George Lee and the American Dream

George Lee worked as a casino blackjack dealer and has worked at the table for over 40 years. Blackjack is popular across the world, and even though you can now play blackjack online games at Paddy's, the physical version of the game is alive and kicking. Some casino workers also find themselves hosting live games on the side of their day job, with games like Live All Bets blackjack and Live Majority Rules blackjack surging in popularity over recent years. A lot of this comes down to the rapid growth of the digital age, but when George Lee started learning how to deal, games like this simply weren’t available.

Even though George Lee has been steadily grinding at the casino, his past is very different. The documentary at CAAMFest shines the spotlight on his life, from childhood to his professional dancing career. Lee was the son of a Russian ballet dancer and a Chinese acrobat. He faced a lot of hardship during his life, including losing his father and having to spend time at a refugee camp. Nevertheless, he persevered, with his story reflecting that of the American Dream. He worked hard and forged a life he could be proud of.

His Illustrious Career

Lee’s mother often told him that if he wanted to succeed as a dancer, he would have to be the best of the best. He would need to be ten times better than the most talented person in the room, with this serving as a mantra for him throughout his life. He went on to join the School of American Ballet and soon became the first Asian to dance in numerous productions. He then expanded to Broadway, with his performances including the Flower Drum Song, Annie Get Your Gun, and South Pacific. 

His story wasn’t really heard of until Jennifer Lin, an aspiring director, found photographs of him at the library. She tracked him down and found him working in a casino. He’s currently 88 years old, but still dealing cards. After talking with him about his story, it became evident that this would be a great concept for a documentary and so far, it has been very well received. 

The CAMMFest film festival has been popular for quite some time with directors battling it out to get their film shown. The film festival has been a very important launching pad for independent filmmakers, especially those working with Asian American stories. It’s also a vital source of new Asian movies, as it helps to pave the way for aspiring directors who may be looking for a gateway into Hollywood. As a dancer, Lee could do lots of things that other dancers found impossible, so to see it turned into a documentary is humbling for him while shining a spotlight on the unsung heroes of the ballet world.