Spencer Chan (March 28, 1892January 12, 1988) was an American character actor of Chinese descent. He had a long career in numerous films.

Biography

Chan was born in

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

, to Kui Sing Chan (a pastor and court interpreter) and Loy Yau. His parents were Chinese immigrants, and they owned a house in Los Angeles's Boyle Heights neighborhood. Chan graduated college at the University of Southern California. Chan began appearing in Hollywood films in the 1930s, and also worked as an interpreter and casting agent when a script called for Chinese actors. Chan was considered an "atmosphere" player, along with

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

, Frank Chew,

Richard Loo 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. Early lif ...

and others. Chan died in January 1988 in Los Angeles, California, at the age of 95. He is buried at Evergreen Cemetery.Wilson, Scott. ''Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons'', 3d ed.: 2 (Kindle Locations 25047-25048). McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. Kindle Edition.

Selected filmography

*'' Oh, Susanna!'' (1936) - Chinaman (uncredited) *''

The General Died at Dawn ''The General Died at Dawn'' is a 1936 American drama film that tells the story of a mercenary who meets a beautiful girl while trying to keep arms from getting to a vicious warlord in war-torn China. The movie was written by Charles G. Booth and ...

'' (1936) - Killer (uncredited) *''

Mad Holiday ''Mad Holiday'' is a 1936 American comedy film directed by George B. Seitz and written by Florence Ryerson and Edgar Allan Woolf. The film stars Edmund Lowe, Elissa Landi, ZaSu Pitts, Ted Healy, Edmund Gwenn and Edgar Kennedy. The film was relea ...

'' (1936) - Chinese Man (uncredited) *'' Swing High, Swing Low'' (1937) - Cook (uncredited) *'' Thank You, Mr. Moto'' (1937) - Chinese Freight Elevator Operator (uncredited) *''

Trade Winds The trade winds or easterlies are the permanent east-to-west prevailing winds that flow in the Earth's equatorial region. The trade winds blow mainly from the northeast in the Northern Hemisphere and from the southeast in the Southern Hemisph ...

'' (1938) - Smoke Shop Customer (uncredited) *''

The Man Who Came to Dinner ''The Man Who Came to Dinner'' is a comedy play by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart. It debuted on October 16, 1939, at the Music Box Theatre in New York City, where it ran until 1941, closing after 739 performances. It then enjoyed a number of N ...

'' (1942) - Chinese Guest (uncredited) *''

The Tuttles of Tahiti ''The Tuttles of Tahiti'' is a 1942 American adventure comedy romance film directed by Charles Vidor and starring Charles Laughton and Jon Hall. It was based on the novel ''No More Gas'' by James Norman Hall and Charles Nordhoff. Plot When mer ...

'' (1942) - Chauffeur / Chinese Servant (uncredited) *''

Wake Island Wake Island ( mh, Ānen Kio, translation=island of the kio flower; also known as Wake Atoll) is a coral atoll in the western Pacific Ocean in the northeastern area of the Micronesia subregion, east of Guam, west of Honolulu, southeast of To ...

'' (1942) - Japanese Captain (uncredited) *''

Across the Pacific ''Across the Pacific'' is a 1942 American spy film set on the eve of the entry of the United States into World War II. It was directed first by John Huston, then by Vincent Sherman after Huston joined the United States Army Signal Corps. It sta ...

'' (1942) - Mitsuko - Chief Engineer *'' Destination Unknown'' (1942) - Chinese Servant (uncredited) *''

Casablanca Casablanca, also known in Arabic as Dar al-Bayda ( ar, الدَّار الْبَيْضَاء, al-Dār al-Bayḍāʾ, ; ber, ⴹⴹⴰⵕⵍⴱⵉⴹⴰ, ḍḍaṛlbiḍa, : "White House") is the largest city in Morocco and the country's econom ...

'' (1942) - Guest at Rick's (uncredited) *''

The Adventures of Smilin' Jack ''The Adventures of Smilin' Jack'' is an aviation comic strip that first appeared October 1, 1933, in the ''Chicago Tribune'' and ended April 1, 1973. After a run of 40 years, it was the longest-running aviation comic strip. The strip was created ...

