Evening star., 1942-03-29
And Every One Told Him He Was Crazy
But Charlie Low Who Had an Idea, Packs Customers
Into His Forbidden City Night Club
eridA Arn,

SAN FRANCISCO.

The other night two eager-looking
lads from the r. A. r. dropped into
San Francisco's forbidden City"
and asked to see Charlie Low, the
dapper Chinese manager of the
exotic night club.
They had something to show him.
It was a clipping, months old, from
a London newspaper. They hau
read, halfway around the world.
about the doll-like beauty of Lows
little Chinese chorus girls and had
made q date with themselves
Here they were keeping the date.
They had just three hours IN town.
They were en- route to pick up
bombers.
Low keeps the London clipping to
prove he's not crazy. His friends
said he was three years ago when
he set out to build . Chinese "Vani-
ties" He had suddenly realized that
nowhere-not in Shanghai, SinGa-
pore. Manila or New York-was
there a Chinese floor show. Chinese
girls ordinarily don't cavort in pub
lic-their parents are strictly hor-
rified by the idea.
But Low set out to collect himself
some almond-eyed dancers. He first
found the exact little apple blossoms
who would look good in pint-size
satin panties. There are plenty
such in San Francisco's Chinatown.
Then he had to make formal calls
on the girls parents to obtain per-
mission for them to dance.
Reservation Necessary.
Some Of the Chinese mothers still
are wearing their long Chinese
trousers and jackets. They still ap-
pear in public streets only when the
family needs bamboo sprouts and
roast duck for dinner.
Low finally signed up seven girls.
Then he hired q chorus master to
train them.
He opened. Now it's futile to try
to get into his forbidden City"
without table reservation.
He has to keep his chorus master
on the payroll because his girls keep
leaving, either with marriage Ii
censes or contracts from Eastern
night clubs.
Low tries to keep seven dancers
IN his chorus, but right now he's
down to four One married. Two
went East He chuckles about the
competition because it only proves
his idea-that tiny Chinese girls,
with their dainty curves, are some
thing new.
His featured singer is the one that
brings the house down, Ii Tel Ming.
She's a tiny, size Chinese girl
born in Portland and trained AT the
Chicago Civic Opera.
There's 4 Difference.
She approaches the microphone
demurely with her dainty forefingers
held up in Chinese goddess fashion
She announces she'll sing something
In her native language-and then
she swings into Rancho Grande'
in swift Spanish with "Yippee" at
the end. She's at her best, though,
when she's doing you're Sap, Mr..
Jap. to Get a Yankee Cranky"
The featured dancing couple are
the Tai Sings. He's a Los Angeles
Chinese lad who learned his Fred
Astaire-and mean Fred Astaire-
IN Hollywood He trained his part
ner, a San Francisco girl.
The dance in the traditional eve
ming clothes. but there's a differ
ence: in their sultry, quiet Chinese
faces. They bring down the house
with masked version of Greta
Carlo and George Arliss doing q
cross between the waltz and the
Suzie @.
Right now the chorus girls are
running to red-white-and-b blue
numoers-they bring cheers, espe-
cially since the audience is half
Army and Navy, with an apple
blossom version Of the sailors horn
pipe done to the Navy's own
Anchors Aweigh."
Until recently Low had a Chinese
Sally Rand. Now she's waving her
feathers in New York. Her name is
Noel Toy. Low says he'll soon have
another almond-eyed Sally, but he's
resigned to losing her, too. because
he's personally turned down so
many offers to take his company on
tour.
He Plays Polo, Too.
Low Is the third generation Of his
family born in this country. His