Filipino-American film and television actor
| Leon Lontoc | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1908-02-20)February 20, 1908 Manila, Philippines |
| Died | January 22, 1974(1974-01-22) (aged 65) Los Angeles, California |
| Occupation(s) | Film and television actor |
| Years active | 1943–1974 |
Leon Lontoc (February 20, 1908 – January 22, 1974) was a Filipino-American film and television actor. He was known for playing the role of Henry in the American detective fiction television series Burke's Law.
Life and career
Lontoc was born in Manila, the brother of doctor Rudolfo M. Lontok. He emigrated to the United States in 1927, settling in Hollywood, California. Lontoc began his screen career in 1943 with the uncredited role of a Japanese guard in the film Behind the Rising Sun.
Later in his career, Lontoc guest-starred in television programs, Ironside, McHale's Navy, Hawaiian Eye, The Wackiest Ship in the Army, Bonanza, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Mission: Impossible, Jungle Jim, Here Comes the Brides and Alfred Hitchcock Presents. He also co-starred and appeared in films, such as, One Spy Too Many, Ma and Pa Kettle at Waikiki, Singin' in the Rain, The Damned Don't Cry, The Ugly American, God Is My Co-Pilot, Cargo to Capetown, On the Isle of Samoa, The Left Hand of God, The Revolt of Mamie Stover, The Hunters, Operation Petticoat, The Spiral Road, Panic in the City and The Gallant Hours. His last credit was from the sitcom television series The Brady Bunch.
In 1963, Lontoc was cast to play the role of Henry, the Filipino chauffeur of the lead character Amos Burke in the ABC detective fiction television series Burke's Law. He also founded and worked at the restaurant Don the Beachcomber.
Death
Lontoc died in January 1974 in Los Angeles, California, at the age of 67. He was buried in Holy Cross Cemetery in Hollywood, California.
Selected filmography
- Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1961) (Season 6 Episode 24: "A Woman's Help") as Chester
- The Ugly American (1963) as Lee Pang
References
- "Actor Chauffeur, Waiter and Barber". The Baltimore Sun. Baltimore, Maryland. October 25, 1964. p. 198. Retrieved January 14, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Nissen, Axel (October 12, 2017). Agnes Moorehead on Radio, Stage and Television. McFarland. p. 107. ISBN 9781476630359 – via Google Books.
- ^ Doyle, Billy; Slide, Anthony (1999). The Ultimate Directory of Silent and Sound Era Performers: A Necrology of Actors and Actresses. Scarecrow Press. p. 335. ISBN 9780810835474 – via Google Books.
- ^ "Sacred Heart Radiologist Fullfilled Mother's Wish". The Morning Call. Allentown, Pennsylvania. May 5, 1960. p. 44. Retrieved January 14, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- Mavis, Paul (June 8, 2015). The Espionage Filmography: United States Releases, 1898 Through 1999. McFarland. p. 29. ISBN 9781476604275 – via Google Books.
- "The Ugly American (1963)". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 11, 2016. Retrieved January 14, 2022 – via Wayback Machine.
- ^ "Leon Lontoc, Restaurateur, Actor". Tampa Bay Times. St. Petersburg, Florida. January 24, 1974. p. 33. Retrieved January 14, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Filipino Actor Has Three Jobs". Sunday News. Lancaster, Pennsylvania. October 18, 1964. p. 32. Retrieved January 14, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
External links
Categories:- 1908 births
- 1974 deaths
- Male actors from Manila
- Filipino emigrants to the United States
- Filipino male film actors
- Filipino male television actors
- American male film actors
- American male television actors
- 20th-century Filipino male actors
- 20th-century American male actors
- Filipino restaurateurs
- American restaurateurs