Forbidden City, U.S.A.

Duration: 56

Year Published: 1989

Creator: Deep Focus Productions

Format: 16mm

Color: Color & B&W

Sound: sound

Description: Charlie Low's Forbidden City was the first Chinese nightclub outside of San Francisco's Chinatown catering to a Caucasian audience. Opening in December 1938, the club attracted large audiences drawn by its exotic all-Chinese song and dance revue. Dong's documentary knits archival footage with contemporary interviews to document this unique cabaret and the personal stories of its performers. Forbidden City's former singers and dancers reveal the racism they encountered breaking into showbusiness and the censure endured from San Francisco's traditional Chinese-American community who considered their avocations scandalous. Low's establishment provided a venue for their talents, albeit showcasing them as the The Chinese Sophie Tucker, The Chinese Fred Astaire, and The Chinese Frank Sinatra. During World War II, the club prospered, patronized by servicemen and celebrities alike. Following the war, however, Forbidden City's fortunes declined with G.I.s busily starting families and competition from both television and the Las Vegas spectacles. In 1962, Forbidden City was sold.