FoundSF - User contributions [en]

Larry Ching

2010-04-27T00:31:30Z

Yaalfaro:

''' Historical Essay '''

Source material from [http://www.http://www.amazon.com/ ''Forbidden City: The Golden Age of Chinese Nightclubs''] by [http://www.trinarobbins.com Trina Robbins].

[[File:LarryChing.jpg]]

Larry Ching was born on the Hawaiian island of Kauai in 1921. His mother Muilan Naiwi was an opera singer who pursued her studies in Europe, leaving Larry to be raised by his father. After graduating high school, he joined the merchant marine, sailing to all the major ports of call around the Pacific Rim. One of his regular stops was San Francisco, and he never missed a chance to visit the nightclubs in Chinatown.

The nightclub scene was really starting to hop just at the time that Larry arrived. Both the Forbidden City and the Club Shanghai had just opened when Larry took a $40-a-week job as a bartender at Chinese Village. He honed his singing style behind the bar and boasted later, “I became the first singing bartender in Chinatown.”

In 1940, Forbidden City owner Charlie Low hired Larry to appear in the “All-Chinese Floor Show” at his nightclub. Larry – with his suave demeanor, smooth singing style, and easy good looks – quickly became one of the club's most popular entertainers. He performed six nights a week, singing the most popular tunes of the day accompanied by the top-notch band led by Monte Monteverdi.

[[File:LarryChingAdvertisment.jpg]]

Dancer Stanley Toy said of his friend, “"I'd be talking to a pretty girl and then Larry would start to sing,
and it was all over for me. If she wanted to dance, Larry would step out with her, but if it was an old, fat, ugly one, he'd lead her over to me and say, 'Stanley, you're the dancer!'"

Charlie Low, the master of marketing, billed Larry as the “Chinese Frank Sinatra,” a title the singer intensely disliked. Many Chinese nightclub performers were marketed this way, matching them up with a popular white act to entice white audiences. The message sent sometimes felt as if the “Chinese” acts were meant to astonish white audiences, who might not believe that an Asian person could sing like Frank Sinatra or dance like Fred Astaire. But some San Franciscans looked past these labels, valuing the Asian performers for their own talents and charm. San Francisco Chronicle columist Herb Caen turned the label on its head, writing that “'Frank Sinatra is really the Italian Larry Ching."

There was, of course, more overt racism to be confronted. Living and working in San Francisco throughout his life, Larry had the support of a strong Chinese-American community. But white audiences brought their prejudices into the clubs with them, and sometimes did not check them at the door. Larry, for one, struggled to stay cool when bigots attacked him. "Several times I lost control of my temper when some drunken customer called me 'Chinaman,"' he recalled. Occasionally he would get in a fight, but most of the time, he said, "I just had to take it."

[[File:LarryChing2.jpg]]

Larry Ching performed at the Forbidden City for more than ten years. During that time, he had the opportunity to meet many celebrities who trooped through the club, including Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, Duke Ellington and Lena Horne. He also met his wife, Vicki Lee, who performed in the chorus line there, in 1947. They had two sons, Michael and Philip, and raised Vicki's son David from a previous marriage. They both performed at the Forbidden City until Charlie Low sold the club in 1961.

His stepson David Gee recalls the story Larry told about choosing not to leave San Francisco for the “big time”, “Hoagy Carmichael offered him a job to go to Hollywood and be his front man, in other words, opening act for his show. And the only reason he didn’t go was my mother didn’t want to go. So he stayed back. But he could have made it in Hollywood, had he gone with Hoagy.”

Larry's work experience after the end of the nightclub era was quite typical – unable to find work as an entertainer, Larry got a job as a truck driver for local newspapers. He did this work until his retirement in 1985.

Larry was featured in Arthur Dong's 1989 documentary, “Forbidden City,” which brought attention to the long-forgotten Chinese nightclub scene. After having been offstage for over 20 years, Larry started singing at benefits and small gigs. In 2003, he and producer Ben Fong-Torres released Larry's debut album, " 'Til the End of Time." The album features classic love songs and standards from his native Hawaii, as well as a handful of his recordings from the 1940s. Larry died just two weeks after the release of the record.

[[category: Performing Arts]] [[category:1940s]] [[category:1950s]] [[category:Chinatown]] [[category:Chinese]]

Larry Ching

2010-04-27T00:30:26Z

Yaalfaro:

''' Historical Essay '''

Source material from [http://www.http://www.amazon.com/ ''Forbidden City: The Golden Age of Chinese Nightclubs''] by [http://www.trinarobbins.com Trina Robbins].

[[File:LarryChing.jpg]]

Larry Ching was born on the Hawaiian island of Kauai in 1921. His mother Muilan Naiwi was an opera singer who pursued her studies in Europe, leaving Larry to be raised by his father. After graduating high school, he joined the merchant marine, sailing to all the major ports of call around the Pacific Rim. One of his regular stops was San Francisco, and he never missed a chance to visit the nightclubs in Chinatown.

The nightclub scene was really starting to hop just at the time that Larry arrived. Both the Forbidden City and the Club Shanghai had just opened when Larry took a $40-a-week job as a bartender at Chinese Village. He honed his singing style behind the bar and boasted later, “I became the first singing bartender in Chinatown.”

In 1940, Forbidden City owner Charlie Low hired Larry to appear in the “All-Chinese Floor Show” at his nightclub. Larry – with his suave demeanor, smooth singing style, and easy good looks – quickly became one of the club's most popular entertainers. He performed six nights a week, singing the most popular tunes of the day accompanied by the top-notch band led by Monte Monteverdi.

[[File:LarryChingAdvertisment.jpg]]

Dancer Stanley Toy said of his friend, “"I'd be talking to a pretty girl and then Larry would start to sing,
and it was all over for me. If she wanted to dance, Larry would step out with her, but if it was an old, fat, ugly one, he'd lead her over to me and say, 'Stanley, you're the dancer!'"

Charlie Low, the master of marketing, billed Larry as the “Chinese Frank Sinatra,” a title the singer intensely disliked. Many Chinese nightclub performers were marketed this way, matching them up with a popular white act to entice white audiences. The message sent sometimes felt as if the “Chinese” acts were meant to astonish white audiences, who might not believe that an Asian person could sing like Frank Sinatra or dance like Fred Astaire. But some San Franciscans looked past these labels, valuing the Asian performers for their own talents and charm. San Francisco Chronicle columist Herb Caen turned the label on its head, writing that “'Frank Sinatra is really the Italian Larry Ching."

There was, of course, more overt racism to be confronted. Living and working in San Francisco throughout his life, Larry had the support of a strong Chinese-American community. But white audiences brought their prejudices into the clubs with them, and sometimes did not check them at the door. Larry, for one, struggled to stay cool when bigots attacked him. "Several times I lost control of my temper when some drunken customer called me 'Chinaman,"' he recalled. Occasionally he would get in a fight, but most of the time, he said, "I just had to take it."

[[File:LarryChing.jpg]]

Larry Ching performed at the Forbidden City for more than ten years. During that time, he had the opportunity to meet many celebrities who trooped through the club, including Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, Duke Ellington and Lena Horne. He also met his wife, Vicki Lee, who performed in the chorus line there, in 1947. They had two sons, Michael and Philip, and raised Vicki's son David from a previous marriage. They both performed at the Forbidden City until Charlie Low sold the club in 1961.

