Bruce Wong
Bruce Wong | |
|---|---|
| Born | Tung Soon Wong March 11, 1909 Los Angeles County, California, USA |
| Died | November 1, 1953 Los Angeles County, California, USA |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, restaurateur, film producer |
| Spouse | Genevieve |
Bruce Wong (born Tung Soon Wong) was a Chinese American character actor, filmmaker, and restaurateur who worked in Hollywood in the 1930s and 1940s.
Biography
[edit]Early life
[edit]Bruce was born in Los Angeles as Tung Soon Wong to parents who had immigrated to Southern California from China. One of his brothers, Beal Wong, also became an actor.[1]
Behind the camera
[edit]In 1936, after raising money in San Francisco he made a nine-reel film—Sum Yun (aka Heartaches)—for the Chinese market, sensing a real opportunity.[2][3] The Cantonese-language film starred Wai Kim, and was filmed in California under Wong's Cathay Pictures production company during a six-day shoot. Wong served as producer, and the film was directed by Frank Tang.[4][5][6][7]
Acting roles
[edit]Plans to make subsequent films never came to fruition, and he turned to acting instead.[8] He appeared in a long list of films between 1937 and 1950, mostly in background roles.
Personal
[edit]Wong was married to Genevieve; the pair had several children together. In addition to his work in Hollywood, Wong also owned and operated at least two restaurants in Los Angeles: Chinese Village Cafe, at 745 N. Main St., and the Ming Room, at 358 S. La Cienega Blvd.[9][10] Chinese Village Cafe was sold right before Wong's death in November 1953.[11]
Selected filmography
[edit]As producer:
- Sum Yun (1936)
As actor:
- Appointment with Danger (1950)
- Nob Hill (1945)
- The Purple Heart (1944)
- Up in Arms (1944)
- Destination Tokyo (1943)
- Jack London (1943)
- Behind the Rising Sun (1943)
- We've Never Been Licked (1943)
- Crash Dive (1943)
- Time to Kill (1942)
- Busses Roar (1942)
- Submarine Raider (1942)
- Song of the Islands (1942)
- The Mystery of Mr. Wong (1939)
- North of Shanghai (1939)
- International Settlement (1938)
- Daughter of Shanghai (1937)
- West of Shanghai (1937)
- Devil's Playground (1937)
References
[edit]- ^ "Obituary". The Los Angeles Times. 10 Feb 1962. Retrieved 2019-11-18.
- ^ Yin), Nangaen Chearavanont (Tse; Ho (歐荷), Au; Shui (歐臻水), Ou Chiu (2014-01-18). Movie Stories: เรื่องราว ภาพยนตร์. H.M. Ou. ISBN 9789881590954.
- ^ California, Jenny Cho and the Chinese Historical Society of Southern (2013). Chinese in Hollywood. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 9780738599731.
- ^ "The Hollywood Lowdown". The Montgomery Advertiser. 23 Feb 1936. Retrieved 2019-11-18.
- ^ "Movie Stars' Wastebasket". Quad-City Times. 15 Dec 1935. Retrieved 2019-11-18.
- ^ "Chinese Makes Film". Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph. 9 May 1936. Retrieved 2019-11-18.
- ^ "All-Chinese Film Made". The Los Angeles Times. 15 Dec 1935. Retrieved 2019-11-18.
- ^ "Oriental Picture Completed". The Baltimore Sun. 31 May 1936. Retrieved 2019-11-18.
- ^ "Auction #3". The Los Angeles Times. 18 Oct 1953. Retrieved 2019-11-18.
- ^ Cooper, Kim (2012-07-20). "From the George Mann Archives: La Cienega Restaurant Row". On Bunker Hill. Retrieved 2019-11-18.
- ^ "Obituary". The Los Angeles Times. 3 Nov 1953. Retrieved 2019-11-18.
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