Stage Door Canteen

Starring:Judith Anderson, Kenny Baker (II), Tallulah Bankhead, Ralph Bellamy, Edgar Bergen, Charlie McCarthy (II), Ray Bolger, Ina Claire, Katharine Cornell, Gracie Fields, Lynn Fontanne, Helen Hayes, Katharine Hepburn, Hugh Herbert, Jean Hersholt, George Jessel, Gypsy Rose Lee, Alfred Lunt, Harpo Marx, Elsa Maxwell
Director: Frank Borzage
Studio: Image Entertainment
Product Type: DVD

Product Description

Three soliders meet three girls at the famous canteen before going overseas in this star-studded film. Featuring apperances by Katharine Hepburn, Helen Hayes, Edgar Bergen, & Harpo Marx. Also featuring the bands of Count Basie, Benny Goodman, Guy Lombardo, and Freddy Martin.

Customer Reviews:

Variable and corny, but it has some high points.......2007-06-20

What to make of this wartime, home-front morale movie, which is loaded with star players and character actors? It has a slight story-line about four young American soldiers. They're about to ship overseas any day, but manage to visit the Stage Door Canteen just off Broadway, where the stars entertain, dance and talk with soldiers, cook and serve and wash the dishes. The four, of course, all have states as nicknames. One, the innocent California, longs for his first kiss; Tex meets a down-home girl at the Canteen; Jersey isn't seen much as he manages to marry his girlfriend; and Dakota, a young womanizer, meets at the Canteen a woman who's out for a career and they surprise each other by falling in love. All the while we have comedy bits from lots of actors, ranging from Harpo Marx to the distinctively odd couple of Franklin Pangborn and Johnnie Weismuller. We have any number of grande dames -- Helen Hayes, Lynn Fontanne, Judith Anderson, Katharine Cornell, among others, doing their home-trained impression of gracious American aristocracy.

We follow our four while they find that first kiss, relax with and long for the wholesome young ladies they talk and joke with, and rededicate themselves to fight for our American values. Of course, all of the soldiers in the packed Canteen are wholesome and white, and so are all the stars. More startling after nearly 65 years, with all that talent around, is how dated and corny the movie is. This is emotional propaganda, designed to entertain Americans at home, show them how all of America's stars support the war effort, and leave the audience tearing up over the possible fate of the soldiers they've just met...but determined to rededicate themselves to the war effort that will bring the soldiers back safe and victorious. All those heart strings Hollywood pulls, however, are so visible we know when we're being manipulated into a sob or a smile.

Equally unnerving is how dated so many of the comedy bits and musical numbers seem now. Ray Bolger does a specialty number written for him by Rodgers & Hart, singing and dancing to "The Girl I Love to Leave Behind." The dancing is great but the song sure isn't. Amidst all the comedy and the soldiers' love stories we suddenly have Yehudi Menuhin pulling out his violin and playing a carefully lighted Ave Maria...followed by the frenetic Flight of the Bumble Bee. Even odder is Gracie Fields, that dynamic English musical hall star. She does a raucous, energetic, mugging specialty song about "killing Japanese," (she uses the now-offensive shortened version of the word), which has the boys cheering...then announces she's been requested by one young soldier to sing "The Lord's Prayer." Huh?

There are a number of highlights, and seeing all these stars and entertainers doing their stuff is probably worth the price of the movie. A young Peggy Lee fronts the Benny Goodman Orchestra with "Why Don't You Do Right?," Charley McCarthy and Edgar Bergen have a funny routine, Ethel Waters sings with the Count Basie Orchestra, and Lannie Ross, a long-forgotten orchestra crooner sings a great and long-forgotten WWII ballad...the poignant and romantic "We Mustn't Say Goodbye," lyrics by Al Dubin and music by James V. Monaco.

