Stage Door Canteen (1943)

Stage Door Canteen - 1943

Our next film is 1943's World War II morale booster "Stage Door Canteen", in which a group of servicemen come to the Stage Door Canteen in New York City on their way to active duty.  They find rest, relaxation, food, entertainment, and love.

The film's huge ensemble cast includes Cheryl Walker, William Terry, Lon McCallister, Marjorie Riordan, Sunset Carson, Margaret Early, Judith Anderson, Tallulah Bankhead, Edgar Bergen, Charlie McCarthy, Ray Bolger, Ina Claire, Katharine Cornell, Gracie Fields, Helen Hayes, Katharine Hepburn, Jean Hersholt, Gypsy Rose Lee, Harpo Marx, Elsa Maxwell, Yehudi Menuhin, Ethel Merman, Paul Muni, Merle Oberan, George Raft, Martha Scott, Johnny Weissmuller, Ed Wynn, Helen Broderick, William Demarest, June Lang, Franklin Pangborn, Selena Royle, Dame May Whitty, Jane Darwell, George Jessel, Helen Menken, Ethel Waters, and many, many more.

The story begins with a group of servicemen on leave before they ship out to active duty.  They go for a bite to eat at a restaurant.  When they balk at the prices, the waiter tells them that they can go to the Stage Door Canteen for free and eat the same things.  All they need is their uniform as their entrance card.  So, the boys decide to do just that.

They are shocked when they get there and immediately start seeing movie and stage stars.  Ed Wynn delights them by checking their hats and giving some very memorable quotes.

The canteen is a place where anything can happen.  George Raft might be talking baseball with a fellow star while washing dishes.

And legendary stage actress Katharine Cornell might be serving up oranges in the food line.  (This is the only film appearance of Katharine Cornell).

This scene in the film is my favorite.  One of the servicemen recognizes Cornell.  He tells her that his drama teacher had her picture up in his classroom.  They talk about Romeo and Juliet, and Cornell takes the time to play Juliet to the serviceman's Romeo.  It's very touchingly sweet.

One of the guys meets a girl named Eileen, an aspiring actress.  As they talk, they make a connection and fall in love during the course of the movie (against the canteen rules, no less).

The entertainment at the canteen is wide and varied.  Edgar Bergen might be there doing an act with Charlie McCarthy.

(It's a very entertaining part of the film.)  And afterwards, he might start up with his other sidekick Mortimer Snerd.

There are lead hostesses to make sure everything is running smoothly.  Helen Hayes is one such hostess.  After seeing her as Queen Victoria on Broadway, a serviceman asks her to dance.  "With all these young girls, why would you want to dance with me?" asks Hayes.  "So I can tell my grandchildren I once danced with Queen Victoria," comes the serviceman's reply.

On another night, Tarzan (Johnny Weissmuller) might be the one washing dishes in the kitchen, inspiring those working with him to work on their own Tarzan yells.

And Ethel Merman might be there on a quick break from the theater to deliver a powerhouse performance.

Her rendition of "We'll Be Singing Hallelujah Marching Through Berlin" brings the audience to its feet with rousing applause.

Canteen hostess Tallulah Bankhead might be circulating among the crowd providing support and encouragement to the servicemen.

She even quotes from the Bible when she hears a serviceman utter a phrase she hasn't heard in a long time.

Ethel Waters lights up the stage with Count Basie and his orchestra when she sings the song "Quicksand".

And Gypsy Rose Lee does what she's famous for, too: a striptease right on the stage to the wild delight of the audience.

Merle Oberan addresses the audience and says thank you to some of the foreign troops that are in attendance.

Hostess Judith Anderson makes her rounds as well.  "I want to apologize for not knowing who you were," says Dakota.  Judith smiles and replies, "No apologies necessary.  I didn't know who you were, either."

One of the ladies gets a scare when Harpo Marx shows up in her telephone booth.

And when aspiring actress Eileen learns her fiance has left without being given the chance to say goodbye, Katharine Hepburn is there to help her realize what's at stake and why they're doing what they're doing.  It's a rousing speech that ends the film on a high note.  "He’s fighting for the kind of world in which you and he can live together in happiness, in peace, in love.  Don’t ever think about quitting.  Don’t ever stop for a minute working, fighting, praying until we’ve got that kind of a world for you, for him, for you children, for the whole human race, days without end.  Amen."

Cast rundown:

   Cheryl Walker.....................................Eileen Burke

   William Terry......................................Dakota Smith

   Lon McCallister...................................California Jack Gilman

   Marjorie Riordan.................................Jean

   Sunset Carson....................................Tex

   Margaret Early....................................Ella Sue

   Judith Anderson..................................Herself

   Tallulah Bankhead...............................Herself

   Edgar Bergen.....................................Himself/Charlie McCarthy

   Ray Bolger.........................................Himself

   Ina Claire..........................................Herself

   Katharine Cornell................................Herself

   Gracie Fields......................................Herself

   Helen Hayes......................................Herself

   Katharine Hepburn..............................Herself

   Jean Hersholt.....................................Himself

   Gypsy Rose Lee..................................Herself

   Harpo Marx........................................Himself

   Elsa Maxwell......................................Herself

   Yehudi Menuhin..................................Himself

   Ethel Merman....................................Herself

   Paul Muni..........................................Himself

   Merle Oberan.....................................Herself

   George Raft.......................................Himself

   Martha Scott......................................Herself

   Johnny Weissmuller............................Himself

   Ed Wynn...........................................Himself

   Helen Broderick.................................Herself

   William Demarest...............................Himself

   June Lang.........................................Herself

   Franklin Pangborn..............................Himself

   Selena Royle.....................................Herself

   May Whitty.......................................Herself

   Jane Darwell.....................................Herself

   George Jessel...................................Himself

   Helen Menken...................................Herself

   Ethel Waters.....................................Herself

And that's all for Stage Door Canteen.  It was actually a real place.  It was established in 1942 in New York City by actress Nedda Harrigan.  On opening night, it's estimated that 1,250 people were in attendance who danced with 200 actresses of "varying importance" and were served by 75 "name actors" as busboys.  Each night, it's estimated that the canteen went through 200 gallons of coffee and 5,000 cigarettes.  All this, plus meals, was provided free of charge for servicemen.  It was so popular that canteens sprang up in Los Angeles, London, and Paris.

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