I remember reading about Bacall’s presence. The Hollywood Canteen opened on Oct. 3, 1942, and closed its doors on Nov. 22, 1945, Thanksgiving Day. On September 15, 1943, the one millionth guest walked through the door of the Hollywood Canteen. Jul 22, 2016 - Explore donna perez's board "hollywood canteen" on Pinterest. It was based on a real club created by actor John Garfield, Jules Stein and actress Bette Davis in the 1940's. From the year it opened in 1942 to its closing day on Thanksgiving, servicemen and women away from their families on the holiday were invited to a Thanksgiving meal. "[3], References to the Hollywood Canteen often erroneously give it the address of The Hollywood Guild and Canteen, which was located at 1284 North Crescent Heights Boulevard in a home owned by the estate of actor Dustin Farnum. I knew about the “Canteen.” Think Bacall was involved in it. There were always moments of extraordinary uniqueness at the Canteen, like the day Dietrich arrived straight from the set of Kismet, covered from head to toe in gold paint. Episodes: BETTE DAVIS AND THE HOLLYWOOD CANTEEN: The first episode of this multi-part series starts with the woman who dominated all aspects of Hollywood, including its war effort, in the late 1930s-early 1940s: Bette Davis.This is the story of how she evolved from a wannabe starlet who was constantly told she … John and Hedy were both Europeans from upper-class families and they quickly found themselves drawn to each other. Troops who visited would be greeted with the words, “through these portals pass the most beautiful uniforms in the world.” Anyone was allowed in, but the troops were treated with more esteem than the celebrities who catered to them. This was the subject of a WB feature film of the same title during the war. The building where the canteen was located no longer exists; a parking garage and a building operated by CNN are now located on the site, which is just south of Sunset Boulevard. During that time, they entertained 3 million military personnel. The acknowledged reason was that ‘mixed’ dancing might alienate those servicemen from the Deep South and result in brawls. The ‘Hollywood Unit’ made training and recruitment films (and newsreels). Learn how your comment data is processed. The Canteen was created as a G. I. morale-booster by movie stars Bette Davis and John Garfield during World War II. In fact, I believe Bette Davis more or less had a rostering system in place. The driving forces behind the creation of the Hollywood Canteen were Bette Davis and John Garfield, along with Jules Stein, President of Music Corporation of America, who headed up the finance committee. Just about everyone of stature in Hollywood took part in the Canteen, Sheila. Many of these travelled to within a few miles of the front on the ‘Fox-hole Circuit’, risking their lives to do their bit for the war effort. Over 4,000 performers gave 53,000 performances over just four years! On this Veteran’s Day, we welcome you to take a trip inside the canteen by visiting our collection of over 430 images taken in its heyday between 1942-45. Afterwards, she volunteered most of her time at The Hollywood Canteen, which entertained servicemen and –women. The Hollywood Canteen opened on Oct. 3, 1942, and closed its doors on Nov. 22, 1945, Thanksgiving Day. By 1944, the Canteen had become so popular that Warner Bros. made a movie titled Hollywood Canteen. Plot and cast. Her boyfriend overseas got a ‘Dear John’ from her in the mail. One of the Hollywood Canteen’s features was the Wall of Honor featuring 8×10 photos of service members. But what set the Hollywood Canteen apart from every club other in Hollywood at the time was that it was entirely staffed, six days a week by celebrities and volunteers from the entertainment industry. Copyright © 2021 | WordPress Theme by MH Themes, Top 10 Historical Movies About The American West, Top 10 Historical 19th/20th Century Dramas. The Hollywood Canteen founded by John Garfield, Bette Davis, and Jules C. Stein operated at 1451 Cahuenga Boulevard in the Los Angeles, California, neighborhood of Hollywood between October 3, 1942, and November 22, 1945 (Thanksgiving Day), as a club offering food, dancing and entertainment for servicemen, usually on their way overseas. Jack Carson overheard some servicemen talking about her and referring to her as ‘a mink’, a direct reference to her willingness to ‘put out’ on a regular basis. Los Angeles is a city of contrasts. But those in the corridors of power had the last say. The studios loved the Canteen