His stepson David Gee recalls the story Larry told about choosing not to leave San Francisco for the “big time”, “Hoagy Carmichael offered him a job to go to Hollywood and be his front man, in other words, opening act for his show. And the only reason he didn’t go was my mother didn’t want to go. So he stayed back. But he could have made it in Hollywood, had he gone with Hoagy.”

Larry's work experience after the end of the nightclub era was quite typical – unable to find work as an entertainer, Larry got a job as a truck driver for local newspapers. He did this work until his retirement in 1985.

Larry was featured in Arthur Dong's 1989 documentary, “Forbidden City,” which brought attention to the long-forgotten Chinese nightclub scene. After having been offstage for over 20 years, Larry started singing at benefits and small gigs. In 2003, he and producer Ben Fong-Torres released Larry's debut album, " 'Til the End of Time." The album features classic love songs and standards from his native Hawaii, as well as a handful of his recordings from the 1940s. Larry died just two weeks after the release of the record.

[[category: Performing Arts]] [[category:1940s]] [[category:1950s]] [[category:Chinatown]] [[category:Chinese]]

Larry Ching

2010-04-27T00:27:38Z

Yaalfaro:

''' Historical Essay '''

Source material from [http://www.http://www.amazon.com/ ''Forbidden City: The Golden Age of Chinese Nightclubs''] by [http://www.trinarobbins.com Trina Robbins].

[[File:LarryChing.jpg]]

Larry Ching was born on the Hawaiian island of Kauai in 1921. His mother Muilan Naiwi was an opera singer who pursued her studies in Europe, leaving Larry to be raised by his father. After graduating high school, he joined the merchant marine, sailing to all the major ports of call around the Pacific Rim. One of his regular stops was San Francisco, and he never missed a chance to visit the nightclubs in Chinatown.

The nightclub scene was really starting to hop just at the time that Larry arrived. Both the Forbidden City and the Club Shanghai had just opened when Larry took a $40-a-week job as a bartender at Chinese Village. He honed his singing style behind the bar and boasted later, “I became the first singing bartender in Chinatown.”

In 1940, Forbidden City owner Charlie Low hired Larry to appear in the “All-Chinese Floor Show” at his nightclub. Larry – with his suave demeanor, smooth singing style, and easy good looks – quickly became one of the club's most popular entertainers. He performed six nights a week, singing the most popular tunes of the day accompanied by the top-notch band led by Monte Monteverdi.

[[File: LarryChingAdvertisment]]

Dancer Stanley Toy said of his friend, “"I'd be talking to a pretty girl and then Larry would start to sing,
and it was all over for me. If she wanted to dance, Larry would step out with her, but if it was an old, fat, ugly one, he'd lead her over to me and say, 'Stanley, you're the dancer!'"

Charlie Low, the master of marketing, billed Larry as the “Chinese Frank Sinatra,” a title the singer intensely disliked. Many Chinese nightclub performers were marketed this way, matching them up with a popular white act to entice white audiences. The message sent sometimes felt as if the “Chinese” acts were meant to astonish white audiences, who might not believe that an Asian person could sing like Frank Sinatra or dance like Fred Astaire. But some San Franciscans looked past these labels, valuing the Asian performers for their own talents and charm. San Francisco Chronicle columist Herb Caen turned the label on its head, writing that “'Frank Sinatra is really the Italian Larry Ching."

There was, of course, more overt racism to be confronted. Living and working in San Francisco throughout his life, Larry had the support of a strong Chinese-American community. But white audiences brought their prejudices into the clubs with them, and sometimes did not check them at the door. Larry, for one, struggled to stay cool when bigots attacked him. "Several times I lost control of my temper when some drunken customer called me 'Chinaman,"' he recalled. Occasionally he would get in a fight, but most of the time, he said, "I just had to take it."

Larry Ching performed at the Forbidden City for more than ten years. During that time, he had the opportunity to meet many celebrities who trooped through the club, including Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, Duke Ellington and Lena Horne. He also met his wife, Vicki Lee, who performed in the chorus line there, in 1947. They had two sons, Michael and Philip, and raised Vicki's son David from a previous marriage. They both performed at the Forbidden City until Charlie Low sold the club in 1961.

His stepson David Gee recalls the story Larry told about choosing not to leave San Francisco for the “big time”, “Hoagy Carmichael offered him a job to go to Hollywood and be his front man, in other words, opening act for his show. And the only reason he didn’t go was my mother didn’t want to go. So he stayed back. But he could have made it in Hollywood, had he gone with Hoagy.”

Larry's work experience after the end of the nightclub era was quite typical – unable to find work as an entertainer, Larry got a job as a truck driver for local newspapers. He did this work until his retirement in 1985.

Larry was featured in Arthur Dong's 1989 documentary, “Forbidden City,” which brought attention to the long-forgotten Chinese nightclub scene. After having been offstage for over 20 years, Larry started singing at benefits and small gigs. In 2003, he and producer Ben Fong-Torres released Larry's debut album, " 'Til the End of Time." The album features classic love songs and standards from his native Hawaii, as well as a handful of his recordings from the 1940s. Larry died just two weeks after the release of the record.

[[category: Performing Arts]] [[category:1940s]] [[category:1950s]] [[category:Chinatown]] [[category:Chinese]]

File:LarryChing2.jpg

2010-04-27T00:23:06Z

Yaalfaro:

File:LarryChingAdvertisment.jpg

2010-04-27T00:21:58Z

Yaalfaro:

File:LarryChing.jpg

2010-04-27T00:20:27Z

Yaalfaro: uploaded a new version of "File:LarryChing.jpg": Larry Ching with fans.

Larry Ching with fans.

File:LarryChing.jpg

2010-04-27T00:18:16Z

Yaalfaro: Larry Ching with fans.

Larry Ching with fans.

Larry Ching

2010-04-27T00:03:06Z

Yaalfaro:

''' Historical Essay '''

Source material from [http://www.http://www.amazon.com/ ''Forbidden City: The Golden Age of Chinese Nightclubs''] by [http://www.trinarobbins.com Trina Robbins].

Larry Ching was born on the Hawaiian island of Kauai in 1921. His mother Muilan Naiwi was an opera singer who pursued her studies in Europe, leaving Larry to be raised by his father. After graduating high school, he joined the merchant marine, sailing to all the major ports of call around the Pacific Rim. One of his regular stops was San Francisco, and he never missed a chance to visit the nightclubs in Chinatown.

The nightclub scene was really starting to hop just at the time that Larry arrived. Both the Forbidden City and the Club Shanghai had just opened when Larry took a $40-a-week job as a bartender at Chinese Village. He honed his singing style behind the bar and boasted later, “I became the first singing bartender in Chinatown.”

In 1940, Forbidden City owner Charlie Low hired Larry to appear in the “All-Chinese Floor Show” at his nightclub. Larry – with his suave demeanor, smooth singing style, and easy good looks – quickly became one of the club's most popular entertainers. He performed six nights a week, singing the most popular tunes of the day accompanied by the top-notch band led by Monte Monteverdi.

Dancer Stanley Toy said of his friend, “"I'd be talking to a pretty girl and then Larry would start to sing,
and it was all over for me. If she wanted to dance, Larry would step out with her, but if it was an old, fat, ugly one, he'd lead her over to me and say, 'Stanley, you're the dancer!'"

