Willie Fung

• Name — Willie Fung • Born — 3 March 1896 • Birthplace — Canton, Great Qing • Died — 16 April 1945 • Place of death — Los Angeles, California, U.S. • Resting Place — Angelus-Rosedale Cemetery • Other Names — Willy Fung • Occupation — Actor • Years Active — 1922–1944

Fung was born in Canton during the waning years of the Qing Dynasty. He made a name for himself as an actor on the stage in San Francisco. After moving to Los Angeles after his uncle's peanut business collapsed during the Depression of 1920-1921, Fung made his film debut in 1922 in Hurricane's Gal. The majority of his roles were in Westerns and dramas. Behind the scenes, he was an advocate for fair treatment of studio actors, and was reportedly an acquaintance of Jean Harlow. While maintaining his acting career, he ran his own Chinese restaurant: New Moon Café in East Hollywood. Fung died of a coronary occlusion in Los Angeles on April 16, 1945 at the age of 49. He is buried in Angelus-Rosedale Cemetery in Los Angeles.

Willie Fung experienced racist typecasting throughout his career. As reported by American media historian Hal Erickson, "Chinese character actor Willie Fung spent his entire Hollywood career imprisoned by the Hollywood Stereotype Syndrome...Fung was the personification of the 'Yellow Peril' [...] buck-toothed, pigtailed, pidgin-English-spouting comedy relief." Despite being in 125 films over the course of 22 years of acting, his efforts were unappreciated during his time due to racism, and afterwards by critics and historians for having played racially stereotyped roles.

• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1922 — Hurricane's Gal — Sing • 1922 — Broken Chains — Chinese Man — Uncredited • 1923 — Thundergate — Minor Role — Uncredited • 1923 — Her Temporary Husband — Uncredited • 1924 — data-sort-value="Breaking Point, The" | The Breaking Point — Chinese Cook — Uncredited • 1924 — data-sort-value="Iron Horse, The" | The Iron Horse — Chinaman — Uncredited • 1924 — Thundering Hoofs — Cook — Uncredited • 1926 — data-sort-value="Blackbird, The" | The Blackbird — Chinese Man — Uncredited • 1926 — Chip of the Flying U — Chinese Cook — Uncredited • 1926 — data-sort-value="Two-Gun Man, The" | The Two-Gun Man — Quong • 1926 — data-sort-value="Road to Mandalay, The" | The Road to Mandalay — Man in Bar — Uncredited • 1926 — data-sort-value="Blackbird, The" | The Blackbird — Chinese Man — Uncredited • 1926 — data-sort-value="Yellow Back, The" | The Yellow Back — Chinese • 1926 — Twinkletoes — Chinaman — Uncredited • 1926 — Tell It to the Marines — Guard at door of besieged clinic — Uncredited • 1927 — Whispering Smith Rides — Wong • 1927 — Old San Francisco — Chang Sue Lee's laughing servant — Uncredited • 1928 — data-sort-value="Way of the Strong, The" | The Way of the Strong — Chinese Cook — Uncredited • 1929 — Chinatown Nights — One of Riley's Henchmen — Uncredited • 1929 — data-sort-value="Far Call, The" | The Far Call — Wing • 1929 — Where East Is East — Servant — Uncredited • 1929 — data-sort-value="Black Book, The" | The Black Book — Tin Lung — Serial • 1929 — data-sort-value="Delightful Rogue, The" | The Delightful Rogue — Hi Lee (the cook) — Uncredited • 1929 — data-sort-value="Virginian, The" | The Virginian — Hong — Uncredited • 1929 — Shanghai Lady — Bill Collector — Uncredited • 1930 — data-sort-value="Lone Star Ranger, The" | The Lone Star Ranger — The