In dreams we'll always be together
Beneath the moonlit sky
We mustn't say goodbye

Each night I'll push aside the mountains
I'll drain the oceans dry
We mustn't say goodbye

I promise you that when the postman rings
My heart will be inside
The envelope he brings

Oh, don't you know the memories we gathered
Can never, never die
We mustn't say goodbye

If you have a chance to hear the Jo Stafford version, you'll be in tears.

Last but not least in oddity, we have the Kate Hepburn closing. Dakota and Eileen decided to get married at the Canteen, and she shows up to meet him there. He never appears. Then a soldier appears and tells her and her friends that Dakota's unit unexpectedly shipped out that morning. Dakota told him to find Eileen and tell her that he loves her. He'll return from the fighting and they'll be married then. Eileen starts to run from the Canteen in tears, when suddenly this mannishly dressed, angular woman stops her. With her face about three inches from Eileen's, Hepburn delivers an understanding but extremely firm lecture that Eileen's duty now is to return to the Canteen and do her job, just as Dakota is doing his job, and that we at the home-front can do no less than what our soldiers are doing fighting for us. Eileen wipes away the tears, and with a tremulous smile walks towards the waiting solders to dance and talk and just listen to their dreams and hopes. Fade to black.

This is a public domain title. The version I saw was barely watchable, so buyer beware.

Home Front during WWII.......2007-06-04

I watched "Stage Door Canteen" the other night primarily because Katherine Hepburn was in the cast (as one of many cameo appearances). I must admit that I was having a hard time figuring out her eventual impact on the movie but she played an important role at the end of the film. The basic plot of this film is secondary to the entertainment. However, the two work together well. We see several GI's on leave 24 hours before they ship off. They are directed to the Stage Door Canteen where four-star meals are served to servicement with five-star entertainment and pristine but friendly young ladies waiting to dance of talk. It's in between the dancing and talking that most viewers will find the movie enjoyable. I don't recall all of the acts (some of whom I never heard of) but Benny Goodman, Xavier Cugat, Gypsy Rose Lee, Count Basie, Harpo Marx and the aforementioned Katherine Hepburn tooks turns on (and off) the stage. Some of the music was very good and some wasn't. There was also some exceptional amateur (I think) dancing highlighted on the floor. The plot seemed to get in the way at times but our soldier boys kept getting another 24-hour leave to keep the entertainment going. If nothing else, the "plot" gave some of us pause to reflect on war-time romances by seeing a few get started.

The movie is a bit long (over two hours) and would have benefitted from jetisonning a mediocre song or two and half of the plot. However, there are a couple of songs that staid with me so I'd better keep this tape if I want to hear them again.

Stage Door Canteen.......2007-05-13

What a delightful music video. So many stars in this movie that one can't count them all. A real classic that everyone should watch with a friend in the military.

Complete at last!.......2007-01-21

I rejoice to say that this version of Stage Door Canteen (Critic's Choice Edition) is the real thing, uncut, with all the vaudeville and band performances intact. I'll bet I've bought this movie, either in VHS or DVD formats, 4 or 5 times at least. Each version would be missing at least one segment, usually more. And each time it'd be different segments! Now all the bands (Xavier Cugat, Kay Kyser, Count Basie with Ethel Waters, Benny Goodman with Peggy Lee, Freddy Martin and Guy Lombardo) are here, as well as all the comic and musical bits I've seen over the years.

If you've never seen the movie, it ain't no great shakes in the drama department, but it is an unforgettable look at both a galaxy of Hollywood, stage and radio stars and at the kind of American culture and attitude that won World War Two. If you're a fan of the 30s-40s pop culture, love old radio, swing music, or if you have a sentimental love for this time in American history, give it a look. Just make sure it's this version!

mesmerizing.......2006-07-13

Stage door canteen is star-studded. The many cameo appearances and stage performances were interwoven nicely, the story intact and fluid. Though not recognising many of the stars, I can't help being impressed by the professional performances and the unquestionable support for the soldiers. Most noted among the performances were The Lord's Prayer (Gracie Fields), Ave Maria and The Flight of Bumble Bee (Yehudi Menuhin)on violin and piano accompaniment, Good night Sweetheart (Kenny Baker) as well as the puppet performances. The beautiful music elicited undivided attention and respect from the soldiers, the mood infectious across the screen. A young soldier lining up for food recognized the orange lady as the famous lady playing Juliet. Thus began the recital of the lines of Romeo and Juliet the play.

