Keye Luke (; June 18, 1904 – January 12, 1991) was a Chinese-born American actor, and a founding member of the

Screen Actors Guild The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) was an American labor union which represented over 100,000 film and television principal and background performers worldwide. On March 30, 2012, the union leadership announced that the SAG membership voted to m ...

. He portrayed Lee Chan, the "Number One Son" in the

Charlie Chan Charlie Chan is a fictional Honolulu Police Department, Honolulu police detective created by author Earl Derr Biggers for a series of mystery novels. Biggers loosely based Chan on Hawaiian detective Chang Apana. The benevolent and heroic Chan ...

films, the original Kato in the 1939–1941 ''Green Hornet'' film serials, Brak in the 1960s '' Space Ghost'' cartoons, Master Po in the television series ''

Kung Fu Chinese martial arts, commonly referred to with umbrella terms Kung fu (term), kung fu (; ), kuoshu () or wushu (sport), wushu (), are Styles of Chinese martial arts, multiple fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in Greater Ch ...

'', and Mr. Wing in the '' Gremlins'' films. He was the first Chinese-American contract player signed by RKO,

Universal Pictures Universal City Studios LLC, doing business as Universal Pictures (also known as Universal Studios or simply Universal), is an American filmmaking, film production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered at the 10 Universal Ci ...

and

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American Film production, film and television production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered ...

and was one of the most prominent Asian actors of American cinema in the mid-20th century.

Early life

Luke's 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 born in Canton (

Guangzhou Guangzhou, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Canton or Kwangchow, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Guangdong Provinces of China, province in South China, southern China. Located on the Pearl River about nor ...

), China, then in the

Qing dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing, was a Manchu-led Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China and an early modern empire in East Asia. The last imperial dynasty in Chinese history, the Qing dynasty was preceded by the ...

. Luke was raised in

Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...

. He had four siblings who all moved from Seattle to California during the

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

. His younger brother Edwin Luke also became an actor in the

series. The Luke family included Washington assistant attorney-general Wing Luke. In Seattle, Luke attended Franklin High School, where he contributed cartoons and illustrations to school publications. He became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 1944.

Artist

Before becoming an actor, he was an artist in Seattle and, later, Hollywood. Luke worked on several of the murals inside Grauman's Chinese Theatre. He did some of the original artwork for the

pressbook In the world of theatrical film exhibition, a pressbook was a promotional tool created and distributed by film distributors in order to market their films. Sometimes called "campaign manuals," most pressbooks took the form of large, multi-page bro ...

of the original ''

King Kong King Kong, also referred to simply as Kong, is a fictional giant monster resembling a gorilla, who has appeared in various media since 1933. The character has since become an international pop culture icon,Erb, Cynthia, 1998, ''Tracking Kin ...

'' (1933). Luke also painted a mural for the casino set in '' The Shanghai Gesture'' (1941). He published a limited edition set of pen and ink drawings of the ''

Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam ''Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám'' is the title that Edward FitzGerald (poet), Edward FitzGerald gave to his 1859 translation from Persian language, Persian to English of a selection of quatrains (') attributed to Omar Khayyam (1048–1131), dub ...

'' in the 1950s. He also created illustrations for the books ''The Unfinished Song of Achmed Mohammed'' by Earle Liederman, ''Blessed Mother Goose'' by Frank Scully and an edition of ''Messer Marco Polo'' by Brian Oswald Donn-Byrne (unpublished). 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.

Acting career

Luke made his film debut for

in '' The Painted Veil'' (1934), and played his first major role, as

's eldest son, Lee Chan (called "Number One Son" by his father) in '' Charlie 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 in '' Charlie Chan at the Olympics'' (1937). Luke appeared seven times as Lee Chan opposite Warner Oland's Charlie Chan. He left the Charlie Chan series in 1938, shortly after Oland died. The unfinished Oland-Luke film ''Charlie Chan at the Ringside'' was completed as '' Mr. Moto's Gamble'' (1938), with Luke now opposite Peter Lorre. Luke worked prolifically with several Hollywood studios. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer cast him in a recurring role in its '' Dr. Kildare'' film series, and Monogram Pictures featured him in its Frankie Darro comedies and starred him as Mr. Wong in '' Phantom of Chinatown''. Unlike

Boris Karloff William Henry Pratt (23 November 1887 – 2 February 1969), known professionally as Boris Karloff () and occasionally billed as Karloff the Uncanny, was a British actor. His portrayal of Frankenstein's monster in the horror film ''Frankenstei ...

