Animal Lover: Christy Yow

In preparation for her role as legendary Malaysian burlesque performer Rose Chan, actress-model Christy Yow recently spent four hours overcoming her fear of snakes by making friends with a 3-meter, 9-kilogram albino python.

Wrestling pythons was one of Rose Chan's specialties and the highlight of her show. According to a news item that appeared in the U.S. press, Rose even took out "a license for a six foot long monitor lizard to brighten up [her] act" (Chicago Daily Tribune, March 22, 1957). This was just months after she reportedly lost consciousness when one of her 6-meter pythons coiled itself around her body (The Waco News-Tribune, December 27, 1956). It evidently took a full five minutes for Rose's "brawny stagehands" to free her from the python's stranglehold!

Last week I told you about the anonymous fan who offered Christy S$50,000 to strip at a charity screening (of her new movie Auntie Lucy) that she personally initiated in order to raise money for Pets Villa, a volunteer-run shelter for Singapore's stray cats and dogs. Christy had reportedly dared the fan to show up at the event, saying that she would strip if he brought the money as promised. Later she told the press that she was only joking and would never use sex to sell charity.

After the man's prurient proposal was published in a local newspaper, he immediately emailed Christy to apologize and asked how he could make amends. Christy suggested that he buy tickets for underprivileged seniors so that they could attend the screening. The shamed fan paid S$4,500 for 300 tickets, which allowed groups from the Geylang Old Folks' Home and two local senior citizens clubs to join in the fun.

Here's a photo from the October 31st event showing Christy Yow with Eric Khoo, director of the forthcoming Rose Chan film (which is scheduled for production sometime next year).



And here's Honey, one of the current residents of Pets Villa and, no doubt, a big fan of Christy!



Further Reading

• "Christy Yow Plays with Python"


• "She's Shamed by $50,000 Offer to Strip"


• "A Successful Aunty Lucy Charity Screening"

* Photo of Christy Yow from The Daily Chilli; photo of Rose Chan from the Soft Film eBay Archive; photos of Eric Khoo, Christy Yow, and Honey from Homeless In Seletar

The Truth About Ming & Ling

Ming & Ling in the early 1940s

Let the following be a lesson that all "truth" is provisional — especially here on this blog!

A couple of months ago I posted two songs allegedly recorded by vaudeville duo Ming and Ling. Ever since Nick Tosches added a chapter about them in the revised edition of his book Unsung Heroes of Rock 'n' Roll (1991), these "Chinese Hillbillies" became something of a cult item among rock music aficionados. And their legendarily obscure singles — "records so strange that they defy description" — took on a decidedly Holy Grail sheen.

Although Tosches acknowledges in his book that there may have been more than one Ming and Ling — and that the duo who recorded these wild rock-and-roll songs might not be the vaudeville duo who performed throughout the forties and fifties — his enthusiasm is so contagious that you want to believe they are one and the same.

Well, it turns out that this is not the case. I was recently contacted by Ling's son-in-law John Buckley, who set the record straight about Ming & Ling.

The duo only performed live and never made any recordings. Contrary to the story they gave the press, they are not cousins but in fact father and son. Ling's real name is Gregory Paguio, and he is not Chinese but half-Filipino and half-Irish. His father Ming's real name is Jose T. Paguio. Jose had played in vaudeville for many years before asking Gregory, who was just 17 at the time, to join him on the stage in 1940.

The two performed as Ming & Ling for more than twenty years until Jose's retirement in 1962, after which Gregory led an Oriental revue produced by former Forbidden City dancer Dorothy Toy. For the next five years Gregory toured the West Coast and Asia before retiring in 1967. I'm guessing that's him in the ad, surrounded by a bevy of Oriental dolls and looking very James Bond! Here's what one reviewer had to say about the show: "Toy, Ling and Oriental Revue at Three Rivers Inn shouldn't be missed by any who appreciates lively, daring, beautiful girls, Hawaiian songs and dances, Geisha Girl Shows, and fabulous costumes. M.C. Bob Ling surprises the audience with his delightful impersonations of Perry Como [and] Dean Martin" (The Syracuse Post-Standard, September 30, 1966).

Well, it's good to finally know the truth about Ming & Ling's alleged recordings. Although this may technically disqualify them from being "Unsung Heroes of Rock 'n' Roll", they remain one of the most fascinating acts from the twilight years of vaudeville. Now, if we can only get our hands on their 1949 appearance on the "The Milton Berle Show"!

Many thanks to John Buckley for contacting me and generously providing the photos of Ming & Ling. If you are interested in learning more, feel free to email him (buckley1969@gmail.com).

Finally, let me give a shout out to John's son Brian Buckley, who is himself an up-and-coming singer-songwriter, and to "Ling", who is still with us today.


Remembering the good old days: Jose and Gregory Paguio

Christy Yow: Becoming Rose Chan

Two weeks ago I posted about the casting of model Christy Yow in Eric Khoo's upcoming biopic about Rose Chan, Malaysia's legendary "Queen of Striptease".

Well, it seems that Christy is already experiencing what it's like to be Rose Chan. A week before the recent charity premiere of her debut film Auntie Lucy in Singapore, Christy received an anonymous email from a "fan" promising to donate S$50,000 (US$36,000) to the Animal Lovers League if she stripped at the event.

"Since she has to strip for the [Rose Chan] movie sooner or later, if she is willing to do it that day, I will donate S$50,000," the sender wrote.

Asked for a comment, Christy said, "The sender should not have made the request. This is humiliating [to] me. You should not ask for returns when it comes to charity."

Nevertheless, Christy was reported as saying that if the sender had the courage to attend the show, then she would strip. But she added, "I can only show my back."

