Stage Door Canteen **** (1943, William Terry, Cheryl Walker, Katharine Hepburn, Tallulah Bankhead) – Classic Movie Review 3,894

Franz Borzage’s glittering 1943 movie Stage Door Canteen is essential viewing for a nostalgic star-spotting look at Broadway’s and Hollywood’s Forties élite. It features 48 stars and six bands. 

The 1943 American World War Two film Stage Door Canteen features musical numbers and entertainment scenes interspersed with drama by a mostly unknown cast. The many celebrity cameos are more the main attraction than the simple drama in the famed New York City restaurant and nightclub for American and Allied servicemen. The score and the original song ‘We Mustn’t Say Goodbye’ were nominated for Academy Awards.

In Delmer Daves’s wartime story, a galaxy of stars pops in to New York City’s famed World War Two Stage Door Canteen restaurant and nightclub, where Dakota (William Terry), a young soldier on a pass, romances a pretty young volunteer hostess, Eileen (Cheryl Walker). They start a romance as they enjoy the many famous theatre and movie stars who host the wartime recreational centre for servicemen.

Director Franz Borzage’s glittering 1943 movie Stage Door Canteen is essential viewing for a nostalgic star-spotting look at Broadway’s and Hollywood’s Forties élite, most notably including Katharine Hepburn, Ethel Merman, George Raft, Gertrude Lawrence, Edgar Bergen, Helen Hayes, Harpo Marx, Benny Goodman, Count Basie, Paul Muni, Judith Anderson, Tallulah Bankhead, Merle Oberon, Yehudi Menuhin, Gypsy Rose Lee, Ralph Bellamy, Ray Bolger, Gracie Fields, Ethel Waters, Ed Wynn, Dame May Whitty, Elsa Maxwell, Helen Menken, William Demerest, George Jessel, Kenny Baker, Lynn Fontanne, Alfred Lunt, Peggy Lee, and screen Tarzan Johnny Weissmuller doing the washing-up in a loincloth.

Was this Hollywood’s tribute to the canteen, to young love, or just to itself? Perhaps, hopefully, is is all three.

Anyway it was a charity benefit — the stars worked for free and most of the huge profits went to establish similar canteens elsewhere in America. The movie features 48 stars and six bands. There can’t have been a dry eye in the house during James Monaco and Al Dubin’s original song, ‘We Mustn’t Say Goodbye’, which was Oscar nominated along with the score.

It runs an epic 132 minutes but the cut version runs only 93 minutes. Future star Ruth Roman has a walk-on in her debut.

Lon McCallister as California.

Also in the story cast are Lon McCallister as California, Marjorie Riordan as Jean, Margaret Early as Ella Sue, Michael Harrison as Tex, Dorothea Kent as Mamie, Fred Brady as Jersey, Patrick O’Moore as The Australian and Marian Shockley as Lillian.

It is produced by Sol Lesser’s Principal Artists Productions, and released by United Artists. It did well at the box office, taking $4.35 million in US and Canada cinema rentals.

Release dates: June 24, 1943 (New York City) and July 8, 1943 (Los Angeles).

Daves returned to the idea with Hollywood Canteen (1944) as writer and director.

American stage actress, writer, theatre owner and producer Katharine Cornell (February 16, 1893 – June 9, 1974) was born in Berlin to American parents and raised in Buffalo, New York. Her only film role is speaking a few lines from Romeo and Juliet in Stage Door Canteen.

Cornell is regarded as one of the great actresses of the American theatre and determined to stay in the theatre to help to keep it vibrant. She turned down many movie roles that earned Academy Awards wins and nominations for the actresses who did play those parts, eg Olan in The Good Earth and Pilar in For Whom the Bell Tolls.

Stage Door Canteen is in the public domain in North America so is widely available on variable quality DVD and VHS.

© Derek Winnert 2016 Classic Movie Review 3,894

Check out more reviews on: derekwinnert.com

Gracie Fields in Stage Door Canteen (1943).

Count Basie with Ethel Waters.

Benny Goodman with Peggy Lee.