Otto Yamaoka

American actor

Otto Yamaoka
Born	Otto Han Yamaoka (1904-04-25)April 25, 1904 Seattle, Washington, USA
Died	June 5, 1967(1967-06-05) (aged 63) New York, New York, USA
Spouse	Irene
Parent(s)	Ototaka Yamaoka (father) Jho Watanabe (mother)
Relatives	Iris Yamaoka (sister) George Yamaoka (brother)

Otto Yamaoka (April 25, 1904 – June 5, 1967) was an American actor and businessman who worked in Hollywood primarily during the 1930s.^[1]^[2]^[3]^[4] He was one of only a handful of Japanese-descended actors working in the industry at the time.^[5] His sister, Iris, was an actress.

Biography

Otto was born in Seattle, Washington, to Ototaka Yamaoka and Jho Watanabe.

The family moved to Los Angeles in the 1920s, and he and his sister Iris both developed an interest in acting; both primarily played smaller roles. His brother, George Yamaoka, became a prominent lawyer.^[6]

Otto's career in Hollywood ended around 1940, and he then began working as an importer in the Los Angeles area.^[7] The Yamaoka family was sent to the Heart Mountain internment camp in Wyoming during World War II following the signing of Executive Order 9066.^[8]^[9]

Partial filmography

The Ship from Shanghai (1930) - Shanghai Nightclub Patron (uncredited)
The Benson Murder Case (1930) - Sam (uncredited)
The Hot Heiress (1931) - Chinese Waiter (uncredited)
The Black Camel (1931) - Kashimo
The Hatchet Man (1932) - Chung Ho (uncredited)
Westward Passage (1932) - Chong (uncredited)
War Correspondent (1932) - Bandit (uncredited)
The Racing Strain (1932) - Togo
Midnight Mary (1933) - Chinese Proprietor (uncredited)
Morning Glory (1933) - Servant (uncredited)
Before Midnight (1933) - Kono
The Sin of Nora Moran (1933) - Kito - John Grant's Houseboy (uncredited)
We're Rich Again (1934) - Fugi
Student Tour (1934) - Casino Patron (uncredited)
Limehouse Blues (1934) - Chinese Waiter on Boat (uncredited)
Death Flies East (1935) - Japanese Chauffeur (uncredited)
The Wedding Night (1935) - Taka (uncredited)
The Affair of Susan (1935) - Spieler (uncredited)
Petticoat Fever (1936) - Kimo
Rhythm on the Range (1936) - Chinese Houseboy (uncredited)
Hollywood Boulevard (1936) - Thomas (uncredited)
Libeled Lady (1936) - Ching
Easy to Take (1936) - Japanese Instructor (uncredited)
Night Waitress (1936) - Fong
Criminal Lawyer (1937) - Mitzu - Brandon's House Boy (uncredited)
Thin Ice (1937) - Japanese Reporter (uncredited)
Song of the City (1937) - Wilbur - Paul's Butler (uncredited)
Stand-In (1937) - Quintain's Houseboy (uncredited)
Next Time I Marry (1938) - Joe - Nancy's Butler (uncredited)
Trouble in Sundown (1939) - Foo Yung
Two Girls on Broadway (1940) - Ito
The Letter (1940) - Bartender at Party (uncredited) (final film role)

References

^ "What to See, Do, and Hear". Harrisburg Telegraph. 28 Mar 1936. Retrieved 2019-09-14.
^ Glitre, Kathrina (2006-10-31). Hollywood Romantic Comedy: States of the Union, 1934-1965. Manchester University Press. ISBN 9780719070792.
^ Roman, Seymour (21 Mar 1936). "The Current Cinema". Times Union. Retrieved 2019-09-14.
^ Robinson, Greg (2012-03-15). Pacific Citizens: Larry and Guyo Tajiri and Japanese American Journalism in the World War II Era. University of Illinois Press. ISBN 9780252093838.
^ Slide, Anthony (2012-09-05). Hollywood Unknowns: A History of Extras, Bit Players, and Stand-Ins. Univ. Press of Mississippi. ISBN 9781617034749.
^ "George Yamaoka, Lawyer Named to Post by Macarthur, Dies at 78". The New York Times. 1981-11-22. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-09-14.
^ "Wealthy Japanese in Heart Balm Suit". The San Bernardino County Sun. 4 Jun 1939. Retrieved 2019-09-14.
^ "Japanese American Internee Data File: Otto Yamaoka". National Archives and Records Administration. Retrieved November 4, 2019.
^ Ancestry.com. Japanese Americans Relocated During World War II. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2005.