Herbert Tsangtse Kwouk, OBE (Kwouk; /kwɒk/; Chinese: 郭弼; 18 July 1930 – 24 May 2016) was a British actor. He is perhaps best known for his role as Cato in the Pink Panther films. He made appearances in many television programmes, including a portrayal of Imperial Japanese Army Major Yamauchi in the British drama series Tenko and as Entwistle in Last of the Summer Wine.
Burt Kwouk | |
|---|---|
 Kwouk in The Shoes of the Fisherman (1968) | |
| Born | Herbert Tsangtse Kwouk[1] 郭弼 18 July 1930 Warrington, Lancashire, England |
| Died | 24 May 2016 (aged 85) |
| Years active | 1957–2012 |
| Spouse |
Caroline Tebbs (m. 1961) |
| Children | 1 |
| Burt Kwouk | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chinese | 郭弼 | ||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
Early life
editKwouk was born on 18 July 1930 in Warrington,[1][2] Lancashire, to Chinese parents; his parents were on a business trip touring Europe. He was brought up in Shanghai; his father was a textile tycoon descended from a Tang dynasty general.[1][3] Between the ages of 12 and 16, he attended the Shanghai Jesuit Mission School, which he described as "the Far East equivalent" of Eton College.[1] He left China in 1947 when his parents returned to Britain, and was sent to the United States to complete his education.[4] In 1953, he graduated from Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine.[5] The Kwouk family fortune was stolen in the Chinese communist revolution in the 1940s. In 1954, he returned to Britain, where a girlfriend "nagged [him] into acting".[4]
Career
editKwouk made his film debut in Windom's Way (1957). One of his earliest film roles was in The Inn of the Sixth Happiness (1958) in the role of the leader of a prison revolt who later aids the main character Gladys Aylward (Ingrid Bergman) in heroically leading orphans to safety.[6] He was best known for playing Cato Fong, Inspector Clouseau's manservant, in the Pink Panther film series. The character was first introduced in A Shot in the Dark (1964), the second film in the series, and was a role that Kwouk would reprise on another six occasions until the 2006 series reboot. The running gag was that Cato was ordered to attack Clouseau when he least expected it to keep him alert, usually resulting in a ruined romantic encounter or Clouseau's flat being completely destroyed. Amid the chaos, the phone would ring and Cato would calmly answer it before dutifully handing the phone to his employer and being thumped by Clouseau.[7]
He was a stalwart of several 1960s ITC television series, such as Danger Man, The Saint and Man of the World, when an oriental character was required. He appeared in the episode Assault Force in Return of the Saint. Kwouk featured as one of the leads in the short-lived series The Sentimental Agent (1963)[8] and had minor roles in three James Bond films. In Goldfinger (1964), he played Mr. Ling, a Chinese expert in nuclear fission; in the non-Eon spoof Casino Royale (1967), he played a general and, in You Only Live Twice (also 1967), Kwouk played the part of a Japanese operative of Blofeld, credited as Spectre 3.[9] He appeared with Laurence Olivier and Anthony Quinn in The Shoes of the Fisherman.
A reference to Kwouk's appearances in several films with Peter Sellers is found in the opening scene of The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu (1980) where Sellers says to him "your face is familiar."[10] His next major role was as the honourable but misguided Major Yamauchi in the World War II television drama Tenko (1981–1984). Kwouk featured in many British television productions that called for an Oriental actor.[11] As a result, he became a familiar face in the United Kingdom and appeared as himself in the Harry Hill Show as well as several of Hill's live tours.[12] Burt also had a cameo in Super Gran in 1985.[citation needed]
In 2000, he appeared in an episode of the syndicated western TV series Queen of Swords as Master Kiyomasa, an aged Japanese warrior-priest. Sung-Hi Lee played his female pupil, Kami.[13] He provided voice-overs on the spoof Japanese betting show Banzai (2001–2004) and subsequently appeared in adverts for the betting company, Bet365.[14] From 2002 to the series's end in 2010, he had a regular role as one of the three main characters in the long-running series Last of the Summer Wine, as 'Electrical' Entwistle. His later work also included voice acting for radio drama, video games,[15] and television commercials.[16]
Personal life
editKwouk married Caroline Tebbs in Wandsworth, London, in the summer of 1961.[17] Their son Christopher was born in 1974.[18] Kwouk was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2011 New Year Honours for services to drama.[19][20] In later years, he lived in Hampstead, London.
