San
Francisco sure was fun in the 1940s. There was a thriving jazz scene in the
Fillmore District, but for an elegant night out on the town, it was hard to beat
the nightclubs of Chinatown. However, the iconic trail-blazing Asian American establishment
was not in Chinatown proper. Nevertheless, it created a template for cross-over
Asian-flavored supper club entertainment. Patrons and performers pay their
respects to the nocturnal institution in Forbidden
City, USA (trailer
here), which
screens as part of a sidebar tribute to documentarian Arthur Dong at the 2015 Asian American International Film Festival in New York.
Frankly,
it is rather baffling that there is not more of a memorabilia market fascination
for all things connected to Charlie Low’s Forbidden City and its competitors.
Founded by Low in 1938, the club struggled to find its footing until Noel Toy’s
“bubble dance” became a sensation. Many of Low’s early (less risqué) dancers
started with more enthusiasm than experience, but several honed their art to a
remarkably accomplished level. Of course, they were all incredibly photogenic,
which harkens back to question regarding collector interest.
Dong
secured on-camera interviews with a number of veteran performers, including the
aforementioned Toy (“the Chinese Sally Rand”), Paul Wing (“the Chinese Astaire”),
Toy Yat Mar (“the Chinese Sophie Tucker”), and Larry Ching (“the Chinese
Sinatra”). The “Chinese X” handle was something many were uncomfortable with,
but as a marketing hook, it seemed to work, so they lived with it.
Indeed,
Dong keeps viewers keenly aware of the tenor of the era by duly addressing topics
such as the Japanese internment and racial segregation in the South (which was
profoundly confusing for the Asian American artists when they were able to
secure touring gigs). Yet, the film clips, audio selections, and glamourous
still photos are so infectiously entertaining, the overall vibe of the film is
nostalgic, but upbeat.