, 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 RKO Radio Pictures Inc., commonly known as RKO Pictures or simply RKO, is an American film production and distribution company, historically one of the "Big Five" film studios of Hollywood's Golden Age. The business was formed after the Kei ...

used Luke in its '' The Falcon'' series and '' Mexican Spitfire''. Luke also worked at

, where he played the valet/chauffeur Kato, the title character's sidekick in its '' Green Hornet'' serials. Universal mounted a low-budget serial consisting largely of action footage from older films; Luke was hired to match old footage of Sabu in the serial '' Lost City of the Jungle'' (1946). Luke returned to the Chan mysteries, which were then being produced by Monogram and starred Roland 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, and '' Sky Dragon'' (1949). In both of these films, Luke was older than the actor playing his father. Luke had a featured Broadway role in the

Rodgers and Hammerstein Rodgers and Hammerstein was a theater-writing team of composer Richard Rodgers (1902–1979) and lyricist-dramatist Oscar Hammerstein II (1895–1960), who together created a series of innovative and influential American musicals. Their musical ...

musical ''

Flower Drum Song ''Flower Drum Song'' was the eighth musical theatre, musical by the team of Rodgers and Hammerstein. It is based on the 1957 novel, ''The Flower Drum Song'', by Chinese-American author C. Y. Lee (author), C. Y. Lee. It premiered on Broadway the ...

'', directed by

Gene Kelly Eugene Curran Kelly (August 23, 1912 – February 2, 1996) was an American dancer, actor, singer, director and choreographer. He was known for his energetic and athletic dancing style and sought to create a new form of American dance accessibl ...

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 in '' The Chairman'' (1969) starring Gregory Peck. He dubbed the voice of the evil Mr. Han (played by Shih Kien) in ''

Enter the Dragon ''Enter the Dragon'' ( zh, t=龍爭虎鬥) is a 1973 martial arts film directed by Robert Clouse and written by Michael Allin. The film stars Bruce Lee, John Saxon, Ahna Capri, Bob Wall, Shih Kien and Jim Kelly. ''Enter the Dragon'' was ...

'' (1973) starring

Bruce Lee Bruce Lee (born Lee Jun-fan; November 27, 1940 – July 20, 1973) was an American-born Hong Kong martial artist, actor, filmmaker, and philosopher. He was the founder of Jeet Kune Do, a hybrid martial arts philosophy which was formed from ...

. Luke played the mysterious old

Chinatown Chinatown ( zh, t=唐人街) is the catch-all name for an ethnic enclave of Chinese people located outside Greater China, most often in an urban setting. Areas known as "Chinatown" exist throughout the world, including Europe, Asia, Africa, O ...

shopowner Mr. Wing in the two '' Gremlins'' movies and he had a significant role in

Woody Allen Heywood Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American filmmaker, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades. Allen has received many List of awards and nominations received by Woody Allen, accolade ...

's movie ''

Alice Alice may refer to: * Alice (name), most often a feminine given name, but also used as a surname Literature * Alice (''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland''), a character in books by Lewis Carroll * ''Alice'' series, children's and teen books by ...

'' (1990). Luke also worked extensively in television, making numerous guest appearances, including four on '' The F.B.I.'' and seven TV movies. He was a regular cast member in two short lived

sitcoms A sitcom (short for situation comedy or situational comedy) is a genre of comedy produced for radio and television, that centers on a recurring cast of characters as they navigate humorous situations within a consistent setting, such as a home ...

, '' Anna and the King'' (1972) starring

Yul Brynner Yuliy Borisovich Briner (; July 11, 1920 – October 10, 1985), known professionally as Yul Brynner (), was a Russian-born actor. He was known for his portrayal of King Mongkut in the Rodgers and Hammerstein stage musical ''The King and I'' (19 ...

and ''

Sidekicks A sidekick is a close companion or colleague who is, or is generally regarded as, subordinate to those whom they accompany. Origins The first recorded use of the term dates from 1896. It is believed to have originated in pickpocket slang of ...

'' (TV 1986–87). He appeared as Lin Fong (a jade merchant) in an episode of '' Dragnet 1967''. In 1972, he played the voice of Charlie Chan, in the

animated television series An animated series, or a cartoon series, is a set of Animation, animated films with a common title, usually related to one another. These episodes typically share the same main heroes, some different secondary characters and a basic theme. Series ...

'' The 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 in '' Space Ghost'' (1966-68) and Zoltar/The Great Spirit/Colonel Cronus in '' Battle of the Planets'' (1978-80). Luke played Master Po in the television series ''

'' (1972–1975). In 1985, Luke appeared as "The Ancient One" in the ABC

soap opera A soap opera (also called a daytime drama or soap) is a genre of a long-running radio or television Serial (radio and television), serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term ''soap opera'' originat ...

General Hospital ''General Hospital'' (often abbreviated as ''GH'') is an American daytime television soap opera created by Frank and Doris Hursley which has been broadcast on American Broadcasting Company, ABC since April 1, 1963. Originally a half-hour seria ...

