Spencer Chan

Spencer Chan
Chan in Woman on the Run (1950)
Born(1892-03-28)March 28, 1892
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
DiedJanuary 12, 1988(1988-01-12) (aged 95)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Resting place
Evergreen Cemetery
EducationUniversity of Southern California
OccupationCharacter actor
Years active1936–1974

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

Life and career

Chan was born in Los Angeles, California, to Kui Sing Chan, a pastor and court interpreter, and Loy Yau. His parents were Chinese immigrants who owned a house in Los Angeles's Boyle Heights neighborhood. Chan graduated from 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. He was considered an "atmosphere" player, along with Willie Fung, Frank Chew, Richard Loo and others. In 1947, he starred as "Cookie" Kukai in the serial film The Sea Hound, starring along with Buster Crabbe, Jimmy Lloyd, Pamela Blake and Ralph Hodges.

Death

Chan died on January 12, 1988 in Los Angeles, California, at the age of 95. He was buried at Evergreen Cemetery.

Selected filmography

References

  1. ↑ Doyle, Billy; Slide, Anthony (1999). The Ultimate Directory of Silent and Sound Era Performers: A Necrology of Actors and Actresses. Scarecrow Press. p. 100. ISBN 9780810835474 – via Google Books.
  2. ↑ Landesman, Fred (August 13, 2015). The John Wayne Filmography. McFarland. p. 23. ISBN 9781476609225 – via Google Books.
  3. 1 2 Ford, Sydney (June 28, 1912). "Women's Work; Women's Clubs". The Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. Retrieved November 18, 2019 – via Newspapers.com. Closed access icon
  4. ↑ Chandler, Robert (2004). California: An Illustrated History. Hippocrene Books. p. 96. ISBN 0781810345 – via Google Books.
  5. ↑ Riesel, Victor (October 25, 1947). "Coast Communists Seek Control of Film Unions". Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. Retrieved November 18, 2019 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  6. ↑ Slide, Anthony (September 5, 2012). Hollywood Unknowns: A History of Extras, Bit Players, and Stand-Ins. University Press of Mississippi. p. 195. ISBN 9781617034749 – via Google Books.
  7. ↑ Rainey, Buck (June 8, 2015). Serials and Series: A World Filmography, 1912-1956. McFarland. p. 211. ISBN 9781476604480 – via Google Books.
  8. ↑ Rainey, Buck (October 18, 2024). Serial Film Stars: A Biographical Dictionary, 1912-1956. McFarland. p. 209. ISBN 9781476603117 – via Google Books.
  9. ↑ "Spencer E. Chan". The Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. January 17, 1988. Retrieved September 11, 2021 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  10. ↑ 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. ISBN 978-0-7864-7992-4