Hollywood Canteen (A)

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The Hollywood Canteen operated at 1451 Cahuenga Boulevard in Hollywood, California between October 3, 1942 and November 22, 1945 (Thanksgiving Day) as a club offering food, dancing and entertainment for servicemen, usually on their way overseas. Even though the majority of visitors were U.S servicemen, the Canteen was open to servicemen of allied countries as well as women in all branch of service. The serviceman's uniform was his ticket to admission and everything at the Canteen was free of charge.

The East Coast counterpart was the New York City–based Stage Door Canteen, which featured Broadway stars and was also celebrated in a film, "Stage Door Canteen"

The driving force behind its creation were Bette Davis and John Garfield along with composer Jules Stein, President of Music Corporation of America (MCA), who headed up the finance committee. Davis devoted an enormous amount of time and energy to the project and served as its president. The cost of materials for the renovations and the labor was all donated by members of the various guilds and unions of the entertainment industry. The Canteen was operated and staffed by volunteers from the entertainment industry only. By the time the Canteen opened its doors, over 3000 stars, players, directors, producers, grips, dancers, musician, singers, writer, technicians, wardrobe attendants, hair stylists, agents, stand-ins, publicists, secretaries, and allied craftsmen of radio and screen had registered as volunteers.

Glamorous stars volunteered to wait on tables, cook in the kitchen and clean up. On September 15, 1943, the one millionth guest walked through the door of the Hollywood Canteen. The lucky soldier, Sgt. Carl Bell, received a kiss from Betty Grable. (That works out to nearly 2,900 servicemen a day for the Hollywood Canteen alone!)

A Hall of Honor at the Hollywood Canteen had a wall of photos that honored the film actors who served in the military. Most of those actors, while on shore leave, came out to help the Canteen.

In 1944, Warner Bros Studio made a star-studded film about the Hollywood Canteen.

Bob Hope, who had a young family and a burgeoning film and radio career, volunteered many times at the canteen. His performances bookended the Hollywood Canteen’s lifespan. Hope performed on the canteen’s opening night, October 3, 1942. On the evening of November 22, 1945, Hope and comedian Jack Benny headlined the canteen’s final performance.

When the Hollywood Canteen closed, the organization's $500,000 surplus was donated to veterans’ relief funds. Most of the funds were profits from two films, the 1943 musical comedy Thank Your Lucky Stars and the 1944 film Hollywood Canteen, a fictionalized account of a servicemen’s visit to the canteen. Both featured many of the stars who volunteered at the canteen and donated their salaries in support.

The former site of the canteen on the corner of Sunset Boulevard at 1451 Cahuenga Boulevard is unrecognizable today. Instead of the lines of servicemen waiting to be waited on and entertained by aproned celebrities, Hollywood tourists can see a parking garage and the neighboring high-rise. During the Hollywood Canteen’s three-year lifespan, more than 3,000 volunteers distributed three million packs of cigarettes and served six million pieces of cake, 125,000 gallons of milk, and nine million cups of coffee. The Hollywood Canteen had hosted and entertained nearly four million service members.

Over 225 photographs of the Hollywood Canteen can be seen at http://www.hollywoodphotographs.com

The Hollywood Canteen, the Stage Door Canteen in New York, the USO service centers, and the Bob Hope and USO tours reached servicemen and women around the World. The USO is still active - their motto is "Service until they all come home".

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