Stage Door Canteen
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Frank Borzage
Produced by	Frank Borzage Sol Lesser
Written by	Delmer Daves
Starring	Cheryl Walker William Terry Marjorie Riordan Lon McCallister Margaret Early
Music by	James Monaco Fred Rich Richard Rodgers
Cinematography	Harry Wild
Distributed by	United Artists
Release date(s)	June 24, 1943 (1943-06-24)
Running time	132 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Stage Door Canteen (1943) is a musical film produced by Sol Lesser Productions and distributed by United Artists. It was directed by Frank Borzage and features many cameo appearances by celebrities, and the majority of the film is essentially a filmed concert although there is also a storyline to the film.

Stage Door Canteen is presently in the public domain in North America and for this reason is widely available in many DVD and VHS releases of varying quality.

Contents 1 Background and production 2 Plot 3 Cameos (alphabetical order) 4 See also 5 External links

[edit] Background and production

The film, made in wartime, celebrates the work of the "Stage Door Canteen", created in New York City as a recreational center for servicemen on leave to socialize with, be entertained or served by theatrical celebrities.

The real Stage Door Canteen on 44th Street could not be used for the filming as it was too busy receiving real servicemen. It was recreated in New York and at the RKO Radio Pictures studio in Culver City. There also was a Stage Door Canteen in the Academy of Music Building in Philadelphia.

[edit] Plot

The storyline of the film follows several women who volunteer for the Canteen and who must adhere to strict rules of conduct, the most important of which is that while their job is to provide friendly companionship to and be dance partners for the (often nervous) men who are soon to be sent into combat, no romantic fraternization is allowed. One volunteer who confesses to only becoming involved in the Canteen in order to be discovered by one of the Hollywood stars in attendance, ultimately finds herself falling in love with one of the soldiers.

Star appearances range from momentary cameos, such as Johnny Weissmuller, seen working in the canteen's kitchen, to more substantial roles such as Katharine Hepburn, who helps advance the plot.

Most of the cameos were filmed at the studio, but a number of spots -- Benny Goodman's, for example -- were filmed in New York City.

[edit] Cameos (alphabetical order)

(featured performer) means either they performed a number or had extended dialog in the plot)

• Judith Anderson
• Henry Armetta
• Kenny Baker
• Tallulah Bankhead
• Ralph Bellamy
• Jack Benny
• Edgar Bergen (with Charlie McCarthy and Mortimer Snerd) (featured performer)
• Ray Bolger (featured performer)
• Helen Broderick
• Ina Claire
• Katharine Cornell (This is the only film she ever made.)
• Lloyd Corrigan
• Jane Darwell
• William Demarest
• Gracie Fields (featured performer)
• Lynn Fontanne
• Arlene Francis
• Virginia Grey
• Helen Hayes
• Katharine Hepburn (featured performer;Hepburn's only co-starring effort in a musical, even though she doesn't sing in the film)
• Hugh Herbert
• Jean Hersholt
• Sam Jaffe
• Allen Jenkins
• George Jessel (featured performer)
• Otto Kruger
• Gertrude Lawrence
• Gypsy Rose Lee (featured performer)
• Alfred Lunt
• Bert Lytell
• Aline MacMahon
• Harpo Marx
• Elsa Maxwell
• Helen Menken
• Yehudi Menuhin (featured performer)
• Ethel Merman (featured performer)
• Peggy Moran
• Alan Mowbray
• Paul Muni
• Merle Oberon
• Franklin Pangborn
• Brock Pemberton
• George Raft
• Lanny Ross
• Martha Scott
• Cornelia Otis Skinner
• Ned Sparks
• Bill Stern
• Ethel Waters (featured performer)
• Johnny Weissmuller
• Dame May Whitty
• Ed Wynn (featured performer)

Orchestras: (all featured performers)

• Count Basie
• Xavier Cugat (with Lina Romay as featured vocalist)
• Benny Goodman (with Peggy Lee as featured vocalist)
• Kay Kyser
• Guy Lombardo
• Freddy Martin

[edit] See also

• Follow the Boys
• Hollywood Canteen
• Star Spangled Rhythm
• Thousands Cheer
• Thank Your Lucky Stars
• Stage Door Cartoon

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Stage Door Canteen

• Stage Door Canteen at the Internet Movie Database
• Big band from Massachusetts area that plays music from the era of the movie.

v • d • e The films of Frank Borzage 1910s The Pride and the Man • Dollars of Dross • Land o' Lizards • Immediate Lee • Flying Colors • Until They Get Me • The Gun Woman • The Curse of Iku • The Shoes That Danced • Innocent's Progress • Society for Sale • An Honest Man • Who Is to Blame? • The Ghost Flower • The Atom • Toton the Apache • Whom the Gods Would Destroy • Prudence on Broadway 1920s Humoresque • The Duke of Chimney Butte • Get-Rich-Quick Wallingford • Back Pay • Billy Jim • The Good Provider • The Valley of Silent Men • The Pride of Palomar • The Nth Commandment • Children of the Dust • The Age of Desire • Secrets • The Lady • Daddy's Gone A-Hunting • The Circle • Lazybones • Wages for Wives • The First Year • The Dixie Merchant • Early to Wed • Marriage License? • Seventh Heaven • Street Angel • Lucky Star • They Had to See Paris • The River 1930s Song o' My Heart • Liliom • Doctors' Wives • Young as You Feel • Bad Girl • After Tomorrow • Young America • A Farewell to Arms • Secrets • Man's Castle • No Greater Glory • Little Man, What Now? • Flirtation Walk • Living on Velvet • Stranded • Shipmates Forever • Desire • Hearts Divided • Green Light • History Is Made at Night • Big City • Mannequin • Three Comrades • The Shining Hour • Disputed Passage 1940s Strange Cargo • The Mortal Storm • Flight Command • Smilin' Through • The Vanishing Virginian • Seven Sweethearts • Stage Door Canteen • His Butler's Sister • Till We Meet Again • The Spanish Main • Magnificent Doll • I've Always Loved You • That's My Man • Moonrise 1950s China Doll • The Big Fisherman Television "Screen Director's Playhouse" (1955 - 1966)

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