Charlie Low, the master of marketing, billed Larry as the “Chinese Frank Sinatra,” a title the singer intensely disliked. Many Chinese nightclub performers were marketed this way, matching them up with a popular white act to entice white audiences. The message sent sometimes felt as if the “Chinese” acts were meant to astonish white audiences, who might not believe that an Asian person could sing like Frank Sinatra or dance like Fred Astaire. But some San Franciscans looked past these labels, valuing the Asian performers for their own talents and charm. San Francisco Chronicle columist Herb Caen turned the label on its head, writing that “'Frank Sinatra is really the Italian Larry Ching."

There was, of course, more overt racism to be confronted. Living and working in San Francisco throughout his life, Larry had the support of a strong Chinese-American community. But white audiences brought their prejudices into the clubs with them, and sometimes did not check them at the door. Larry, for one, struggled to stay cool when bigots attacked him. "Several times I lost control of my temper when some drunken customer called me 'Chinaman,"' he recalled. Occasionally he would get in a fight, but most of the time, he said, "I just had to take it."

Larry Ching performed at the Forbidden City for more than ten years. During that time, he had the opportunity to meet many celebrities who trooped through the club, including Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, Duke Ellington and Lena Horne. He also met his wife, Vicki Lee, who performed in the chorus line there, in 1947. They had two sons, Michael and Philip, and raised Vicki's son David from a previous marriage. They both performed at the Forbidden City until Charlie Low sold the club in 1961.

His stepson David Gee recalls the story Larry told about choosing not to leave San Francisco for the “big time”, “Hoagy Carmichael offered him a job to go to Hollywood and be his front man, in other words, opening act for his show. And the only reason he didn’t go was my mother didn’t want to go. So he stayed back. But he could have made it in Hollywood, had he gone with Hoagy.”

Larry's work experience after the end of the nightclub era was quite typical – unable to find work as an entertainer, Larry got a job as a truck driver for local newspapers. He did this work until his retirement in 1985.

Larry was featured in Arthur Dong's 1989 documentary, “Forbidden City,” which brought attention to the long-forgotten Chinese nightclub scene. After having been offstage for over 20 years, Larry started singing at benefits and small gigs. In 2003, he and producer Ben Fong-Torres released Larry's debut album, " 'Til the End of Time." The album features classic love songs and standards from his native Hawaii, as well as a handful of his recordings from the 1940s. Larry died just two weeks after the release of the record.

[[category: Performing Arts]] [[category:1940s]] [[category:1950s]] [[category:Chinatown]] [[category:Chinese]]

Isabel Louie

2010-04-27T00:00:15Z

Yaalfaro:

Isabel Louie

2010-04-27T00:00:00Z

Yaalfaro:

Larry Ching

2010-04-26T23:58:56Z

Yaalfaro: Created page with '''' Historical Essay ''' Source material from [http://www.http://www.amazon.com/ ''Forbidden City:...'

''' Historical Essay '''

Source material from [http://www.http://www.amazon.com/ ''Forbidden City: The Golden Age of Chinese Nightclubs''] by [http://www.trinarobbins.com Trina Robbins].

Larry Ching was born on the Hawaiian island of Kauai in 1921. His mother Muilan Naiwi was an opera singer who pursued her studies in Europe, leaving Larry to be raised by his father. After graduating high school, he joined the merchant marine, sailing to all the major ports of call around the Pacific Rim. One of his regular stops was San Francisco, and he never missed a chance to visit the nightclubs in Chinatown.

The nightclub scene was really starting to hop just at the time that Larry arrived. Both the Forbidden City and the Club Shanghai had just opened when Larry took a $40-a-week job as a bartender at Chinese Village. He honed his singing style behind the bar and boasted later, “I became the first singing bartender in Chinatown.”

In 1940, Forbidden City owner Charlie Low hired Larry to appear in the “All-Chinese Floor Show” at his nightclub. Larry – with his suave demeanor, smooth singing style, and easy good looks – quickly became one of the club's most popular entertainers. He performed six nights a week, singing the most popular tunes of the day accompanied by the top-notch band led by Monte Monteverdi.

Dancer Stanley Toy said of his friend, “"I'd be talking to a pretty girl and then Larry would start to sing,
and it was all over for me. If she wanted to dance, Larry would step out with her, but if it was an old, fat, ugly one, he'd lead her over to me and say, 'Stanley, you're the dancer!'"

Charlie Low, the master of marketing, billed Larry as the “Chinese Frank Sinatra,” a title the singer intensely disliked. Many Chinese nightclub performers were marketed this way, matching them up with a popular white act to entice white audiences. The message sent sometimes felt as if the “Chinese” acts were meant to astonish white audiences, who might not believe that an Asian person could sing like Frank Sinatra or dance like Fred Astaire. But some San Franciscans looked past these labels, valuing the Asian performers for their own talents and charm. San Francisco Chronicle columist Herb Caen turned the label on its head, writing that “'Frank Sinatra is really the Italian Larry Ching."

There was, of course, more overt racism to be confronted. Living and working in San Francisco throughout his life, Larry had the support of a strong Chinese-American community. But white audiences brought their prejudices into the clubs with them, and sometimes did not check them at the door. Larry, for one, struggled to stay cool when bigots attacked him. "Several times I lost control of my temper when some drunken customer called me 'Chinaman,"' he recalled. Occasionally he would get in a fight, but most of the time, he said, "I just had to take it."

Larry Ching performed at the Forbidden City for more than ten years. During that time, he had the opportunity to meet many celebrities who trooped through the club, including Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, Duke Ellington and Lena Horne. He also met his wife, Vicki Lee, who performed in the chorus line there, in 1947. They had two sons, Michael and Philip, and raised Vicki's son David from a previous marriage. They both performed at the Forbidden City until Charlie Low sold the club in 1961.

His stepson David Gee recalls the story Larry told about choosing not to leave San Francisco for the “big time”, “Hoagy Carmichael offered him a job to go to Hollywood and be his front man, in other words, opening act for his show. And the only reason he didn’t go was my mother didn’t want to go. So he stayed back. But he could have made it in Hollywood, had he gone with Hoagy.”

Larry's work experience after the end of the nightclub era was quite typical – unable to find work as an entertainer, Larry got a job as a truck driver for local newspapers. He did this work until his retirement in 1985.

Larry was featured in Arthur Dong's 1989 documentary, “Forbidden City,” which brought attention to the long-forgotten Chinese nightclub scene. After having been offstage for over 20 years, Larry started singing at benefits and small gigs. In 2003, he and producer Ben Fong-Torres released Larry's debut album, " 'Til the End of Time." The album features classic love songs and standards from his native Hawaii, as well as a handful of his recordings from the 1940s. Larry died just two weeks after the release of the record.

[[category: Dance]] [[category: Performing Arts]] [[category:1940s]] [[category:1950s]] [[category:Chinatown]] [[category:Chinese]]

Isabel Louie

2010-04-26T23:57:51Z

Yaalfaro:

Isabel Louie

2010-04-26T23:55:52Z

Yaalfaro:

Isabel Louie

2010-04-26T23:54:10Z

Yaalfaro: Created page with 'Historical Essay Source material from [http://www.http://www.amazon.com/ ''Forbidden City: The Golden Age of Chinese Nightclubs''] by [http://www.trinarobbins.com Trina Robbins]....'