'', for the Asian Quarter storyline, which showcased Luke and young actress Kimberly McCullough, whom he mentored. In 1986 Luke appeared in season two of ''

The Golden Girls ''The Golden Girls'' is an American sitcom created by Susan Harris that aired on NBC from September 14, 1985, to May 9, 1992, with a total of 180 half-hour episodes, spanning seven seasons. The show's ensemble cast stars Beatrice Arthur, Betty ...

'' as Sophia's love interest. He played two separate roles in the sitcom '' Night Court'', first as a defendant and later as Mac Robinson's grandfather-in-law. Luke played Governor Donald Cory in episode 71 of the original ''

Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the Star Trek: The Original Series, series of the same name and became a worldwide Popular culture, pop-culture Cultural influence of ...

'' entitled " Whom Gods Destroy (1969),'' The Star Trek Encyclopedia'' by

Michael Okuda Michael Okuda is an American graphic designer best known for his work on ''Star Trek'' including designing futuristic computer user interfaces known as "okudagrams". Early life and education Okuda received a bachelor of art in communications fro ...

and Denise Okuda, Pocket Books, 1999 edition, p. 696, and was originally cast as Doctor Noonien Soong in the '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' episode "

Brothers A brother (: brothers or brethren) is a man or boy who shares one or more parents with another; a male sibling. The female counterpart is a sister. Although the term typically refers to a familial relationship, it is sometimes used endearingl ...

"; Brent Spiner ultimately took over the role after Luke became ill. In the '' Fractured 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."

Honors

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 a

star A star is a luminous spheroid of plasma (physics), plasma held together by Self-gravitation, self-gravity. The List of nearest stars and brown dwarfs, nearest star to Earth is the Sun. Many other stars are visible to the naked eye at night sk ...

on the

Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a landmark which consists of 2,813 five-pointed terrazzo-and-brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in the Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood dist ...

, on the sidewalk in front of 7000 Hollywood Blvd.

Death

Luke died of a

stroke Stroke is a medical condition in which poor cerebral circulation, blood flow to a part of the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: brain ischemia, ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and intracranial hemorrhage, hemor ...

on January 12, 1991, at the age of 86. He is buried at Rose Hills Memorial Park in Whittier, California.

Legacy

Writer and filmmaker Timothy Tau wrote, directed and produced a short film about Keye Luke's earlier life and work, entitled '' Keye Luke'', which premiered at the 2012 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival as a Visual Communications Armed with a Camera Fellowship film. The film was also the Closing Night choice of the inaugural 2013 Seattle Asian American Film Festival. 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.

Filmography

*'' The Painted Veil'' (1934) as Shay Key Fong (uncredited) *'' Charlie Chan in Paris'' (1935) as Lee Chan *'' The Casino Murder Case'' (1935) as Taki - Casino Pageboy (uncredited) *'' Eight Bells'' (1935) as Interpreter (uncredited) *'' Murder in the Fleet'' (1935) as Consul's Secretary (uncredited) *'' Oil for the Lamps of China'' (1935) as Chinese soldier *'' Mad Love'' (1935) as Dr. Wong *''

Shanghai Shanghai, Shanghainese: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: is a direct-administered municipality and the most populous urban area in China. The city is located on the Chinese shoreline on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the ...

'' (1935) as Chinese Ambassador's son *'' Here's to Romance'' (1935) as Saito *'' Charlie Chan in Shanghai'' (1935) as Lee Chan *'' King of Burlesque'' (1936) Wong *'' Anything Goes'' (1936) as Ching (uncredited) *'' Charlie Chan at the Circus'' (1936) as Lee Chan *'' Charlie Chan at the Race Track'' (1936) as Lee Chan *'' Charlie Chan at the Opera'' (1936) as Lee Chan *'' Between Two Women'' (1937) as Dr. Lee *'' The Good Earth'' (1937) as Elder son *'' Charlie Chan at the Olympics'' (1937) as Lee Chan *'' Charlie Chan on Broadway'' (1937) as Lee Chan *'' Charlie Chan at Monte Carlo'' (1937) as Lee Chan *'' International Settlement'' (1938) as Dr. Wong *'' Mr. Moto's Gamble'' (1938) as Lee Chan *'' North of Shanghai'' (1939) as Jimmy Riley *'' Disputed Passage'' (1939) as Andrew Abbott *'' Sued for Libel'' (1939) as Chang Howe *''

Barricade Barricade (from the French ''barrique'' - 'barrel') is any object or structure that creates a barrier or obstacle to control, block passage or force the flow of traffic in the desired direction. Adopted as a military term, a barricade denotes ...

'' (1939) as Ling - Cady's secretary *''

The Green Hornet The Green Hornet is a superhero created in 1936 by George W. Trendle and Fran Striker, with input from radio director James Jewell (director), James Jewell. Since his 1930s radio debut, the character has appeared in numerous serialized dramas i ...

