Chinese opium dens [Was: And in (additional) honor of the Giants' World Series win...]

[Joel S. Berson]

At 11/4/2010 10:02 AM, David A. Daniel wrote:
>I would imagine that the Chinese being users and purveyors of opium is right
>up there among the top five or so factors of stereotype considered by most
>Americans. Everyone who has ever seen a western movie knows that the Chinese
>live in tents on the outskirts of town and run the local opium den where the
>bad guys are often found and where they often get their comeuppance (lesson
>to be learned: don't be a bad guy, and stay away from evil Chinese drug
>dens).

And likely a known stereotype also for the British, even before
western movies.  Sherlock Holmes "expressed strong disapproval on
visiting an opium den" (quoting Wikipedia).  In the tale "The Man
with the Twisted Lip", Watson, trying to find the missing husband of
a friend of his wife, visits an opium den, and comes upon Holmes
there in disguise.  Watson records "As I entered, a sallow Malay
attendant had hurried up with a pipe for me and a supply of the drug,
beckoning me to an empty berth."  Not quite Chinese, but at least an
Asian of "a sickly yellow or brownish yellow colour" (OED).  It is a
"rascally Lascar who runs it" -- again not necessarily Chinese, but
an East Indian (sailor).

Whether this tale (or some screen play derived from it) was ever
filmed with Chinese attendants, and when, I do not know.  The 1980s
series with Jeremy Brett as Holmes did include this tale, but I don't recall.

Joel

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