It's rare I get to work on an episode where more research had already been done. There are many great resources with personal accounts to learn more about the nightclubs of the time, especially Trina Robbin's Forbidden City: The Golden Age of Chinese Nightclubs and Arthur Dong's Forbidden City, USA. - Kristie
"I truly enjoyed this segment on the Forbidden City in San Francisco, CA, as it brought back memories of learning about the history of Chinese Americans in San Francisco during my college years at SFSU. This enduring legacy of Chinese American history has inspired many great contemporary artists in the USA. Please research Anna May Wong, as it is essential for America to recognize her significant contributions to American cinema."
My mom & dad often wnet to Forbidden City as mom had been a hotel showroom dancer and wasn't Chinese. She had met many of the specialty acts in her own career as a solo hula dancer at the best of the hotel showrooms. They, of course, left their kid at home. As a San Francisco kid, I liked hearing the stories about the various acts when they came home. I really enjoyed your stories here.
Thanks for putting this video together. I have a photo of my parents at the Forbidden City in the early 1940's. I always wondered what the club history was. Well done!
Your channel is so fun! My kid would love a Yip Yip Martian 😅 Her fav right now is Pepe the King Prawn though. I am looking forward to do an episode on Delbert the La Choy Dragon.
My grandmother, Estelle Jung, danced at Forbidden City in the late 40s and 50s. There's a photo in this video of her I'd never seen before. At 3:02 she is in the front in mostly white. Where did you get that photo? I have others from that same routine but not that particular photo. She's also in the clip in the intro and I'd never seen video from the club before. Thanks for making this!
Your grandmother's beautiful! Thank you for your comment. 1. The photos in my video come from San Francisco Public Library's digital collection. You can see everything they have on Forbidden City at digitalsf.org/islandora/search/forbidden%20city?type=dismax. 2. The intro video is from a short produced by Universal Studios called Brooklyn Goes to San Francisco. It's in the public domain now. You can watch the whole thing on YT at th-cam.com/video/x1Th7RhRqGE/w-d-xo.html. 3. You absolutely should watch Arthur Dong's documentary Forbidden City, USA at www.deepfocusproductions.com/films/forbidden-city-usa/. Check to see if your library card gets you Kanopy, you can watch it on that platform for free. Arthur got a bunch of old tapes from Charlie Low before he passed away. Many exclusive footages in the documentary. 4. Tons of fans/descendants of the performers are in the Forbidden City, USA Facebook Group facebook.com/ChinatownNightclubs/. Try asking there if you want to research more on your grandmother. 5. I found a few news article on Estelle Jung, sharing with you here: - www.newspapers.com/article/the-san-francisco-examiner-around-town-e/162419726/ - www.newspapers.com/article/oakland-tribune-seventh-anniversary-of-w/162419613/ - www.newspapers.com/article/oakland-tribune-giving-back-to-her-alma/162419544/
Another topic regarding chinese restaurants/Chinatowns with Nightlife in California is the so-called Chinatown Punk Wars in LA's Chinatown. Netflix has a documentary out about this. The LA's Chinatown became a live performance scene for what was not quite main stream but was gaining popularity style of music called Punk. Some dramatic things occurred as venues were competing for bands, and customers to come to their establishments to watch bands play.
PBS' Chinatown Punk Wars? Wow, thanks for the tip. I actually finished writing the episode on Hong Kong Low/Hong Kong Cafe a while ago but I didn't think it was good enough. Let me go watch the documentary and see if I get some new inspirations! Another one I think is interesting "community gathering via Chinese food" space is the first Mr. Chow in London with Warhol, Hockney, etc.
I truly enjoyed this segment on the Forbidden City in San Francisco, CA, as it brought back memories of learning about the history of Chinese Americans in San Francisco during my college years at SFSU. This enduring legacy of Chinese American history has inspired many great contemporary artists in the USA. Please research Anna May Wong, as it is essential for America to recognize her significant contributions to American cinema. -GenX69!
Wow!! This is so fascinating. I wish I could go back in time and spend one evening at Forbidden City. I wonder if the opening choreographed song & dance scene in "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" was somewhat inspired by them. The $2.50 chicken almond chow mein for 2 must've seemed extravagant at the time. My inflation calculator shows that's about $55.05 in today's dollars. 😮
Same here! (Though I don't know how I would be seen being a Chinese female in the audience) Try watching the Forbidden City, USA documentary (if you have a library card, check to see if it pays for the Kanopy service and you can watch the doc for free). Also look for Toy and Wing videos on YT. They were freaking fantastic, e.g. th-cam.com/video/P-Xe19Dl-CY/w-d-xo.htmlsi=-YlYutGFh_vxXIeh I didn't include them because they were not the first group of performers at Forbidden City.
@@AmericanChineseFoodShow I will definitely look for those docs! Your video has piqued my interest in a part of history I hardly knew about. Thank you.
