Jack Soo

Jack Soo

Born: October 28, 1917
Died: January 11, 1979
in Oakland, California, U.S.
A genial, laid back, slumber-eyed character player especially adept at the relaxed wisecrack or dry comment, Japanese-American actor Jack Soo was born in Oakland, California, in 1917, his real name being Goro Suzuki. In the post-WWII years, he entertained as a stand-up performer in nightclubs and had made a reasonable dent on the Midwest circuit by the time he earned his big break playing the club MC/comedian in the Rodgers and Hammerstein hit Broadway musical "Flower Drum Song" in 1958. Three years later, Soo was upgraded to the Sammy Wong character in the film version and decided to settle in Hollywood. Over the next decade, despite a typical lack of roles for Asian-Americans, he managed to find a niche for his hip, deadpan demeanor on TV and a few other films including Who's Been Sleeping in My Bed? (1963), the musical Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967), and John Wayne's controversial pro-Vietnam War film The Green Berets (1968). Soo is probably best remembered for his smart-aleck Detective Sgt. Nick Yemana on Barney Miller (1974), one of the more popular sitcoms of the 1970s alongside Hal Linden and Abe Vigoda. Sadly, he died of cancer during the show's fifth season in 1979 at the height of his popularity.

Movies for Jack Soo...

You Don't Know Jack: The Jack Soo Story
Title: You Don't Know Jack: The Jack Soo Story
Character: Self (archive footage)
Released: March 15, 2009
Type: Movie
The film tells actor Jack Soo's story through a montage of film and television clips, rare footage, interviews with family members, friends, co-workers, and others who knew him best. From his early appearances on programs such as The Jack Benny Show and Valentines' Day, Soo's life is examined both in the historical context of the times, and the grandeur of an earlier Hollywood where stars like Soo succeeded in a multitude of artistic mediums, reminiscent of vaudevillian times. From Soo's early training as an announcer and stand-up comic, to his singing, acting and dancing career on Broadway, culminating with his signature role as Detective Nick Yemana, Soo's unique talent and dedication to his craft are fully explored and captured through a dazzling kaleidoscope of images, music, montages, interviews and stories.
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Return from Witch Mountain
Title: Return from Witch Mountain
Character: Mr. "Yo-Yo" Yokomoto
Released: March 10, 1978
Type: Movie
Tony and Tia are other-worldly twins endowed with telekinesis. When their Uncle Bene drops them off in Los Angeles for an earthbound vacation, a display of their supernatural skill catches the eye of the nefarious Dr. Gannon and his partner in crime, Letha, who see rich possibilities in harnessing the children's gifts. They kidnap Tony, and Tia gives chase only to find Gannon is using her brother's powers against her.
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Title: Busting Loose
Released: January 17, 1977
Type: TV
Busting Loose is a 1977 United States comedic television series starring Adam Arkin which centers around a young man in New York City who has moved out of his parents' house to live on his own for the first time. The show aired on CBS between January 17, 1977, and November 16, 1977
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Title: Barney Miller
Character: Det. Sgt. Nick Yemana
Released: January 23, 1975
Type: TV
Barney Miller is an American situation comedy television series set in a New York City police station in Greenwich Village. The series originally was broadcast from January 23, 1975 to May 20, 1982 on ABC. It was created by Danny Arnold and Theodore J. Flicker. Noam Pitlik directed the majority of the episodes.
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Title: Barney Miller
Character: Nick Yemana
Released: January 23, 1975
Type: TV
Barney Miller is an American situation comedy television series set in a New York City police station in Greenwich Village. The series originally was broadcast from January 23, 1975 to May 20, 1982 on ABC. It was created by Danny Arnold and Theodore J. Flicker. Noam Pitlik directed the majority of the episodes.
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Title: Amy Prentiss
Released: December 1, 1974
Type: TV
Amy Prentiss is an American police drama television series which aired on NBC. It is a spinoff of Ironside, and aired as part of the NBC Mystery Movie from 1974-1975. Jessica Walter stars as Amy Prentiss, a relatively young investigator who becomes the first female Chief of Detectives for the San Francisco Police Department. Helen Hunt, in an early role, played Prentiss' pre-teen daughter, Jill. Four 2-hour episodes were aired. Guest stars in the series' brief run included William Shatner, Cameron Mitchell, Don Murray, Joyce Van Patten and Jamie Farr.
