Four soldiers spend their last three nights of freedom before being shipped overseas at the Stage Door Canteen. There they meet women, fall in love, and then go off to fight the war.
This movie was made to boost morale for the war and make money to fund different canteens across the country. Many stage and screen actors appeared in this movie for free. It's not a very good movie, but it is a valuable time capsule of 1943 and how America was dealing with the war at home. The main story with the soldiers is basically a framing story for a huge amount of musical acts and cameos.
Most of them are OK but there are a few highlights...and low lights. The lows: George Jessel (terribly unfunny), Ray Bolger (even worse) and Edgar Bergman and Charlie McCarthy (I had to fast forward through most of that)and a just dreadful patriotic speech Katharine Hepburn gives out at the end. The highs: Johnny Weismuller is an amusing bit part, Ed Wynn, Gypsy Rose Lee doing a G rated strip, a rare screen appearance by the legendary stage couple Lunt and Fontaine, Harpo Marx and a singing version of "Our Father" (!!!). The musical acts are all good but there are really way too many of them. I think I got all the screen actors cameos but some of the stage ones escaped me (unless someone said their names).
The acting by the main couples was all pretty good and they all did a good job with some truly sappy dialogue. And, I must admit, I broke down at the very end. Also, in a now amusing bit, you see a bunch of beautiful women cheerfully giving out free packs of cigarettes to the soldiers!
Worth seeing, but make sure you have your finger over the fast forward button!
This movie was made to boost morale for the war and make money to fund different canteens across the country. Many stage and screen actors appeared in this movie for free. It's not a very good movie, but it is a valuable time capsule of 1943 and how America was dealing with the war at home. The main story with the soldiers is basically a framing story for a huge amount of musical acts and cameos.
Most of them are OK but there are a few highlights...and low lights. The lows: George Jessel (terribly unfunny), Ray Bolger (even worse) and Edgar Bergman and Charlie McCarthy (I had to fast forward through most of that)and a just dreadful patriotic speech Katharine Hepburn gives out at the end. The highs: Johnny Weismuller is an amusing bit part, Ed Wynn, Gypsy Rose Lee doing a G rated strip, a rare screen appearance by the legendary stage couple Lunt and Fontaine, Harpo Marx and a singing version of "Our Father" (!!!). The musical acts are all good but there are really way too many of them. I think I got all the screen actors cameos but some of the stage ones escaped me (unless someone said their names).
The acting by the main couples was all pretty good and they all did a good job with some truly sappy dialogue. And, I must admit, I broke down at the very end. Also, in a now amusing bit, you see a bunch of beautiful women cheerfully giving out free packs of cigarettes to the soldiers!
Worth seeing, but make sure you have your finger over the fast forward button!