concept because it put them in a good, patriotic light. As a contract player for Warner Brothers, she graced such musicals as, appropriately enough, "Hollywood Canteen" (1944), "The Time, the Place and the Girl" (1946) and "Romance on the High Seas" (1948). It was housed at 1451 Cahuenga Boulevard in Hollywood, CA. Maria Riva, Dietrich's daughter, recalled an anecdote where Marlene Dietrich decided to wash dishes and was joined by Hedy Lamarr. A Hall of Honor at the Hollywood Canteen had a wall of photos which honored the film actors who served in the military. Modeled after, and affiliated with, the Stage Door Canteens founded by the American Theatre Wing, the Hollywood Canteen became a haven for servicemen—a place where they could enjoy entertainment and dancing free of worry or charge. Between 1941 and 1944 over 6,000 Hollywood workers entered the services, 1,500 of whom were registered actors and actresses. For the 1944 Warner Bros. motion picture, see, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hollywood_Canteen&oldid=1011726151, United States home front during World War II, Articles lacking reliable references from July 2019, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 12 March 2021, at 13:55. It is easy to pick fault with the Hollywood Canteen concept. 4. By the time The Hollywood Canteen closed its doors, on November 22, 1945 (Thanksgiving Day) it had hosted approximately three million servicemen. Minor actresses and starlets were certainly forbidden from getting romantically involved with visitors, a rule closely enforced – unless you happened to be an A-lister with clout, that is. Hats Off to Bette Davis! It was truly Hollywood’s finest home-front contribution to the war. When the home was razed in 1948, news articles failed to distinguish between the two "Hollywood Canteens", leading to a lasting confusion.[4]. A Hall of Honor at the Hollywood Canteen had a wall of photos which honored the film actors who served in the military. Hedy Lamarr latched onto second-rate actor John Loder while her fiancée was away overseas. Bette Davis devoted an enormous amount of time and energy to the project and served as its president. Susan Hayward managed to find herself three months pregnant by the time she married Master of Ceremonies Jess Barker. A huge number of people, many of them Hollywood celebrities, volunteered tirelessly at the Canteen. A completely unknown Johnny Carson recalled dancing one evening at the Canteen when he was an air naval cadet with Marlene Dietrich. Iincludes a disclaimer excusing its off-color tendencies that were considered commonplace back in that day. The film's setting is the Hollywood Canteen, a free entertainment club open to servicemen. Patterned after New York’s Stage Door Canteen, the club featured volunteers who hailed mostly The canteen was operated and staffed completely by volunteers from the entertainment industry. During that time, they entertained 3 million military personnel. And they did it for free. Hollywood Canine Canteen - Another Warner Bros Merrie Melodies short that features dogs in the likenesses of Hollywood movie stars spoofing the idea of the Hollywood Canteen. And then there was the Hollywood Canteen. The rules, however, were strictly enforced. All those involved donated their services for free, although the legendary cheap skate Eddie Cantor whined long and hard about it until a few of the male stars of the picture took him aside and ‘convinced’ him to do as he was told – or else…The movie is more a piece of history than anything else. The Hollywood Canteen was serviced by a 3,000 member team of Hollywood professionals who felt that military service should be honoured. But there were plenty of A-listers on hand as well. The East Coast counterpart was the New York City–based Stage Door Canteen, which featured Broadway stars and was also celebrated in a film, Stage Door Canteen.[1]. Spencer Tracy dons an apron Susan Hayward with a sailor. In keeping with The Nationwide WWII Museum, the Hollywood Canteen opened its doorways in 1942. Directed by Delmer Daves, The Hollywood Canteen (the film) features many Hollywood stars playing themselves. Any canoodling on the dance floor was a strict ‘no-no’. At the time the canteen closed its doors, it had been host to almost three million servicemen. Hollywood stars playing themselves but a unique era that I feel I identify. Between 1941 and 1944 over 6,000 Hollywood workers entered the services, 1,500 of whom were registered actors actresses... 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