She also allegedly made a counter-offer. "If the person donates this sum of money, I will discuss with the director of Mei Gui Xiang [The Charming Rose] to let him view our shooting."

Is all this just a clever PR stunt, or is it a case of life imitating art imitating life?

Besides her reputation as "Queen of Striptease", Rose Chan was also renowned as "Queen of Charity" because she often donated part of the proceeds from her performances to charities, such as orphanages, homes for the elderly, institutions for the blind, and sanatoria for tuberculosis patients.

No word yet on whether Christy actually bared her back for Singapore's orphan cats and dogs, but as she rapidly becomes Southeast Asia's hottest sex symbol, she might consider growing some thorns to protect herself from the wolves.

Further Reading

• "Christy's $50,000 Strip Offer"


• "Fast Track to Fame for Christy Yow"

* Photo of Christy Yow from The Tomboy Photo Project; photo of Rose Chan from the Soft Film Collection

Bai Guang: Durian Lover

Now here's a woman after my own heart, a fellow lover of the forbidden fruit.

According to the caption that accompanied this cartoon, Bai Guang loves durian so much that she wishes she could be born a nyonya and stay in Singapore for good.

The funky fragrance of durian is definitely not for those with delicate taste. Let Yan Jun and Li Lihua turn up their noses at your catch, Miss Bai. I will gladly join you in a finger-licking feast for two!

Thanks to Oldflames for sending the "Stars' Dream Journey to Singapore" spread from which this comes.

Bai Guang: Lady Bodhisattva

Ah... Bai Guang, my lady bodhisattva... although you are infamous as the supreme bad girl of Chinese cinema, your devotees find nothing but sweetness in your sour beauty, as they single-mindedly follow the tantric path towards your white light.


"I'm a Female Bodhisattva" by Bai Guang
from Courage in the Spy World (1949)

Translated lyrics can be found at my new favorite blog, Ambuscade from Ten Sides. The breathtaking pinup of Miss Bai comes from International Screen No. 23 (September 1957).

Who's the Moddest Queen of All?

Why, it's Angela Yu, of course!

A great big thanks to Oldflames for sending this mad mod cover and providing the title of this post.

Name those Fortunes!

Okay, kung fu fans! Who can name all of Master Yu Jim-yuen's "Little Fortunes" in this photo from The Birth of Yue Fei (1962)? I'll start off with the easy ones: Sammo Hung (standing in the middle, looking a bit bewildered) and Mang Hoi (top row, far right). Which one is Jackie Chan? I'm tempted to say the scowling fellow in the top row, far left. But I have a hunch he might be one of the little shrimplings.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Master Yu's China Drama Academy, the training ground of a generation of stuntmen, fight choreographers, and action stars who revolutionized martial-arts movies. Try imagining Hong Kong cinema without Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung, and you'll realize the depth of their influence. And those two big shots are just the tip of the iceberg. Die-hard fans will have their own personal favorites, whether it's Yuen Biao or Yuen Wah.

Next month the Hong Kong Film Archive is presenting a small retrospective to celebrate the early films of Master Yu's students. It will include two other films from the early 1960s featuring the "Little Fortunes" when they were kids.

For a fun read, check out these reminiscences of the "Seven Little Fortunes", which appeared in translation all summer long at HKSAR Film No Top 10 Box Office.

And finally, here are two clips: the first is from Seven Little Valiant Fighters (1962), which will be shown in the Hong Kong Film Archive's retrospective, and the second is from Dragons Forever (1988), featuring Sammo, Jackie, and Yuen Biao in a hilarious three-way scuffle.

Christy Yow is Rose Chan

Back in May I posted about director/producer Eric Khoo's search for an actress to play Rose Chan in his upcoming biopic about Malaysia's legendary "Queen of Striptease". After looking for a year and a half, he has finally chosen Christy Yow, a Malaysian model who caused quite a stir last December when she appeared in a bikini on the cover of FHM Singapore and was quickly dubbed "36C Christy" by the local tabloid press.

Christy is certainly sexy enough, but it remains to be seen whether she has the necessary chutzpah to portray the indomitable Rose Chan, who besides stripping was famous for wrestling pythons and having motorcycles ride over her.

Production on the film is scheduled to start late next year in Shanghai. Here's wishing Christy great success in channeling Rose's wild spirit!

Further Reading

• "Khoo Finds His Rose"


• "Busty Malaysian Actress to Play Queen of Striptease"


• "I'm Really Just a SHY GIRL"


• "The Girl Next Door: Model Christy Yow is Making Heads Turn in Asia"


• "Not Just Your Girl Next Door (Although She Is)"


• Christy Yow's Southern Exposure

* Photo of Christy Yow from The Daily Chilli/Asia News Network; photo of Rose Chan from the Soft Film Collection

Soft Film Video Jukebox: PixelToy & at17

A musical oasis in Hong Kong's wasteland of prefab Cantopop, record label People Mountain People Sea is the home of my two favorite Hong Kong bands, PixelToy and at17. Both are featured in this charming DIY video for the song 漂亮 ("Beautiful"), which appeared on PixelToy's debut album Science of Love (2005). They are joined by PMPS founder, Hong Kong alt music pioneer, and drama queen, Anthony Wong Yiu-ming.

Behold the Banned!

You don't even know what this is, but you know you want a look.

Unfortunately, I can't tell you if this was the work of the film censorship board of Singapore or Malaysia, nor if the movie itself was censored or just this particular lobby photo.

What... do you really want to see it?

I don't know if it would be in your best interest. There was a good reason that this abhorrent image was banned some forty-odd years ago. Why risk opening a Pandora's box of degeneracy?

From your ravenous eyes and twitching hands, I can tell that you are not dissuaded. You are hell-bent on gambling away your moral well-being for a taste of the forbidden.

Very well then... behold the banned!