Since, we're within a few days of Remembrance Day (or Veteran's Day if you're American), I though I'd shed some light on one of Hollywood's bigger contributions to the war effort during the second world war. The Hollywood Canteen was the brainchild of actors Bette Davis and John Garfield, as a club that would provide free food, dancing, and entertainment to the serviceman and women who were on military leave in Los Angeles. Hollywood actors and actresses would volunteer at the canteen in their down time doing everything from washing dishes, serving food, dancing with servicemen to performing onstage. No job was too small for these big stars as volunteering at the Hollywood Canteen was seen as an act of patriotism. Looking at the roster of stars who volunteered at the Canteen (you can find it
here on the Canteen's Wikipedia Page) shows a veritable who's who of celebrities of the era and the few exceptions are those who were able to make the ultimate sacrifice of going overseas to help fight. The Canteen was in operation from October 3, 1942 to (American) Thanksgiving 1945.
One of the more interesting artifacts from the history of the Hollywood Canteen is the film,
Hollywood Canteen, which was released in 1944. The story of the film is pretty sparse, a wide-eyed GI on sick leave goes to the canteen, ends up meeting a galaxy of stars, is named the canteen's one millionth customer, and romances starlet Joan Leslie. Trust me, if you're looking for a deep film you won't find it here. What does make it a worthwhile watch is the endless number of cameos by many of the great actors, actresses, and other popular performers of the day. There are a several musical numbers performed by Andrews Sisters, Joe E. Brown, Jane Wyman, Dennis Morgan, and a host of others. All and all it's a pretty entertaining movie. Here's my favourite cameo, by my favourite actress...
Click Here to view the Hollywood Canteen Trailer at TCM.com.
