Keye Luke 陸錫麒 | |
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.jpg) Luke in 1976 | |
| Born | (1904-06-18)June 18, 1904 Canton,Qing Empire(present-dayGuangzhou, People’s Republic of China) |
| Died | January 12, 1991(1991-01-12) (aged 86) Whittier, California, U.S. |
| Resting place | Rose Hills Memorial Park in Whittier |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1934–1990 |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 1 |
| Relatives | Edwin Luke (brother) |
| Signature (Chinese) | |
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| Keye Luke | |||||||||||
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| Traditional Chinese | 陸錫麒 | ||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 陆锡麒 | ||||||||||
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Keye Luke (Chinese:陸錫麒;pinyin:Lù Xīqí;Jyutping:Luk6 Sek3 Kei4; June 18, 1904 – January 12, 1991) was aChinese-born American actor, and a founding member of theScreen Actors Guild.[1][2] He portrayed Lee Chan, the "Number One Son" in theCharlie Chan films, the originalKato in the 1939–1941Green Hornet film serials,Brak in the 1960sSpace Ghost cartoons, Master Po in the television seriesKung Fu, and Mr. Wing in theGremlins films. He was the first Chinese-American contract player signed byRKO,Universal Pictures andMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer and was one of the most prominent Asian actors of American cinema in the mid-20th century.[3]
Luke was born in Canton (Guangzhou), China, then in theQing dynasty. His father, Lee Luke, was born in San Francisco in 1880, and traveled to China several times where he married Keye's mother, Down Cook. Lee Luke established an art/import shop in Seattle Chinatown. Luke was raised inSeattle.[3] He had four siblings who all moved from Seattle to California during theGreat Depression. His younger brotherEdwin Luke also became an actor in theCharlie Chan series. The Luke family included Washington assistant attorney-generalWing Luke.[citation needed]
In Seattle, Luke attendedFranklin High School, where he contributed cartoons and illustrations to school publications.[4] He became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 1944.
Before becoming an actor, he was an artist in Seattle and, later, Hollywood. Luke worked on several of the murals insideGrauman's Chinese Theatre. He did some of the original artwork for thepressbook of the originalKing Kong (1933). Luke also painted a mural for the casino set inThe Shanghai Gesture (1941).
He published a limited edition set of pen and ink drawings of theRubaiyat of Omar Khayyam in the 1950s. He also created illustrations for the booksThe Unfinished Song of Achmed Mohammed by Earle Liederman,Blessed Mother Goose byFrank Scully and an edition ofMesser Marco Polo byBrian Oswald Donn-Byrne (unpublished).[4] Other artwork completed by Luke included the dust jackets for books published in the 1950s and 1960s. It was through his studio art work that he was recruited for his earliest movie roles.
Luke made his film debut forMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer inThe Painted Veil (1934), and played his first major role, asCharlie Chan's eldest son, Lee Chan (called "Number One Son" by his father) inCharlie Chan in Paris (1935). He became a regular in the series where Lee alternately helped and distracted his father in each of his murder cases. Lee is culturally American and was an Olympic Gold Medalist in 100-metre swimming inCharlie Chan at the Olympics (1937). Luke appeared seven times as Lee Chan oppositeWarner Oland's Charlie Chan. He left the Charlie Chan series in 1938, shortly after Oland died. The unfinished Oland-Luke filmCharlie Chan at the Ringside was completed asMr. Moto's Gamble (1938), with Luke now oppositePeter Lorre.
Luke worked prolifically with several Hollywood studios. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer cast him in a recurring role in itsDr. Kildare film series, andMonogram Pictures featured him in itsFrankie Darro comedies and starred him asMr. Wong inPhantom of Chinatown. UnlikeBoris Karloff, who preceded him in the Mr. Wong role, Luke played the detective without any exotic touches. His Mr. Wong, of Chinese descent and able to speak Chinese, was otherwise an ordinary American detective with no trace of a foreign accent.
