{{Short description|American actor (1901–1964)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=March 2015}} {{Infobox person | name = Sammee Tong | image = Bachelor Father (1957–1962) Press Photo of Sammee Tong.jpg | image_size = | alt = | caption = Tong in a publicity photo for ''Bachelor Father'' (1957–1962) | birth_name = | birth_date = {{birth date|1901|04|21|mf=y}} | birth_place = San Francisco, California, U.S. | death_date = {{death date and age|1964|10|27|1901|04|21|mf=y}} | death_place = Los Angeles, California, U.S. | resting_place = Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale | other_names = Sammy Tong | occupation = Actor | years_active = 1934–1964 }}
'''Sammee Tong''' (April 21, 1901 – October 27, 1964) was an American film and television character actor. One of Tong's more notable roles was that of Peter Tong on the sitcom ''Bachelor Father'', which aired on all three national networks from 1957 to 1962.
==Early life and career== Born in San Francisco, Tong lived in Palo Alto before moving with his family to Honolulu. He graduated from Stanford University.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=hNczAAAAIBAJ&pg=1231,3889964&dq=sammee+tong&hl=en|title=Veteran Actor Sammee Tong Found Dead|date=October 27, 1964|work=The Miami News|page=5B|accessdate=December 26, 2012}}{{Dead link|date=August 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref name="1959 profile">{{cite news|title=Chinese Actor Finds Difficulty Playing In Chinese on TeeVee|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/12947696/the_daily_herald/|accessdate=8 August 2017|work=The Daily Herald|date=26 October 1959|location=Provo, Utah|page=16|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>
Tong attempted to break into acting on the stage during the Depression, forming an act called the Three Celestials that played in neighborhood theaters and was booked into the Los Angeles Orpheum.<ref name="1959 profile"/> He found he could not secure acting roles because of his ethnicity. He worked in Chinese nightclubs in New York City, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, where he sang and performed comedy routines. During his nightclub years, he changed the spelling of his name to "Sammee" because he said it "looked better in print".<ref name=modesto>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=GUohAAAAIBAJ&pg=4470,1709340&dq=sammee+tong&hl=en|title=Star John Forsythe Is Just Sammee Tong's Straight Man|last=Witbeck|first=Charles|date=July 9, 1959|work=The Modesto Bee|accessdate=December 26, 2012}} {{dead link|date=August 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=3ftVAAAAIBAJ&pg=5986,5809290&dq=sammee+tong&hl=en|title=Veteran Chinese Entertainer Found Dead; Note Revealed|date=October 28, 1964|work=Eugene Register-Guard|page=8A|accessdate=December 26, 2012}}</ref>
==Career == Tong signed with Columbia Pictures,<ref name="1959 profile" /> and in 1934, he made his film debut in a bit part in the comedy film ''The Captain Hates the Sea''. In 1939 he returned to his home town as director of entertainment at the Chinese Village of San Francisco's World's Fair, and began the first Chinese radio hour on KSAN.<ref name="1959 profile" /> Throughout the 1940s, he had small, usually uncredited, roles in films. He returned to Hollywood in the early 1950s and took roles on television.<ref name="1959 profile" />
Tong made his television debut in 1953 in an episode of ''You Are There''. The following year, he appeared in a recurring role as "George, the cook" in a series of television shorts which aired during ''The Mickey Mouse Club'' entitled ''The Adventures of Spin and Marty''. In 1955, he reprised his role as George in the feature-length film ''Spin and Marty: The Movie''. He also had a role in the sequel series ''The Further Adventures of Spin and Marty''.
