940
Tong Leader
movieThe Fatal Hour
1940
Jeweler
movieBarricade
1939
Colonel Commander of Rescue Party
movieIsland of Lost Men
1939
General Ahn Ling
movieLady of the Tropics
1939
Delaroch's Chauffeur
movieMiracles for Sale
1939
Chinese Soldier in Demo
movieMr. Wong in Chinatown
1939
Tong Chief
moviePanama Patrol
1939
Tommy Young
movieNorth of Shanghai
1939
Jed's Pilot
movieToo Hot to Handle
1938
Charlie (uncredited)
movieBlondes at Work
1938
Sam Wong (uncredited)
movieWest of Shanghai
1937
Mr. Cheng
movieThat Certain Woman
1937
Elevator Operator (uncredited)
movieThe Good Earth
1937
Farmer (uncredited)
movieThe Soldier and the Lady
1937
Tartar (Uncredited)
movieLost Horizon
1937
Shanghai Airport Official (uncredited)
movieStowaway
1936
Chinese Merchant (uncredited)
movieMad Holiday
1936
Li Yat (uncredited)
movieRoaming Lady
1936
Chinese Seaman
movieChina Seas
1935
Chinese Inspector at Gangplank (uncredited)
movieStranded
1935
Chinese Groom (uncredited)
movieStudent Tour
1934
Geisha's Customer
movieNow and Forever
1934
Hotel Clerk (uncredited)
movieThe Bitter Tea of General Yen
1932
Captain Li
movieThe Secrets of Wu Sin
1932
Charlie San
movieWar Correspondent
1932
Bandit (uncredited)