Historical Essay
Source material from [http://www.http://www.amazon.com/ ''Forbidden City: The Golden Age of Chinese Nightclubs''] by [http://www.trinarobbins.com Trina Robbins].

Isabel Louie was born and raised in San Francisco's Western Addition. She was bitten by the entertainment bug when she was a teenager, watching dancers on TV variety shows. She started taking dance lessons in high school, and then found Tony Wing’s studio. She recalls, “[Tony] told me they were auditioning at Bimbo’s 365 Club... I went for the audition and was hired on the spot. Friends and family thought I was crazy to quit my secretarial job to sign a three month contract. I don't think my mom liked it when I joined, but she didn't prevent me from it.”

Isabel’s first job at Bimbo’s was intense - three shows a night, seven days a week for twelve weeks. That twelve-week introduction to the stage was exciting and challenging for Isabel, and shaped the course of her life. She performed with Takeuchi Keigo at Bimbo's, and he asked Isabel to join his dance troupe of Japanese-American dancers, The Geisharellas. Despite the name, Keigo's troupe was not as racy as many of the acts on the circuit. The first half of the show featured traditional Japanese dancing with fans and parasols; the second half featured modern western jazz numbers. Keiko choreographed up to twenty-two numbers in a range of styles, with many quick changes between. Rehearsals ran to four hours a day, and Isabel recalls being exhausted by the hard work.

By this time – the early 1970s – the Chinese nightclub circuit was virtually dead. But audiences still enjoyed “Oriental” shows in other venues, including generic nightclubs, hotels, casinos, and on television. After performing at clubs and hotels in Los Angeles and Mexico City, the troupe traveled to New York City to perform on the Ed Sullivan Show. Isabel traveled internationally with Takeuchi Keigo's troupe for several years. They spent two years in Europe dancing at five star hotels and night clubs. Isabel’s most memorable trip was their time in Egypt, where she saw the famous pyramids and sailed down the Nile.

When Keigo's troupe was not touring, Isabel couldn't stay off the stage, so she danced with Dorothy Toy's Oriental Revue. That gig was just as glamourous as the Geisharellas, with Isabel recalling champagne drinking contests among the dancers. Dorothy Toy was just as demanding of her dancers as any choreographer but Isabelle didn’t mind the challenge.

Isabel met Cynthia Yee while dancing with Dorothy Toy's revue, and they continued both a friendship and business relationship for many years. Isabel continued dancing for fun and convinced Cynthia to take tap lessons with her. In the 1990s, when Cynthia wanted to create a revival of the Chinese nightclub shows as a charitable endeavor, Isabel became one of the first members of the Grant Avenue Follies.

[[category: Dance]] [[category: Performing Arts]] [[category:1940s]] [[category:1950s]] [[category:Chinatown]] [[category:Chinese]]

Cynthia Yee

2010-04-26T23:19:16Z

Yaalfaro:

''' Historical Essay '''

Source material from [http://www.amazon.com/ ''Forbidden City: The Golden Age of Chinese Nightclubs''] by [http://www.trinarobbins.com Trina Robbins].

[[File:CynthiaYee.jpg]]
'''"Miss Chinatown 1967"'''

Cynthia Yee was born and raised in San Francisco, the youngest of four children. As a child, she lived in the same apartment building as noted Japanese-American dancer Dorothy Toy. Dorothy launched her into show business at the age of nine, sending Cynthia to a San Francisco ballet school. Cynthia studied under a Russian instructor who demanded practice and drilling to perfect her technique.

In the mid-1960s, Dorothy Toy was producing an all-Asian floorshow at Andy Wong’s Chinese Skyroom, one of the most popular nightclubs in San Francisco’s Chinatown. Dorothy was in need of a substitute dancer and called Cynthia, who was only seventeen at the time. With her parents' permission, Cynthia went on stage and began her professional career. She recalled later, "In the beginning of course everybody always said, 'Why do you let your daughter be in show business?' and Dorothy told my mom that she would take care of me, and she did. Because I was in Dorothy Toy’s show and my mother knew Dorothy as a personal friend, it was fine.” In 1967, Cynthia won the prestigious Miss Chinatown crown, performing a dance choreographed by Dorothy Toy.

[[File:CynthiaWithGroup.jpg]]

Cynthia's career came just at the tail end of the golden age of Chinese nightclubs. By the late 1960s, the nightclub scene in San Francisco had been transformed. The success of Carol Doda and the strip clubs on Broadway forced many nightclub owners to incorporate more stripping and exotic dancing into their shows. The Chinese nightclubs were no exception. In this heavily competitive field, Chinese nightclub owners marketed the unique “Oriental” shows featuring “China Dolls” in seductive costumes. The Chinese strip shows were still quite tame compared to some in the city; performers typically stripped down to a bikini with generous coverage.

Cynthia performed with Dorothy Toy's act at the Chinese Skyroom for about one year before the nightclub closed. She then traveled with the show through north and south America, Japan, and Europe. Cynthia recalls that while the audiences for these shows were not Chinese, the Chinese community in each city would host the dancers whenever they came into town.

[[File:ToyFloorshow.jpg]]

Cynthia stayed in touch with many of the nightclub dancers through the years and she continued to dance for her own health and enjoyment. In the 1990s, she was called upon to help support fundraising for the Chinese Hospital in San Francisco. She called her old friends from the nightclubs and founded the Grant Avenue Follies, a troupe that revives the golden age of Chinese nightclubs and supports charitable organizations throughout the city. In 2005, because of the community work done by the Grant Avenue Follies, Cynthia received the Jefferson Award, a prestigious national recognition system honoring community and public service in America. She also performs in a Chinese-themed magic act with the illusionist Tamaka and is the owner of San Francisco Chinatown Ghost tours, a historical walking tour through the alleyways of Chinatown.

[[category:Women]] [[category: Dance]] [[category: Performing Arts]] [[category:1960s]] [[category:Chinatown]] [[category:Chinese]]

Cynthia Yee

2010-04-26T23:10:47Z

Yaalfaro:

''' Historical Essay '''

Source material from [http://www.amazon.com/ ''Forbidden City: The Golden Age of Chinese Nightclubs''] by [http://www.trinarobbins.com Trina Robbins].

[[File:CynthiaYee.jpg]]
'''"Miss Chinatown 1967"'''

Cynthia Yee was born and raised in San Francisco, the youngest of four children. As a child, she lived in the same apartment building as noted Japanese-American dancer Dorothy Toy. Dorothy launched her into show business at the age of nine, sending Cynthia to a San Francisco ballet school. Cynthia studied under a Russian instructor who demanded practice and drilling to perfect her technique.

In the mid-1960s, Dorothy Toy was producing an all-Asian floorshow at Andy Wong’s Chinese Skyroom, one of the most popular nightclubs in San Francisco’s Chinatown. Dorothy was in need of a substitute dancer and called Cynthia, who was only seventeen at the time. With her parents' permission, Cynthia went on stage and began her professional career. She recalled later, "In the beginning of course everybody always said, 'Why do you let your daughter be in show business?' and Dorothy told my mom that she would take care of me, and she did. Because I was in Dorothy Toy’s show and my mother knew Dorothy as a personal friend, it was fine.” In 1967, Cynthia won the prestigious Miss Chinatown crown, performing a dance choreographed by Dorothy Toy.

