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Strong and Moving!

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

Was awaiting assignment at Ft. Douglas, Utah when the movie of the week was "Hollywood Canteen". 'Don't Fence Me In' and 'Sweet Dreams, Sweetheart' became instant hits for me. The former became an instant hit for a smaller group during the Evacuation of the Pacific Coast. 68 years later, watched a tape of the movie again after also watching "Stagedoor Canteen". Having become a movie fan before starting kindergarten, have seen and forgotten many movies. The 'Canteen' movies plus "Thank Your Lucky Stars" and "Follow the Boys" are among those always remembered. Would agree with Ann Sheridan (the OOMPH girl) that the story was unlikely. Would agree that Janis Paige did herself proud with her performance. Am grateful to reviewer Dr Fox for setting the record straight for John Garfield. Feel that endings for the 'Canteen' pictures were actual and real for many GI's. I speak, of course, of the bittersweet partings, not of the 'movie star' involved. If you survived WWII or would like to learn more about it, see it ! !

I've got a weak spot when it comes to these all star extravaganzas which can never be again. With the old Hollywood studio system gone there's no place where all this talent can gather under one roof for the same picture. Put a film like this today it would have the budget of a second world country. The plots of these things are invariably silly, in this one it's GI Robert Hutton becoming the one millionth serviceman to enter the Hollywood Canteen and he gets an all expense weekend there with the girl of his dreams, Warner Brothers star Joan Leslie. That was part of the mythology of the day, if the film were done at Columbia Rita Hayworth might have been the object of Hutton's desires. That one I can believe a little more.The Hollywood Canteen in real life was the inspiration and personal project of Bette Davis and John Garfield and they preside over the film and it's many guest stars, mostly from the Warner Brothers lot.One exception to the rule was Roy Rogers who came over from Republic Pictures and brought the Sons of the Pioneers with him. I wonder what Herbert J. Yates got out of Jack Warner for Rogers's services? Anyway Roy gets to introduce the Cole Porter classic Don't Fence Me In in this film.Later on the Andrews Sisters sing it and they had a big hit record with Don't Fence Me In with Decca though they sang it with a well known crooner from that other studio Paramount for Decca Records.Joan Crawford made her first appearance at Warner Brothers in this film after leaving MGM. She dances with GI Dane Clark who after seeing combat in the Pacific faints at the realization he's dancing with JOAN CRAWFORD. Those were the days.Still I love these films so.

"Hollywood Canteen" is the story of the actual organization that fed and entertained soldiers during World War II, started by Bette Davis and John Garfield, both of whom appear in the film. Actual female movie stars served as hostesses and danced with the lonely soldiers. In this story, Slim (Robert Hutton) meets his fantasy woman, Joan Leslie, at the Canteen, and when he later becomes the one millionth man to enter the Canteen, he's allowed to choose her as his date for the weekend. Dane Clark plays his buddy.If you were at Warner Brothers in the '40s, you were in this movie, with very few exceptions. There was some wonderful musical performing as well, tops in my book being Carmen Cavallaro and Jack Benny's duet on the violin with Joseph Szigeti. You can also hear the Andrews Sisters, Roy Rogers and Trigger, Eddie Cantor, Benny Goodman and many others.All of the women looked stunning, including Davis, Alexis Smith, Eleanor Parker, Jane Wyman, Joan Leslie, Barbara Stanwyck, Ida Lupino, Joan Crawford, and an unbelievably young and gorgeous Janis Paige. There were also appearances by Dennis Morgan, Jack Carson, Sidney Greenstreet, Helmet Dantine, Paul Henried, and Peter Lorre.It was all very interesting but some of the numbers went on a bite long. However, if you're of that era, it will bring back some tremendous memories. Hutton (Barbara Hutton's cousin) was an interesting actor, likable and very reminiscent of Jimmy Stewart. He continued to work in Hollywood for another 30 years but never achieved stardom. Most fascinating to me was seeing and hearing Kitty Carlisle as she performed "Once to Every Heart," realizing that this film was made 62 years ago - and Kitty just performed her nightclub act, at 95, in New York City. God bless her.By the way, female servicewomen were not allowed in the Hollywood Canteen. I can't remember who it was, but eventually someone started tea dances for the women soldiers to give them someplace to go on leave. For shame.

I saw this after seeing "Stage Door Canteen," and while this film, for obvious reasons, seems to have more star-power in it as far as traditional Hollywood goes, I found "Stage Door" more compelling, both in the acting of the principal characters and the touching nature of the story. I also thought the actual set looked more realistic on "Stage Door." This one looked more contrived. Finally, I found the Roy Rogers bit with Trigger a little bit of a reach. That was a little too "Hollywood." And they really dragged out "Don't Fence Me In." Still, this is worth seeing for all the stars who are in it. These films are worth their weight for that reason alone.