Philip Ahn

Birthday: 1905-03-29
Deathday: 1978-02-28
Birthplace: Highland Park, Los Angeles, California, USA
Gender: Male
Owned By: Unowned

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Philip Ahn (born Pil Lip Ahn (안필립), March 29, 1905 – February 28, 1978) was a Korean American actor. He was the first Korean American film actor to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Ahn's first film was A Scream in the Night in 1935. He appeared in the Bing Crosby film Anything Goes, though director Lewis Milestone had initially rejected him because his English was too good for the part. His first credited roles came in 1936 in The General Died at Dawn and Stowaway, opposite Shirley Temple. He starred opposite Anna May Wong in Daughter of Shanghai (1937) and King of Chinatown (1937).

During World War II, Ahn often played Japanese villains in war films. Mistakenly thought to be Japanese, he received several death threats. He enlisted in the United States Army, having served in the Special Services as an entertainer. He was discharged early because of an injured ankle and returned to making films.

Ahn appeared in Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing, Around the World in Eighty Days, Thoroughly Modern Millie and Paradise, Hawaiian Style, with Elvis Presley. He got to play Korean characters in Korean War movies such as Battle Circus (1953) and Battle Hymn (1956). In 1952, Ahn made his television debut on the Schlitz Playhouse, a series he would make three additional appearances on. Ahn would also be cast in four episodes of ABC's Adventures in Paradise, four episodes of the ABC/Warner Brothers crime drama Hawaiian Eye, and the CBS crime drama Hawaii Five-O. He made three appearances each on Crossroads, Bonanza, and M*A*S*H. He would also appear in two television movies.

Ahn's most notable television role was as "Master Kan" on the television series Kung Fu. A Presbyterian, Ahn felt that the Taoist homilies his character quoted did not contradict his own religious faith.

