![The Forbidden City was a Chinese-themed nightclub and cabaret in business from the late 1930s to the late 1950s, on the second floor of 363 Sutter Street in San Francisco between Chinatown and Union Square.[1] The Forbidden City featured Asian American singers, dancers, chorus lines, magicians, strippers, and musicians.[2] It was popular with military personnel who were transiting through San Francisco during World War II.
The Forbidden City has been compared to an Asian-American version of the Cotton Club, in that it featured an all-ethnic cast of performers for a mostly white audience, performing to the popular tastes of the time rather than in stereotyped or authentic ethnic roles.[2] However, some acts played up the supposed exoticism of ethnic Chinese, as well as sensuality of Chinese women.[2] The owner, Charlie Low, generated publicity by nicknaming the performers after famous mainstream celebrities (the “Chinese Frank Sinatra”, the “Chinese Fred Astaire”, and so on). Part of the club’s appeal to both audiences and performers was the “racial cross-dressing” of placing Asian Americans into traditionally white entertainer roles, and the racial dialog that came out of the varying level of success of the various performers had in fitting into these roles.[5]](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/34/Forbid.jpg)
The Forbidden City was a Chinese-themed nightclub and cabaret in business from the late 1930s to the late 1950s, on the second floor of 363 Sutter Street in San Francisco between Chinatown and Union Square.[1] The Forbidden City featured Asian American singers, dancers, chorus lines, magicians, strippers, and musicians.[2] It was popular with military personnel who were transiting through San Francisco during World War II.
The Forbidden City has been compared to an Asian-American version of the Cotton Club, in that it featured an all-ethnic cast of performers for a mostly white audience, performing to the popular tastes of the time rather than in stereotyped or authentic ethnic roles.[2] However, some acts played up the supposed exoticism of ethnic Chinese, as well as sensuality of Chinese women.[2] The owner, Charlie Low, generated publicity by nicknaming the performers after famous mainstream celebrities (the “Chinese Frank Sinatra”, the “Chinese Fred Astaire”, and so on). Part of the club’s appeal to both audiences and performers was the “racial cross-dressing” of placing Asian Americans into traditionally white entertainer roles, and the racial dialog that came out of the varying level of success of the various performers had in fitting into these roles.[5]