The version (not this one) I watched was not digitally restored. Yet it somehow delivered a powerful message. Emotional support from the young waitresses, dish washing and cooking by the show people, food donation from everywhere offered a unified and unreserved support for the young soldiers who were known as Dakota, Jersey, California (named after the places they come from). Simple rules that the waitresses could not meet soldiers outside the canteen and staff could not taste the leftover (such as rationed coffee) were enforced effectively. Back then, things were simpler, more black and white.

Average customer rating:

Slightly Dated, with Some Top Acts!
not hepburn

Stage Door Canteen
Starring: Katherine Hepburn; Ralph Bellamy; Goerge Jessel; Tallulah Bankhead; Count Basie; Xavier Cugat
Director: Frank Borzage
Manufacturer: Miracle Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Stage Door Canteen
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ASIN: B0002DRBZ2
Release Date: 2002-02-02

Product Description

From back cover, "A young soldier on a pass in NYC visits the aed Stage Door Canten, where famous stars of the theater and films appea, and host a recreational center for servicemen during the war. He meets a pretty young hostess, they fall in love, and both enjoy the talents of the entertainers.

Customer Reviews:

Slightly Dated, with Some Top Acts!.......2006-04-07

With a corney love story which seems silly, given that after about 2-3 really dull dates, the two heart throbs finally get a shot-gun wedding. And some of the "Stars" are apparently somewhat smug in their special roles. Having said that, there are some really fine pieces here: Ray Bolger doing one of the most incredible tap dances ever filmed, Ed Bergen and Charlie McCarthy, Benny Goodman and his orchestra with Peggy Lee doing a sultry "Why Don't You Do Right",and CountBasie and his Band leading the performances. Worth checking out just for these 4 acts! And there are several others almost as good.

not hepburn.......2004-10-10

This was listed under hepburn. she has a brief cameo at the end of the film. I would not recommend this to someone who thinks thatt this is a hepburn piece.

It is a period piece with performances by famous WWII era stars; Ray Bolger, al jolson, and others.

Average customer rating:

GREAT WAR-TIME ENTERTAINMENT
Avoid DVDs from Image Entertainment
Excellent example of patriotism at it's best during wartime
Memories of the Forties
Entertaining Memento of a More Optimistic Era

Stage Door Canteen
Starring: Judith Anderson , Kenny Baker (II) , Tallulah Bankhead , Ralph Bellamy , and Edgar Bergen
Director: Frank Borzage
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00005Y6YM
Release Date: 2002-03-26

Amazon.com

Stage Door Canteen (1943), directed by Frank Borzage (A Farewell to Arms) in support of the war effort, prefigures Anchors Aweigh and On the Town in depicting the lives of servicemen on leave in the big city. Countless British and American celebrities put in an appearance--everyone from Dame Judith Anderson to Katharine Hepburn, Count Basie to Benny Goodman. The story concerns three soldiers and the female volunteers they fall for at the canteen of the title--a real-life Manhattan nightspot--before shipping out for points unknown. While the largely unknown principals (Cheryl Walker, William Terry, etc.) handle the drama and romance, bigger stars like Harpo Marx and Tallulah Bankhead take care of the comedy and scene-stealing supporting bits. This historical document was most commonly shown in an edited-for-TV 93-minute version but is now available again in its original--more entertaining--132-minute length. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Description

Forty-eight of America's greatest entertainers star in Sol Lesser's patriotic homage to the soldiers of World War II and the Stage Door Canteen, the famous serviceman's club in New York City. Essentially a two-hour concert held together by a moving storyline involving three girls working as club hostesses and the soldiers on their way to Europe for D-Day with whom they fell in love. A great snapshot of America restored from the original camera negative.

