The Other Shanghai: Oakland?
photo courtesy of Bunky's Pickle © used with permission
Although 1940s Shanghai had lost considerable luster courtesy of occupation, war, and revolution, another Shanghai was angling to take its place. In the same fashion that Hollywood had been responsible for inspiring glamor the world over, nightclubs in search of their own golden era underwent a certain Shanghai-ification. The city offered a powerful syllogism, an invocation that promised delight and unparalleled decadence. Even pre-Castro Cuba with its tropical, imperialist-friendly allure was home to a theater christened “The Shanghai.”
And then there was Oakland.
I’ve spoken with a few patrons who fondly remember Fong Wan’s New Shanghai Terrace Bowl. Possessing everything mid-20th century Americans could want–a nightclub, a bowling alley, and a Chinese restaurant–it was a popular destination, vaguely exotic for its fare, but safely American in its capacities for serving up sport and booze.
Charlie Low’s Forbidden City is perhaps better known to later generations, in part because of Arthur Dong’s excellent documentary on the San Francisco caberet, or perhaps thanks to Flower Drum Song. I know it well because I get my hair cut on Sutter Street; a modeling school now occupies the second floor space that once housed the club.
Fong famously purchased the vacant building across the street from Low’s Forbidden City, installing a massive sign directing patrons down the street to his own club, a savvy move that helped cement his reputation as a hard-driving businessman.
But this is only the tip of the research iceberg. Interested in multiple Chinatowns? Chinatown Time Travel is a good place to start. As you can tell from the above photo, Bunky’s Pickle has a fascinating archive. Likewise, Dizzy Atmosphere offers up a native view of our own sinful city. There’s plenty more to be seen if you trust in a combination of accident and vigilance in your photographic archaeology.
But not all is history: I’m anxiously awaiting Trina Robbins’ June 24th lecture about San Francisco’s Chinese nightclubs, co-presented by the Art Deco Society of California. Stepping from the past and onto the stage the same evening will be the high-stepping ladies of the Grant Avenue Follies.
It’s almost impossible to imagine an era when chop suey was as adventurous as the Szechuan treats served up on Clement Street today, or an era that wouldn’t have read the above image as the pretext for an argument against orientalizing. I’m no apologist, but I do know that if we didn’t have Chinatown and its nightclubs this city would be a very different place. What can’t be forgotten is that culture goes both ways. I’m saying this as someone who was taught to use chopsticks by a Chinese aunt–at Benihana.
10 Responses to “The Other Shanghai: Oakland?”
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duriandave on June 15th, 2010 at 9:11 pm
Hi Nico! Glad to see Fong Wan mentioned. He was quite an interesting character. It’s a shame that he’s been overshadowed by Charlie Low.
Fong made his fortune as an herbalist; you can even find original copies of his book Herb Lore for sale on eBay. Two fascinating profiles of him can be found at the Virtual Museum of the City of San Francisco.
It seems that Fong had a knack for attracting controversy and trouble. Besides the fraud case brought against him by the Federal Government regarding his herbal medicine business (mentioned in the linked profile), he was also involved in some other gossip-worthy lawsuits.
In 1925 Fong was sued for slander in a case related to the suspicious suicide of his wife. And in 1951, Lana Wong, a fan dancer at his club, filed a suit against him, charging that he beat her, threatened her with a knife and made improper advances.
Since I don’t know the full story, I won’t jump to conclusions about his guilt or innocence, but I think you’ll agree that he deserves his own chapter in the history of the the Bay Area’s Chinese nightclub scene.
Cheers,
Dave
duriandave on June 15th, 2010 at 9:13 pm
Oops… I just noticed you had already linked to those profiles of Fong Wan. My bad! ;p
bittermelon on June 16th, 2010 at 10:03 am
Fascinating. Thanks Nicole, and that image of the Terrace Bowl is fantastic.
nico on June 16th, 2010 at 11:55 am
Dave, I’m glad you did mention it–because I’m sure sometimes people will automatically assume that the link goes to a boring page. Seriously, everyone read up on Fong, he was a very interesting character.