In 1957, he landed a co-starring role in the sitcom ''Bachelor Father,'' starring John Forsythe and Noreen Corcoran. In the series, Tong portrayed "Peter Tong,” Bentley Gregg's (Forsythe) live-in houseboy and valet. Although he was playing a servant, Tong enjoyed the role stating, "Houseboys in movies and the theater always bow low, mutter a few sing song words and disappear, but not on this show. I get dialogue and laughs."<ref name="modesto" />{{Dead link|date=August 2017}} In his ''Bachelor Father'' role, Tong was not subservient and at one point walked out because he was not paid enough. He spoke with an accent even though the actor was born in the United States.<ref name="Aoki">{{cite news|last1=Aoki|first1=Guy|title=INTO THE NEXT STAGE: Rediscovering Sammee Tong in 'Bachelor Father'|url=http://www.rafu.com/2014/07/into-the-next-stage-rediscovering-sammee-tong-in-bachelor-father/|accessdate=8 August 2017|work=The Rafu Shimpo|date=10 July 2014}}</ref>
After ''Bachelor Father'''s cancellation in 1962, Tong was cast as Sammy Ling in the ABC sitcom ''Mickey'', starring Mickey Rooney. Due to low ratings, ABC was considering canceling ''Mickey''. The network was hesitant to cancel the series due to the popularity of Tong's character who had a solid fanbase thanks to Tong's role in ''Bachelor Father''. Tong's death effectively ended any chance for the series' survival and ABC canceled ''Mickey'' in December 1964.<ref name="rooney">{{cite book|last=Rooney|first=Mickey |title=Life Is Too Short|url=https://archive.org/details/lifeistooshort00roon|url-access=registration|year=1991|publisher=Villard Books|page=[https://archive.org/details/lifeistooshort00roon/page/266 266]|isbn=9780679402879 }}</ref><ref name="Duel bio">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1mNiCQAAQBAJ&q=sammee+tong+suicide&pg=PA41|title=Pete Duel: A Biography, 2d ed.|last1=Green|first1=Paul|date=2015|publisher=McFarland|isbn=9781476621098|page=41|language=en}}</ref>
Tong's final screen appearance was as "Cook" in the 1965 film ''Fluffy'', starring Tony Randall and Shirley Jones. The film was released after Tong's death.
==Death== Tong, who was married to May Tong (nee Young) and had one child, Kingsley Tong, was found dead in his Palms, Los Angeles apartment by his close friend, Ben Wong, on October 27, 1964. Tong had died from an intentional barbiturate overdose.<ref>{{cite news|title=Sammee Tong, Veteran Character Actor, Found Dead in Apartment|date=October 28, 1964|work=Los Angeles Times|page=A1}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1955&dat=19641028&id=axYrAAAAIBAJ&pg=6658,6529894|date=October 28, 1964|title=Samee Tong Found Dead|work=Reading Eagle}}</ref> Police found an empty bottle of sleeping pills by his body and several notes addressed to his landlady, his attorney and police. In the note addressed to police, he gave no reason why he committed suicide only stating, "I have taken my own life. No one is to blame."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=nE0iAAAAIBAJ&pg=2681,5949270&dq=sammee+tong&hl=en|title=Actor Tong Commits Suicide|date=October 27, 1964|work=The Owosso Argus-Press|page=20|accessdate=December 26, 2012}}</ref> Tong is buried in Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California.<ref>{{cite book|last= Ellenberger|first=Allan R.|title=Celebrities in Los Angeles Cemeteries: A Directory|year=2001|publisher=McFarland & Company Incorporated Pub|isbn=0-786-40983-5|page=73}}</ref>
In his 1991 autobiography, ''Life is Too Short'', Tong's co-star Mickey Rooney claimed that Tong was a heavy gambler and committed suicide over money problems. According to Rooney, Tong became despondent and upset after learning that ''Mickey'' faced cancellation because he owed money to the mafia.<ref name="rooney" />