Cynthia's career came just at the tail end of the golden age of Chinese nightclubs. By the late 1960s, the nightclub scene in San Francisco had been transformed. The success of Carol Doda and the strip clubs on Broadway forced many nightclub owners to incorporate more stripping and exotic dancing into their shows. The Chinese nightclubs were no exception. In this heavily competitive field, Chinese nightclub owners marketed the unique “Oriental” shows featuring “China Dolls” in seductive costumes. The Chinese strip shows were still quite tame compared to some in the city; performers typically stripped down to a bikini with generous coverage.

Cynthia performed with Dorothy Toy's act at the Chinese Skyroom for about one year before the nightclub closed. She then traveled with the show through north and south America, Japan, and Europe. Cynthia recalls that while the audiences for these shows were not Chinese, the Chinese community in each city would host the dancers whenever they came into town.

Cynthia stayed in touch with many of the nightclub dancers through the years and she continued to dance for her own health and enjoyment. In the 1990s, she was called upon to help support fundraising for the Chinese Hospital in San Francisco. She called her old friends from the nightclubs and founded the Grant Avenue Follies, a troupe that revives the golden age of Chinese nightclubs and supports charitable organizations throughout the city. In 2005, because of the community work done by the Grant Avenue Follies, Cynthia received the Jefferson Award, a prestigious national recognition system honoring community and public service in America. She also performs in a Chinese-themed magic act with the illusionist Tamaka and is the owner of San Francisco Chinatown Ghost tours, a historical walking tour through the alleyways of Chinatown.

[[category:Women]] [[category: Dance]] [[category: Performing Arts]] [[category:1960s]] [[category:Chinatown]] [[category:Chinese]]

Tony Wing

2010-04-19T23:47:50Z

Yaalfaro: New Page

Pat Chin

2010-04-19T23:22:19Z

Yaalfaro: Create New Page

Mai Tai Sing

2010-04-12T23:53:05Z

Ellen Chinn

2010-04-12T23:35:42Z

Yaalfaro:

Ellen Chinn

2010-04-12T23:34:53Z

Yaalfaro:

Cynthia Yee

2010-04-12T23:28:34Z

Yaalfaro:

''' Historical Essay '''

Source material from [http://www.http://www.amazon.com/ ''Forbidden City: The Golden Age of Chinese Nightclubs''] by [http://www.trinarobbins.com Trina Robbins].

'''"Miss Chinatown 1967"'''

Cynthia Yee was born and raised in San Francisco, the youngest of four children. As a child, she lived in the same apartment building as noted Japanese-American dancer Dorothy Toy. Dorothy launched her into show business at the age of nine, sending Cynthia to a San Francisco ballet school. Cynthia studied under a Russian instructor who demanded practice and drilling to perfect her technique.

In the mid-1960s, Dorothy Toy was producing an all-Asian floorshow at Andy Wong’s Chinese Skyroom, one of the most popular nightclubs in San Francisco’s Chinatown. Dorothy was in need of a substitute dancer and called Cynthia, who was only seventeen at the time. With her parents' permission, Cynthia went on stage and began her professional career. She recalled later, "In the beginning of course everybody always said, 'Why do you let your daughter be in show business?' and Dorothy told my mom that she would take care of me, and she did. Because I was in Dorothy Toy’s show and my mother knew Dorothy as a personal friend, it was fine.” In 1967, Cynthia won the prestigious Miss Chinatown crown, performing a dance choreographed by Dorothy Toy.

Cynthia's career came just at the tail end of the golden age of Chinese nightclubs. By the late 1960s, the nightclub scene in San Francisco had been transformed. The success of Carol Doda and the strip clubs on Broadway forced many nightclub owners to incorporate more stripping and exotic dancing into their shows. The Chinese nightclubs were no exception. In this heavily competitive field, Chinese nightclub owners marketed the unique “Oriental” shows featuring “China Dolls” in seductive costumes. The Chinese strip shows were still quite tame compared to some in the city; performers typically stripped down to a bikini with generous coverage.

Cynthia performed with Dorothy Toy's act at the Chinese Skyroom for about one year before the nightclub closed. She then traveled with the show through north and south America, Japan, and Europe. Cynthia recalls that while the audiences for these shows were not Chinese, the Chinese community in each city would host the dancers whenever they came into town.

Cynthia stayed in touch with many of the nightclub dancers through the years and she continued to dance for her own health and enjoyment. In the 1990s, she was called upon to help support fundraising for the Chinese Hospital in San Francisco. She called her old friends from the nightclubs and founded the Grant Avenue Follies, a troupe that revives the golden age of Chinese nightclubs and supports charitable organizations throughout the city. In 2005, because of the community work done by the Grant Avenue Follies, Cynthia received the Jefferson Award, a prestigious national recognition system honoring community and public service in America. She also performs in a Chinese-themed magic act with the illusionist Tamaka and is the owner of San Francisco Chinatown Ghost tours, a historical walking tour through the alleyways of Chinatown.

[[category:Women]] [[category: Dance]] [[category: Performing Arts]] [[category:1960s]] [[category:Chinatown]] [[category:Chinese]]

Ellen Chinn

2010-04-12T23:20:52Z

Yaalfaro:

''' Historical Essay '''

''by Kristin Morris, San Francisco Museum and Historical Society''
'''
"The Betty Grable of Chinatown"'''

Ellen Chinn grew up in Monterey, California, the daughter of a traditional Chinese family. Like many Asian-American girls who came of age in the 1920s and 1930s, she followed the popular entertainment, music and dancing of the day. She most definitely caught the performance bug, and decided to break out on her own. In her late teens, Ellen ran away from home to perform in San Francisco's Chinatown. Her father tracked her to the city and, according to family lore, dragged her off the stage. Ellen ran away again, the second time for good.

Ellen's talent as well developed by the time Charlie Low opened his Forbidden City nightclub in 1937 in San Francisco’s Chinatown. She was on the opening night bill and continued to perform there regularly throughout her dancing career. She also had engagements of several weeks or months at other Chinatown nightspots, and special performances for conventions and other events. Like so many other performers on the Chinese nightclub circuit, Ellen was billed as a Chinese version of a white American star – in her case, Betty Grable, for her fantastic legs.

Ellen danced until she started a family in 1946. She met her husband, Robert Price, coming off the stage at the Forbidden City. There were plenty of “stage door Johnnies” looking to hook up with the dancers. But where so many failed, this young man won Ellen's heart. According to family lore, Ellen at first refused his advances, going to far as to throw a bucket of water on her as he stood beneath her apartment window. Once Ellen finally accepted Robert's advances, the two desired to marry. Robert wrote letters to several states inquiring if they could be legally married. The rejections consistently noted state laws barring marriage between a white person and a “negro” or “mongolian.” They finally married in Walla Walla, Washington, in 1942. Daughter Candace Poinciano noted that she never met her Chinese grandfather because he disapproved of the union.

Source material from ''Forbidden City: The Golden Age of Chinese Nightclubs'' by [http://www.trinarobbins.com Trina Robbins], 2009.