'' (1943, Serial) - Kushimi's Henchman

hs. 12-13 HS or Hs can stand for: Businesses and brands * HS Produkt, a Croatian firearms manufacturer * ''Helsingin Sanomat'', a newspaper in Finland * Hawker Siddeley, aircraft manufacturing group * Henschel & Son, in aircraft prefixes; e.g., Hs 117 * H ...

(uncredited) *''

Lady of Burlesque ''Lady of Burlesque'' (also known as ''The G-String Murders'' and in the UK, ''Striptease Lady'') is a 1943 American musical comedy-mystery film, produced by RKO Pictures and directed by William A. Wellman and starring Barbara Stanwyck and Mich ...

'' (1943) - Chinese Cook (uncredited) *'' Behind the Rising Sun'' (1943) - Japanese Swordsman (uncredited) *''

The Purple Heart ''The Purple Heart'' is a 1944 American black-and-white war film, produced by Darryl F. Zanuck, directed by Lewis Milestone, and starring Dana Andrews, Richard Conte, Don "Red" Barry, Sam Levene and Trudy Marshall. Eighteen-year-old Farley ...

'' (1944) - Naval Aide (uncredited) *'' Dragon Seed'' (1944) - Farmer (uncredited) *''

Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo ''Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo'' is a 1944 American war film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The screenplay by Dalton Trumbo is based on the 1943 book of the same name by Captain Ted W. Lawson. Lawson was a pilot on the historic Doolittle Raid, A ...

'' (1944) - Townsman (uncredited) *''

Back to Bataan ''Back to Bataan'' is a 1945 American black-and-white World War II war film drama from RKO Radio Pictures, produced by Robert Fellows, directed by Edward Dmytryk, that stars John Wayne and Anthony Quinn. The film depicts events (some fictionalize ...

'' (1945) - Japanese Man (uncredited) *''

First Yank Into Tokyo ''First Yank into Tokyo'' is a 1945 American war film directed by Gordon Douglas for RKO Radio Pictures, starring Tom Neal, Keye Luke, Barbara Hale, and Richard Loo. It was one of the last American films to be produced during World War II, relea ...

'' (1945) - Minor Role (uncredited) *''

Lost City of the Jungle ''Lost City of the Jungle'' is a 1946 Universal movie serial. Plot Recent atom tests show a certain element - Meteorium 245 - as a defense against the atomic bomb. The evil Eric Hazarias (Lionel Atwill) has traced a Meteorium deposit to the Him ...

'' (1946, Serial) - Tribal Elder Councilman h. 11(uncredited) *''

Little Mister Jim ''Little Mister Jim'' is a 1946 American drama film directed by Fred Zinnemann and starring Butch Jenkins, James Craig and Frances Gifford. Plot Army captain "Big Jim" Tukker has a young son, Little Jim, who runs away from home. Once found, t ...

'' (1946) - Chinese Clerk (uncredited) *''

Canyon Passage ''Canyon Passage'' is a 1946 American Western film directed by Jacques Tourneur and set in frontier Oregon. It stars Dana Andrews, Susan Hayward and Brian Donlevy. Featuring love triangles and an Indian uprising, the film was adapted from the 1 ...

'' (1946) - Miner (uncredited) *''

That Brennan Girl ''That Brennan Girl'', also known as ''Tough Girl'', is a 1946 Melodrama#Film, melodrama film produced and directed by Alfred Santell and starring James Dunn (actor), James Dunn, Mona Freeman, William Marshall (bandleader), William Marshall, and J ...

'' (1946) - Chinese Headwaiter (uncredited) *''

The Beginning or the End ''The Beginning or the End'' is a 1947 American docudrama film about the development of the atomic bomb in World War II, directed by Norman Taurog, starring Brian Donlevy, Robert Walker, and Tom Drake, and released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. T ...

'' (1947) - Japanese Naval Officer (uncredited) *'' Shoot to Kill'' (1947) - Waiter (uncredited) *''

Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...

'' (1947) - Electrician (uncredited) *''

The Sea Hound ''The Sea Hound'' is an American radio adventure series that ran from June 29, 1942, to August 7, 1951. It began on the Blue Network June 29, 1942 – September 22, 1944, as a 15-minute serial for young audiences, featuring Ken Daigneau as Capt ...

