Hollywood Canteen (1944)

Director:

Delmer Daves

Writer:

Delmer Daves (original screenplay)

Release Date:

15 December 1944 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Musical | Romance

Tagline:

62 Stars in Warners' Biggest Ever!

Plot:

Two soldiers on sick leave spend three nights at the Hollywood Canteen before going back to active duty...

Plot Keywords:

Hollywood | Soldier | Kiss | Hollywoodland | Sound Stage

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Oscars.

Cast

The Andrews Sisters	...	Themselves (as Andrews Sisters)
Jack Benny	...	Himself
Joe E. Brown	...	Himself
Eddie Cantor	...	Himself
Kitty Carlisle	...	Herself
Jack Carson	...	Himself
Dane Clark	...	Sergeant Nowland
Joan Crawford	...	Herself
Helmut Dantine	...	Himself
Bette Davis	...	Herself
Faye Emerson	...	Herself
Victor Francen	...	Himself
John Garfield	...	Himself
Sydney Greenstreet	...	Himself
Alan Hale	...	Himself
Paul Henreid	...	Himself
Robert Hutton	...	Corporal Slim Green
Andrea King	...	Herself
Joan Leslie	...	Herself
Peter Lorre	...	Himself
Ida Lupino	...	Herself
Irene Manning	...	Herself
Nora Martin	...	Herself
Joan McCracken	...	Herself
Dolores Moran	...	Herself
Dennis Morgan	...	Himself
Janis Paige	...	Studio Guide
Eleanor Parker	...	Herself
William Prince	...	Himself
Joyce Reynolds	...	Herself
John Ridgely	...	Himself
Roy Rogers	...	Himself
Trigger	...	Himself
S.Z. Sakall	...	Himself
Zachary Scott	...	Himself
Alexis Smith	...	Herself
Barbara Stanwyck	...	Herself
Craig Stevens	...	Himself
Joseph Szigeti	...	Himself
Donald Woods	...	Himself
Jane Wyman	...	Herself
Jimmy Dorsey and His Orchestra	...	Themselves (as Jimmy Dorsey and His Band)
Carmen Cavallaro and His Orchestra	...	Themselves
The Golden Gate Quartette	...	Themselves
Rosario	...	Herself
Antonio	...	Himself
Sons of the Pioneers	...	Themselves
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Carmen Cavallaro	...	Himself - Leader of His Orchestra
Jimmy Dorsey	...	Himself - Leader of His Band
William Alcorn	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Betty Alexander	...	Herself - Junior Hostess (uncredited)
Laverne Andrews	...	Herself - One of the Andrews Sisters (uncredited)
Maxene Andrews	...	Herself - One of the Andrews Sisters (uncredited)
Patty Andrews	...	Herself - One of the Andrews Sisters (uncredited)
Lynn Baggett	...	Herself - Junior Hostess (uncredited)
Diana Barrymore	...	Herself - Junior Hostess (uncredited)
Julie Bishop	...	Herself, Julie Bishop - Junior Hostess (uncredited)
Betty Brodel	...	Herself - Joan Leslie's Sister (uncredited)
Paul Brooks	...	Himself - Busboy (uncredited)
Barbara Brown	...	Mrs. Brodel (uncredited)
Betty Bryson	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Dwight Butcher	...	Soldier Getting Married (uncredited)
Jack Coffey	...	Dancer (uncredited)
John Dehner	...	Norwegian Sailor (uncredited)
Ralph Dunn	...	Studio Gate Guard (uncredited)
Richard Erdman	...	Soldier on Deck (uncredited)
James Flavin	...	500-ton Marine Sergeant (uncredited)
Bess Flowers	...	Herself - Kitchen Helper (uncredited)
Rudolf Friml Jr.	...	Himself - Orchestra Leader (uncredited)
Ceferino García	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Hayes Gordon	...	Extra (uncredited)
Mary Gordon	...	Herself - Dishwasher (uncredited)
Angela Greene	...	Herself - Junior Hostess (uncredited)
Jonathan Hale	...	Mr. Brodel (uncredited)
Bill Kennedy	...	Himself - Busboy (uncredited)
Dorothy Malone	...	Herself - Junior Hostess (uncredited)
Eddie Marr	...	Dance Director (uncredited)
Charles Marsh	...	Diner Without Spoon (uncredited)
Jack Mattis	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Chef Milani	...	Himself (uncredited)
Johnny Mitchell	...	Himself - Busboy (uncredited)
Jack Mower	...	Juice-Stand Proprietor (uncredited)
Bob Nolan	...	Himself (uncredited)
Marianne O'Brien	...	Herself - Junior Hostess (uncredited)
Virginia Patton	...	Herself - Junior Hostess (uncredited)
LeRoy Prinz	...	Himself (uncredited)
Larry Rio	...	Salior Kissed by Eddie Cantor (uncredited)
Robert Shayne	...	Himself - Busboy (uncredited)
John Sheridan	...	Himself - Busboy (uncredited)
Charles Sherlock	...	Photographer (uncredited)
Freddie Steele	...	South American Sailor (uncredited)
Mark Stevens	...	Soldier on Deck (uncredited)
Charles Sullivan	...	Car Delivery Man (uncredited)
Ray Teal	...	Captain (uncredited)
William Terry	...	Marine - Number 999,999 in Line (uncredited)
Colleen Townsend	...	Herself - Junior Hostess (uncredited)
George Turner	...	Tough Marine (uncredited)
Willard Van Simmons	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Theodore von Eltz	...	Director (uncredited)
Jack Wise	...	Himself - Busboy (uncredited)
Alfred Ybarra	...	Himself - Set Designer at Desk (uncredited)