Death
editKwouk died on 24 May 2016 at the age of 85, from cancer at the Marie Curie Hospice in Hampstead.[21][7]
Selected filmography
editFilm
edit- Windom's Way (1957) as Father Amyam's aide (uncredited)[6]
- The Inn of the Sixth Happiness (1958) as Li[6]
- Yesterday's Enemy (1959) as Japanese Soldier
- Upstairs and Downstairs (1959) as Chinese Restaurant Proprietor (uncredited)
- Expresso Bongo (1959) as Soho youth (uncredited)[6]
- Passport to China (1960) as Jimmy
- The Terror of the Tongs (1961) as Mr. Ming[6]
- The Sinister Man (1961) as Capt. Feng[22]
- Satan Never Sleeps (1962) as Ah Wang[23]
- The War Lover (1962) as Chung – Radio Operator on B-17 (uncredited)
- The Cool Mikado (1963) as Art Teacher / Man on Aeroplane (uncredited)
- 55 Days at Peking (1963) as Old Man (voice)
- A Shot in the Dark (1964) as Kato – Clouseau's man-servant[6]
- Goldfinger (1964) as Mr Ling[6]
- Curse of the Fly (1965) as Tai[24]
- Our Man in Marrakesh (1966) as Export manager[25]
- Lost Command (1966) as Officer[26]
- The Sandwich Man (1966) as Ice Cream Man[26]
- The Brides of Fu Manchu (1966) as Feng[26]
- Casino Royale (1967) as Chinese general (uncredited)[26]
- You Only Live Twice (1967) as Spectre 3[6]
- Nobody Runs Forever (1968) as Pham Chimh[26]
- The Shoes of the Fisherman (1968) as Chairman Peng[8]
- The Chairman (1969) as Chang Shou[26]
- Deep End (1970) as Hot Dog salesman[6]
- Madame Sin (1972) as Scarred Operator
- The Return of the Pink Panther (1975) as Cato Fong[6]
- Rollerball (1975) as Japanese doctor[6]
- Girls Come First (1975) as Sashimi[26]
- The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976) as Cato[6]
- The Last Remake of Beau Geste (1977) as Father Shapiro[26]
- The Strange Case of the End of Civilization as We Know It (1977) as Chinese Delegate
- Revenge of the Pink Panther (1978) as Cato Fong[6]
- The London Connection (1979) as Man at Meeting (uncredited)
- The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu (1980) as Fu Manchu's Servant[26]
- Trail of the Pink Panther (1982) as Cato Fong[6]
- Curse of the Pink Panther (1983) as Cato Fong[6]
- Plenty (1985) as Mr. Aung[6]
- Empire of the Sun (1987) as Mr Chen[6]
- Race for Glory (1989) as Yoshiro Tanaka
- I Bought a Vampire Motorcycle (1990) as Fu King owner[26]
- Air America (1990) as General Lu Soong[26]
- Police Story 3: Super Cop (1992) as General (voice, uncredited)
- Leon the Pig Farmer (1992) as Art collector[26]
- Carry On Columbus (1992) as Wang[26]
- Shooting Elizabeth (1992) as Father Chu
- Son of the Pink Panther (1993) as Cato Fong[6]
- She Good Fighter (1995) as Liang
- Peggy Su! (1997) as Dad[6]
- China Dream (1998) as Min Ju
- Kiss of the Dragon (2001) as Uncle Tai[26]
- The Wonderland Experience (2002) as Yo Yo
- Beyond Borders (2003) as Colonel Gao[26]
- Gate to Heaven (2003) as Muki
- Stratosphere Girl (2004) as Papa-San
