Forbidden City, USA:Chinatown Nightclubs, 1936-1970captures the magic and glamour of the Chinatown nightclub scene, which peaked in San Francisco during World War II.
Inspired by the research for hisdocumentaryby the same name, filmmaker and writer Arthur Dong transformed previously unpublished personal stories, along with over four-hundred stunning images and rare artifacts, into a sexy and insightful chronicle of Asian American performers who defied racial and cultural barriers to pursue their showbiz dreams.
During the 1930s and ’40s, audiences flocked to nightclubs to escape the problems of the day with a cocktail and a show. Prohibition was repealed and the Great Depression was waning. With a global conflict on the rise, people were out to drink, dine, dance, and see a show to forget their woes — and what a surprise for the world to behold an emerging generation of Chinese American entertainers commanding the stage in their own nightclubs.
Forbidden City, USAreveals the sassy, bold, and sometimes heartbreaking memories of dancers, singers, producers, and nightclub owners from a golden age of Chinatown nightclubs, as told in their own words.
Meet the “Chinese Sinatra,” the “Chinese Ginger Rogers,” the “Chinese Fred Astaire”, and delight in the true-life stories behindChina Dolls, the bestselling novel by Lisa See, who provides an insightful foreword to the book. Woven throughout are vintage photos, postcards, menus, programs, and yes, even souvenir chopsticks. Together they recreate a forgotten era, taking readers on a dazzling tour of the old “Chop Suey Circuit.”
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A San Francisco Chinatown native, Arthur Dong is an Oscar®-nominee, and a Peabody and Sundance award-winning filmmaker, author, and curator whose work centers on Asian American and LGBTQ stories. He is the recipient of an American Book Award, the Art Deco Preservation Award, and the Independent Publisher's IPPY Award for his first book, "Forbidden City, USA: Chinatown Nightclubs, 1936-1970.” His newest book is “Hollywood Chinese: The Chinese in American Feature Films,” published by Angel City Press. Dong’s films about Asian American history and culture include "The Killing Fields of Dr. Haing S. Ngor" (2015), "Hollywood Chinese" (2007), "Forbidden City, U.S.A." (1989), and "Sewing Woman" (1987). Among his films on LGBTQ issues are "Coming Out Under Fire" (1994), "Licensed to Kill" (1997), and “Family Fundamentals” (2002). He has curated exhibitions showcasing his extensive archive of cultural ephemera, including "Chop Suey on Wax: The Flower Drum Song Album," "Forbidden City, USA," and his most recent, "Hollywood Chinese," on display at the iconic Formosa Cafe in West Hollywood. Dong has served on the boards of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Film Independent, OutFest, and the National Film Preservation Board at the Library of Congress. A two-time Rockefeller Media Arts Fellow as well as a Guggenheim Fellow in Film, Dong served as Distinguished Professor in Film at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles.