[78-L] Chop Suey Dancing

[Mark L. Bardenwerper, Sr.]

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
In his book, "Toddlin' Town", Charles Sengstock states that in the 
20's-early 30's a number of Chinese restaurants opened in Chicago that 
featured dance floors and bands. They were the rage for a short time. 
The motif, the food, and perhaps a bit, the music were something different.
Paul Specht did a song in 1926 called "So Does Your Old Mandarin". 
Columbia 577-D

-- 
Mark L. Bardenwerper, Sr. #:?)
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