Customer Reviews:

GREAT WAR-TIME ENTERTAINMENT.......2006-02-28

In the 1940's there were two Canteens...the Hollywood Canteen in California and the STage Door Canteen in New York, set-up to entertain serviceman who were getting ready to go to war or who were on leave. The big attraction was that many Hollywood stars would work at the two establishments doing everything from bussing tables to dancing with the servicemen. Stage Door Canteen does a pretty good job of capturing the feel of the real establishment. One can only guess at the wide-eyed wonder these young men had when people like Bette DAvis and John Garfield waited on them.

The thin plot follows a group of serviceman who are about to be shipped off to fight. And that's really about it. They were not setting out to make a dramatic classic. This was strictly a morale booster film, loaded with celebrities. Among the guest stars are: Ralph Bellamy, Edgar Bergen, Helen Hayes, katherine Hepburn, Harpo Marx, George Raft, and Johnny Weissmuller as well as the orchestras of Count Basie, Benny Goodman, and Kay Kyser. It's sort of like a 1940's version of "We are the World" with all these celebs joining together for a great cause.

Fabulous entertainment!

Avoid DVDs from Image Entertainment.......2005-07-28

I ordered STAGE DOOR CANTEEN on May 28. I have yet to receive a
DVD! It has not yet shipped. This is irresponsible business
dealing.

Excellent example of patriotism at it's best during wartime.......2005-07-14

I taped this movie when it appeared on PBS a few months ago, then I got busy and put it aside. I finally watched it the other day and was very impressed with this story of how patriotic people were during WW2 and how the Stage Door Canteen made all service men feel welcome. A cavalcade of stars and top notch big bands appear to make the boys feel at home and have a chance to enjoy their free time before eventually being shipped off to either Europe or the Pacific. Back in the day, many Hollywood stars donated their time to the Stage Door Canteen, providing entertainment as well as helping serve food and doing the cleanup afterward. I enjoyed the budding romance between hostess Eileen and totally smitten soldier Dakota. At first Eileen is more hung up on getting a role in a Broadway show than anything else, but later in the film she realizes that she'd been acting like a heel and really does have feelings for Dakota. There are plenty of good performances as well, particularly by Edgar Bergen & Charlie McCarthy; Ray Bolger(clowning around in the uniform jacket of the marine who kept asking him if he was Ray Bolger); and especially the music of the orchestras of Kay Kyser, Freddie Martin, Count Basie, Benny Goodman and Guy Lombardo. The brief screen appearance by the great Kate Hepburn is a very moving one. A real treat for anyone who is a WW2 buff or into the 1940s music era.

Memories of the Forties.......2005-07-13

The average person in their twenties would have no appreciation of the movie. I watched it remembering the dances we did, the songs we sang and the movies we saw. Reminiscing it is called. If you were not a part of that age, you would have no imagination of the simple way we lived and the things we enjoyed. In the days when you danced with a partner. When people had respect for one another. When people showed consideration to each other. All in the past when manners meant something. The film stars devoted many unpaid hours of their time visiting the Canteens, entertaining in the camps and trying to bring some joy into the lives of the servicemen. The young have a lot to learn when it comes to tolerance and consideration.
The movie brought back many pleasant memories and sad ones too.

Entertaining Memento of a More Optimistic Era.......2005-04-24

This movie is so fun that it is almost poignant, since it's nearly impossible to imagine anything like it being made today. It's sort of in a category of its own, since it's somewhere between comedy, romance, documentary, musical, and patriotic propaganda, but it works.

It was fascinating for me to glimpse so many of the stars from this era, since I don't know most of them. Yet even in their brief cameos you can feel some of the charisma that made them stars. For example, Tallulah Bankhead (who I had never seen before) has maybe ten seconds of screen time, but she leaves one of the biggest impressions. Oh and in contrast to what someone else wrote, I thought the Romeo and Juliet scene (with the line "parting is such sweet sorrow") was rather lovely and well done (by a stage actress I had never heard of).

