Jerry Fujikawa | |
|---|---|
| Born | Hatsuo Fujikawa February 18, 1912 Monterey County, California, U.S. |
| Died | April 30, 1983 (aged 71) Los Angeles County, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1950–1983 (his death) |
| Spouse(s) |
Emily Elizabeth (Grinnell)
(date missing)Marion "Skeeter" (Gates)
(m. 1953; "his death" is deprecated; use "died" instead. 1983) |
| Children | 7 |
Hatsuo "Jerry" Fujikawa (Feb 18, 1912 — Apr 30, 1983) was an American character actor known for his stereotypical "ethnic" roles as an Asian man.
Personal life
editFujikawa was born on February 18, 1912, in Monterey County, California. During early publicity surrounding his career, he was said to be a native of Salinas.[1] When he was younger, he adopted the western nickname Harlan, the name under which he was known when he, along with other Japanese-Americans on the west coast, were summarily detained in concentration camps following the Attack on Pearl Harbor and the subsequent issuance of Executive Order 9066 in February 1942. At the time, he was living in Los Angeles.[2] Fujikawa was detained at Manzanar War Relocation Center.
He was first married to Emily Elizabeth, nee Grinnell. They had four children together: one daughter, Teresa (Tirsa) Mieko, twin boys (Gerald and one stillborn son), and another son, Kay Ihara.[3][4]
While interned at Manzanar, Fujikawa volunteered for the United States Army,[5] joining as a messenger of Charlie Company in the 100th Infantry Battalion in June 1943.[6] Fujikawa's family moved to Longmont, Colorado, and his young son Gerald was killed in an automobile accident in Denver shortly thereafter. His wife and children had planned to meet him in Denver prior to his induction ceremony in Salt Lake City.[3] During his service, Fujikawa was wounded on July 9, 1944 near Castellina, Italy. Although his service record contains no further entries until his discharge date (May 17, 1945), Fujikawa may have participated in operations in France later in 1944.[6]
After the war, Fujikawa adopted the stage name Jerry and married Marion "Skeeter" Gates, a vaudeville performer, in 1953. Together they had three children: Charles, Peter, and Cynthia.[7] Fujikawa and Gates were married until his death in 1983.[8]
Career
editFujikawa initally gained publicity for his stage roles: debuting as a villager in the original Broadway production of The Teahouse of the August Moon (1953)[8][9] Other stage appearances included a role in Ted Pollack's Wedding in Japan (1957, off-Broadway),[10][11] as the butler Toy in The Pleasure of His Company (1958),[1][12] and as Father Ling in It's a Bird... It's a Plane... It's Superman (1966).[13]
During the early part of his career, Fujikawa also appeared in the films Go For Broke! (1951) and The Journey (1959).[14] At the time, he was known primarily as a character actor, wearing special effects makeup for varied television roles in The Twilight Zone, The Untouchables, Bachelor Father, and The Man from U.N.C.L.E.[13] His career would go on to include numerous guest roles on other prominent television shows, including seven appearances on M*A*S*H[15] and other appearances in Taxi and The Winds of War.
Fujikawa's only recurring role in a regular television series was as Mitsu, the uncle of the eponymous Mr. T[akahashi] played by Pat Morita in the short-lived Mr. T and Tina (1976).
Legacy
editIn 1991, Fujikawa's daughter Cynthia began researching her father's life, which eventually was developed into the solo play Old Man River, first workshopped in 1995. The play was filmed in 1998, directed by Allan Holzman.[16]
References
edit- ^ a b Taomae, Fred (November 20, 1958). "More Names In Broadway's Oriental Fling". Shin Nichi-Bei. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
- ^ "Whereabouts Sought by L.A. Evacuation Claims". Shin Nichi-Bei. January 17, 1953. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
- ^ a b "Detailed Accounts of Auto Accident Told By Newspapers". Manzanar Free Press. June 19, 1943. Retrieved 30 July 2019.
- ^ "Tirsa M. Bartley DeJong | 1941 - 2011 | Obituary". Forest Funeral Homes & Cemetery. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
- ^ "Manzanar National Historic Site" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
"Jerry Fujikawa volunteered for the US Army while confined in Manzanar
- ^ a b Iwai, Warren (September 1996). "Charlie Chapter News" (PDF). Puka-Puka Parade. 100th Infantry Battalion Veterans Club. Retrieved 30 July 2019.
- ^ "Obituary: Marion Gates Fujikawa". Los Angeles Times (Obituaries). 2010. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
- ^ a b Gates-Fujikawa, Cynthia (February 11, 2013). "Cindy Fuj's Vaudeville Family #5: Marion 'Skeeter' Gates and Jerry Fujikawa". Travalanche. Trav S.D. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
- ^ "The Teahouse of the August Moon". Playbill. 1953. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
- ^ "'Wedding in Japan' Play to Have Revision". Shin Nichi-Bei. March 5, 1957. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
- ^ "'Wedding in Japan' Pertinent in View of Present Segregation Issue in South". Shin Nichi-Bei. March 21, 1957. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
- ^ "The Pleasure of His Company". Playbill. 1958. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
- ^ a b "It's a Bird...It's a Plane...It's Superman". Playbill. 1966. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
- ^ Taomae, Fred (February 18, 1959). "file thirteen". Shin Nichi-Bei. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
- ^ Solomonson, Ed; O'Neill, Mark (2015). TV's M*A*S*H: The Ultimate Guide Book. Albany, Georgia: BearManor Media. p. 178. ISBN 978-1-59393-501-6.
- ^ Kam, Nadine (February 16, 2001). "Bittersweet 'River' honors dad's memory". Honolulu Star-Bulletin. Retrieved 1 August 2019.