- Les fils du vent (2004) as Wong
- Fat Slags (2004) as Dalai Lama
- Wake of Death (2004) as Tommy Li
Television
edit- Hancock's Half Hour: "How to Win Money and Influence People" (1957) as 1st Japanese (credited as Burd Kwouk)[27]
- Danger Man (1961) as Chen Tung / Tai[6]
- Man of the World (1962) as Liu[8]
- The Sentimental Agent (1963) as Chin[8]
- The Avengers (1961-1965) as Tusamo / Mason / King Tenuphon[6]
- The Saint (1965-1968) as Mr. Ching / Col. Wing / Tawau[6]
- The Champions: "The Beginning" (1967) as Chinese Major
- Shirley's World: "A Hell of an Engineer" (1972) as Shunji
- Lucky Feller (1976) as Chinese waiter[8]
- Warship (1977) as Foreign Minister Zee Khay Lim
- The Water Margin: (1976–1978) as Narrator (English dub)[6]
- It Ain't Half Hot Mum (1977–1978) as Me Thant[27]
- The Tomorrow People: "The Lost Gods" (1978) as Matsu Tan
- Monkey Magic (1978–1979) as Narrator (English dub)[28]
- Shoestring (1980) as Mr Wing[29]
- Minder (1980) as Sojo[30]
- Tenko (1981) as Major Yamauchi[6]
- Doctor Who: "Four to Doomsday" (1982) as Lin Futu[27]
- Hammer House of Mystery and Suspense: "Mark of the Devil" (1984) as Lee
- Tickle on the Tum (1984) as Willie Wok
- Howards' Way (1987) as Mr Lee[26]
- T-Bag Bounces Back (1987) as Hi Hatt
- Noble House (1988) as Phillip Chen[26]
- The House of Eliott (1991) as Peter Lo Ching[6]
- Lovejoy (1992, "Eric of Arabia") as Banker[31]
- Lovejoy (1993, "The Peking Gun") as Mr Ying[8]
- Space Precinct (1994, "Protect and Survive") as Slik Ostrasky[32]
- Bullet to Beijing (1996) as Kim Soo
- The Harry Hill Show (1997–2000) [26]
- Arabian Nights (2000) as Caliph Beder
- Queen of Swords: "The Dragon" (2001) as Master Kiyomassa[13]
- Banzai (2001) as Narrator[6]
- Last of the Summer Wine (2002–2010) as Entwistle[6]
- Judge John Deed (2005, "Separation of Powers") as Professor Vang Pao[33]
- Silent Witness (2006, "Cargo") as Jimmy Han[34]
- Honest (2008) as Mr Hong[26]
- Spirit Warriors (2009) as Shen[26]
- Whatever Happened to Harry Hill (2012)[26]
Audio theatre
edit- Doctor Who: Loups-Garoux (2001) as Doctor Hayashi[35]
Video games
edit- Fire Warrior (2003) as El'Lusha[27]
- EyeToy: Play (2003) as Announcer[36]
Miscellaneous
edit- Film trailer – Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1974) as Asian Voiceover Announcer
- A 17-minute interview with Burt Kwouk from 2010 about his appearances in ITC shows is featured on the Network DVD The Sentimental Agent.[37]
References
edit- ^ a b c d "Burt Kwouk, actor – obituary". The Daily Telegraph. 25 May 2016. Retrieved 25 May 2016.
- ^ England & Wales, Birth Index, 1916–2005: Registration district: Manchester South; Inferred County: Cheshire; Volume Number: 8d; Page Number: 40
- ^ "Obituary: Burt Kwouk". BBC News. 24 May 2016.
- ^ a b "Not Now, Cato! OBE for Pink Panther Star Kwouk". Press Association Regional Newswire – North West. 1 January 2011.
