I just watched Hollywood Canteen again last night on TCM. The cameos were well done, especially Sydney and Peter. I would have liked to have seen better leads in the Hutton and Clark roles. Clark's appearance to me was annoying and Hutton too naive and simple and dull. Joan Leslie was luminous. She just lights up a room. I salute Bette Davis and John Garfield and everyone involved for what they did to create the real Hollywood Canteen. I love the old 30's and 40's movies so it was fun to watch all of the stars come together to make an entertaining movie and to promote the Canteen and the military. This movie also renewed my interest in reading about Hollywood's involvement in World War 2 and to learn more about the real Hollywood Canteen.

What I'm reviewing is the last of the "war musicals"-of which the first four were Something for the Boys, Thank Your Lucky Stars, This is the Army, and Stage Door Canteen-that I just watched. In this one, one soldier has his dreams come true when he first kisses, and then dates, movie star Joan Leslie. I'll stop right there and just say what a lucky lady Ms. Leslie was during the times she appeared on the silver screen having previously starred with Gary Cooper, James Cagney, Fred Astaire, Eddie Cantor in TYLS, Ronald Reagan and George Murphy in TITA, and now with many of her fellow Warner contract players like John Garfield and Bette Davis in this one. She's one young lady who's led a very charmed life and is still around to tell the tale! Anyway, this was another all-star affair and what stars! I especially loved Jack Benny's appearance as he once again displayed his good and bad playing of his famous violin. And seeing Sydney Greenstreet and Peter Lorre make fun of their creepy selves when defending the honor of Patty Andrews was a hoot! Unlike his previous movie SDC, writer Delmer Daves is more lighter than dramatic here. So yes, I'd say the scenes between that soldier and Ms. Leslie tend to be on the wishful thinking side. So what, it was a nice thing to see on the screen. Anyway, that's a recommendation of Hollywood Canteen. P.S. I have to acknowledge the presence of Ms. Kitty Carlisle who's a native of New Orleans which is a two hour drive from where I now live here in Baton Rouge. And once again, I like to mention anyone from my favorite movie-It's a Wonderful Live-that's in other films or TV shows though once again, I didn't recognize Virginia Patton as any of the hostess in this movie like I didn't know where she was in TYLS.

Robert Hutton is a World War II soldier who dreams of meeting actress Joan Leslie. In Hollywoodland, dreams come true - so, in a trip to the "Hollywood Canteen" (hosted by Bette Davis and John Garfield), Mr. Hutton meets Ms. Leslie. He kisses her. Later, he dates her (as he is the one millionth soldier to visit the Canteen). Mr. Hutton's pal Dane Clark is around to take up some of the two hour running time. Many Warner Bros. studio stars appear. Some may not be as recognizable today as the were in 1944. The main reason to watch "Hollywood Canteen" is for a dose of Hollywood-style music, circa 1944 - hits like "Don't Fence Me In" and "Sweet Dreams Sweetheart" take you to dreamland. ***** Hollywood Canteen (12/15/44) Delmer Daves ~ Robert Hutton, Joan Leslie, Dane Clark

"Hollywood Canteen" is the story of the actual organization that fed and entertained soldiers during World War II, started by Bette Davis and John Garfield, both of whom appear in the film. Actual female movie stars served as hostesses and danced with the lonely soldiers. In this story, Slim (Robert Hutton) meets his fantasy woman, Joan Leslie, at the Canteen, and when he later becomes the one millionth man to enter the Canteen, he's allowed to choose her as his date for the weekend. Dane Clark plays his buddy.If you were at Warner Brothers in the '40s, you were in this movie, with very few exceptions. There was some wonderful musical performing as well, tops in my book being Carmen Cavallaro and Jack Benny's duet on the violin with Joseph Szigeti. You can also hear the Andrews Sisters, Roy Rogers and Trigger, Eddie Cantor, Benny Goodman and many others.All of the women looked stunning, including Davis, Alexis Smith, Eleanor Parker, Jane Wyman, Joan Leslie, Barbara Stanwyck, Ida Lupino, Joan Crawford, and an unbelievably young and gorgeous Janis Paige. There were also appearances by Dennis Morgan, Jack Carson, Sidney Greenstreet, Helmet Dantine, Paul Henried, and Peter Lorre.It was all very interesting but some of the numbers went on a bite long. However, if you're of that era, it will bring back some tremendous memories. Hutton (Barbara Hutton's cousin) was an interesting actor, likable and very reminiscent of Jimmy Stewart. He continued to work in Hollywood for another 30 years but never achieved stardom. Most fascinating to me was seeing and hearing Kitty Carlisle as she performed "Once to Every Heart," realizing that this film was made 62 years ago - and Kitty just performed her nightclub act, at 95, in New York City. God bless her.By the way, female servicewomen were not allowed in the Hollywood Canteen. I can't remember who it was, but eventually someone started tea dances for the women soldiers to give them someplace to go on leave. For shame.