Hi!

I don't know how I found this one, but I recently ran across a website that featured a book about Philip Ahn. Mr. Ahn, one of my favorite I SPY guest stars, appeared as Papa Charlie in "Carry Me Back To Old Tsing-Tao" and the charming, but ill-fated Tu Po in "An American Empress."


Philip Ahn as Papa Charlie in "Carry Me Back to Old Tsing-Tao"




and


as Tu Po in "An American Empress"




Mr. Ahn was born in Los Angeles of Korean ancestry. The site below provides this biographical information ... "His father was a Korean diplomat and one of the founders of the Korean Republic who died in a Japanese prison camp. He attended the University of California and made his film debut in 1935 in "A Scream in the Night."

For more of his biography, check out:

http://www.dougmacaulay.com/kingspud/sel_by_actor_index_2.php?actor_first=Philip&actor_last=Ahn


Besides his wonderful I SPY roles, but Mr. Ahn was also familiar to television audiences as Master Kan on "Kung Fu."


The book about Mr. Ahn is titled HOLLYWOOD ASIAN: PHILIP AHN AND THE POLITICS OF CROSS-ETHNIC PERFORMANCE by Hye Seung Chung (2006).





The site below provides lots of sections of the book to read - including one on "I SPY" on pages 51 - 54.

http://books.google.com/books?id=OZzweQ9L8dsC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Philip+Ahn&sig=qA4-tgYXjw-kkWuB4Y9GtPtFpEU

Some interesting translations and definitely some ad-libs in that scene ...Most interesting!!



As always,

Tatia

~ ~

A coincidence that the book is published by none other than . . . Temple University Press? As we all know, boys and girls, Temple University is the alma mater of both Alexander Scott and Bill Cosby.

The book looks fascinating. To access the pages Tatia refers to, type I Spy in the search box (scroll down the right-hand column) and click on each link. Otherwise Google may block out specific pages (although it seems to block different pages each time you visit).

Thanks, Lady T, for yet another fresh insight into our favorite topic.

Regards—