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Title: Police Woman
Released: September 13, 1974
Type: TV
Sergeant “Pepper"” Anderson, an undercover cop for the Criminal Conspiracy Unit of the Los Angeles Police Department, poses undercover from mob girl to prostitute.
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Amy Prentiss
Title: Amy Prentiss
Character: Joe Lee
Released: May 23, 1974
Type: Movie
A hardworking San Francisco police woman aspires to the position of Chief of Police. Though up against a lot of resistance from the all-male establishment, she has a staunch supporter in the form of former chief.
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She Lives!
Title: She Lives!
Character: Dr. Osikawa
Released: September 12, 1973
Type: Movie
A young couple searches for the cure for the girl's terminal cancer.
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Title: Police Story
Released: March 20, 1973
Type: TV
Police Story is an anthology television crime drama. The show was the brainchild of author and former policeman Joseph Wambaugh and represented a major step forward in the realistic depiction of police work and violence on network TV. Although it was an anthology, there were certain things that all episodes had in common; for instance, the main character in each episode was a police officer. The setting was always Los Angeles and the characters always worked for some branch of the LAPD. Notwithstanding the anthology format, there were recurring characters. Scott Brady appeared in more than a dozen episodes as "Vinnie," a former cop who, upon retirement, had opened a bar catering to police officers, and who acted as a sort of Greek chorus during the run of the series, commenting on the characters and plots.
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Title: M*A*S*H
Character: Quoc
Released: September 17, 1972
Type: TV
The 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital is stuck in the middle of the Korean war. With little help from the circumstances they find themselves in, they are forced to make their own fun. Fond of practical jokes and revenge, the doctors, nurses, administrators, and soldiers often find ways of making wartime life bearable.
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Title: M*A*S*H
Character: Charlie Lee
Released: September 17, 1972
Type: TV
The 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital is stuck in the middle of the Korean war. With little help from the circumstances they find themselves in, they are forced to make their own fun. Fond of practical jokes and revenge, the doctors, nurses, administrators, and soldiers often find ways of making wartime life bearable.
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Title: The Odd Couple
Character: Chuk Mai Chin
Released: September 24, 1970
Type: TV
Felix and Oscar are two divorced men. Felix is neat and tidy while Oscar is sloppy and casual. They share a Manhattan apartment, and their different lifestyles inevitably lead to conflicts.
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The Monk
Title: The Monk
Character: Hip Guy
Released: October 22, 1969
Type: Movie
Underworld attorney Leo Barnes hires Gus Monk to safeguard a valuable envelope containing information on a mobster. Monk refuses — until he meets Mrs. Barnes and jumps on a merry-go-round of viciousness and murder.
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Title: Hawaii Five-O
Character: Sam Quong
Released: September 20, 1968
Type: TV
Hawaii Five-O is an American police procedural drama series produced by CBS Productions and Leonard Freeman. Set in Hawaii, the show originally aired for 12 seasons from 1968 to 1980, and continues in reruns. Jack Lord portrayed Detective Lieutenant Steve McGarrett, the head of a special state police task force which was based on an actual unit that existed under martial law in the 1940s. The theme music composed by Morton Stevens became especially popular. Many episodes would end with McGarrett instructing his subordinate to "Book 'em, Danno!", sometimes specifying a charge such as "murder one".
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Title: Julia
Released: September 17, 1968
Type: TV
Julia is an American sitcom notable for being one of the first weekly series to depict an African American woman in a non-stereotypical role. Previous television series featured African American lead characters, but the characters were usually servants. The show stars actress and singer Diahann Carroll, and ran for 86 episodes on NBC from September 17, 1968 to March 23, 1971. The series was produced by Savannah Productions, Inc., Hanncar Productions, Inc., and 20th Century-Fox Television. During pre-production, the proposed series title was Mama's Man. The series was also unique in that it was among the few situation comedies in the late 1960s that did not use a laugh track; however, 20th Century-Fox Television added them when the series was reissued for syndication and cable rebroadcasts in the late 1980s.