'' (1940, serial) as Kato *'' Wildcat Bus'' (1940) as Tai (uncredited) *'' Phantom of Chinatown'' (1940) as James Lee Wong *'' Comrade X'' (1940) as World Press Attendee with Glasses (uncredited) *'' No, No, Nanette'' (1940) as Sung, Oriental Cafe Manager (uncredited) *''

The Green Hornet Strikes Again! ''The Green Hornet Strikes Again!'' is a 1941 Universal black-and-white 15 chapter movie serial based on ''The Green Hornet'' radio series by George W. Trendle and Fran Striker. It is a superhero-themed story about the eponymous superhero, ...

'' (1940, Serial) as Kato *'' Footlight Fever'' (1941) as Chinese Restaurant Waiter (uncredited) *'' The Gang's All Here'' (1941) as George Lee *'' They Met in Bombay'' (1941) as Mr. Toy (scenes deleted) *'' Bowery Blitzkrieg'' (1941) as Clancy (as Key Luke) *'' Passage from Hong Kong'' (1941) as Charlie, Chinese Waiter (uncredited) *'' Let's Go Collegiate'' (1941) as Buck Wing *'' Burma Convoy'' (1941) as Lin Taiyen *'' No Hands on the Clock'' (1941) as Severino (uncredited) *'' North to the Klondike'' (1942) as K. Wellington Wong *'' Mr. and Mrs. North'' (1942) as Kumi *'' A Yank on the Burma Road'' (1942) as Kim How *'' A Tragedy at Midnight'' (1942) as Ah Foo *'' Spy Ship'' (1942) as Koshimo Haru *'' Submarine Raider'' (1942) as Tesei (uncredited) *''

Invisible Agent ''Invisible Agent'' is a 1942 American Action film, action and spy film directed by Edwin L. Marin with a screenplay written by Curt Siodmak. The invisible agent is played by Jon Hall (actor), Jon Hall, with Peter Lorre and Sir Cedric Hardwick ...

'' (1942) as Surgeon *'' Somewhere I'll Find You'' (1942) as Thomas Chang (uncredited) *'' Across the Pacific'' (1942) as Steamship Office Clerk *'' Mexican Spitfire's Elephant'' (1942) as Lao Lee - Chinese Magician (uncredited) *''

The Falcon's Brother ''The Falcon's Brother'' is a 1942 American crime drama film in which George Sanders, who had been portraying " The Falcon" in a series of films, appears with his real-life brother Tom Conway; with Sanders handing off the series to Conway, who ...

'' (1942) as Jerry - Gay's Houseboy *'' Destination Unknown'' (1942) as Secretary *'' Dr. Gillespie's New Assistant'' (1942) as Dr. Lee Wong Howe *'' Journey for Margaret'' (1942) as Japanese Statesman (uncredited) *'' The Adventures of Smilin' Jack'' (1943, Serial) as Capt. Wing *'' Dr. Gillespie's Criminal Case'' (1943) as Dr. Lee Wong Howe *'' Salute to the Marines'' (1943) as Flashy Logaz *'' Andy Hardy's Blonde Trouble'' (1944) as Dr. Lee Wong Howe *'' Three Men in White'' (1944) as Dr. Lee Wong Howe *'' Dragon Seed'' (1944) *'' Between Two Women'' (1945) as Dr. Lee Wong Howe *'' Secret Agent X-9'' (1945, Serial) as Ah Fong *'' First Yank into Tokyo'' (1945) as Haan Soo *'' How Doooo You Do!!!'' (1945) as Chinese Detective *'' Tokyo Rose'' (1946) as Charlie Otani *'' Lost City of the Jungle'' (1946, Serial) as Tal Shan *'' Dark Delusion'' (1947) as Dr. Lee Wong Howe *''

Sleep, My Love ''Sleep, My Love'' is a 1948 American Film noir, noir film directed by Douglas Sirk. It features Claudette Colbert, Robert Cummings and Don Ameche. It has been called "a gaslighting thriller." Plot Alison Courtland, a wealthy New Yorker, hasn't ...

'' (1948) as Jimmie Lin *'' Waterfront at Midnight'' (1948) as Loy *'' The Feathered Serpent'' (1948) as Lee Chan *'' Sky Dragon'' (1949) as Lee Chan *'' Manhandled'' (1949) as Chinese Laundry Owner (uncredited) *'' Young Man with a Horn'' (1950) as Ramundo the Houseboy (uncredited) *''

Macao Macau or Macao is a special administrative region of the People's Republic of China (PRC). With a population of about people and a land area of , it is the most densely populated region in the world. Formerly a Portuguese colony, the ter ...

'' (1952) (uncredited) *''The Congregation'' (1952) *''

Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...

