One Last Thought on Limehouse – in Chicago

I commented the other day that the 1934 film Limehouse Blues with George Raft, Anna May Wong etc was changed to East End Chant when shown in America. I suggested that this might have been because American audiences weren’t familiar with Limehouse. Possibly, but not in Chicago it seems. Here’s a menu and flier for the Limehouse Chinese Restaurant on Howard Street.

Howard Street was quite the place – home of the Howard Theatre at 1621 from 1917, one of the largest and most ornate theatres in Chicago, and very close to the Limehouse – as were the Club Silhouette and Club Detour. The Birchwood Beach Country Club was at 1426, built around the turn of the century near some pretty smart condo buildings. So, Chicago at least, knew Limehouse. I like to think the owner was some entrepreneurial Chinese Cockney who’d jumped ship to Chicago, but I’ve no idea.