Leonard Clarence Strong (August 12, 1908 – January 23, 1980) was an American character actor specializing in playing Asian roles.
Career Strong was born in Salt Lake City, Utah. Beginning with Little Tokyo, U.S.A. in 1942, he played a gamut of roles as Japanese, Chinese, Koreans, Thais, etc. in films such as Dragon Seed (1944), Up in Arms (1944), Jack London (1943), Salute to the Marines (1943), Behind the Rising Sun (1943), Night Plane from Chungking (1943), Bombardier (1943), Underground Agent (1942), and Manila Calling (1942). He played the Thai interpreter in both Anna and the King of Siam and its musical remake The King and I. He played Clem in The Lone Ranger episode (1/16) "Cannonball McKay" (1949). He appeared in the movie Shane (1953) as homesteader Ernie Wright.
Strong achieved some pop culture notoriety for his role on television as "The Claw" on Get Smart, where Agent Maxwell Smart (Don Adams) is unable to understand Strong as he announces his evil nickname of “The Claw”; confused, Smart calls the villain “The Craw”, causing the bad guy to continually, and with increasing irritation, correct him. Strong appeared as "The Claw" in two episodes: "Diplomat's Daughter" (1965) and "The Amazing Harry Hoo" (1966). Additionally, he played the role of Lin Chan in "The Laser Blazer" (1968). In "The Cure" (1960), a season-five episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents set deep in the Amazon jungle, Strong plays Luiz, a grimly faithful, deadly efficient native manservant, underestimated by all. Another notable television role was his haunting and mostly silent portrayal of the title character in the original Twilight Zone episode "The Hitch-Hiker", often listed as one of the ten best episodes of the series.
Death Strong died in Glendale, California in 1980, aged 71.
Selected filmography Year Title Role NotesRef.1942 Little Tokyo, U.S.A. Fujiama 1942 Manila Calling Japanese Officer Uncredited1942 Underground Agent Count Akiri 1943 Bombardier Japanese Officer 1943 Night Plane from Chungking Lieutenant Karuma Uncredited1943 Behind the Rising Sun Tama's Father 1943 Salute to the Marines Karitu Uncredited1943 Jack London Captain Tanaka 1944 Up in Arms Japanese Interrogator in Cave Uncredited1944 Dragon Seed Japanese Official Uncredited1944 The Keys of the Kingdom Mr. Chia 1945 Blood on the Sun Hijikata 1945 Back to Bataan Gen. Homma 1945 First Yank Into Tokyo Major Nogira 1946 Anna and the King of Siam Interpreter Uncredited1946 Dangerous Millions Bandit Chieftain 1947 Backlash The Stranger / Willis - the Caretaker 1948 Jewels of Brandenburg Marcel Grandet 1948 Sword of the Avenger Ming Tang 1949 We Were Strangers Bombmaker Uncredited1949 Malaya Half-witted Malay Uncredited1950 Backfire Lee Quong Uncredited1950 Cargo to Capetown Singh 1952 Carbine Williams Robak Uncredited1952 The Atomic City Donald Clark 1953 Destination Gobi Wali-Akhun 1953 Shane Ernie Wright 1953 Scared Stiff Shorty 1954 Hell's Half Acre Ippy 1954 The Naked Jungle Kutina 1954 Prisoner of War Col. Kim Doo Yi 1954 Bengal Brigade Mahindra 1955 Cult of the Cobra Daru 1955 Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing Fortune Teller Uncredited1956 The King and I Interpreter Uncredited1956 The Adventures of Dr. Fu Manchu Professor Hugh Yan 1957 This Could Be the Night Mr. Bernbaum Uncredited1958 Jet Attack Maj. Wan (North Korean) 1959 The Big Fisherman Zebedee, Father of James & John Uncredited1960 The Twilight Zone the Hitchhiker S1E10 1962 Escape from Zahrain Ambulance Driver
References
External links
Latter Day Saints in film website