Barber — Uncredited • 1930 — data-sort-value="Ship from Shanghai, The" | The Ship from Shanghai — Shanghai Nightclub Patron — Uncredited • 1930 — Dangerous Paradise — Wang — Alternative title: Two Against Death • 1930 — data-sort-value="Bad One, The" | The Bad One — Uncredited • 1930 — Shadow Ranch — Camp Cook — Uncredited • 1930 — data-sort-value="Sea God, The" | The Sea God — Sin Lee • 1930 — River's End — Eskimo — Uncredited • 1931 — Gun Smoke — Wong • 1931 — Three Girls Lost — Chinese Headwaiter — Uncredited • 1931 — Night Nurse — Hospital Patient — Uncredited • 1931 — Chinatown After Dark — Ling Chi — Uncredited • 1931 — West of Broadway — Wing, the cook • 1932 — Union Depot — Chinese Man — Uncredited • 1932 — Panama Flo — Bartender at Sadie's Place — Uncredited • 1932 — Shanghai Express — Train Engineer — Uncredited • 1932 — data-sort-value="Hatchet Man, The" | The Hatchet Man — Notary Fung Loo / Bomb maker — Uncredited • 1932 — Carnival Boat — Chino — Uncredited • 1932 — data-sort-value="Mouthpiece, The" | The Mouthpiece — Chinese Waiter — Uncredited • 1932 — Roar of the Dragon — Chinese Sailor with Rifle — Uncredited • 1932 — data-sort-value="Painted Woman, The" | The Painted Woman — Dealer — Uncredited • 1932 — One Way Passage — Hong Kong curio dealer — Uncredited • 1932 — Red Dust — Hoy • 1932 — data-sort-value="Mask of Fu Manchu, The" | The Mask of Fu Manchu — Ship's Steward — Uncredited • 1932 — Self Defense — Charlie • 1932 — data-sort-value="Son-Daughter, The" | The Son-Daughter — Chinese Merchant — Uncredited • 1933 — data-sort-value="Bitter Tea of General Yen, The" | The Bitter Tea of General Yen — Officer — Uncredited • 1933 — data-sort-value="Cohens and Kellys in Trouble, The" | The Cohens and Kellys in Trouble — Ah Chung — Uncredited • 1933 — data-sort-value="Thrill Hunter, The" | The Thrill Hunter — Wong, the Cook • 1933 — Cocktail Hour — Mori — Uncredited • 1933 — Don't Bet on Love — Charley Lee — Uncredited • 1933 — data-sort-value="Narrow Corner, The" | The Narrow Corner — Ah Kay, Saunder's Servant • 1933 — Tugboat Annie — Chow, the Cook — Uncredited • 1933 — Ladies Must Love — Mr. Wong — Uncredited • 1933 — Meet the Baron — Chinese Man — Uncredited • 1934 — Gambling Lady — Ching - Syndicate Board Member — Uncredited • 1934 — Crime Doctor — Wah-Sing — Uncredited • 1934 — You Belong to Me — Waiter — Uncredited • 1934 — data-sort-value="Lost Lady, A" | A Lost Lady — Forrester's cook • 1934 — Happiness Ahead — Chinese Headwaiter — Uncredited • 1934 — I Sell Anything — Charlie — Uncredited • 1934 — Gunfire — Camp Cook • 1934 — Red Morning — Ship's Steward • 1934 — Sequoia — Sang Soo • 1935 — Ruggles of Red Gap — Willie - Chinese Servant — Uncredited • 1935 — Rocky Mountain Mystery — Ling Yat • 1935 — Chinatown Squad — Driver — Uncredited • 1935 — Oil for the Lamps of China — Kin • 1935 — Shanghai — Wang — Credited as Willy Fung • 1935 — Hop-Along Cassidy — Salem • 1935 — China Seas — Cabin Boy Ah Sing — Uncredited • 1935 — One-Way Ticket — Wing • 1936 — Call of the Prairie — Wong • 1936 — Small Town Girl — So-So — Alternative title: One Horse Town • 1936 — Yellowstone — Chinese Cook — Uncredited • 1936 — data-sort-value="General Died at Dawn, The" | The General Died at Dawn — Bartender • 1936 — White Hunter — Wong • 1936 — Happy Go Lucky — Coolie Fisherman • 1936 — Stowaway — Chang • 1936 — College Holiday — Chinese Man in Junk — Uncredited • 1937 — We Who Are About to Die — Kwong • 1937 — Secret Valley — Tabasco the Cook • 1937 — Lost Horizon — Bandit Leader at fuel stop-over — Uncredited • 1937 — Git Along Little Dogies — Sing Low • 1937 — Top of the Town — Prop Man — Uncredited • 1937 — Come on, Cowboys — Fong • 1937 — Wee Willie Winkie — Mohammet Dihn • 1937 — data-sort-value="Red Rope, The" | The Red Rope — Lee Chin the Cook — Uncredited • 1937 — data-sort-value="Big Shot, The" | The Big Shot — Wu Ping - the Dry Cleaner — Uncredited • 1937 — Jungle Menace — Chiang-Houseboy — Serial • 1937 — data-sort-value="Trigger Trio, The" | The Trigger Trio — Ranch Cook • 1937 — Wells Fargo — Wang - MacKay's Servant — Uncredited • 1938 — International Settlement — Chinese Bartender — Uncredited • 1938 — Border Wolves — Ling Wong • 1938 — Sinners in Paradise — Ping — Alternative title: Secrets of a Sinner • 1938 — Pride of the West — Sing Loo — Uncredited • 1938 — data-sort-value="Road to Reno, The" | The Road to Reno — Lame Duck — Alternative titles: The Lady and the Ranger The Ranger and the Lady • 1938 — Too Hot to Handle — Willie • 1939 — Honolulu — Wong • 1939 — Nancy Drew... Reporter — Mandarin Cafe Proprietor — Uncredited • 1939 — data-sort-value="Gracie Allen Murder Case, The" | The Gracie Allen Murder Case — Houseboy — Uncredited • 1939 — 6,000 Enemies — Wang • 1939 — data-sort-value="Girl and the Gambler, The" | The Girl and the Gambler — Yen, the Chinese Laundryman — Uncredited • 1939 — Maisie — Lee • 1939 — Lady of the Tropics — Ling — Uncredited • 1939 — Hawaiian Nights — Murphy • 1939 — Hollywood Cavalcade — Willie • 1939 — Barricade — Yen - Cady's Major Domo • 1940 — Viva Cisco Kid — Houseboy Wang — Uncredited • 1940 — Buck Benny Rides Again — Chinese Cook — Uncredited • 1940 — data-sort-value="Great Profile, The" | The Great Profile — Confucius • 1940 — Seven Sinner — Charlie, Shopkeeper — Uncredited • 1940 — data-sort-value="Letter, The" | The Letter — Chung Hi • 1941 — Saddle Mountain Roundup — Fang Way • 1941 — Badlands of Dakota — Wong Lee — Uncredited • 1941 — Burma Convoy — Smitty • 1941 — data-sort-value="Gay Falcon, The" | The Gay Falcon — Jerry • 1941 — Public Enemies — Lee Hong — Alternative title: Gangs of the City • 1942 — North to the Klondike — Waterlily • 1942 — Captains of the Clouds — Willie • 1942 — data-sort-value="Tuttles of Tahiti, The" | The Tuttles of Tahiti — Creditor — Uncredited • 1942 — Tarzan's New York Adventure — Sun Lee, the Chinese Tailor — Uncredited • 1942 — data-sort-value="Desperate Chance for Ellery Queen, A" | A Desperate Chance for Ellery Queen — Chinese Waiter — Uncredited • 1942 — data-sort-value="Spoilers, The" | The Spoilers — Chinese Man in Jail Cell — Uncredited • 1942 — Meet the Stewarts — Wong the Cook — Uncredited • 1942 — Tortilla Flat — Chin Kee, Fisherman — Uncredited • 1942 — Halfway to Shanghai — Mr. Wu • 1942 — Flying Tigers — Jim 'Gin' Sling - Waiter — Uncredited • 1942 — Destination Unknown — Farmer • 1942 — data-sort-value="Moon and Sixpence, The" | The Moon and Sixpence — Tiara's Chinese Cook — Uncredited • 1942 — Seven Days' Leave — Les Brown's Houseboy — Uncredited • 1942 — data-sort-value="Black Swan, The" | The Black Swan — Chinese Cook — Uncredited • 1943 — They Got Me Covered — Chinese Laundry Man — Uncredited • 1944 — data-sort-value="Adventures of Mark Twain, The" | The Adventures of Mark Twain — Chinese Man — Uncredited