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The Green Berets
Title: The Green Berets
Character: Colonel Cai
Released: July 4, 1968
Type: Movie
Col. Mike Kirby picks two teams of crack Green Berets for two missions in South Vietnam. The first is to strengthen a camp that is trying to be taken by the enemy. The second is to kidnap a North Vietnamese General.
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Title: Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Character: Self
Released: September 9, 1967
Type: TV
An American sketch comedy television program hosted by comedians Dan Rowan and Dick Martin.
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Title: Ironside
Character: Joe Lee
Released: March 28, 1967
Type: TV
When an assassin's bullet confines him to a wheelchair for life ending his career as Chief of Detectives, Robert T. Ironside becomes a consultant to the police department. Detective Sergeant Ed Brown and policewoman Eve Whitfield join with him to crack varied and fascinating cases. Ex-con Mark Sanger is employed by the chief as home help but eventually becomes a fully fledged member of the team also. Officer Whitfield leaves after 4 years service, and is replaced by Officer Fran Belding.
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Title: Ironside
Released: March 28, 1967
Type: TV
When an assassin's bullet confines him to a wheelchair for life ending his career as Chief of Detectives, Robert T. Ironside becomes a consultant to the police department. Detective Sergeant Ed Brown and policewoman Eve Whitfield join with him to crack varied and fascinating cases. Ex-con Mark Sanger is employed by the chief as home help but eventually becomes a fully fledged member of the team also. Officer Whitfield leaves after 4 years service, and is replaced by Officer Fran Belding.
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Thoroughly Modern Millie
Title: Thoroughly Modern Millie
Character: Oriental #1
Released: March 22, 1967
Type: Movie
Millie Dillmount, a fearless young lady fresh from Salina, Kansas, determined to experience Life, sets out to see the world in the rip-roaring Twenties. With high spirits and wearing one of those new high hemlines, she arrives in New York to test the "modern" ideas she had been reading about back in Kansas: "I've taken the girl out of Kansas. Now I have to take Kansas out of the girl!"
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Title: Summer Fun
Released: July 22, 1966
Type: TV
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The Oscar
Title: The Oscar
Character: Sam
Released: March 4, 1966
Type: Movie
An amoral lowlife accidentally stumbles into an acting career that sets him on a trajectory to Hollywood stardom. But everyone on whom he steps on the way to the top remembers when he is nominated for an Oscar and he runs a dirty campaign in an attempt to win.
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Title: Valentine's Day
Released: September 18, 1964
Type: TV
Valentine's Day is a 1964 comedy television series that appeared on ABC's schedule. The series starred Tony Franciosa as Valentine Farrow, a swinging Manhattan publishing executive, and Jack Soo, later of Barney Miller as Rocky Sin, Farrow's poker-playing con-artist valet. The show was created by Hal Kanter and lasted only one season. One noteworthy episode was produced as a tie-in to the movie Rio Conchos, in which Franciosa co-starred; he played both Valentine and his Mexican character from the feature.
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Who's Been Sleeping in My Bed?
Title: Who's Been Sleeping in My Bed?
Character: Yoshimi Hiroti
Released: December 25, 1963
Type: Movie
TV star Jason Steel reluctantly becomes the sounding board for his best friends' bored wives, and must fend off their advances while managing his own fragile relationship.
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Title: The Mike Douglas Show
Character: Self
Released: December 11, 1961
Type: TV
The Mike Douglas Show is an American daytime television talk show hosted by Mike Douglas that originally aired only in the Cleveland area during much of its first two years on the air. It then went into syndication in 1963 and remained on television until 1982. It was distributed by Westinghouse Broadcasting and for much of its run, originated from studios of two of the company's TV stations in Cleveland and Philadelphia.
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Flower Drum Song
Title: Flower Drum Song
Character: 'Sammy' Fong
Released: November 9, 1961
Type: Movie
A young woman arrives in San Francisco's Chinatown from Hong Kong with the intention of marrying a rakish nightclub owner, unaware he is involved with one of his singers.