My family has been a local in Nor Cal for generations. The Japanese , Chinese, and Philippineos have been a part of our community forever. True Californias!
Whoa, that's a good guess! AFAIK iron plates didn't exist in Chinese cuisine until after it became popular in Taiwan around the 70's when it was introduced from Japan? I also find it interesting they have Li Hung Cheung chop suey on the early Forbidden City menu since that name largely disappeared after the 1910's. It made me wonder if the chef they had was someone old school.
I think my friend Don Asher may have played piano there. I now he was the house piano player at the Hungry I later. He told me about when Streisand first performed at the Hungy I and woody Allen was the headliner. First night so-so attendance, second night a guy was there from the Chronicle (I think) and he wrote about Streisand and so that night it was wall to wall. I met Don at the Hotel Majestic where he was the house piano player at the Cafe Majestic where I hung my hat behind the bar for a number of years…Stanley Ichelbaums (sp) place after the California Cafe. It was great! Maybe 1989 or 1990? The Twins would come in, both the local gals but also Julia Child and her sister. THe Chef Peter was fantastic. Place never recovered from his leaving. I should dig out his last name…The San Francisco social scene is unique in my opinion, Not like NYC and not like LA. Lastly, isn’t there some story about how Asians got blackballed in LA after Pearl Harbour and then came here to sing and dance in the clubs specifically the Forbidden City. I like the fun it would be to hit all those bars and see all the shows. But the sailors…eeewww gets creepy.
I started eating Chinese food in 1972. The food back then tasted much better than it does today. Moo Goo Gai Pan was so good back in the day. Today it's blah. I haven't figured out why.
I really should do more deep dive data based research on this topic. My guess would be the combination of quality of ingredients (both availability and COGS) and labor (accessibility to training, expertise and ethics). Would you say the same for non-chinese food?
It's rare I get to work on an episode where more research had already been done. There are many great resources with personal accounts to learn more about the nightclubs of the time, especially Trina Robbin's Forbidden City: The Golden Age of Chinese Nightclubs and Arthur Dong's Forbidden City, USA. - Kristie
Thank you for the references (I'll look them up) and Happy New Year, Kristie!
Happy New Year to you too!! @@norbertk9595
"I truly enjoyed this segment on the Forbidden City in San Francisco, CA, as it brought back memories of learning about the history of Chinese Americans in San Francisco during my college years at SFSU. This enduring legacy of Chinese American history has inspired many great contemporary artists in the USA. Please research Anna May Wong, as it is essential for America to recognize her significant contributions to American cinema."
My mom & dad often wnet to Forbidden City as mom had been a hotel showroom dancer and wasn't Chinese. She had met many of the specialty acts in her own career as a solo hula dancer at the best of the hotel showrooms. They, of course, left their kid at home. As a San Francisco kid, I liked hearing the stories about the various acts when they came home. I really enjoyed your stories here.
That's amazing! Do you mind sharing one of your favorite stories from your mom?
Amazing story and incredible research. Thanks so much for providing such depth and history!
You gotta love America...Happy New Year to you and yours.
Kristie, great researched video!
Thanks for putting this video together. I have a photo of my parents at the Forbidden City in the early 1940's. I always wondered what the club history was. Well done!
Happy New Year.
Happy New Year!!
Wonderful job! Thank you!
I remember the forbidden city on Sutter Street, around early 1970 unfortunately I think it was closed
Wow...eye opening! Happy New Year!
Happy new year! 🎉
Great video. The research is top notch.
Your channel is so fun! My kid would love a Yip Yip Martian 😅 Her fav right now is Pepe the King Prawn though. I am looking forward to do an episode on Delbert the La Choy Dragon.
My grandmother, Estelle Jung, danced at Forbidden City in the late 40s and 50s. There's a photo in this video of her I'd never seen before. At 3:02 she is in the front in mostly white. Where did you get that photo? I have others from that same routine but not that particular photo. She's also in the clip in the intro and I'd never seen video from the club before. Thanks for making this!
Your grandmother's beautiful! Thank you for your comment.
1. The photos in my video come from San Francisco Public Library's digital collection. You can see everything they have on Forbidden City at digitalsf.org/islandora/search/forbidden%20city?type=dismax.
2. The intro video is from a short produced by Universal Studios called Brooklyn Goes to San Francisco. It's in the public domain now. You can watch the whole thing on YT at th-cam.com/video/x1Th7RhRqGE/w-d-xo.html.
3. You absolutely should watch Arthur Dong's documentary Forbidden City, USA at www.deepfocusproductions.com/films/forbidden-city-usa/. Check to see if your library card gets you Kanopy, you can watch it on that platform for free. Arthur got a bunch of old tapes from Charlie Low before he passed away. Many exclusive footages in the documentary.