[[category:Women]] [[category: Dance]] [[category: Performing Arts]] [[category: Racism]] [[category:1930s]] [[category:1940s]] [[category:Chinatown]] [[category:Chinese]]

Cynthia Yee

2010-04-06T00:06:14Z

Yaalfaro:

''' Historical Essay '''

''by Kristin Morris, San Francisco Museum and Historical Society''

'''"Miss Chinatown 1967"
'''


[[Image:CynthiaYee.jpg]]

''Image: Courtesy of Cynthia Yee

Cynthia Yee was born and raised in San Francisco, the youngest of four children. As a child, she lived in the same apartment building as noted Japanese-American dancer Dorothy Toy. She recalls how Dorothy helped her get into show business, “At the age of 9 years old, I was so inspired by her that she sent me to ballet school. And I went to the ballet school that she was talking ballet from, Serge Tennoff, who was a Russian teacher here in San Francisco, and I guess I took about 98 years of ballet, and then I joined Dorothy’s show, and that’s how it all began.”

In the mid-1960s, Dorothy Toy was producing an all-Asian floorshow at Andy Wong’s Chinese Skyroom, one of the most popular nightclubs in San Francisco’s Chinatown. Cynthia recalls her first time on stage, “I was seventeen, right out of high school and it was in the summer, right after graduation. Dorothy gave me a phone call and said, 'I really need help. One of the girls got very ill and I need a dancer.' And I said, 'But I’m not 21 what do I do?' because they were playing at the Chinese Skyroom at that time. She said, ‘We’ll sneak you in. We have no choice.’ And that was it. In the beginning of course everybody always said, 'Why do you let your daughter be in show business?' and Dorothy told my mom that she would take care of me, and she did. Because I was in Dorothy Toy’s show and my mother knew Dorothy as a personal friend, it was fine.” In 1967, she won the prestigious Miss Chinatown crown, performing a dance choreographed by Dorothy Toy.

Cynthia's career came just at the tail end of the golden age of Chinese nightclubs. By the late 1960s, the nightclub scene in San Francisco had been transformed. The success of Carol Doda and the strip clubs on Broadway forced many nightclub owners to incorporate more stripping and exotic dancing into their shows. The Chinese nightclubs were no exception. In this heavily competitive field, Chinese nightclub owners marketed the unique “Oriental” shows featuring “China Dolls” in seductive costumes. The Chinese strip shows were still quite tame compared to some in the city; performers typically stripped down to a bikini with generous coverage.

[[Image:ToyFloorshow.jpg]]

''Dorothy Toy's Oriental Review at the Chinese Skyroom, c1966. Cynthia Lee is in the center back row, Dorothy Toy is right of center in the front row.''

''Image: Courtesy of Cynthia Yee

[[Image:KimonoNumber.jpg]]

''Dorothy Toy's Oriental Review at the Chinese Skyroom, c1966. The Kimono Number included a tame striptease.''
''Image: Courtesy of Cynthia Yee

Cynthia performed with Dorothy Toy's act at the Chinese Skyroom for about one year before the nightclub closed. Cynthia explains the transition, “At that time nightclubs were getting passé, 1963. So Dorothy took the show on the road, and we traveled throughout the United States, Canada, Caribbean, South America, and then on to Europe and Japan. In our opening number, we had authentic Chinese costumes from the Chinese opera, and very heavy headdresses all sequined, all embroidered, beautiful… and then Dorothy would either have the costumer or have her mother at that time, cut up all the costumes to make it very commercial and very sexy and very attractive. That‘s what we were known for -- a lot of legs. At that time you have to remember, the nightclub’s gone, people didn’t know what nightclubs were, and then the traditional Chinese dance comes, very traditional, very conservative, almost looking like wearing pajamas and then out comes Dorothy Toy in her fancy sequined outfits all cut up to show legs -- that was really something.” Cynthia also recalls that while the audiences for these shows were not Chinese, the Chinese community in each city would host the dancers whenever they came into town.

[[Image:CynthiaWithGroup.jpg]]

''Cynthia Yee (third from right) with other Chinese nightclub dancers, c1966. Ivy Tam, who also performs in the Grant Avenue Follies, is at far right.''
''Image: Courtesy of Cynthia Yee

Cynthia stayed in touch with many of the nightclub dancers through the years and she continued to dance for her own health and enjoyment. In the 1990s, she was called upon to help support fundraising for the Chinese Hospital in San Francisco. She called her old friends from the nightclubs and founded the Grant Avenue Follies, a troupe that revives the golden age of Chinese nightclubs and supports charitable organizations throughout the city. In 2005, because of the community work done by the Grant Avenue Follies, Cynthia received the Jefferson Award, a prestigious national recognition system honoring community and public service in America. She also performs in a Chinese-themed magic act with the illusionist Tamaka and is the owner of San Francisco Chinatown Ghost tours, a historical walking tour through the alleyways of Chinatown.

Quotations and source material from ''Forbidden City: The Golden Age of Chinese Nightclubs'' by [http://www.trinarobbins.com Trina Robbins], 2009.

[[category:Women]] [[category: Dance]] [[category: Performing Arts]] [[category:1960s]] [[category:Chinatown]] [[category:Chinese]]

File:ToyFloorshow.jpg

2010-04-05T23:58:23Z

Yaalfaro:

File:CynthiaWithGroup.jpg

2010-04-05T23:57:20Z

Yaalfaro:

File:KimonoNumber.jpg

2010-04-05T23:43:29Z

Yaalfaro:

File:CynthiaYee.jpg

2010-04-05T23:39:07Z

Yaalfaro: uploaded a new version of "File:CynthiaYee.jpg"

File:CynthiaYee.jpg

2010-04-05T23:37:53Z

Yaalfaro: uploaded a new version of "File:CynthiaYee.jpg"

File:CynthiaYee.jpg

2010-04-05T23:34:49Z

Yaalfaro:

Cynthia Yee

2010-04-05T23:32:03Z

Yaalfaro: New page on Cynthia Yee

''' Historical Essay '''

''by Kristin Morris, San Francisco Museum and Historical Society''

'''"Miss Chinatown 1967"
'''


[[Image:CynthiaYee.jpg]]

''Image: Courtesy of Cynthia Yee”

Cynthia Yee was born and raised in San Francisco, the youngest of four children. As a child, she lived in the same apartment building as noted Japanese-American dancer Dorothy Toy. She recalls how Dorothy helped her get into show business, “At the age of 9 years old, I was so inspired by her that she sent me to ballet school. And I went to the ballet school that she was talking ballet from, Serge Tennoff, who was a Russian teacher here in San Francisco, and I guess I took about 98 years of ballet, and then I joined Dorothy’s show, and that’s how it all began.”

In the mid-1960s, Dorothy Toy was producing an all-Asian floorshow at Andy Wong’s Chinese Skyroom, one of the most popular nightclubs in San Francisco’s Chinatown. Cynthia recalls her first time on stage, “I was seventeen, right out of high school and it was in the summer, right after graduation. Dorothy gave me a phone call and said, 'I really need help. One of the girls got very ill and I need a dancer.' And I said, 'But I’m not 21 what do I do?' because they were playing at the Chinese Skyroom at that time. She said, ‘We’ll sneak you in. We have no choice.’ And that was it. In the beginning of course everybody always said, 'Why do you let your daughter be in show business?' and Dorothy told my mom that she would take care of me, and she did. Because I was in Dorothy Toy’s show and my mother knew Dorothy as a personal friend, it was fine.” In 1967, she won the prestigious Miss Chinatown crown, performing a dance choreographed by Dorothy Toy.