'' (1947, Serial) - 'Cookie' Kukai *'' The Chinese Ring'' (1947) - Chinese Officer (uncredited) *'' The Treasure of the Sierra Madre'' (1948) - Proprietor (uncredited) *'' State Department: File 649'' (1949) - Chinese Man (uncredited) *''

Boston Blackie's Chinese Venture ''Boston Blackie's Chinese Venture'' is a 1949 mystery film directed by Seymour Friedman, starring Chester Morris. This was the last of Columbia's 14 ''Boston Blackie'' pictures (1941–49). Richard Lane, as long-suffering Inspector Farraday, wa ...

'' (1949) - Chinese Townsman (uncredited) *''

The Stratton Story ''The Stratton Story'' is a 1949 American biographical film directed by Sam Wood that tells the true story of Monty Stratton, a Major League Baseball pitcher who pitched for the Chicago White Sox from 1934 to 1938. The film is the first of three ...

'' (1949) - Waiter (uncredited) *''

We Were Strangers ''We Were Strangers'' is a 1949 American adventure drama film directed by John Huston and starring Jennifer Jones and John Garfield. Set in 1933, the film concerns a group of revolutionaries attempting to overthrow the Cuban government of Gerardo ...

'' (1949) - Celebrant (uncredited) *''

Lust for Gold ''Lust for Gold'' is a 1949 American Western film directed by S. Sylvan Simon and starring Ida Lupino and Glenn Ford. The film is about the legendary Lost Dutchman gold mine, starring Ford as the "Dutchman" and Lupino as the woman he loves. ...

'' (1949) - Townsman (uncredited) *''

The Great Sinner ''The Great Sinner'' is a 1949 American film noir drama film directed by Robert Siodmak. Based on the 1866 short novel '' The Gambler'' written by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, the film stars Gregory Peck, Ava Gardner, Frank Morgan, Ethel Barrymore, Walte ...

'' (1949) - Gambler (uncredited) *''

The Doctor and the Girl ''The Doctor and the Girl'' (also known as ''Bodies and Souls'') is a 1949 American drama (film and television), drama film directed by Curtis Bernhardt and starring Glenn Ford, Charles Coburn, Gloria DeHaven and Janet Leigh that was inspired by t ...

'' (1949) - Man in Clinic (uncredited) *''

And Baby Makes Three ''And Baby Makes Three'' is a 1949 American romantic comedy film directed by Henry Levin and starring Robert Young and Barbara Hale. Plot Jackie Walsh, recently divorced from Vernon Walsh, is told she is pregnant with Vernon's child just as s ...

'' (1949) - Sidewalk Extra in Chinatown (uncredited) *'' Malaya'' (1949) - Chinese Shipmaster (uncredited) *''

The Reformer and the Redhead ''The Reformer and the Redhead'' is a 1950 American romantic comedy film written, produced and directed by Norman Panama and Melvin Frank, and starring June Allyson and Dick Powell. Overview Kathleen Maguire (Allyson) is the daughter of a lon ...

'' (1950) - Chinese Laundryman (uncredited) *'' Timber Fury'' (1950) - Chung *''

A Lady Without Passport ''A Lady Without Passport'' is a 1950 American film noir film directed by Joseph H. Lewis and starring Hedy Lamarr and John Hodiak. Written by Howard Dimsdale, the film is about a beautiful concentration-camp refugee who has taken up residence in ...

'' (1950) - Storekeeper (uncredited) *'' The Breaking Point'' (1950) - 1st Chinese Immigrant (uncredited) *''

Woman on the Run ''Woman on the Run'' is a 1950 American crime film noir directed by Norman Foster and starring Ann Sheridan and Dennis O'Keefe. The film was based on the April 1948 short story "Man on the Run" by Sylvia Tate and filmed on location in San Franc ...

'' (1950) - Chinese Waiter (uncredited) *''

The House on Telegraph Hill ''House on Telegraph Hill'' is a 1951 American film noir starring Richard Basehart, Valentina Cortese, and William Lundigan, and directed by Robert Wise. The film received an Academy Award nomination for its art direction. Telegraph Hill is a d ...

