Chan Is Missing - Henry The Cook
Then … In voiceover Jo tells us about Henry, the cook at the Golden Dragon restaurant at 816 Washington Street (map). (Infamously, in 1977 only 3 years before the movie was filmed, a gang-related shooting at this restaurant left 5 innocent diners dead and 11 injured).
… and Now, it was business as usual over the years after the massacre, then after being shut down in 2006 due to health inspection issues the restaurant reopened a few months later as the Imperial Palace; it’s still there today.
… and Now, but in a nod to its past it still advertises Golden Dragon dining.
The character of Henry (Peter Wang) was inspired by the real-life cook at Hon’s Wun-Tun House (still there at 648 Kearny Street) who used to wear a Star Wars tee-shirt. Henry wears a ‘Samurai Night Fever’ tee-shirt, in so doing mocking the way American entertainment mocked Asians. He sings “Fry me to the moon!” as he cooks. Between smoking and swigging milk he rants in Mandarin about American diners’ timid orders … “Ha! Three orders of sweet and sour pork! Damn! These stinky old Americans day to night just eat this!”.
The tee-shirt, a promo for a Samurai film festival at the Kokusai Theater, references John Belushi’s portrayal of Samurai Futaba (based on Toshiro Mifune’s role in Akira Kurosawa’s Yojimbo) in 16 Saturday Night Live TV episodes spanning 1975 to 1979, He spoke in mock-Japanese; he brandished his sword. Back then it was considered very funny. Today, less so.
Then … The 280-seat Kokusai Theater, at 1700 Post Street on the corner of Buchanan in Japantown (map), opened in 1971 as the Toho Theater and was renamed the Kokusai in 1972. A scene for Chan Is Missing, seen later in the movie, took place in the upstairs cocktail lounge at far right. The photo below from the 1980s shows it as it was when the movie was filmed.
… and Now, the theater was closed in 1987 by its owner who feared competition from the newly opened AMC Kabuki 8 complex down the road and who sensed an opportunity for a more profitable business; he converted it to a Denny’s restaurant. Several small businesses occupy its street-level space today.
Then … Jo and Steve enter the restaurant and tell the waitress they are there to talk to Henry. This is a street-level room judging by windows glimpsed along the back wall. But this interior is very different from the Golden Dragon’s interior; it must have been filmed somewhere else.
… on location … In this on set photo the low budget shoot is captured perfectly as cinematographer Michael Chin films the table shown above and sound man Curtis Choy stands behind the table; the lady who played the waitress doubles as a crew member, holding the boom.
Director Wayne Wang confirmed Citysleuth’s suspicion, revealing that the interior scenes were filmed in the then Ruby Palace restaurant at 631 Kearny Street near Portsmouth Square (map).
… and Now, 5 years after Chan was filmed the Ruby Palace became the R & G restaurant which is still in business there today. It has been extensively remodeled since then; the street-level space has been divided into a bar, the dining area shown below, and small private dining rooms.
When Jo asks about Chan Hung, Henry laments that he and Chan both studied aeronautical engineering at university together, but here in America they can only get jobs in a restaurant. Then when Taiwanese friends of his showed up recently Chan had rushed out the back door and hadn’t been seen since.
Then … when the next order arrives, for five won ton soups, Henry switches to English to tell the waiter … “We don’t have won ton soup - we have won ton spelled backwards - ‘not now!’ Hahaha!”
… on location … Wayne Wang and actors discuss the kitchen scene (photo by Nancy Wong).
… and Now, this too was filmed in the Ruby Palace. Its kitchen (R & G, below) has also seen changes but still retains the same feel.
Here’s a recent photo of the R & G Lounge; specializing in Cantonese cuisine, one of Chinatown’s most popular restaurants.