'' (1952) as Taxicab Driver (uncredited) *'' Fair Wind to Java'' (1953) as Pidada *'' South Sea Woman'' (1953) as Japanese Deck Officer (uncredited) *'' World for Ransom'' (1954) as Wong *'' Hell's Half Acre'' (1954) as Police Chief Dan *'' The Bamboo Prison'' (1954) as Comrade-Instructor Li Ching *'' Godzilla Raids Again'' (1955) as Shoichi Tsukioka (English version, voice, uncredited) *'' Love is a Many-Splendored Thing'' (1955) as Lee Foo (uncredited) *'' Around the World in 80 Days'' (1956) as old man at Yokohama travel office (uncredited) *'' Rodan'' (1956) as Narrator (English version, voice, uncredited) *'' Yangtse Incident: The Story of H.M.S. Amethyst'' (1957) as Capt. Kuo Tai *'' Gigantis the Fire Monster'' (1959) as VA for Shoichi Tsukioka (uncredited) *'' Nobody's Perfect'' (1968) as Gondai-San *'' Project X'' (1968) as Sen Chiu (as Key Luke) *'' The Chairman'' (1969) as Prof. Soong Li *'' Noon Sunday'' (1970) as Colonel Oong *'' The Hawaiians'' (1970) as Foo Sen *'' Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood'' (1976) as Cook in kitchen *'' The Amsterdam Kill'' (1977) as Chung Wei *'' Just You and Me, Kid'' (1979) as Dr. Device *'' Wonders of China'' at

Walt Disney World The Walt Disney World Resort is an destination resort, entertainment resort complex located about southwest of Orlando, Florida, United States. Opened on October 1, 1971, the resort is operated by Disney Experiences, a division of the Wa ...

's EPCOT Center (1982) as philosopher

Li Bai Li Bai (, 701–762), Literary and colloquial readings, also pronounced Li Bo, courtesy name Taibai (), was a Chinese poet acclaimed as one of the greatest and most important poets of the Tang dynasty and in Chinese history as a whole. He and hi ...

*'' Gremlins'' (1984) as Grandfather *'' A Fine Mess'' (1986) as Ishimine *'' Dead Heat'' (1988) as Mr. Thule *'' The Mighty Quinn'' (1989) as Dr. Raj *'' Gremlins 2: The New Batch'' (1990) as Mr. Wing *''

'' (1990) as Dr. Yang

Television

*'' Mysteries of Chinatown'' 1 episode (''Shadow of the Avenger'') (1950) *'' The Stu Erwin Show'' 1 episode (Lin Yang in ''What Paper Do You Read?'') (1951) *'' Schlitz Playhouse'' 1 episode (''Souvenir from Singapore'') (1952) *'' Chevron Theatre'' 1 episode (''One Thing Leads to Another'') (1952) *'' Your Jeweler's Showcase'' 1 episode (''Juice Man'') (1952) *'' Terry and the Pirates'' 3 episodes (Okura in ''Macao Gold'') (1952) (Lt. Leong in ''The Green God'') (1953) (Police Captain in ''Compound 3-C Theft'') (1953) *'' Biff Baker, U.S.A.'' 1 episode (Tom Ling in ''The Hawaii Story'') (1953) *'' Fireside Theatre'' 2 episodes (''The Traitor'') (1953) (''The Reign of Amelika Joe'') (1954) *''The New Adventures of China Smith'' 4 episodes (Aban in ''The Sign of the Scorpion'') (Tony Wan in ''The Talons of Tongking'') (Wong in ''Plane to Tainan'') (''The Proverbs of Shen-Tze'') (1954) *'' Studio 57'' 1 episode (Sam Kee in ''Ring Once for Death'') (1954) *'' December Bride'' 1 episode (Waiter in ''The Chinese Dinner'') (1954) *''The Ray Milland Show'' 1 episode (Professor Wong in ''Chinese Luck'') (1954) *'' My Little Margie'' 1 episode (Mr. Chang/Fake Mr. Lee in ''San Francisco Story'') (1954) *''

Cavalcade of America ''Cavalcade of America'' is an anthology drama series that was sponsored by the DuPont Company, although it occasionally presented musicals, such as an adaptation of ''Show Boat'', and condensed biographies of popular Composer, composers. It was ...

'' (''Ordeal in Burma'') (1954) (''Call Home the Heart'') (1956) *''

Big Town ''Big Town'' is a popular long-running radio drama featuring a corruption-fighting newspaper editor initially played from 1937 to 1942 by Edward G. Robinson in his first radio role, with echoes of the conscience-stricken tabloid editor he had p ...

'' 1 episode (''The Sniper'') (1955) *'' Annie Oakley'' 1 episode (Li Wong in ''Annie and the Chinese Puzzle'') (1955) *'' Soldiers of Fortune'' 1 episode (Captain Kopan in ''Jungle Rebel'') (1955) *'' The Lineup'' 1 episode (''The Chinatown Case'') (1955) *''

Gunsmoke ''Gunsmoke'' is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centered on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central charact ...

