The Wild, Wild Rose Chan

A couple of weeks ago, there was an article featured on the HKMDB Daily News about Singaporean director Eric Khoo's film project about the life of legendary burlesque performer Rose Chan. Evidently, he is having a difficult time finding the right actress to play the role. According to Eric, the actress should have "the sultry lips of Shu Qi, the voluptuous figure of Fiona Xie, the height of Beatrice Chia, and the poise and complexion of Gong Li. Hopefully, she can also act like Maggie Cheung and can tell jokes like Irene Ang." And furthermore, according to another article from last year, the candidate must speak both Mandarin and Cantonese and be comfortable with nudity and snake handling!

That seems like a pretty tall order, but then again Rose Chan was a pretty extraordinary individual. You can read more about her life at Wikipedia. And here is a medley of amusing news items about Rose that I found in the American press, supplemented by some photos that I downloaded from eBay.

ARTY

Dancer Rose Chan writhes in a snake "costume" that has stirred up a furor in Penang, Malaya. Her costume is mostly grease paint striped over her body, which is clothed only in a Bikini bathing suit. The Malayan government has been asked to ban her costume and sexy dance, which Rose claims is "art" copied from dances in U.S. movies. She's five feet, five inches tall and measures 36-24-36½.

—The Frederick Post, November 7, 1955

STRIP TEASER VICTIM OF LOW-DOWN THIEF

PENANG, North Malaya — Chinese strip teaser Rose Chan said the audience that clamored for a better view of her figure Monday night included at least one cad.

She told police she removed the top half of her scanty, two-piece costume in response to popular demand but said someone promptly stole it.

—The Provo Daily Herald, November 15, 1955

Entertainer Ordered Not to Use Pythons

ALOR STAR, North Malaya, Dec. 26 — Kedah state police ordered buxom stripper Rose Chan Wednesday to stop wrestling with pythons in her night club act.

One of her 21-foot pets coiled itself around her body three days ago and caused her to become unconscious. It took brawny stagehands five minutes to free her.

—The Waco News-Tribune, December 27, 1956

Malaya Stripper Insures 'Assets'

SINGAPORE — Malaya's pioneer strip tease artist, Rose Chan, said today she has insured her curves for 100,000 Malayan dollars ($33,000).

The buxom stripper took out an insurance policy in preparation for her trip to Paris in May to compete in the international "Miss Strip Tease" contest.

—The Hayward Daily Review, March 29, 1957

BARE LESSONS

KUALA LUMPUR — Miss Rose Chan, Malaya's best known strip teaser, will soon be going to Japan to make a film on strip shows.

She said negotiations are now under way for making of the film in which she will appear with three other girls of her striptease troupe.

"I have trained all these girls in the art of undressing in public," she said pointing to them. "Before they came to me they did not even know how to move gracefully."

—Burlington Daily Times-News, May 22, 1957

PEEP SHOW GETS PERMIT

IPOH, Malaya — The Rose Chan striptease show has permission to perform here, thanks to Dr. W. Holmes, acting head of the town council. Issuing the permit, he told the council: "There is a tendency in every male to be something of a Peeping Tom. It is perhaps better this way (the striptease show) than to have people peep into your bedrooms at night."

—The Waco News-Tribune, March 14, 1959