Keye Luke in "Phantom of Chinatown"

Object Details

Artist

Unidentified Artist

Sitter

Keye Luke, 18 Jun 1904 - 12 Jan 1991

Lotus Pearl Shibata, 18 Jul 1909 - 14 Sep 1990

Exhibition Label

Born Guangzhou, China

In the early 1930s, Keye Luke sidelined his promising artistic career to become one of Hollywood’s few Asian American actors. Through widely viewed film performances, he hoped to “clear up the debris of misunderstanding and misconception of the Chinese which Americans may have, and vice versa.” Between 1935 and 1949, he appeared in eleven films as Lee Chan, “Number One Son” of detective Charlie Chan.

In 1940, Luke starred in Phantom of Chinatown (advertised by this poster), becoming the first Asian actor to play an Asian detective in a lead role. He went on to originate several iconic roles, including Kato in the Green Hornet serials (1940–41), Mr. Wang in the Broadway musical Flower Drum Song (1958), and Master Po in the TV series Kung Fu (1972–75). Luke was honored with the first-ever Lifetime Achievement Award by the Association of Asian/Pacific American Artists in 1986.

Nacido en Cantón, China

A principios de la década de 1930, Keye Luke abandonó una prometedora carrera en el arte para convertirse en uno de los pocos actores asiático-americanos de Hollywood. Esperaba que participando en películas de gran difusión podría “aclarar las confusiones e ideas erróneas que puedan tener los americanos sobre los chinos, y viceversa”. Entre 1935 y 1949 actuó en 11 películas como Lee Chan, el “hijo número uno” del detective Charlie Chan.

En 1940 Luke protagonizó El fantasma de Chinatown (promocionada en este cartel), pasando a ser el primer asiático que interpretó a un detective asiático en un rol principal. Luego originó varios papeles icónicos, como Kato en la serie El Avispón Verde (1940–41), Mr. Wang en el musical de Broadway Flower Drum Song (1958) y el Maestro Po en la serie televisiva Kung Fu (1972–75). En 1986 recibió el primer Premio por Trayectoria otorgado por la Asociación de Artistas Estadounidenses de Asia/Pacífico.

Credit Line

National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution

1940

Object number

NPG.2017.113

Restrictions & Rights

Usage conditions apply

Type

Print

Medium

Chromolithograph on paper laid down on linen

Dimensions

Image: 99.6 × 63 cm (39 3/16 × 24 13/16")

Sheet: 105.3 × 68.3 cm (41 7/16 × 26 7/8")

Mount: 109.4 × 72.6 cm (43 1/16 × 28 9/16")

See more items in

National Portrait Gallery Collection

Exhibition

20th Century Americans: 1930-1960

On View

NPG, South Gallery 321

Alternate Title

The Phantom of Chinatown

National Portrait Gallery

Topic

Costume\Headgear\Hat

Weapon\Gun

Weapon\Knife

Poster

Container

Keye Luke: Visual Arts\Artist

Keye Luke: Male

Keye Luke: Performing Arts\Performer\Actor

Lotus Pearl Shibata: Female

Lotus Pearl Shibata: Performing Arts\Performer\Actor

Portrait

Record ID

npg_NPG.2017.113

Metadata Usage (text)

Not determined

GUID (Link to Original Record)

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm46290ecf8-769c-495f-91a3-3fa7a2e54dc3