A Ninety-two-Year-Old Burlesque Dancer’s Swan Song

[movie reel buzzing]

[indistinct chatter]

[muttering]

to straighten it...

So, yes I know where the elevator is.

Do we turn right or do we turn left?

Turn right.

Turn right?

Here we go.

[elevator dings]

[indistinct chatter]

[MC] Our star to grace the stage for you next.

Known as China's most daring dancing doll,

she began dancing in the 1940s,

including at Forbidden City.

She went on later to run the Forbidden City Night Club.

[crowd cheering]

As a special treat this evening, I'm thrilled to announce

that she's performing with her partner Stephen King.

Please welcome to the stage, Coby Yee and Stephen King.

[audience cheering]

[faint doo-wop music playing]

♪ I know a place, ♪

♪ doo wop, doo wop, doo wop ♪

♪ Sky so wide and far, ♪

♪ doo wop, doo wop, doo wop ♪

♪ Though the sun shines bright, ♪

♪ doo wop, doo wop, doo wop ♪

♪ You're my only star ♪

♪ oh you're my only star ♪

♪ I know a place, ♪

♪ doo wop, doo wop, doo wop ♪

♪ The ocean clear and blue, ♪

♪ doo wop, doo wop, doo wop ♪

♪ Though the moon hangs low, ♪

♪ doo wop, doo wop, doo wop ♪

♪ You're my only view ♪

♪ Oh you're my only view ♪

[train horn tooting]

This is Stephen's office,

where he does most of his poster making.

I guess these are the newest ones over here.

Some of these pictures are very old.

Whoops, there's another one.

[Interviewer] What does that say on there?

On here it says, [laughs] cleavage galore.

He's terrible.

Just like a man. [exclaims]

Those there are shocking.

These are shocking. [scoffs]

She's gonna catch cold, look at her.

She needs some clothes.

[paper rustling]

These were taken backstage at the Forbidden City.

Well, there's quite a bit of history here.

Gee, these are old clippings too.

See the caption on that, it says,

Lavish new risque show

stars the Dragon Lady.

Coby Yee lends an oriental grace

to the art of

stripping at the Forbidden City.

All these different places that I went on the road.

I've forgotten about that.

1940...

I don't even remember.

These are things I like to forget.

[sewing machine whirring repeatedly]

So sometimes I just like the quality of

unlikeliness, you know,

like, I just like the contrast,

the unlikely combination.

As I say, I can't let the edges show,

it destroys the illusion.

[sound of scissors cutting]

[sewing machine whirring]

Now I'm going to look to see what the pattern looks like.

Nice pattern there.

Okay.

Hi Stephen.

Hello

Stephen.

Hey, it's easily sassy.

Now he doesn't have a thing to say.

[indistinct chatter]

[Stephen] I first met Coby right when I turned 55.

A neighbor in my apartment told me about a

restaurant down the street

pizza company had a band coming in

once a week.

So I went there.

I was just a miserable wretch sitting there,

you know, I, obviously really in bad shape.

And Coby didn't want to ask me to dance.

She said that one time she really wanted to go dancing

and she mentioned it to someone who suggested

that she asked me and she did.

That was so natural, despite our huge differences.

As soon as we started dancing together

that was all we really needed to do.

That was all.

You know, to be close, to fall in love

to want to be with each other,

even to make a life together, you know

a life with a lot of dancing in it is,

it was exciting, an exciting prospect.

[jazz music playing]

And you know without saying any words,

I think the feelings were

were developing.

But there was one very special moment

we had been dancing about two months.

And just as we were leaving a place,

Coby turned to me and said,

I'm happier than I've ever been in my life.

[laughs] Did I say that?

Yes.

What a liar! My heart just melted.

Liar, you freak.

[laughing]

No, it was true, you know it.

She'd never been in love before.

And that's enough to make you

happier than you've ever been in your life.

[slow waltz music playing]

[indistinct chatter]

[train rumbling]

Whoo hoo hoo, we're here.

Chinatown, San Francisco USA.

[groans]

That's why I moved away.

♪ My dear little poppy. ♪

♪ Thus, in the snow, may you bloom, ♪

♪ and grow. ♪

♪ As a man... ♪

All right, next over here is Stephen.

Stephen came all the way from San Pablo this evening.

