Richard Loo
Born
October 1, 1903
Died
November 20, 1983 (80 years old)
Known For
Acting
Place of Birth
Maui, Hawaii, USA
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
The Men Who Made the Movies: Samuel Fuller
Sgt. Tanaka (archive footage) (uncredited)
2002
The Incredible Hulk
(1 episode)
1977
The Hardy Boys / Nancy Drew Mysteries
(1 episode)
1977
Collision Course: Truman vs. MacArthur
Chiang-Kai-Shek
1976
The Man with the Golden Gun
Hai Fat
1974
Police Story
(1 episode)
1973
Kung Fu
Master Sun · (4 episodes)
1972
Kung Fu
Ho Fai, The Weapons Master · (1 episode)
1972
Kung Fu: The Way of the Tiger, the Sign of the Dragon
Master Sun
1972
Chandler
Leo
1971
One More Train to Rob
Mr. Chang
1971
McCloud
(1 episode)
1970
Marcus Welby, M.D.: A Matter of Humanities
Kenji Yamashita
1969
Hawaii Five-O
Wong Tou · (1 episode)
1968
The Dick Cavett Show
Self - Guest · (1 episode)
1968
The Sand Pebbles
Major Chin
1966
Family Affair
(1 episode)
1966
I Dream of Jeannie
Wong · (1 episode)
1965
The Wild Wild West
(1 episode)
1965
Honey West
Tog - Chinese Fine Arts Thief · (1 episode)
1965
Bewitched
(1 episode)
1964
Burke's Law
Grass Slipper · (1 episode)
1963
The Outer Limits
Li-Chin Sung · (1 episode)
1963
The Dakotas
(1 episode)
1963
A Girl Named Tamiko
Otani
1962
Diamond Head
Yamagata (uncredited)
1962
Confessions of an Opium Eater
George Wah
1962
The Beachcomber
Ah Wei · (1 episode)
1962
My Three Sons
(1 episode)
1960
Hong Kong
Leo · (1 episode)
1960
The Scavengers
1959
Hong Kong Affair
Li Noon
1958
The Quiet American
Mr. Heng
1958
Maverick
(1 episode)
1957
Perry Mason
Mr. Eng · (1 episode)
1957
Battle Hymn
Gen. Kim (scenes deleted)
1957
Around the World in Eighty Days
Saloon Manager (uncredited)
1956
The Conqueror
Captain of Wang's guard
1956
The Man Called X
(1 episode)
1956
Navy Log
(1 episode)
1955
Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing
Robert Hung
1955
House of Bamboo
Inspector Kito's Voice (voice) (uncredited)
1955
Soldier of Fortune
Gen. Po Lin
1955
December Bride
(1 episode)
1954
The Shanghai Story
Officer
1954
Living It Up
Dr. Lee
1954
The Bamboo Prison
Commandant Hsai Tung
1954
Hell and High Water
Hakada Fujimori
1954
China Venture
Chang Sung
1953
Destination Gobi
Commanding Officer, Japanese POW Camp
1953
Target Hong Kong
Fu Chao
1953
Cavalcade of America
(1 episode)
1952
Cavalcade of America
Ho Chung · (1 episode)
1952
Four Star Playhouse
Jo-Kai · (1 episode)
1952
5 Fingers
1952
I Was an American Spy
Col. Masamato
1951
The Steel Helmet
Sergeant Tanaka
1951
The Colgate Comedy Hour
Self · (1 episode)
1950
Malaya
Colonel Genichi Tomura
1949
The Clay Pigeon
Ken Tokoyama
1949
State Department: File 649
Marshal Yun Usu
1949
Rogues' Regiment
Kao Pang
1948
Studio One
(1 episode)
1948
The Cobra Strikes
Hyder Ali
1948
Half Past Midnight
Lee Gow
1948
To the Ends of the Earth
Commissioner Lu (uncredited)
1948
Women in the Night
Colonel Noyama
1948
Beyond Our Own
James Wong
1947
Web of Danger
Wing
1947
Seven Were Saved
Colonel Yamura
1947
Tokyo Rose
Colonel Suzuki
1946
Prison Ship
Capt. Okisawa
1945
First Yank into Tokyo
Col. Hideko Okanura
1945
Back to Bataan
Maj. Hasko
1945
China's Little Devils
Colonel Huraji
1945
China Sky
Col. Yasuda
1945
Betrayal from the East
Lt. Cmdr. Miyazaki, alias Tani
1945
God Is My Co-Pilot
Tokyo Joe
1945
The Keys of the Kingdom
Lt. Shon
1944
The Story of Dr. Wassell
Chinese Doctor on Train (uncredited)
1944
The Purple Heart
General Ito Mitsubi
1944
So Proudly We Hail
Japanese Radio Announcer (Voice) (Uncredited)
1943
Destroyer
Japanese Submarine Commander
1943
Behind the Rising Sun
Japanese Officer Dispensing Opium
1943
China
Lin Yun
1943
Flight for Freedom
Mr. Yokahata (uncredited)
1943
The Falcon Strikes Back
Jerry
1943
The Amazing Mrs. Holliday
1943
Road to Morocco
Chinese Announcer (uncredited)
1942
Across the Pacific
First Officer Miyuma
1942
Wake Island
1942
Star Spangled Rhythm
Emperor Hirohito (uncredited)
1942
Secret of the Wastelands
Quan
1941
Doomed to Die
Tong Leader
1940
The Fatal Hour
Jeweler
1940
Barricade
Colonel Commander of Rescue Party
1939
Daughter of the Tong
Wong
1939
Island of Lost Men
General Ahn Ling
1939
Lady of the Tropics
Delaroch's Chauffeur
1939
Miracles for Sale
Chinese Soldier in Demo
1939
Mr. Wong in Chinatown
Tong Chief
1939
Panama Patrol
Tommy Young
1939
North of Shanghai
Jed's Pilot
1939
Shadows Over Shanghai
Fong
1938
Blondes at Work
Sam Wong (uncredited)
1938
West of Shanghai
Mr. Cheng
1937
The Good Earth
Farmer (uncredited)
1937
The Soldier and the Lady
Tartar (Uncredited)
1937
Lost Horizon
Shanghai Airport Official (uncredited)
1937
Stowaway
Chinese Merchant (uncredited)
1936
Mad Holiday
Li Yat (uncredited)
1936
Roaming Lady
Chinese Seaman
1936
China Seas
Chinese Inspector at Gangplank (uncredited)
1935
Stranded
Chinese Groom (uncredited)
1935
Student Tour
Geisha's Customer
1934
Now and Forever
Hotel Clerk (uncredited)
1934
The Bitter Tea of General Yen
Captain Li
1932
The Secrets of Wu Sin
Charlie San
1932