==Filmography== {| class="wikitable sortable" |+ Film |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |- | 1934 | ''The Captain Hates the Sea'' | Sin Kee | Uncredited |- | 1935 | ''Charlie Chan in Shanghai'' | Waiter | Uncredited |- | 1936 | ''Love Before Breakfast'' | Steward | Uncredited |- | 1936 | ''The Accusing Finger'' | Chinese Man | Uncredited |- | 1936 | ''Happy Go Lucky'' | Driver | Uncredited |- | 1936 | ''Stowaway'' | Bing Crosby Imitator | Uncredited |- | 1937 | ''The Good Earth'' | Chinese Man | Uncredited |- | 1937 | ''Think Fast, Mr. Moto'' | Cheela - Marloff's Houseboy | Uncredited |- | 1937 | ''Youth on Parole'' | Chinese Orchestra Leader | Uncredited |- | 1937 | ''West of Shanghai'' | Messenger | Uncredited |- | 1937 | ''Daughter of Shanghai'' | Chinese Alien in Airplane | Uncredited |- | 1939 | ''Only Angels Have Wings'' | Sam the Cook | Uncredited |- | 1943 | ''China'' | Aide to Japanese General | Uncredited |- | 1945 | ''God Is My Co-Pilot'' | Chinese Civilian | Uncredited |- | 1945 | ''Out of This World'' | Chinese Radio Announcer | Uncredited |- | 1950 | ''Woman on the Run'' | Witness to Suzie's Fall | Uncredited |- | 1955 | ''The Left Hand of God'' | Servant | Uncredited |- | 1955 | ''Spin and Marty: The Movie'' | George | |- | 1956 | ''Godzilla, King of the Monsters!'' | Dr. Yamane | Voice, Uncredited |- | 1956 | ''Flight to Hong Kong'' | Shop Proprietor | Uncredited |- | 1957 | ''The Iron Sheriff'' | Charley Key - Laundry Owner | Uncredited |- | 1957 | ''The Midnight Story'' | Restaurant Proprietor | Uncredited |- | 1957 | ''Man of a Thousand Faces'' | Chinese Extra | Uncredited |- | 1957 | ''Slaughter on Tenth Avenue'' | Sam, Chinese Waiter | Uncredited |- | 1957 | ''Hell Bound'' | Murdered Seaman | Uncredited |- | 1957 | ''Stopover Tokyo'' | Diplomat | Uncredited |- | 1958 | ''Suicide Battalion'' | Papa Lily | Credited as Sammy Tong |- | 1959 | ''Battle Flame'' | Chinese Prisoner | Uncredited |- | 1963 | ''It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World'' | Chinese Laundryman | |- | 1964 | ''For Those Who Think Young'' | Clyde | |- | 1965 | ''Fluffy'' | Cook | Released posthumously, (final film role) |- |}
{| class="wikitable sortable" |+ Television |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |- | 1953–1954 | ''You Are There'' | | 2 episodes |- | 1955 | ''The Adventures of Spin and Marty'' | George, the cook | Unknown episodes |- | 1956 | ''Judge Roy Bean'' | Ah Sid | Episode: "Ah Sid, Cowboy" |- | 1956 | ''The Further Adventures of Spin and Marty'' | Sam | Unknown episodes |- | 1956 | ''Matinee Theater'' | Nurseryman | Episode: "All the Trees In the Field" |- | 1956 | ''Sky King'' | Ipp | Episode: "Red Tentacles" |- | 1956 | ''The Man Called X'' | | 2 episodes |- | 1956 | ''Death Valley Days'' | Thomas Bottle | Episode: "Bill Bottle's Birthday" |- | 1956 | ''Cavalcade of America'' | | Episode: "Diplomatic Outpost" |- | 1956 | ''My Friend Flicka'' | Wong | Episode: "Lost River" |- | 1956 | ''Hey, Jeannie!'' | Lee | Episode: "The Proprietor" |- | 1957 | ''General Electric Theater'' | Peter Tong | Episode: "A New Girl In His Life" |- | 1959 | ''The Californians'' | Quon Wei | Episode: "Gold-Tooth Charlie" |- | 1959 | ''Bonanza'' | Hop Ling | Episode: "A Rose for Lotta" |- | 1960 | ''Hawaiian Eye'' | Mr. Nishimaka | Episode: "Dead Ringer" |- | 1957–1962 | ''Bachelor Father'' | Peter Tong | 157 episodes |- | 1964 | ''The Jack Benny Program'' | Maitre d' of Lotus Blosom Inn | Episode: "How Jack Found Dennis" |- | 1964–1965 | ''Mickey'' | Sammy Ling | 17 episodes (some aired posthumously) |}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== {{Portal|Biography}} * {{IMDb name|0867257}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Tong, Sammee}} Category:1901 births Category:1964 suicides Category:1964 deaths Category:20th-century American male actors Category:Male actors from the San Francisco Bay Area Category:American male comedians Category:20th-century American comedians Category:American actors of Chinese descent Category:American male film actors Category:American male television actors Category:Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale) Category:Drug-related suicides in California Category:Barbiturates-related deaths Category:20th-century American singers Category:20th-century American male singers Category:Comedians from San Francisco