Barbara Jean Wong
Encyclopedia
Barbara Jean Wong was an American
actress
and primarily a radio actress.
She was a fourth generation Chinese-American born in Los Angeles, California
, to produce market owners Thomas and Maye Wong. She began her performance career at the age of five, as she could read and had a clear voice and was soon dubbed the Chinese-American Shirley Temple
due to her long black hair curled into ringlets and her charming persona.
In 1937, as a voice actress, she began doing some programs for CBS
. She played Judy Barton, one of the twins in the children's Christmas old time radio show The Cinnamon Bear
. She was heard on several episodes of the Lux Radio Theater, Hallmark Playhouse/Hallmark Hall of Fame, Cavalcade of America, Three Thirds of a Nation and many other shows. Her biggest radio role was on the comedy show Amos 'n' Andy
where she played Amos' daughter Arbadella.
She attended the University of Southern California
(USC) and Columbia University
to earn degrees in drama and English. After college, Jean (she used her middle name) began working in the movies and worked in 20 films including The Good Earth
, The Man from Button Willow
, and playing the part of Charlie Chan's Number Three daughter in the Charlie Chan
movie Charlie Chan in Honolulu
. Her last role was uncredited, a nurse in the epic motion picture, Love is a Many Splendored Thing
. Her featured part movie career lasted from 1938–1955. In most of her movies, she was a backdrop, part of the scenery.
When Barbara Jean was married, she retired from acting and earned her teaching credential from Cal State Los Angeles to begin serving her community as a teacher. She was very active in civic organizations throughout her life and died of respiratory illness on November 13, 1999 in Tarzana, California.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actress
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
and primarily a radio actress.
She was a fourth generation Chinese-American born in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, to produce market owners Thomas and Maye Wong. She began her performance career at the age of five, as she could read and had a clear voice and was soon dubbed the Chinese-American Shirley Temple
Shirley Temple
Shirley Temple Black , born Shirley Jane Temple, is an American film and television actress, singer, dancer, autobiographer, and former U.S. Ambassador to Ghana and Czechoslovakia...
due to her long black hair curled into ringlets and her charming persona.
In 1937, as a voice actress, she began doing some programs for CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
. She played Judy Barton, one of the twins in the children's Christmas old time radio show The Cinnamon Bear
The Cinnamon Bear
The Cinnamon Bear is an old time radio program produced by Transco , based in Hollywood, California. The series was specifically designed to be listened to six days a week between Thanksgiving and Christmas....
. She was heard on several episodes of the Lux Radio Theater, Hallmark Playhouse/Hallmark Hall of Fame, Cavalcade of America, Three Thirds of a Nation and many other shows. Her biggest radio role was on the comedy show Amos 'n' Andy
Amos 'n' Andy
Amos 'n' Andy is a situation comedy set in the African-American community. It was very popular in the United States from the 1920s through the 1950s on both radio and television....
where she played Amos' daughter Arbadella.
She attended the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
(USC) and Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
to earn degrees in drama and English. After college, Jean (she used her middle name) began working in the movies and worked in 20 films including The Good Earth
The Good Earth
The Good Earth is a novel by Pearl S. Buck published in 1931 and awarded the Pulitzer Prize for the Novel in 1932. The best selling novel in the United States in both 1931 and 1932, it was an influential factor in Buck winning the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1938...
, The Man from Button Willow
The Man from Button Willow
The Man from Button Willow is a 1965 American animated Western film about the adventures of Justin Eagle, the first U.S. Government Agent. It was released on 3 April 1965 in the United States.-Voice cast:*Dale Robertson - Justin Eagle...
, and playing the part of Charlie Chan's Number Three daughter in the Charlie Chan
Charlie Chan
Charlie Chan is a fictional Chinese-American detective created by Earl Derr Biggers in 1919. Loosely based on Honolulu detective Chang Apana, Biggers conceived of the benevolent and heroic Chan as an alternative to Yellow Peril stereotypes, such as villains like Fu Manchu...
movie Charlie Chan in Honolulu
Charlie Chan in Honolulu
Charlie Chan in Honolulu is a 1938 American film directed by H. Bruce Humberstone, starring Sidney Toler as the fictional Chinese-American detective Charlie Chan...
. Her last role was uncredited, a nurse in the epic motion picture, Love is a Many Splendored Thing
Love Is a Many Splendored Thing
Love Is a Many Splendored Thing is an American daytime soap opera which aired on CBS from September 18, 1967 to March 23, 1973. The series was created by Irna Phillips, who served as the first head writer. She was replaced by Jane Avery and Ira Avery in 1968, who were followed by Don Ettlinger,...
. Her featured part movie career lasted from 1938–1955. In most of her movies, she was a backdrop, part of the scenery.
When Barbara Jean was married, she retired from acting and earned her teaching credential from Cal State Los Angeles to begin serving her community as a teacher. She was very active in civic organizations throughout her life and died of respiratory illness on November 13, 1999 in Tarzana, California.
Partial filmography
- Charlie Chan in HonoluluCharlie Chan in HonoluluCharlie Chan in Honolulu is a 1938 American film directed by H. Bruce Humberstone, starring Sidney Toler as the fictional Chinese-American detective Charlie Chan...
(1938) – Number Three Chan Daughter - The Red DragonThe Red DragonThe Red Dragon is a 1946 mystery film starring Sidney Toler as Charlie Chan, who has to sift through a host of suspects for three murders.-Cast:*Sidney Toler as Charlie Chan*Fortunio Bonanova as Insp...
(1946) – Iris Ling - The TrapThe Trap (1946 film)Charlie Chan In the Trap is a 1946 crime film directed by Howard Bretherton. The main premise is two members of a show troupe are murdered, and Charlie Chan is called in to solve the case.This was Sidney Toler's final film and his final one as Charlie Chan...
(1946) – San Toy - The Chinese RingThe Chinese RingThe Chinese Ring is a 1947 American film directed by William Beaudine.The film is also known as Charlie Chan in the Chinese Ring .- Cast :*Roland Winters as Charlie Chan*Victor Sen Yung as Tommy Chan...
(1947) – Princess Mei Ling