Biography
Chester Gan (1908-1959) was an American character actor of Chinese descent who worked in Hollywood from the 1930s through the 1950s. Chester Gan was born in Grass Valley, California, to Wing Hong Gan and Wong Shee. He went to China for university, where he developed an interest in acting. Upon his return to the United States, he headed to Los Angeles, where he worked as an engineer.In 1932, Gan's acting career in Hollywood began as a Chinese guard in Secrets of the French Police. Gan played almost a hundred roles, typically portraying Asian stereotypes, from the Chinese cook or waiter to the Japanese enemy soldier. (He once joked that as an actor, he was responsible for hundreds of on-screen deaths.) He also worked as an interpreter and a consultant on Chinese culture and customs on Hollywood films like The Good Earth.Aside from his acting career, owned a slipper store and a restaurant in Los Angeles's Chinatown neighborhood. World War II put a pause on his career as an actor, as he joined the navy. He died in San Francisco—where he operated a photography business—in 1959 after a brief illness. He was survived by his wife, his four children, and his father.
Filmography
all 61
Movies 61
Squadron of Doom (1949)
Crash Dive (1943)
China (1943)
China Girl (1942)
Heart of the Golden West (1942)
Flying Tigers (1942)
Busses Roar (1942)
Across the Pacific (1942)
Moontide (1942)
Escape from Hong Kong (1942)
The Maltese Falcon (1941)
Burma Convoy (1941)
Passage from Hong Kong (1941)
Rawhide Rangers (1941)
The Get-Away (1941)
Singapore Woman (1941)
Man-Made Monster (1941)
Victory (1940)
The Carson City Kid (1940)
Pals of the Silver Sage (1940)
'Til We Meet Again (1940)
My Little Chickadee (1940)
Westbound Stage (1939)
Barricade (1939)
Torchy Runs for Mayor (1939)
King of Chinatown (1939)
The Mystery of Mr. Wong (1939)
Nancy Drew... Reporter (1939)
Blackwell's Island (1939)
North of Shanghai (1939)
Shadows Over Shanghai (1938)
The Mexicali Kid (1938)
Air Devils (1938)
Gold Is Where You Find It (1938)
International Settlement (1938)
Mannequin (1938)
Love Is a Headache (1938)
Wells Fargo (1937)
West of Shanghai (1937)
Slave Ship (1937)
The Mighty Treve (1937)
Mad Holiday (1936)
Ace Drummond (1936)
Sea Spoilers (1936)
Small Town Girl (1936)
Sutter's Gold (1936)
Pan Handlers (1936)
Klondike Annie (1936)
The Adventures of Frank Merriwell (1936)
Last of the Pagans (1935)
East of Java (1935)
Moonlight on the Prairie (1935)
Stormy (1935)
China Seas (1935)
The Mysterious Mr. Wong (1935)
Shivers (1934)
Fighting Thru (1934)
The Red Rider (1934)
Lazy River (1934)
Meet the Baron (1933)
War Correspondent (1932)
Ratings
Information
Known ForActing
GenderMale
Birthday1908-07-04
Deathday1959-06-29 (50 years old)
Birth PlaceSan Francisco, United States of America
CitizenshipsUnited States of America
Also Known AsChester Bue Gan
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