'' (1951) - Chinese Cook (uncredited) *''

Inside the Walls of Folsom Prison ''Inside the Walls of Folsom Prison'' is a 1951 American film noir crime film directed by Crane Wilbur and starring Steve Cochran and David Brian. Set in Folsom State Prison in California, the film was seen both in the United States and Europe. ...

'' (1951) - Wong - the Warden's Houseboy (uncredited) *''

China Corsair ''China Corsair'' is a 1951 American adventure film directed by Ray Nazarro, starring Jon Hall and Lisa Ferraday and released by Columbia Pictures. It was the film debut of Ernest Borgnine. Filming took place in February 1951. Ron Randell was u ...

'' (1951) - Gambling House Extra (uncredited) *'' The Law and the Lady'' (1951) - Chinese Servant (uncredited) *''

The Day the Earth Stood Still ''The Day the Earth Stood Still'' (a.k.a. ''Farewell to the Master'' and ''Journey to the World'') is a 1951 American science fiction film from 20th Century Fox, produced by Julian Blaustein and directed by Robert Wise. It stars Michael Renn ...

'' (1951) - Scientific Delegate (uncredited) *''

Valley of Fire Valley of Fire State Park is a public recreation and nature preservation area covering nearly located south of Overton, Nevada. The state park derives its name from red sandstone formations, the Aztec Sandstone, which formed from shifting sa ...

'' (1951) - Chinese Waiter (uncredited) *''

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...

'' (1952) - Vendor (uncredited) *''

Macao Macau or Macao (; ; ; ), officially the Macao Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (MSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China in the western Pearl River Delta by the South China Sea. With a pop ...

'' (1952) - Hood (uncredited) *'' Cripple Creek'' (1952) - Ah Fong (uncredited) *'' Big Jim McLain'' (1952) - Nightclub Patron (uncredited) *'' April in Paris'' (1952) - Delegate (uncredited) *'' Forbidden'' (1953) - Dr. Chin (uncredited) *''

World for Ransom ''World for Ransom'' is a 1954 American film noir drama directed by Robert Aldrich and starring Dan Duryea, Patric Knowles, Gene Lockhart, Reginald Denny, and Nigel Bruce (in his final film role). Many of the actors and sets used in the film wer ...

'' (1954) - Club Patron (uncredited) *'' A Star Is Born'' (1954) - Actor at Payroll Window (uncredited) *''

This Island Earth ''This Island Earth'' is a 1955 American science fiction film from Universal-International, produced by William Alland, directed by Joseph M. Newman and Jack Arnold, starring Jeff Morrow, Faith Domergue and Rex Reason. It is based on the 195 ...

'' (1955) - Dr. Hu Ling Tang (uncredited) *''

Blood Alley ''Blood Alley'' is a 1955 American seafaring Cold War adventure film produced by John Wayne, directed by William A. Wellman, and starring Wayne and Lauren Bacall. The film was distributed by Warner Bros. and shot in CinemaScope and Warnercolor. ...

'' (1955) - Villager (uncredited) *''

Trial In law, a trial is a coming together of Party (law), parties to a :wikt:dispute, dispute, to present information (in the form of evidence (law), evidence) in a tribunal, a formal setting with the authority to Adjudication, adjudicate claims or d ...

'' (1955) - Man at Defense Fund Rally (uncredited) *''

The Revolt of Mamie Stover ''The Revolt of Mamie Stover'' is a 1951 novel by William Bradford Huie about a young woman from Mississippi who goes to Hollywood to work as an actress. Driven into prostitution, she moves to Honolulu, works at a brothel and takes it over, chal ...

'' (1956) - Passerby on Street (uncredited) *''

Flight to Hong Kong ''Flight to Hong Kong'' is a 1956 American crime film noir directed by Joseph M. Newman and starring Rory Calhoun, Barbara Rush, Dolores Donlon. The film was co-produced by Newman's Sabre Productions and was the first of Rory Calhoun's Rorvic ...

'' (1956) - Reporter (uncredited) *''

Around the World in 80 Days ''Around the World in Eighty Days'' (french: link=no, Le tour du monde en quatre-vingts jours) is an adventure novel by the French writer Jules Verne, first published in French in 1872. In the story, Phileas Fogg of London and his newly employe ...

