Jerry Fujikawa

Hatsuo "Jerry" Fujikawa (Feb 18, 1912 — Apr 30, 1983) was an American stage, screen and television actor known most notably as the gardener in Roman Polanski's film Chinatown.

Jerry Fujikawa
Fujikawa in 1976
Born
Hatsuo Fujikawa

(1912-02-18)February 18, 1912
Monterey County, California, U.S.
DiedApril 30, 1983(1983-04-30) (aged 71)
Los Angeles County, California, U.S.
OccupationActor
Years active1950–1983 (his death)
Spouse(s)
  • Emily Elizabeth Grinnell
Marion "Skeeter" Gates
​
​
(m. 1953; his death 1983)​
Children6

Personal life

Fujikawa was born on February 18, 1912, in Monterey County, California. During early publicity surrounding his career, he was said to be a native of Salinas.[1] When he was younger, he adopted the western nickname Harlan, the name under which he was known when he, along with other Japanese-Americans on the west coast, were summarily detained in concentration camps following the Attack on Pearl Harbor and the subsequent issuance of Executive Order 9066 in February 1942. At the time, he was living in Los Angeles.[2] Fujikawa was detained at Manzanar War Relocation Center.[3]

He was first married to Emily Elizabeth (née Grinnell). They had three children together: one daughter, Tirsa Meiko, twin boys (Gerald Matsuo and Eugene Takeo.[4][5] Before he and his family were interned, Fujikawa listed his former occupations as a gardener, in agriculture, and as a salesman.[6]

While interned at Manzanar, Fujikawa volunteered for the United States Army,[7] joining as a messenger of Charlie Company in the 100th Infantry Battalion in June 1943.[8] Fujikawa's family moved to Longmont, Colorado, and his young son Gerald was killed in an automobile accident in Denver on June 5. His wife and children had planned to meet him in Denver prior to his induction ceremony in Salt Lake City.[3][4] During his service, Fujikawa was wounded on July 9, 1944 near Castellina, Italy. Although his service record contains no further entries until his discharge date (May 17, 1945), Fujikawa participated in operations in France later in 1944.[8] Fujikawa's first marriage disintegrated soon after he returned from the war in Europe.[9]

After the war, Fujikawa adopted the stage name Jerry and married Marion "Skeeter" Gates, a Broadway actress, in 1953. Together they had three children: Charles, Peter, and Cynthia.[10] Fujikawa and Gates were married until his death in 1983.[11]

Career

Fujikawa initially gained publicity for his stage roles: debuting as a villager in the original Broadway production of The Teahouse of the August Moon (1953).[11][12] Other stage appearances included a role in Ted Pollack's Wedding in Japan (1957, off-Broadway),[13][14] as the butler Toy in The Pleasure of His Company (1958),[1][15] and as Father Ling in It's a Bird... It's a Plane... It's Superman (1966).[16]

During the early part of his career, Fujikawa also appeared in the films Go For Broke! (1951) and The Journey (1959).[17] At the time, he was known primarily as a character actor, wearing special effects makeup for varied television roles in The Twilight Zone, The Untouchables, Bachelor Father, and The Man from U.N.C.L.E.[16] His career would go on to include numerous guest roles on other prominent television shows, including seven appearances on M*A*S*H[18] and other appearances in Taxi and The Winds of War.

Fujikawa had a recurring role as Matsu, the uncle of the eponymous Mr. T[akahashi] played by Pat Morita in the short-lived Mr. T and Tina (1976).

