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Definition: Describes casting, a screenplay or some other aspect of a movie as treating all Asians as alike. History: Richard Loo, a Hawaiian of Chinese descent, was one of Hollywood’s most prolific actors from the 1940s to the 1970s when he played every nationality of Asian there is, but mostly Japanese. At a time when leading roles for Asians went to Caucasians such as Swede Warner Oland; Englishmen Peter Ustinov, Boris Karloff and Peter Sellers; Austrian Peter Lorre; Canadian Joseph Wiseman; .Americans Sidney Toler, Roland Winters, Yul Brenner and David Carradine; etc., Richard Loo found a niche playing Asian villains. Richardloo casting has been rare since Jackie Chan played a Japanese race car driver in “The Canonball Run” (1981). Today the term is applied mostly to screenplays. One lulu of a richardloo: “Batman Begins” (2005), in which Christian Bale travels to Tibet to become a ninja. This is akin to traveling to Moose Jaw, Canada to become a merengue dancer. Related Terms: aces caliphony nickpick spats at an Iowa picnic Return To Hollywood Lexicon Index |
richardloo