'' 1 episode (Chen in ''The Queue'') (1955) *''Crusader'' 1 episode (Lin Suchow in ''Christmas in Burma'') (1955) *'' Crossroads 2 episodes (Leang Fan in ''Calvary in China) (1956) (Wang-Red Soldier in ''The Inner Light'') (1956) *'' Jungle Jim'' 1 episode (Jolong in ''Power of Darkness'') (1956) *'' Buffalo Bill, Jr.'' 1 episode (''The Golden Plant'') (1956) *'' Telephone Time'' 1 episode (''Time Bomb'') (1956) *'' TV Reader's Digest'' 1 episode (Mr. Ling in ''The Smuggler'') (1956) *'' The Adventures of Dr. Fu Manchu'' 1 episode (Lum Sen in ''The Golden God of Dr. Fu Manchu'') (1956) *''

Wire Service A news agency is an organization that gathers news reports and sells them to subscribing news organizations, such as newspapers, magazines and All-news radio, radio and News broadcasting, television Broadcasting, broadcasters. A news agency ma ...

'' 1 episode (Young General in ''No Peace in Lo Dao'') (1957) *'' Panic!'' 1 episode (Honolulu in ''Mayday'') (1957) *''

Climax! ''Climax!'' (later known as ''Climax Mystery Theater'') is an American television anthology series that aired on CBS from 1954 to 1958. The series was hosted by William Lundigan and later co-hosted by Mary Costa. It was one of the few CBS pro ...

'' 1 episode (Chen in ''Jacob and the Angel'') (1957) *'' The Gale Storm Show'' 2 episodes (Chong in ''Singapore Fling'') (1957) (Henry Ling in ''The Case of the Chinese Puzzle'') (1958) *'' Alcoa Theatre'' 1 episode (Mike in ''In the Dark'') (1958) *'' The Californians'' 1 episode (''China Doll'') (1958) *'' Mike Hammer'' 1 episode (Sammy Wong in ''So That's Who It Was'') (1958) *''

Richard Diamond, Private Detective ''Richard Diamond, Private Detective'' is an American detective drama, created by Blake Edwards, which aired on radio from 1949 to 1953, and on television from 1957 to 1960. Radio Dick Powell starred in the ''Richard Diamond, Private Detective' ...

'' 1 episode (Dr. Lin Chang in ''Chinese Honeymoon'') (1958) *'' Trackdown'' 1 episode (Wong in ''Chinese Cowboy'') (1958) *'' The Case of the Dangerous Robin'' 1 episode (''The China Passage'') (1961) *''Follow the Sun'' 1 episode (Sumarit in ''Little Girl Lost'') (1961) *'' Target: The Corruptors'' 1 episode (Chang Sui in ''Chase the Dragon'') (1962) *'' Fair Exchange'' 1 episode (Mr. Fong in ''The Exchange'') (1962) *'' Perry Mason'' 2 episodes (C.C. Chang in ''The Case of the Weary Watchdog'') (1962) (Choy in ''The Case of the Feather Cloak'') (1965) *'' The Littlest Hobo'' 1 episode (Wu Chang in ''Chinese Puzzle'') (1963) *'' Mickey'' 1 episode (Grandpa Kwan in ''The Way the Fortune Cookie Crumbles'')(1964) *''

Kentucky Jones ''Kentucky Jones'' is an American comedy-drama television series starring Dennis Weaver which centers around a widowed Southern California veterinarian and rancher raising an adopted Chinese boy. Original episodes aired from September 19, 1964, u ...

'' 2 episodes (Thomas Wong in ''Ike's Song'' (1964) and ''My Old Kwantungy Home'' (1965)) *'' Jonny Quest'' (animated) 2 episodes (voice) (Commissioner Wah/Panel truck passenger/Sentry-post 4 in ''The Quetong Missile Mystery'') (1965) (Charlie in ''The Sea Haunt'') (1965) *'' I Spy'' 1 episode (Lt. How in ''Danny Was a Million Laughs'') (1965) *'' The Wackiest Ship in the Army'' 1 episode (''Last Path to Garcia'') (1965) *'' My Brother the Angel'' 1 episode (Mr. Togosaki in ''The Hawaiian Caper'') (1966) *'' Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre'' 1 episode (Han in ''Wind Fever'') (1966) *'' Space Ghost'' (animated) 3 episodes (voice) (Brak in ''The Lure (1966), The Looters (1967), and The Two Faces of Doom (1967)'') *''

'' 1 episode (Mr. Chang in ''The Preying Mantis'') (uncredited) (1966) *'' The F.B.I.'' 4 episodes (General How in ''The Spy-Master'') (1966) (Ken Torii in ''The Hiding Place'') (1966) (Captain Cheiu in ''The Courier'') (1967) (Mr. Seito in ''Memory of a Legend'') (1973) *'' Coronet Blue'' 1 episode (Yasito Omaki in ''Tomoyo'') (1967) *''

The Andy Griffith Show ''The Andy Griffith Show '' is an American sitcom television series that was aired on CBS from October 3, 1960, to April 1, 1968, with a total of 249 half-hour episodes spanning eight seasons—159 in black and white and 90 in color. The series ...

