[78-L] Chop Suey Dancing

[Margaret Still]

I came across a weird new term today while looking at some Reginald Marsh
prints from the late 20's. Several featured girl couples dancing on a dance
floor with restaurant booths in the background, and all were titled "Chop
Suey Dancing."

Google came up with some (but very few) references to Chinese restaurants in
the New York City area and San Francisco which supposedly had mediocre
Chinese jazz bands which were enjoyed anyway by customers there for the food
and dancing.

Apparently at least some of the dancing was tap-dancing:
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/583059/tap-dance/242811/Nightclubs
which says:
The "Chop Suey circuit" of Chinese nightclubs-primarily in San Francisco and
New York City-featured artists such as Toy and Wing (Dorothy Takahashi Toy
and Paul Wing) and catered mainly to white tourists and military men and
women.
===

There must have been a larger audience, since the girls in the Reginald
Marsh prints seem to be young, healthy, normal girls who make regular
paychecks at a dull job, out for a good time - not tourists.

Does anyone here know more about the fad of tap-dancing in Chinese-run
nightclubs?

Is "Cornet Chop Suey" by Louis Armstrong and The Hot Five and Hot Seven a
reference to Chop Suey & Dancing joints? I wonder if much later 78's such as
one I own by Jimmy Preston and his Prestonians on Gotham 170 titled "Chop
Suey, Louie" might even much later be referencing the old weird Chop
Suey'n'Tap Dance joints.

Best,
Margaret G. Still