I could go on and one about various moments by various performers, because there are almost 50 cameos, and lots of them are really funny and/or moving (Katherine Hepburn's climactic pep talk, for instance, demands mention). The framing narrative is a little corny, sure, but it's just innocent fun (and c'mon, it's based on an Irving Berlin song).

I live in New York, and my grandfather once mentioned going to a place like the canteen (maybe even this exact one!) when he was in the navy stationed here in WWII, but I had never really understood what he was talking about before I saw this movie.

I stumbled on this one boring Saturday night on PBS and highly recommend it to anyone of any age. I hate using such an old-fashioned word as delightful, but it fits. Stage Door Canteen really puts a smile on your face.

Till the Clouds Roll By / Stage Door Canteen

Average customer rating:

Till the Clouds Roll By / Stage Door Canteen
Starring: Judy Garland; Dinah Shore; Lena Horne; Frank Sinatra; Katherine Hepburn; George Jessel; Tallulah Bankhead; Count Basie; Xavier Cugat
Director: Richard Wharf; Frank Borzage
Manufacturer: Miracle Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Till the Clouds Roll By (Remastered Edition)

ASIN: B0002PT8G0
Release Date: 2002-02-02

Product Description

"Till the Clouds Roll By" This extraordinay bigraphical film of American Broadway pioneer Jerome Kern features renditions of his most famous songs from his esteemed musicals. "Stage Door Canteen" A young soldier on a pass in New York City visits the famed Stage Door Canteen where famous stars of the theater and films appear and host a recreational center for siervicemen.

Average customer rating:

Stage Door Canteen / Private Buckaroo
Starring: The Andrew Sisters; Harry James; Donald O'Connor
Director: Edward Cline
Manufacturer: Miracle Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Average customer rating:

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Manufacturer: Digiview Productions
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

State of the Union
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ASIN: B000ERAOPK

Product Description

During wartime a young soldier visits a recreational center. Famous stars perform at this hotspot in New York City. Original release date not shown on package.

Average customer rating:

Stage Door Canteen
Starring: Judith Anderson , Henry Armetta , Tallulah Bankhead , Ralph Bellamy , and Benny Goodman
Manufacturer: Genius Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0002T6Z6W
Release Date: 2004-01-01

Product Description

This digitally remastered Dorsey Brothers Classic is a Wartime romance story about a soldier(Dakota) who visits the famous NYC, Stage Door Canteen and falls in love with a hostess(Eileen). Includes numerous cameos and musical numbers by some of the era's biggest stars such as Katharine Hepburn, Count Basie, Helen Hayes, Benny Goodman, Johnny Weissmuller, Gracie Fields, Tallulah Bankhead, Merle Oberon, and Ray Bolger to name just a few.

Average customer rating:

Stage Door Canteen/Private Buckaroo
Starring: Stage Door Canteen , and Private Buckaroo
Manufacturer: Krb Music
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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[9 Movie Pack] the Big Chance / the Big Wheel "Mickey Rooney" / the Great Rupert / Joe Palooka "Jimmy Durante" / Charade / Amazing Adventure "Cary Grant" / Stage Door Canteen "Katherine Hepburn" / Private Buckaroo "The Andrew Sisters" / a Christmas Without Snow "Michael Learned"

Average customer rating:

[9 Movie Pack] the Big Chance / the Big Wheel "Mickey Rooney" / the Great Rupert / Joe Palooka "Jimmy Durante" / Charade / Amazing Adventure "Cary Grant" / Stage Door Canteen "Katherine Hepburn" / Private Buckaroo "The Andrew Sisters" / a Christmas Without Snow "Michael Learned"

ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

Average customer rating:

STAGE DOOR CANTEEN & PRIVATE BUCKAROO

ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Product Description

2 ALL TIME GREAT JUMPIN AND JIVIN MUSICALS.

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