And I want to introduce to you, everyone,

we have a celebrity in the house.

Coby Yee, who used to be the owner of The Forbidden City

is here with us today.

She is around 92 years old. [crowd cheering]

And she came here all the way from San Pablo.

And now, may I present Stephen.

[indistinct chatter]

♪ Living on sponge cake ♪

♪ Watching the sun bake ♪

♪ All of those tourists, covered with oil. ♪

♪ On my front porch swing ♪

♪ Strumming my six string ♪

♪ Smell those shrimp they're beginning to boil ♪

[crowd applauding]

♪ Wasting away again in Margaritaville ♪

♪ Searching for my lost shaker of salt. ♪

♪ Some people claim that there's a ♪

♪ Woman to blame ♪

♪ But I know ♪

♪ Well it could be my fault. ♪

♪ I don't know the reason ♪

♪ I stayed here all season ♪

♪ got nothing to show but this brand new tattoo. ♪

Hello, Carlo.

♪ But it's a real beauty ♪

♪ A Chinese cutie ♪

[crowd laughing]

♪ How it got there, I haven't a clue. ♪

I had a dancing studio here.

I can't remember the number

but it was just a, it was upstairs.

Something like up there,

like I went through a door over there

and taught dancing up there.

My own studio.

It was Coby's dance studio. Really?

I didn't even know about that. Yes.

Well, there's a lot of things, you don't know.

But now that I'm here I remember

I used to come down this street all the time.

It was a lot of tourists

coming in and out of the place all the time.

They loved to see the Chinese girls dance.

[slow jazz music]

What should I say?

Old glory,

it tends to be overblown.

We're only human beings but

I guess we've done a pretty good job of

living our lives, you know

and going with what we had.

What passion we had.

We're totally different people.

And yet, when we put us together,

we're a good combination.

And I think that's,

that's made a lot of our old age.

which everybody says, you know, is a terrible time.

It's been a great time for us.

Because we've been such great partners.

What either of us might lack

the other one fills in.

It's

how unpredictable life is.

When you're gone,

And all the people that knew you are gone,

it will be like you never

were.

And that's what people sometimes think about

when they're old.

They don't want to be forgotten.

They want to be remembered.

They want to have their lives mean something.

One thing that people would have on their bucket list

is to truly feel appreciated

for their life, you know.

And I think we both have that.

From you.

So you know, this film is very much

a connection between us and you.

And we'll be gone when the film still goes on.

And that's very much

you

too.

[fanfare plays]

And she won in solitaire. [Coby laughing]

[fanfare plays]

[indistinct chatter]

I'm going to put my feet--

You have another hat to put on too, and that other dress.

I'm taking that downstairs.

I can't get in the elevator with that.

Okay.

Ah.

Down in the lower

things there. [laughing]

Now let me get my sleeves out of here.

So you don't break it.

It's got to be able to come off easy.

This is my swan song.

You know why they say swan song?

No, but I know what it means.

There's a legend that

a swan sings before it dies.

Well, that's me.

But I'm dancing instead.

Please welcome to the stage

Coby Yee and Stephen King.

[audience cheering]

[jazz music plays]

♪ Wintertime ♪

♪ Is the season ♪

♪ A young lover ♪

♪ Is the reason ♪

♪ For the way the stars above ♪

♪ Sets the scene for new love ♪

♪ Wintertime ♪

♪ Is the season ♪

♪ A young lover ♪

♪ Is the reason ♪

♪ Different things always show ♪

♪ Sets the scene for new love ♪

♪ Love ♪

♪ It's a simple love ♪

♪ It guides the action of each heart ♪

♪ Take your time to have some fun ♪

♪ Love is for everyone ♪

♪ Anytime ♪

♪ Is the season ♪

♪ He or she ♪

♪ Is the reason ♪

♪ They'll be up on the moon above ♪

♪ Sets the scene for new love. ♪

[audience applauding]

[jazz music continues]

♪ Love is a simple love ♪

♪ It guides action of each heart ♪

♪ Take your time to have some fun ♪

♪ Love is for everyone. ♪

♪ Anytime ♪

♪ Is the season ♪

♪ He or she ♪

♪ Is the reason ♪

♪ They'll be up on the moon above ♪

♪ Sets the scene for new love ♪