Maylia Fong obit

Maylia, Actress in ‘Singapore’ and ‘To the Ends of the Earth,’ Dies at 90

She was married to the late actor Benson Fong, who played Charlie Chan's son in several films. 

She was not on the list.

Gloria Fong, the actress known as Maylia who appeared in the 1940s films Singapore and To the Ends of the Earth, has died. She was 90.

Fong died in her sleep on Oct. 16 in Costa Mesa, Calif., family members told The Hollywood Reporter. She was married to the late actor Benson Fong, who played Charlie Chan’s son Tommy in six movies.

Born Gloria Suie Chin in Detroit, she was visiting her sister in California when she was spotted in the canteen at Paramount Studios by Jay Richard Kennedy, who wrote the screenplay for To the Ends of the Earth (1948). She was signed to a contract by Columbia Pictures and given the screen name Maylia, which means “beautiful” in Cantonese.

Maylia played Ava Gardner’s servant Ming Ling in the romantic drama Singapore (1947), also starring Fred MacMurray, and portrayed a Chinese orphan in To the Ends of the Earth, a gritty film about drug smugglers that starred Dick Powell and Signe Hasso.

The actress also appeared in Boston Blackie’s Chinese Venture (1949), Chinatown at Midnight (1949), Call Me Mister (1951) and Return to Paradise (1953).

She and Benson Fong married in 1947. They had five children and operated the chain of Ah Fong’s Restaurants in Los Angeles. He died in 1987 at age 70.

In lieu of flowers, her family asks that a donation be made to the Children’s Comfort Care Resource Program.

 

Actress

Return to Paradise (1953)

Return to Paradise

6.0

Maeva's Aunt (uncredited)

1953

 

Betty Grable, Dan Dailey, Danny Thomas, Benay Venuta, and The Three Dunhills in Call Me Mister (1951)

Call Me Mister

5.7

Kimono Sales Girl (uncredited)

1951

 

Benson Fong, Hurd Hatfield, Maylia, Jean Willes, and Victor Sen Yung in Chinatown at Midnight (1949)

Chinatown at Midnight

5.9

Hazel Fong

1949

 

Richard Lane, Maylia, Don McGuire, Chester Morris, and Joan Woodbury in Boston Blackie's Chinese Venture (1949)

Boston Blackie's Chinese Venture

6.1

Mei Ling

1949

 

Signe Hasso, Maylia, and Dick Powell in To the Ends of the Earth (1948)

To the Ends of the Earth

6.8

Shu Pan Wu

1948

 

Ava Gardner and Fred MacMurray in Singapore (1947)

Singapore

6.4

Ming Ling

1947