Credits

Year Title Character
1976-04-04 The Killer Who Wouldn't Die Soong
1974-06-11 Judgment: The Court Martial of the Tiger of Malaya — General Yamashita General Yamashita
1973-10-23 Jonathan Livingston Seagull Chang (voice)
1973-02-14 The World's Greatest Athlete Old Chinaman
1972-02-22 Kung Fu: The Way of the Tiger, the Sign of the Dragon Master Kan
1970-09-24 The Sex Serum of Dr. Blake Mao Tse Tung (uncredited)
1968-09-20 Cocoon Attorney General
1967-04-07 The Karate Killers Sazami Kyushu
1967-03-22 Thoroughly Modern Millie Tea
1966-04-23 Paradise, Hawaiian Style Moki Kaimana
1963-09-25 Shock Corridor Dr. Fong
1962-12-27 A Girl Named Tamiko Akiba
1962-12-27 Diamond Head Mr. Immacona
1962-06-20 Confessions of an Opium Eater Ching Foon
1961-03-30 One-Eyed Jacks Uncle
1960-12-23 The Great Impostor Capt. Hun Kim
1959-12-07 Never So Few Nautaung
1959-09-10 Yesterday's Enemy Yamazuki
1958-10-01 Hong Kong Confidential Tan Chung
1957-05-10 The Way to the Gold Mr. Ding - cafe owner
1957-02-14 Battle Hymn Old Man
1956-10-17 Around the World in Eighty Days Hong Kong Citizen (uncredited)
1955-09-02 The Left Hand of God Jan Teng
1955-08-18 Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing Third Uncle
1955-04-01 Jump Into Hell Chinese POW Lieutenant
1954-09-01 The Shanghai Story Major Ling Wu
1954-06-01 Hell's Half Acre Roger Kong
1954-01-16 His Majesty O'Keefe Sien Tang, Dentist
1953-09-07 China Venture Adm. Amara
1953-02-06 Target Hong Kong Sin How
1953-01-28 Fair Wind to Java Gusti
1952-10-26 Battle Zone South Korean Guerrilla Leader
1952-07-07 Red Snow Taglu, a spy
1952-04-11 Macao Itzumi
1952-01-29 Japanese War Bride Eitaro Shimizu
1951-06-20 Secrets of Monte Carlo Wong
1951-06-12 China Corsair Wong San
1951-04-14 I Was an American Spy Capt. Arito
1951-01-04 Halls of Montezuma Maj. Kenji Matsuoda (aka "Nomura")
1950-05-26 The Big Hangover Dr. Lee
1949-07-01 The Sickle or the Cross Chinese Official
1949-03-20 Impact Ah Sing
1949-03-02 Boston Blackie's Chinese Venture Wong Chung Shee
1949-02-11 State Department: File 649 Col. Aram
1948-12-28 Rogues' Regiment Tran Duy Gian
1948-09-01 The Creeper Ah Wong - Restaurant Owner
1948-04-24 The Cobra Strikes Kasim--Houseboy
1948-03-27 The Miracle of the Bells Ming Gow
1948-01-02 Women in the Night Professor Kunioshi
1947-12-06 Intrigue Louie Chin
1947-12-06 The Chinese Ring Captain Kong
1947-08-13 Singapore Jimmy - Bartender (uncredited)
1945-12-07 They Were Expendable Army Orderly (uncredited)
1945-05-30 Back to Bataan Col. Coroki
1945-05-27 China's Little Devils Farmer
1945-05-16 China Sky Dr. Kim
1945-04-24 Betrayal from the East Kato
1945-04-07 God Is My Co-Pilot Hong Kong Radio Announcer (uncredited)
1945-01-26 Forever Yours Chinese Man (uncredited)
1944-12-15 The Keys of the Kingdom Mr. Pao, Envoy for Mr. Chia
1944-07-20 Dragon Seed Leader of City People (uncredited)
1944-07-04 The Story of Dr. Wassell Ping
1944-02-25 The Purple Heart Saburo Goto (uncredited)
1943-11-27 Around the World Foo
1943-08-01 Behind the Rising Sun Japanese Officer Murdering Takahashi
1943-04-21 China Lin Cho
1943-04-06 Don Winslow of the Coast Guard Hirota
1943-03-01 December 7th Shinto Priest (uncredited)
1943-02-19 The Amazing Mrs. Holliday
1943-01-05 The Adventures of Smilin' Jack Wu Tan
1942-12-09 China Girl Kai Young
1942-09-04 Across the Pacific Man in Theatre (uncredited)
1942-06-04 Submarine Raider First Officer Kawakami
1942-05-29 Let's Get Tough Joe Matsui
1942-05-01 The Tuttles of Tahiti Emily's Servant (uncredited)
1942-04-16 Ship Ahoy Koro Sumo
1942-01-29 A Yank on the Burma Road Dr. Franklin Ling
1941-06-27 They Met in Bombay Japanese officer (uncredited)
1940-03-15 Drums of Fu Manchu Dr. Chang
1940-01-05 The Shadow Wu Yung
1939-12-08 Barricade Col. Wai Kang
1939-10-25 Disputed Passage Dr. Fung
1939-08-16 Island of Lost Men
1939-03-20 Panama Patrol Sun
1939-03-17 King of Chinatown Robert 'Bob' Li
1939-01-24 North of Shanghai Chinese Doctor
1938-12-30 Charlie Chan in Honolulu Wing Foo
1938-10-18 Red Barry Hong Kong Cholly
1938-03-12 Hawaii Calls Julius
1937-12-24 Thank You, Mr. Moto Prince Chung
1937-12-17 Daughter of Shanghai Kim Lee
1937-11-26 Tex Rides with the Boy Scouts Sing Fung, Laundry Man
1937-09-30 Something to Sing About Ito (Terry's servant)
1937-07-03 Roaring Timber Crooner
1937-06-02 The Good Earth Captain (uncredited)
1937-03-12 China Passage Fang Tu
1936-12-25 Stowaway Sun Lo
1936-11-17 The General Died at Dawn Oxford
1936-02-21 Klondike Annie
1935-07-29 A Scream in the Night Wu Ting (as Philip Ann)
1935-07-19 Shanghai Servant
1934-09-08 Desirable Chinese Waiter