| Stage Door Canteen (B&W) | 
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Avg. Customer Rating:   (based on 11 reviews)
Sales Rank: 6972
Category: Video
Actors: Judith Anderson, Kenny Baker (ii), Tallulah Bankhead, Ralph Bellamy, Edgar Bergen
Director: Frank Borzage
Publisher: Madacy Records
Studio: Madacy Records
Manufacturer: Madacy Records
Label: Madacy Records
Format: Black & White, Ep, Original Recording Reissued, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), Russian (Original Language), Spanish (Original Language)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Media: VHS Tape
Running Time: 132 minutes
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 7.3 x 4.2 x 1.1
ISBN: 6303934420
UPC: 056775601133
EAN: 9786303934426
ASIN: 6303934420
Release Date: September 19, 1997
Theatrical Release Date: 1943
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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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 This historical document was most commonly shown in an edited-for-TV 93-minute version but is now available again in its original--more entertaining--132-minute length.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
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| Customer Reviews: Read 6 more reviews...
GREAT WAR-TIME ENTERTAINMENT February 28, 2006
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
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 July 28, 2005
3 out of 11 found this review helpful
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.
 Memories of the Forties July 13, 2005
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
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.
Excellent example of patriotism at it's best during wartime July 13, 2005
9 out of 10 found this review helpful
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.
Entertaining Memento of a More Optimistic Era April 24, 2005
8 out of 8 found this review helpful
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.
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