4. Tons of fans/descendants of the performers are in the Forbidden City, USA Facebook Group facebook.com/ChinatownNightclubs/. Try asking there if you want to research more on your grandmother.
5. I found a few news article on Estelle Jung, sharing with you here:
- www.newspapers.com/article/the-san-francisco-examiner-around-town-e/162419726/
- www.newspapers.com/article/oakland-tribune-seventh-anniversary-of-w/162419613/
- www.newspapers.com/article/oakland-tribune-giving-back-to-her-alma/162419544/
Another topic regarding chinese restaurants/Chinatowns with Nightlife in California is the so-called Chinatown Punk Wars in LA's Chinatown. Netflix has a documentary out about this. The LA's Chinatown became a live performance scene for what was not quite main stream but was gaining popularity style of music called Punk. Some dramatic things occurred as venues were competing for bands, and customers to come to their establishments to watch bands play.
PBS' Chinatown Punk Wars? Wow, thanks for the tip. I actually finished writing the episode on Hong Kong Low/Hong Kong Cafe a while ago but I didn't think it was good enough. Let me go watch the documentary and see if I get some new inspirations!
Another one I think is interesting "community gathering via Chinese food" space is the first Mr. Chow in London with Warhol, Hockney, etc.
@@AmericanChineseFoodShow I not sure if PBS produced or by whom. I just saw some of it on Netflix.
I will look for that documentary. I grew up in LA, but never, to my shame, got to know the city's Chinatown.
I truly enjoyed this segment on the Forbidden City in San Francisco, CA, as it brought back memories of learning about the history of Chinese Americans in San Francisco during my college years at SFSU. This enduring legacy of Chinese American history has inspired many great contemporary artists in the USA. Please research Anna May Wong, as it is essential for America to recognize her significant contributions to American cinema. -GenX69!
Wow!! This is so fascinating. I wish I could go back in time and spend one evening at Forbidden City. I wonder if the opening choreographed song & dance scene in "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" was somewhat inspired by them.
The $2.50 chicken almond chow mein for 2 must've seemed extravagant at the time. My inflation calculator shows that's about $55.05 in today's dollars. 😮
Same here! (Though I don't know how I would be seen being a Chinese female in the audience)
Try watching the Forbidden City, USA documentary (if you have a library card, check to see if it pays for the Kanopy service and you can watch the doc for free). Also look for Toy and Wing videos on YT. They were freaking fantastic, e.g. th-cam.com/video/P-Xe19Dl-CY/w-d-xo.htmlsi=-YlYutGFh_vxXIeh I didn't include them because they were not the first group of performers at Forbidden City.
@@AmericanChineseFoodShow I will definitely look for those docs! Your video has piqued my interest in a part of history I hardly knew about. Thank you.
My family has been a local in Nor Cal for generations. The Japanese , Chinese, and Philippineos have been a part of our community forever. True Californias!
One guess on the “Tew Bahn” noodles - 铁板面 (“tieban”, or “iron plate” noodles).
Whoa, that's a good guess! AFAIK iron plates didn't exist in Chinese cuisine until after it became popular in Taiwan around the 70's when it was introduced from Japan? I also find it interesting they have Li Hung Cheung chop suey on the early Forbidden City menu since that name largely disappeared after the 1910's. It made me wonder if the chef they had was someone old school.
I think my friend Don Asher may have played piano there. I now he was the house piano player at the Hungry I later. He told me about when Streisand first performed at the Hungy I and woody Allen was the headliner. First night so-so attendance, second night a guy was there from the Chronicle (I think) and he wrote about Streisand and so that night it was wall to wall. I met Don at the Hotel Majestic where he was the house piano player at the Cafe Majestic where I hung my hat behind the bar for a number of years…Stanley Ichelbaums (sp) place after the California Cafe. It was great! Maybe 1989 or 1990? The Twins would come in, both the local gals but also Julia Child and her sister. THe Chef Peter was fantastic. Place never recovered from his leaving. I should dig out his last name…The San Francisco social scene is unique in my opinion, Not like NYC and not like LA. Lastly, isn’t there some story about how Asians got blackballed in LA after Pearl Harbour and then came here to sing and dance in the clubs specifically the Forbidden City. I like the fun it would be to hit all those bars and see all the shows. But the sailors…eeewww gets creepy.
Wah- ho yeah!
And they say Chino are passive or all A engineering/Forbidden City was way ahead of its time.
I started eating Chinese food in 1972. The food back then tasted much better than it does today. Moo Goo Gai Pan was so good back in the day. Today it's blah. I haven't figured out why.
I really should do more deep dive data based research on this topic. My guess would be the combination of quality of ingredients (both availability and COGS) and labor (accessibility to training, expertise and ethics). Would you say the same for non-chinese food?
My mother was at that World's fair..
😎❤️🇹🇼‼️