And Ms. Melon, I’ve wanted to use this image for so long, as it puts Oakland into perspective–The City’s never been the only game in town.
Will on July 17th, 2010 at 8:30 am
This interest in my father, Fong Wan, has astounded me. Other than interest in his Herb Lore, and what little there is on the web about him, I am thrilled about this blog site. Below is my father’s business time-line in the Bay Area. Not all is included because this list is pieced together only from newspaper ads that was placed in the Oakland Tribune. I will try to describe what the New Shanghai Terrace Bowl was like in future postings.
I must admit to not being very computer savy and do not not know how to post pictures. The pictures would have been mostly advertisements of his herb business and restaurant/nightclubs, and, his court battles with the Medical Board and Federal Trade Commission.
Timeline of known business ventures:
1912: Fong Lee Herb Company at 209 Fourth St, Santa Rosa.
1915: Fong Wan Herb Company at 985 Seventh Street, Oakland.
First ad: April 7, 1916 (Oakland Tribune)
1916: Fong Wan Herb Company at 548 8th Street, Oakland.
First ad: Sept 16, 1916 (Berkeley Gazette – Testimonial dated, July 28, 1916)
1919: Oakland Emporium at 11th & Washington Sts; A dry goods store. Later relocated to 517 14th St.
Man Fook Hung Company on 630 Webster St; A wholesale retail herb company.
1924: Fong Wan Herb Company at 576 10th Street, Oakland. House he built, opened in July of 1924.
1927: New Shanghai Cafe on 10th & Broadway, Oakland.
Later to become the New Shanghai Cafe and Terrace Bowl in 1940, the Club Oakland in 1947.
1932: Lakeside Hotel on 138 East 12th Street, Oakland.
1936: Fong Wan Shrimp Company on 311 Broadway St. Oakland.
Shrimp Camp at Cutting Blvd. & Market St. in Richmond.
1937: Nanking Cafe on 11th and Broadway Sts. Oakland.
1940: Hotel Roosevelt on 29th & San Pablo, Oakland. A laundry business around the block.
1945: Dewey Hotel on 3rd & Howard and the Galliois Bldg on 330 sutter St, San Francisco.
1947: Club Shanghai at 453 Grant Ave, San Francisco
(June 26, 1947)
1949: Chinese Cellar on Columbus St, San Francisco.
N/A: Assorted businesses and properties in San Francisco and Oakland.
nico on July 22nd, 2010 at 9:34 am
Your father seemed a fascinating man, given his wide variety of business interests (most of my friends who work in Chinese medicine never dream of opening a nightclub!). This is what I love most about the Bay Area. Thank you so much for sharing his history!
hobo on July 23rd, 2010 at 11:19 am
“…possessing everything mid-20th century Americans could want–a nightclub, a bowling alley, and a Chinese restaurant…”
It sounds like it possessed everything I, early 21st century man, would like RIGHT NOW. The kids these days don’t know how to party.
Unique on September 15th, 2011 at 11:28 am
What really drew me into this article was your choice of posters. I think they are such works of art by themselves. But I am also someone who adores pinup girl-esque pictures. Very beautiful stuff.
dstasko on November 1st, 2011 at 9:47 pm
I have a photo-booth style photograph of my grandfather and great-aunt, the back reads “New Shanghai Restaurant, Oakland, New Year’s Eve 1940″. Always wondered where that might have been.
nico on November 5th, 2011 at 9:29 am
Hopefully this helps you to pinpoint what your family was up to back then:
http://nightclub.org.uk/2011/10/new-shanghai-terrace-bowl-nightclub-oakland-1940s/
Before, archivists would have to spend hours in the library. Nowadays, we just hope to get lucky with the internet!
Feel free to send along the picture, I love sharing stories of family:
nharvey@asianart.org