Directed by
Delmer Daves

Writing credits
Delmer Daves		(original screenplay)

Produced by
Alex Gottlieb	....	producer
Jack L. Warner	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Heinz Roemheld		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Bert Glennon

Film Editing by
Christian Nyby

Art Direction by
Leo K. Kuter		(as Leo Kuter)

Set Decoration by
Casey Roberts

Costume Design by
Milo Anderson

Makeup Department
Perc Westmore	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Chuck Hansen	....	unit manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Arthur Lueker	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Charles David Forrest	....	sound recordist
Oliver S. Garretson	....	sound recordist

Music Department
Leo F. Forbstein	....	musical director
Ray Heindorf	....	music adaptor
Heinz Roemheld	....	composer: music cues (uncredited)

Other crew
LeRoy Prinz	....	choreographer

Production Companies

• Warner Bros. Pictures

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1944) (USA) (theatrical)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1991) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2008) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Andrews Sisters  group cast members
• Carmen Cavallero and His Orchestra  group cast members
• Golden Gate Quartet  group cast members: singers
• Jimmy Dorsey and His Orchestra  group cast members
• Rosario and Antonio  group cast members

Runtime:

124 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Australia:G | Finland:S | Sweden:Btl

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

Cole Porter's genial, "unsophisticated" cowboy song, "Don't Fence Me In," via the Decca recording by Bing Crosby (who did not appear in the picture) and The Andrews Sisters, reigned as the number-one "Billboard" single for eight weeks, between December 23, 1944 and February 10, 1945.

Goofs:

Continuity: When "Slim" is sightseeing in Hollywood at the beginning of the film his infantry division patch (40th Div) is shown on his left shoulder. However, in one scene (right after the swimming pool), the patch is displayed on his right shoulder.

Quotes:

Jane Wyman: I've been Reagan-ized!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Honeymooners: The $99,000 Answer (#1.18)" (1956)

Soundtrack:

What Are You Doin' the Rest of Your Life

Worth watching for "The General Jumped At Dawn"!

This movie in and of itself is only a curio piece, During the war (WWII), there was a Hollywood Canteen staffed by celebrities for military personnel and this film grew out of that effort. What is worth watching are the musical numbers, particularly one fairly early in the movie, called, "The General Jumped at Dawn" by a group called, "The Golden Gate Quartet". They're excellent and this is the only place I've ever seen or heard of them. I don't know what happened to them. but for me, they are the highlight of the movie! Not a great movie, but worth your time nonetheless.