A talent worth remembering

Love this guy. The best actor to ever play Charlie Chan's son, which he did frequently. Although always terrific in the part, he's especially good in "Charlie Chan in Panama", which also happens to be my favorite Chan film. That same year (1940) he was nothing short of wonderful as a soft-spoken and cunningly resourceful young lawyer in William Wyler's classic "The Letter". I always thought this performance deserved a supporting actor nomination. Unfortunately, given the limited opportunities on offer for Asian performers in old Hollywood, he seldom found parts worthy of his abilities. In 1947's "The Flame", a Republic noir, he's forced to deliver his dialogue in pidgin English, yet still achieves a performance of genuine sensitivity. A man of many talents. I even have a cook book he wrote in the 70's and it's an excellent one.