'' (1956) - Minor Role (uncredited) *'' Man of a Thousand Faces'' (1957) - Chinese Extra in Bullpen (uncredited) *'' The Hunters'' (1958) - Bartender (uncredited) *'' Hong Kong Confidential'' (1958) - Boat Passenger (uncredited) *''

Never So Few ''Never So Few'' is a 1959 CinemaScope Metrocolor war film, directed by John Sturges and starring Frank Sinatra, Gina Lollobrigida, Peter Lawford, Steve McQueen, Richard Johnson, Paul Henreid, Brian Donlevy, Dean Jones, Charles Bronson, and Ph ...

'' (1959) - Merchant (uncredited) *''

Ice Palace An ice palace or ice castle is a castle-like structure made of blocks of ice. These blocks are usually harvested from nearby rivers or lakes when they become frozen in winter. The first known ice palace (or, rather, '' ice house'', ледяной ...

'' (1960) - Asian Worker (uncredited) *'' Walk Like a Dragon'' (1960) - Man at Slave Auction (uncredited) *''

Twenty Plus Two ''Twenty Plus Two'' (a.k.a. ''It Started in Tokyo'') is a 1961 American mystery film directed by Joseph M. Newman and starring David Janssen, Jeanne Crain, and Dina Merrill. The film adapted Frank Gruber's 1961 novel of the same title. Plot Ja ...

'' (1961) - Bartender (uncredited) *''

Flower Drum Song ''Flower Drum Song'' was the eighth musical by the team of Rodgers and Hammerstein. It is based on the 1957 novel, ''The Flower Drum Song'', by Chinese-American author C. Y. Lee. It premiered on Broadway in 1958 and was then performed in the ...

'' (1961) - Doctor Chou (uncredited) *''

Two Weeks in Another Town ''Two Weeks in Another Town'' is a 1962 American drama film directed by Vincente Minnelli and starring Kirk Douglas and Edward G. Robinson. The supporting players include Cyd Charisse, Claire Trevor, Daliah Lavi, George Hamilton, and Rosanna S ...

'' (1962) - Commuter at Airport (uncredited) *''

The Manchurian Candidate ''The Manchurian Candidate'' is a novel by Richard Condon, first published in 1959. It is a political thriller about the son of a prominent U.S. political family who is brainwashed into being an unwitting assassin for a Communist conspiracy. Th ...

'' (1962) - Foreign Official (uncredited) *'' Once a Thief'' (1965) - Chinese Priest (uncredited) *''

The Phynx ''The Phynx'' is a 1970 American comedy film directed by Lee H. Katzin about a rock and roll band named The Phynx and their mission in foreign affairs. The group is sent to Albania to locate celebrity hostages taken prisoner by Communists. This ...

'' (1970) - Meeting Guest (uncredited) *''

One More Train to Rob ''One More Train to Rob'' is a 1971 American comedy western film directed by Andrew McLaglen, starring George Peppard, and featuring Diana Muldaur, John Vernon and France Nuyen. The shooting title for the film was ''Hark''. Plot Set in the O ...

'' (1971) - Townsman (uncredited) *''

Herbie Rides Again ''Herbie Rides Again'' is a 1974 American comedy film and the second installment of ''The Love Bug'' film series made by Walt Disney Productions starring an anthropomorphic (and quite autonomous) 1963 Volkswagen racing Beetle named Herbie. The ...

'' (1974) - Man at Building Presentation (uncredited) *''

Zandy's Bride ''Zandy's Bride'' is a 1974 American Western film directed by Jan Troell and starring Gene Hackman and Liv Ullmann. The film is also known as ''For Better, for Worse'' in the United States (TV title). It was filmed on location near Big Sur, ...

'' (1974) - Chinese Vendor #2 (uncredited) (final film role)

References

External links

* * *
Rotten Tomatoes profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chan, Spencer 1892 births 1988 deaths People from Los Angeles Male actors from Los Angeles American male actors of Chinese descent American male film actors American male television actors 20th-century American male actors University of Southern California alumni