Cynthia's career came just at the tail end of the golden age of Chinese nightclubs. By the late 1960s, the nightclub scene in San Francisco had been transformed. The success of Carol Doda and the strip clubs on Broadway forced many nightclub owners to incorporate more stripping and exotic dancing into their shows. The Chinese nightclubs were no exception. In this heavily competitive field, Chinese nightclub owners marketed the unique “Oriental” shows featuring “China Dolls” in seductive costumes. The Chinese strip shows were still quite tame compared to some in the city; performers typically stripped down to a bikini with generous coverage.

[[Image:ToyFloorshow.jpg]]

''Image: Courtesy of Cynthia Yee”

[[Image:KimonoNumber.jpg]]

''Image: Courtesy of Cynthia Yee”

Cynthia performed with Dorothy Toy's act at the Chinese Skyroom for about one year before the nightclub closed. Cynthia explains the transition, “At that time nightclubs were getting passé, 1963. So Dorothy took the show on the road, and we traveled throughout the United States, Canada, Caribbean, South America, and then on to Europe and Japan. In our opening number, we had authentic Chinese costumes from the Chinese opera, and very heavy headdresses all sequined, all embroidered, beautiful… and then Dorothy would either have the costumer or have her mother at that time, cut up all the costumes to make it very commercial and very sexy and very attractive. That‘s what we were known for -- a lot of legs. At that time you have to remember, the nightclub’s gone, people didn’t know what nightclubs were, and then the traditional Chinese dance comes, very traditional, very conservative, almost looking like wearing pajamas and then out comes Dorothy Toy in her fancy sequined outfits all cut up to show legs -- that was really something.” Cynthia also recalls that while the audiences for these shows were not Chinese, the Chinese community in each city would host the dancers whenever they came into town.

[[Image:CynthiaWithGroup.jpg]]

''Image: Courtesy of Cynthia Yee”

Cynthia stayed in touch with many of the nightclub dancers through the years and she continued to dance for her own health and enjoyment. In the 1990s, she was called upon to help support fundraising for the Chinese Hospital in San Francisco. She called her old friends from the nightclubs and founded the Grant Avenue Follies, a troupe that revives the golden age of Chinese nightclubs and supports charitable organizations throughout the city. In 2005, because of the community work done by the Grant Avenue Follies, Cynthia received the Jefferson Award, a prestigious national recognition system honoring community and public service in America. She also performs in a Chinese-themed magic act with the illusionist Tamaka and is the owner of San Francisco Chinatown Ghost tours, a historical walking tour through the alleyways of Chinatown.

Quotations and source material from ''Forbidden City: The Golden Age of Chinese Nightclubs'' by [http://www.trinarobbins.com Trina Robbins], 2009.

[[category:Women]] [[category: Dance]] [[category: Performing Arts]] [[category:1960s]] [[category:Chinatown]] [[category:Chinese]]

Ellen Chinn

2010-03-23T00:31:00Z

Yaalfaro:

''' Historical Essay '''

''by Kristin Morris, San Francisco Museum and Historical Society''

'''"The Betty Grable of Chinatown"
'''

[[Image:EllenChinnMajorette.jpg]]

'''Dancer Ellen Chinn, known as the Betty Grable of Chinatown, performed at Charlie Low's Forbidden City nightclub and other Chinatown clubs from 1937 until 1946.'''

''Image: Courtesy of Candace Poinciano”

Ellen Chinn grew up in Monterey, California, the daughter of a traditional Chinese family. Like many Asian-American girls who came of age in the 1920s and 1930s, she followed the popular entertainment, music and dancing of the day. She most definitely caught the performance bug, and decided to break out on her own. Her daughter, Candace Poinciano, who also went on to a career as a nightclub dancer, says that her mother spoke little of her childhood and early career. She recalls, “I think she ran away from home. She was probably underage. As far as I know, she lived on John Street, which is in the Chinatown area, and that was with girlfriends, but she was raised in Monterey. And I know she ran away and was dancing on the stage, and I know grandfather went to the club, grabbed her off the stage, brought her home, and she ran away again.”

Ellen's talent as well developed by the time Charlie Low opened his Forbidden City nightclub in 1937 in San Francisco’s Chinatown. She was on the opening night bill and continued to perform there regularly throughout her dancing career. She also had engagements of several weeks or months at other Chinatown nightspots, and special performances for conventions and other events. Like so many other performers on the Chinese nightclub circuit, Ellen was billed as a Chinese version of a white American star – in her case, Betty Grable, for her fantastic legs.

Ellen danced until she started a family in 1946. She met her husband, Robert Price, coming off the stage at the Forbidden City. There were plenty of “stage door Johnnies” looking to hook up with the dancers. But where so many failed, this young man won Ellen's heart. Daughter Candace Poinciano tells the story, “My father was a regular person, he saw my mom on stage, fell in love with her and she -- I don’t know if she was playing hard to get, or if at first she didn’t like him. But she ignored him. He would be outside all the time, waiting to walk her home, and she lived on John Street, with other dancers… he came to court, and she threw a bucket of water out the window.” Once Ellen finally accepted Robert's advances, the two desired to marry. Robert wrote letters to several states inquiring if they could be legally married. The rejections consistently noted state laws barring marriage between a white person and a “negro” or “mongolian.” They finally married in Walla Walla, Washington, in 1942. Daughter Candace Poinciano noted that she never met her Chinese grandfather because he disapproved of the union.

Quotations and source material from ''Forbidden City: The Golden Age of Chinese Nightclubs'' by Trina Robbins, 2009. [link to trinarobbins.com]

[[category:Women]] [[category: Dance]] [[category: Performing Arts]] [[category: Racism]] [[category:1930s]] [[category:1940s]] [[category:Chinatown]] [[category:Chinese]]

File:EllenChinnMajorette.jpg

2010-03-23T00:30:05Z

Yaalfaro: uploaded a new version of "File:EllenChinnMajorette.jpg"

Ellen Chinn, the "Betty Grable of Chinatown", c1940.

Ellen Chinn

2010-03-23T00:26:14Z

Yaalfaro:

''' Historical Essay '''

''by Kristin Morris, San Francisco Museum and Historical Society''

'''"The Betty Grable of Chinatown"
'''
[[Image:]]

'''Dancer Ellen Chinn, known as the Betty Grable of Chinatown, performed at Charlie Low's Forbidden City nightclub and other Chinatown clubs from 1937 until 1946.'''

''Image: Courtesy of Candace Poinciano”

Ellen Chinn grew up in Monterey, California, the daughter of a traditional Chinese family. Like many Asian-American girls who came of age in the 1920s and 1930s, she followed the popular entertainment, music and dancing of the day. She most definitely caught the performance bug, and decided to break out on her own. Her daughter, Candace Poinciano, who also went on to a career as a nightclub dancer, says that her mother spoke little of her childhood and early career. She recalls, “I think she ran away from home. She was probably underage. As far as I know, she lived on John Street, which is in the Chinatown area, and that was with girlfriends, but she was raised in Monterey. And I know she ran away and was dancing on the stage, and I know grandfather went to the club, grabbed her off the stage, brought her home, and she ran away again.”

Ellen's talent as well developed by the time Charlie Low opened his Forbidden City nightclub in 1937 in San Francisco’s Chinatown. She was on the opening night bill and continued to perform there regularly throughout her dancing career. She also had engagements of several weeks or months at other Chinatown nightspots, and special performances for conventions and other events. Like so many other performers on the Chinese nightclub circuit, Ellen was billed as a Chinese version of a white American star – in her case, Betty Grable, for her fantastic legs.