- ^ "Actor Burt Kwouk '53 Receives Honor from English Crown". Bowdoin College. 28 July 2011. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa "Kwouk, Burt". British Film Institute. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
- ^ a b Child, Ben (24 May 2016). "Burt Kwouk, Cato from Pink Panther, dies age 85". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f "Burt Kwouk, Cato in the Pink Panther films – a life in pictures". The Guardian. 24 May 2016. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
- ^ "Burt Kwouk". Bond Scenes. 5 January 2023. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
- ^ Lewis, Roger (16 February 1995). The Life and Death of Peter Sellers. Arrow. p. 797. ISBN 978-0099747000.
- ^ "Obituary: Burt Kwouk". BBC News. 24 May 2016. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
- ^ "Burt Kwouk dies aged 85". BBC News. 24 May 2016. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
- ^ a b Terrace, Vincent (14 October 2002). Crime Fighting Heroes of Television: Over 10,000 Facts from 151 Shows, 1949–2001. McFarland & Co. p. 62. ISBN 978-0786413959.
- ^ Tang, Irwin (24 July 2003). "Fox's 'Banzai' Premieres to Protests". New America Media. Archived from the original on 14 July 2011. Retrieved 8 November 2009.
- ^ "Spirit Warriors". BBC. Retrieved 25 May 2016.
- ^ Ronald Bergan (24 May 2016). "Burt Kwouk obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
- ^ England & Wales Marriage Index, 1916–2005; Date of Registration: Jul–Aug–Sep 1961; Registration district: Wandsworth; Inferred County: Surrey; Volume Number: 5d; Page Number: 1975
- ^ England & Wales, Birth Index, 1916–2005; Registration district: St Pancras; Volume 14; Page 2309
- ^ "No. 59647". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 2010. p. 11.
- ^ "New Year Honours unveiled". BBC News. 31 December 2010.
- ^ "Close friend pays tribute to Pink Panther actor Burt Kwouk". 24 May 2016.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Howard Reid, John (2009). Film Noir, Detective and Mystery Movies on DVD: A Guide to the Best in Suspense. Lulu.com. p. 210. ISBN 9781435730106.
- ^ "Satan Never Sleeps". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 14 August 2016. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
- ^ "Curse of the Fly". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 25 May 2016.
- ^ "Our Man in Marrakesh". Radio Times. Retrieved 25 May 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u "Burt Kwouk". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 19 April 2016. Retrieved 25 May 2016.
- ^ a b c d Bergan, Ronald (24 May 2016). "Burt Kwouk obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 May 2016.
- ^ McKie, Andrew (24 May 2016). "Obituary – Burt Kwouk, actor known as Inspector Clouseau's violent butler Cato". The Herald. Retrieved 25 May 2016.
- ^ "Shoestring". BBC. 21 December 1980. Retrieved 25 May 2016.
- ^ "Minder – S2-E7 A Nice Little Wine". Radio Times. Retrieved 25 May 2016.
- ^ ""Lovejoy" Eric of Arabia (TV Episode 1992) - IMDb". IMDb.
- ^ "Episode 01: Protect and Survive". SpacePrecinct.com. Retrieved 25 May 2016.
- ^ "Judge John Deed – S4-E5 Separation of Powers". Radio Times. Retrieved 25 May 2016.
- ^ "Pink Panther star Burt Kwouk dies aged 85". RTE. 24 May 2016. Retrieved 25 May 2016.
- ^ "20. Loups-Garoux". Big Finish Productions. Retrieved 25 May 2016.
- ^ Fox, Matt (30 January 2013). The Video Games Guide: 1,000+ Arcade, Console and Computer Games, 1962–2012. McFarland. p. 101. ISBN 978-0786472574. Retrieved 25 May 2016.
- ^ "Network ON AIR > Sentimental Agent (The) – The Complete Series". Network. Archived from the original on 21 December 2016. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
External links
edit- Burt Kwouk at IMDb
- Burt Kwouk (Aveleyman)
- Burt Kwouk(Kinotv)
- Burt Kwouk discography at Discogs