Luke Chan was a Canadian character actor and designer who worked in Hollywood in the 1930s and 1940s. He was also a prominent figure in the development of Los Angeles's Chinatown neighborhood.[1][2]
Luke Chan | |
|---|---|
| Born | Luke Tin Chan April 16, 1896 Victoria, British Columbia, Canada |
| Died | September 30, 1983 Los Angeles, California, USA |
| Alma mater | Columbia University |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Spouse(s) | Mary Vanvliet (m. 1936) |
Chan was born in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, to parents of Chinese origin. His father, Chan Yu Tan, was a minister and his mother was a doctor.[3]
Chan graduated from Columbia University, and later married Mary Alice Van Vleet in 1936; she died several years later. He was known for his intellectual manner, and he struck up an enduring friendship with actress Elissa Landi.[4] Like a lot of Chinese actors during this period, he often played Japanese roles.[5]
Chan opened the Chinese Junk Cafe in Los Angeles's Chinatown in the late 1930s.[6] He and fellow actor Johnson Sing spent time designing a large replica of a Chinese pirate ship that adorned the restaurant at 733 N. Main St. (The building later burned down in a fire.)[7][8] Chan also served as president of the neighborhood's China City Merchants' Association and as Chinatown's unofficial mayor, and helped design the look of the area.[9][10]
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