'' 1 episode (Charlie Lee in ''Aunt Bee's Restaurant'') (1966) *'' Family Affair'' 1 episode (Grandfather Chang in ''The Great Kow-Tow'') (1967) *'' Dragnet'' 2 episodes (''The Jade Story'') (1967) (''The Big Amateur'') (1968) *'' The Big Valley'' 1 episode (Mike Chang in ''The Emperor of Rice'') (1968) *'' The Outsider'' 1 episode (Won Ah-Kam in ''Cold as Ashes'') (1968) *'' It Takes a Thief'' 2 episodes (Dubek in ''When Good Friends Get Together'') (1968) (Dr. Tanu Woo in ''Project X'') (1970) *'' Star Trek: The Original Series'' S3:E14 (Donald Cory in '' Whom Gods Destroy'') (1969) *'' Hawaii Five-O'' 1 episode (Senator John Oishi in ''All the King's Horses'') (1969) *'' Marcus Welby, M.D.'' 2 episodes (Dr. George Braley in ''A Woman's Place'') (1971) (David Yen in ''A Portrait of Debbie'') (1971) *'' Adam-12'' 2 episodes (George Lum in ''Log 56: Vice Versa'') (1971) (Sing Hong in ''Mary Hong Loves Tommy Chen) (1972) *''

Here's Lucy ''Here's Lucy'' is an American sitcom starring Lucille Ball. The series co-starred her long-time comedy partner Gale Gordon and her real-life children Lucie Arnaz and Desi Arnaz Jr. It was broadcast on CBS from 1968 to 1974. It was Ball's third ...

'' 1 episode (Quon Fong in ''Lucy and the Chinese Curse'') (1972) *'' The Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan'' (1972) (animated) 14 episodes (voice) (Charlie Chan) *'' Anna and the King'' 13 episodes (Kralahome) (1972) *''

'' 46 episodes (Master Po) (1972-1975) *'' The Cat Creature'' TV movie (The Thief-Joe Sung) (1973) *''

Love, American Style ''Love, American Style'' is an American anthology comedy television series that aired on ABC from September 29, 1969, to January 11, 1974. The series was produced by Paramount Television. During the 1971–72 and 1972–73 seasons, it was a pa ...

'' 1 episode segment (Hi Ching in ''Love and the Golden Worm'') (1973) *''Judgement: The Court Martial of the Tiger of Malaya-General Yamashita'' TV movie (1974) *''Judge Dee and the Monastery Murders'' TV movie (Lord Sun Ming) (1974) *''

Cannon A cannon is a large-caliber gun classified as a type of artillery, which usually launches a projectile using explosive chemical propellant. Gunpowder ("black powder") was the primary propellant before the invention of smokeless powder during th ...

'' 2 episodes (Sam in ''Where's Jennifer?'') (1974) (Lu Chin in ''The Melted Man'') (1975) *'' Harry-O'' 1 episode (Dr. Creighton Fong in ''The Mysterious Case of Lester and Dr. Fong'') (1976) *''

Hunter Hunting is the human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, and killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to obtain the animal's body for meat and useful animal products ( fur/ hide, bone/tusks, ...

'' 1 episode (''The Back-Up'') (Never broadcast) *'' Quincy M.E.'' 1 episode (Hitoshi Hiyato in ''Touch of Death'') (1977) *'' Battle of the Planets'' (animated) 85 episodes (voice) (Zoltar/The Great Spirit/Colonel Cronus) (1978-1980) *'' M*A*S*H'' 3 episodes (Mr. Shin in ''Patent 4077'') (1978) (Cho Kim in ''A Night at Rosie's'') (1979) (headmaster in ''Death Takes a Holiday'') (1980) *'' Vega$'' 1 episode (Henry Matsimura in ''Death Mountain'') (1979) *'' Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo'' (animated) unknown episode(s) (voices) (1979-1983) *'' How the West Was Won'' 1 episode (Leong Chung Hua in ''China Girl'') (1979) *'' Thundarr the Barbarian'' (animated) 2 episodes (voice) (Additional voices in ''Secret of the Black Pearl'') (1980) (Zevon in ''The Brotherhood of Night'') (1980) *'' Charlie's Angels'' 1 episode (Lin in ''Island Angels'') (1980) *'' Fly Away Home'' TV movie (Duc) (1981) *'' Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends'' (animated) 1 episode (voice) (Genju in ''Sunfire'') (1981) *'' Bret Maverick'' 1 episode (Lu Sung in ''The Yellow Rose'') (1981) *'' Remington Steele'' 1 episode (Tanaka in ''Your Steele the One for Me'') (1982) *'' Voyagers!'' 1 episode (Kublai Khan in ''The Travels of Marco...and Friends) (1982) *''Cocaine and Blue Eyes'' TV movie (Tan Ng) (1983) *'' Magnum P.I.'' 1 episode (Goto in ''Forty Years from Sand Island'') (1983) *'' Falcon Crest'' 2 episodes (Wilson Fong in ''Separate Hearts'' and ''Maelstrom'') (1983) *'' Faerie Tale Theatre'' 1 episode (Imperial Doctor in ''The Nightingale'') (1983) *'' Mister T'' (animated) unknown episode(s) (voice) (1983) *''