Ellen danced until she started a family in 1946. She met her husband, Robert Price, coming off the stage at the Forbidden City. There were plenty of “stage door Johnnies” looking to hook up with the dancers. But where so many failed, this young man won Ellen's heart. Daughter Candace Poinciano tells the story, “My father was a regular person, he saw my mom on stage, fell in love with her and she -- I don’t know if she was playing hard to get, or if at first she didn’t like him. But she ignored him. He would be outside all the time, waiting to walk her home, and she lived on John Street, with other dancers… he came to court, and she threw a bucket of water out the window.” Once Ellen finally accepted Robert's advances, the two desired to marry. Robert wrote letters to several states inquiring if they could be legally married. The rejections consistently noted state laws barring marriage between a white person and a “negro” or “mongolian.” They finally married in Walla Walla, Washington, in 1942. Daughter Candace Poinciano noted that she never met her Chinese grandfather because he disapproved of the union.

Quotations and source material from ''Forbidden City: The Golden Age of Chinese Nightclubs'' by Trina Robbins, 2009. [link to trinarobbins.com]

[[category:Women]] [[category: Dance]] [[category: Performing Arts]] [[category: Racism]] [[category:1930s]] [[category:1940s]] [[category:Chinatown]] [[category:Chinese]]

Ellen Chinn

2010-03-23T00:25:41Z

Yaalfaro:

''' Historical Essay '''

''by Kristin Morris, San Francisco Museum and Historical Society''

'''"The Betty Grable of Chinatown"
'''
[[Image:EllenChinnMajorette.jpg]]

'''Dancer Ellen Chinn, known as the Betty Grable of Chinatown, performed at Charlie Low's Forbidden City nightclub and other Chinatown clubs from 1937 until 1946.'''

''Image: Courtesy of Candace Poinciano”

Ellen Chinn grew up in Monterey, California, the daughter of a traditional Chinese family. Like many Asian-American girls who came of age in the 1920s and 1930s, she followed the popular entertainment, music and dancing of the day. She most definitely caught the performance bug, and decided to break out on her own. Her daughter, Candace Poinciano, who also went on to a career as a nightclub dancer, says that her mother spoke little of her childhood and early career. She recalls, “I think she ran away from home. She was probably underage. As far as I know, she lived on John Street, which is in the Chinatown area, and that was with girlfriends, but she was raised in Monterey. And I know she ran away and was dancing on the stage, and I know grandfather went to the club, grabbed her off the stage, brought her home, and she ran away again.”

Ellen's talent as well developed by the time Charlie Low opened his Forbidden City nightclub in 1937 in San Francisco’s Chinatown. She was on the opening night bill and continued to perform there regularly throughout her dancing career. She also had engagements of several weeks or months at other Chinatown nightspots, and special performances for conventions and other events. Like so many other performers on the Chinese nightclub circuit, Ellen was billed as a Chinese version of a white American star – in her case, Betty Grable, for her fantastic legs.

Ellen danced until she started a family in 1946. She met her husband, Robert Price, coming off the stage at the Forbidden City. There were plenty of “stage door Johnnies” looking to hook up with the dancers. But where so many failed, this young man won Ellen's heart. Daughter Candace Poinciano tells the story, “My father was a regular person, he saw my mom on stage, fell in love with her and she -- I don’t know if she was playing hard to get, or if at first she didn’t like him. But she ignored him. He would be outside all the time, waiting to walk her home, and she lived on John Street, with other dancers… he came to court, and she threw a bucket of water out the window.” Once Ellen finally accepted Robert's advances, the two desired to marry. Robert wrote letters to several states inquiring if they could be legally married. The rejections consistently noted state laws barring marriage between a white person and a “negro” or “mongolian.” They finally married in Walla Walla, Washington, in 1942. Daughter Candace Poinciano noted that she never met her Chinese grandfather because he disapproved of the union.

Quotations and source material from ''Forbidden City: The Golden Age of Chinese Nightclubs'' by Trina Robbins, 2009. [link to trinarobbins.com]

[[category:Women]] [[category: Dance]] [[category: Performing Arts]] [[category: Racism]] [[category:1930s]] [[category:1940s]] [[category:Chinatown]] [[category:Chinese]]

File:EllenChinnMajorette.jpg

2010-03-23T00:23:33Z

Yaalfaro: Ellen Chinn, the "Betty Grable of Chinatown", c1940.

Ellen Chinn, the "Betty Grable of Chinatown", c1940.

Ellen Chinn

2010-03-23T00:17:56Z

Yaalfaro: biography of Ellen Chinn

''' Historical Essay '''

''by Kristin Morris, San Francisco Museum and Historical Society''

'''"The Betty Grable of Chinatown"
'''
[[Image:]]

'''image caption'''

''Image: source”

Ellen Chinn grew up in Monterey, California, the daughter of a traditional Chinese family. Like many Asian-American girls who came of age in the 1920s and 1930s, she followed the popular entertainment, music and dancing of the day. She most definitely caught the performance bug, and decided to break out on her own. Her daughter, Candace Poinciano, who also went on to a career as a nightclub dancer, says that her mother spoke little of her childhood and early career. She recalls, “I think she ran away from home. She was probably underage. As far as I know, she lived on John Street, which is in the Chinatown area, and that was with girlfriends, but she was raised in Monterey. And I know she ran away and was dancing on the stage, and I know grandfather went to the club, grabbed her off the stage, brought her home, and she ran away again.”

Ellen's talent as well developed by the time Charlie Low opened his Forbidden City nightclub in 1937 in San Francisco’s Chinatown. She was on the opening night bill and continued to perform there regularly throughout her dancing career. She also had engagements of several weeks or months at other Chinatown nightspots, and special performances for conventions and other events. Like so many other performers on the Chinese nightclub circuit, Ellen was billed as a Chinese version of a white American star – in her case, Betty Grable, for her fantastic legs.

Ellen danced until she started a family in 1946. She met her husband, Robert Price, coming off the stage at the Forbidden City. There were plenty of “stage door Johnnies” looking to hook up with the dancers. But where so many failed, this young man won Ellen's heart. Daughter Candace Poinciano tells the story, “My father was a regular person, he saw my mom on stage, fell in love with her and she -- I don’t know if she was playing hard to get, or if at first she didn’t like him. But she ignored him. He would be outside all the time, waiting to walk her home, and she lived on John Street, with other dancers… he came to court, and she threw a bucket of water out the window.” Once Ellen finally accepted Robert's advances, the two desired to marry. Robert wrote letters to several states inquiring if they could be legally married. The rejections consistently noted state laws barring marriage between a white person and a “negro” or “mongolian.” They finally married in Walla Walla, Washington, in 1942. Daughter Candace Poinciano noted that she never met her Chinese grandfather because he disapproved of the union.

Quotations and source material from ''Forbidden City: The Golden Age of Chinese Nightclubs'' by Trina Robbins, 2009. [link to trinarobbins.com]

[[category:Women]] [[category: Dance]] [[category: Performing Arts]] [[category: Racism]] [[category:1930s]] [[category:1940s]] [[category:Chinatown]] [[category:Chinese]]