RKO Radio Pictures used Luke in itsThe Falcon series andMexican Spitfire. Luke also worked atUniversal Pictures, where he played the valet/chauffeurKato, the title character's sidekick in itsGreen Hornet serials. Universal mounted a low-budget serial consisting largely of action footage from older films; Luke was hired to match old footage ofSabu in the serialLost City of the Jungle (1946).
Luke returned to the Chan mysteries, which were then being produced by Monogram and starredRoland Winters as Chan. "Number One Son" appeared in the last two Chan features,The Feathered Serpent (1948), along with "Number Two Son" Tommy Chan (Victor Sen Yung) in their only appearance together, andSky Dragon (1949). In both of these films, Luke was older than the actor playing his father. Luke had a featured Broadway role in theRodgers and Hammerstein musicalFlower Drum Song, directed byGene Kelly in 1958. In the original cast album he sang the part of Mr. Wang, the family patriarch.
Luke continued to play character parts in motion pictures. He had a featured role inThe Chairman (1969) starring Gregory Peck. Hedubbed the voice of the evil Mr. Han (played byShih Kien) inEnter the Dragon (1973) starringBruce Lee. Luke played the mysterious oldChinatown shopowner Mr. Wing in the twoGremlins movies and he had a significant role inWoody Allen's movieAlice (1990).
Luke also worked extensively in television, making numerous guest appearances, including four onThe F.B.I. and seven TV movies. He was a regular cast member in two short livedsitcoms,Anna and the King (1972) starringYul Brynner andSidekicks (TV 1986–87). He appeared as Lin Fong (a jade merchant) in an episode ofDragnet 1967.
In 1972, he played the voice of Charlie Chan, in theanimated television seriesThe Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan (1972-73), becoming the first actor of Chinese descent to play the role. He voiced other animated characters including Brak inSpace Ghost (1966-68) and Zoltar/The Great Spirit/Colonel Cronus inBattle of the Planets (1978-80).
Luke played Master Po in the television seriesKung Fu (1972–1975). In 1985, Luke appeared as "The Ancient One" in the ABCsoap operaGeneral Hospital, for the Asian Quarter storyline, which showcased Luke and young actressKimberly McCullough, whom he mentored. In 1986 Luke appeared in season two ofThe Golden Girls as Sophia's love interest. He played two separate roles in the sitcomNight Court, first as a defendant and later as Mac Robinson's grandfather-in-law.
Luke played Governor Donald Cory in episode 71[5] of the originalStar Trek entitled "Whom Gods Destroy[6] (1969),[5] and was originally cast as DoctorNoonien Soong in theStar Trek: The Next Generation episode "Brothers";Brent Spiner ultimately took over the role[7] after Luke became ill.[citation needed]
In theFractured Fairy Tales episode "The Enchanted Fly," one of the rewards offered to the man who would rescue and marry the princess is "an autographed picture of Keye Luke."
He was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by Asian/Pacific American Artists in 1986. For his contribution to show business, Luke was also honored with astar on theHollywood Walk of Fame, on the sidewalk in front of 7000Hollywood Blvd.
Luke died of astroke on January 12, 1991, at the age of 86. He is buried atRose Hills Memorial Park inWhittier, California.
Writer and filmmakerTimothy Tau wrote, directed and produced a short film about Keye Luke's earlier life and work, entitledKeye Luke, which premiered at the 2012Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival as aVisual Communications Armed with a Camera Fellowship film.[8][9][10][11] The film was also the Closing Night choice of the inaugural 2013Seattle Asian American Film Festival.[12][13]Feodor Chin starred as Keye Luke.Archie Kao starred as Edwin Luke, Keye Luke's brother.Kelvin Han Yee starred as Lee Luke, Keye Luke's father.
| Preceded by None | Actors portrayingBrak 1966-1968 | Succeeded by |
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