Alvin and the Chipmunks Alvin and the Chipmunks, originally David Seville and the Chipmunks and billed for their first two decades as the Chipmunks, are an American animated virtual band and media franchise first created by Ross Bagdasarian for Novelty records in ...

'' (animated) 13 episodes (voice) (1983) *''

The A-Team ''The A-Team'' is an American Action television, action television series that ran on NBC from January 23, 1983, to March 8, 1987, about a fictional team of former United States Army Special Forces who work as mercenaries while on the run from ...

'' 1 episode (Sam Yeng in ''The Maltese Cow'') (1984) *'' The New Mike Hammer'' 1 episode (Sun Woo in ''Hot Ice'') (1984) *'' Trapper John, M.D.'' 1 episode (Ronald Kwan Mein in ''Eternally Yours'') (1984) *''

Miami Vice ''Miami Vice'' is an American crime drama television series created by Anthony Yerkovich and produced by Michael Mann for NBC. The series stars Don Johnson as James "Sonny" Crockett and Philip Michael Thomas as Ricardo Tubbs, Ricardo "Rico" Tub ...

'' 1 episode (Lao Li in ''Golden Triangle (Part II)'') (1985) *'' Street Hawk'' 1 episode (Mr. Ming in ''Chinatown Memories'') (1985) *'' Blade in Hong Kong'' TV movie (1985) *'' Crazy Like a Fox'' 1 episode (''Requiem for a Fox'') (1985) *'' Jem'' 1 episode (voice) (''Battle of the Bands'') (1985) *''

MacGyver Angus "Mac" MacGyver is the title character and the protagonist in the TV series ''MacGyver''. He is played by Richard Dean Anderson in the MacGyver (1985 TV series), 1985 original series. Lucas Till portrays a younger version of MacGyver in Mac ...

'' 2 episodes (Prasert in Episode 1.2 "The Golden Triangle") (1985) (Adam Chen in ''Murderers' Sky'') (1988) *''

'' (The Ancient One in ''Asian Quarter'') (1985) *'' Kung Fu: The Movie'' (TV movie) (Master Po) (1986) *'' T.J. Hooker'' 1 episode (Dr. Kenji Yakimura in ''Blood Sport'') (1986) *''

'' 1 episode (Toshiro Mitsumo in ''Vacation'') (1986) *'' The New Adventures of Jonny Quest'' (animated) unknown episode(s) (voices) (1986/87) *''

'' 13 episodes (Sabasan) (1986-87) *'' Night Court'' 2 episodes (Grandfather Ho in ''The Apartment'') (1986) (Mr. Shibata in ''Mac's Dilemma'') (1987) *''

Beauty and the Beast "Beauty and the Beast" is a fairy tale written by the French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve and published in 1740 in (''The Young American and Marine Tales''). Villeneuve's lengthy version was abridged, rewritten, and publish ...

'' 1 episode (Master in ''China Moon'') (1988) *'' Friday the 13th: The Series'' 1 episode (Lum Chen in ''Tattoo'') (1988) *''

Superboy Superboy is an identity used by several fictional superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. These characters have been featured in several eponymous comic series, in addition to ''Adventure Comics'' and other series ...

'' 1 episode (Sensei in ''The Power of Evil'') (1989)

References

External links

* * * Harmetz, Aljean (December 23, 1990)
"Keye Luke: What the Doctor Called For"
''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

''
Obituary
in ''

'' (January 16, 1991) *
Keye Luke papers, circa 1918-1987
Margaret Herrick Library, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences {{DEFAULTSORT:Luke, Keye 1904 births 1991 deaths 20th-century American male actors American male actors of Chinese descent American male film actors American male stage actors American male television actors American male voice actors Burials at Rose Hills Memorial Park Chinese emigrants to the United States Franklin High School (Seattle) alumni Male actors from Guangzhou Male actors from Los Angeles Male actors from Seattle Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract players 20th Century Studios contract players