Legacy

In 1991, Fujikawa's daughter Cynthia began researching her father's life, which led to her reuniting in 1993 with her half-sister Tirsa from Jerry's first marriage.[19] The research eventually was developed into the solo play Old Man River, first workshopped in 1995. It debuted in 1997 at the New Victory Theater[9] and was filmed in 1998, directed by Allan Holzman;[20] based on his work, Holzman would later receive an American Cinema Editors Eddie Award in 2000 for Documentaries.[21][22]

Filmography
YearTitleRoleNotes
1950Three Came HomeJapanese SoldierUncredited
1951Halls of MontezumaJapanese SoldierUncredited
1951I Was an American SpyJapanese GuardUncredited
1951Go for Broke!Communications SergeantUncredited
1952Japanese War BrideMan at Fish Market
1959The JourneyMitsu
1961Bachelor FlatFrank - GardenerUncredited
1962A Girl Named TamikoManagerUncredited
1968Nobody's PerfectWatanabe
1969The Extraordinary SeamanAdmiral Shimagoshi
1970Which Way to the Front?Japanese Naval OfficerUncredited
1971The Million Dollar DuckJapanese OfficialUncredited
1971Made for Each OtherVietnamese ManUncredited
1972The King of Marvin GardensAgura
1974ChinatownGardener
1975Farewell, My LovelyFence
1975I Wonder Who's Killing Her Now?Roulette Winner
1976Eat My Dust!Chou Lick
1976MidwayJapanese GentlemanUncredited
1978The EndJapanese Gardener
1978The Cat from Outer Space2nd E.R.L. Expert
1979Scavenger HuntSakamoto
1981There Was a Little GirlMr. Kimura
1983Second ThoughtsYamashiro(final film role)

References
  1. Taomae, Fred (November 20, 1958). "More Names In Broadway's Oriental Fling". Shin Nichi-Bei. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
  2. "Whereabouts Sought by L.A. Evacuation Claims". Shin Nichi-Bei. January 17, 1953. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
  3. "Child Crushed to Death Under Auto in Denver". Rocky Shimpo. June 7, 1943. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
  4. "Detailed Accounts of Auto Accident Told By Newspapers". Manzanar Free Press. June 19, 1943. Retrieved 30 July 2019.
  5. "Tirsa M. Bartley DeJong | 1941 - 2011 | Obituary". Forest Funeral Homes & Cemetery. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
  6. "Japanese-American Internee Data File: Hatsuo H. Fujikawa". The National Archives. 1942. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
  7. "Manzanar National Historic Site" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved 1 August 2019. "Jerry Fujikawa volunteered for the US Army while confined in Manzanar
  8. Iwai, Warren (September 1996). "Charlie Chapter News" (PDF). Puka-Puka Parade. 100th Infantry Battalion Veterans Club. Retrieved 30 July 2019.
  9. Graeber, Laurel (April 4, 1997). "For Children". The New York Times. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
  10. "Obituary: Marion Gates Fujikawa". Los Angeles Times (Obituaries). 2010. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
  11. Gates-Fujikawa, Cynthia (February 11, 2013). "Cindy Fuj's Vaudeville Family #5: Marion 'Skeeter' Gates and Jerry Fujikawa". Travalanche. Trav S.D. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
  12. "The Teahouse of the August Moon". Playbill. 1953. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
  13. "'Wedding in Japan' Play to Have Revision". Shin Nichi-Bei. March 5, 1957. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
  14. "'Wedding in Japan' Pertinent in View of Present Segregation Issue in South". Shin Nichi-Bei. March 21, 1957. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
  15. "The Pleasure of His Company". Playbill. 1958. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
  16. "It's a Bird...It's a Plane...It's Superman". Playbill. 1966. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
  17. Taomae, Fred (February 18, 1959). "file thirteen". Shin Nichi-Bei. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
  18. Solomonson, Ed; O'Neill, Mark (2015). TV's M*A*S*H: The Ultimate Guide Book. Albany, Georgia: BearManor Media. p. 178. ISBN 978-1-59393-501-6.
  19. Cynthia Gates-Fujikawa. "Cyndy Fuj's Vaudeville Family #6: Cynthia Fujikawa!". Travalanche (Interview). Interviewed by Trav S.D. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
  20. Kam, Nadine (February 16, 2001). "Bittersweet 'River' honors dad's memory". Honolulu Star-Bulletin. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
  21. Feiwell, Jill (February 27, 2000). "'Matrix,' 'Malkovich' hold biggest of ACEs". Variety. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
  22. Mori, Darryl (25 August 2010). "Behind the Scenes of 'Old Man River' (DVD)". Discover Nikkei. Japanese American National Museum. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
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