Stage Door Canteen, a 1943 wartime motion picture, was a real place in New York City. This movie is chalk full of big time stars of the day. Close your eyes for a second and you might miss Judith Anderson, Tallulah Bankhead, Ray Bolger, or any one of dozens of other actors playing themselves.
The Canteen was a
place where soldiers went on leave or before heading out in World War II. In fact, this movie was made almost as a charity event, with a good portion of the returns going to the effort. That’s why it’s so packed with celebrities.
I loved seeing Helen Hayes greeting soldiers. I almost didn’t recognize her since I’m used to seeing her in older roles. Katherine Hepburn was powerful in her part toward the end of the movie. The runaway scene stealer, though, was Katherine Cornell. She had a really nice, poignant bit with a young man in the buffet line. They recited a scene from Romeo and Juliet. It was powerful.
