Sorry, but I saw your post too late (just now!) to put that question to Mr. Hong this evening. However, the other day at the Hawaii Theater, he talked with the audience about the process of dubbing that is referred to as "looping." There were demonstrations on how it is done using local acting students. Clips from "Kung Fu Panda" (in which he plays the panda's father) were used as illustrations as well as material for the demonstration.
All I can say about James Hong would not be enough to express how great a person he is. A wonderful and funny individual who is truly a master at his craft! I am deeply honored at having had the opportunity to interact with him to the small extent that I have been able.
If opportunity knocks again anytime soon, perhaps Steve or I will be able to put your question to him. Again, I apologize.
Greetings from Hawaii. What a great adventure I had with Rush in Honolulu. The minute Rush's plane landed in Honolulu, we jumped into our searching for Charlie Chan. On the first day, we visited the HPD museum and saw the Chang Apana exhibit. Shortly thereafter, we toured the inside of the old Honolulu Police Dept. building (c. 1930). This is the building where Apana's (and Chan's) Detective Bureau was located.
As Rush stated in an earlier posting, we visited several Chan sites related to "The Black Camel" (1931), i.e. Kailua Beach, the Royal Hawaiian Hotel, the Manoa Chinese Cementery, etc.
The highlight of the entire celebration came on Sunday, August 22. First, lunch & a birthday toast to E. D. Biggers, followed by the Chan/Apana walking tour, and finally, the Biggers birthday party with actor James Hong. [JH played #1 Son in the 1950s TV series.]
The birthday party was a true once-in-a-lifetime event. During the party, Mr. Hong re-enacted a scene from the TV series "The New Adventures of Charlie Chan" (1957). In the cast, Mr. Hong played Chan and a young local actor played Number One Son. Great laughs came from the guests due to Mr. Hong's ad-libbing during the scene. It was an entertaining and wonderful day for all in attendance.
Rush, I'm so glad we had the opportunity to meet one another and share our knowledge of Charlie Chan. Thank you so much for your assistance with the screening of "The Black Camel." You were there for me, and I appreciate you lending a helpful hand.
