Christy Yow: Making of Rose Chan

Christy Yow just started a blog to chronicle her journey of becoming Rose Chan for Eric Khoo's film The Charming Rose.

Besides learning to handle snakes (both reptilian and human) and toughening herself against the slings and arrows that come with such a provocative role (Rose Chan had rotten eggs and live snakes thrown at her), Christy recently met with Rose's first boyfriend and promises to report about the experience. I'm definitely looking forward to that, as well as further stories from behind the scenes!

* Photo of Christy from her blog Making of Rose Chan

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

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

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

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