[78-L] Chop Suey Dancing

[David Lennick]

I've never heard of Chop Suey Dancing, but what do I know? Here's the 
WackyPackia take on Chop Suey, complete with a notation that it was Chinese 
Food for Americans that the local Chinese wouldn't eat.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chop_Suey

dl

Margaret Still wrote:
> 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
> 
>