The Hollywood Canteen operated at 1451 North Cahuenga Boulevard in the Los Angeles, California, neighborhood of Hollywood between October 3, 1942, and November 22, 1945, as a club offering food, dancing, and entertainment for enlisted men and women, who were usually on their way overseas during World War II. Even though the majority of visitors were US servicemen, the canteen was open to allied countries as well as women in all branches of service. Their tickets for admission were just their uniforms, and everything at the canteen was free of charge.
The canteen was co-founded by the actors Bette Davis and John Garfield. 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 (1943).
Not to be confused with the modern-era unrelated Hollywood Canteen cafe (1006 North Seward Street); Hollywood Guild and Canteen (1284 North Crescent Heights Boulevard); or the canteen of the Hollywood USO (1654 North Cahuenga; later, 1531 North Cahuenga; later, 6225 Hollywood Boulevard), the Bob Hope USO Club in the LAX Theme Building, or the Beverly Hills USO at The Beverly Hills Hotel.
History Background In 1942, Hollywood's entertainment industry members joined forces to form the Hollywood Canteen. Actors Bette Davis and John Garfield are credited with organizing the canteen, inspired by Garfield's visit to Manhattan's Stage Door Canteen (operated by the American Theatre Wing). Davis and Garfield began enlisting an executive board of directors (later including Bob Hope), who in turn elected a slate of officers which included Davis as president and Garfield as one of its vice-presidents. They would both maintain their elected positions throughout the entirety of the war and thus, the Hollywood Canteen's duration. Other officers included Jean Lewin as secretary, Al Ybarra as treasurer, and musicians' union leader J.K. Wallace as another vice-president. Davis also requested the assistance of Jules Stein, head of the Music Corporation of America, to help as a financial advisor.
Garfield, Davis, and the rest of the elected officers then sought an establishment for their West Coast canteen. They found an abandoned nightclub, formerly known as "The Red Barn" or "Rio Grande Hall". They also enlisted support from 42 different guilds and unions within Hollywood's creative community, who sponsored the endeavor and amended their by-laws, which then enabled those individuals to volunteer their time and labor free of compensation. Numerous carpenters, electricians, plumbers, and other trades within the industry worked alongside the stars with donated materials to refurbish the building. Actor Richard Whorf painted murals along the walls, maintaining the western theme. Davis also contacted the Hollywood Victory Committee, which was associated with the Screen Actors Guild and chaired by James Cagney, in which entertainers were often sent out to military camps and on war bond drives. She requested and received consent to contact members directly regarding their participation in the Hollywood Canteen.
The first fundraiser for the new canteen came the month prior to its opening, courtesy of the film premiere of The Talk of the Town (1942), starring Cary Grant, Jean Arthur, and Ronald Colman. At the behest of publicist Bob Taplinger, each ticket was coupled with an invite to the afterparty at Ciro's nightclub. Proceeds went directly to the Hollywood Canteen, and were estimated to be over $5,000.
Davis was remanded on medical bedrest for exhaustion a week prior to the grand opening, following the completion of filming Watch on the Rhine (1943). However, she was present for opening night. Irene Dunne presided over a Hollywood Canteen committee luncheon at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, in which local merchants and vendors gathered to discuss various supplies to donate for the following week's opening.
Grand opening On Saturday, October 3, 1942, the Hollywood Canteen opened its doors. in a former livery stable at 1451 Cahuenga Boulevard in Los Angeles. Thousands of soldiers, sailors, and other servicemen arrived to partake in the festivities. Eddie Cantor was the master of ceremonies on opening night, while president Bette Davis gave a speech thanking everyone from all the unions and guilds for their hard work and contributions. The venue opened Monday–Saturday evenings from 7pm to midnight. On Sundays, it was open from 2 to 8pm. There was a new entertainment show every hour and a half, at which point the next wave of waiting servicemen shuffled inside.
More than 3,000 celebrities and industry personnel volunteered to be anything, from hostesses, waiting staff, busboys, cooks, and dishwashers to cigarette vendors, soda jerks, dancing partners, and mopping at the end of the night. Enlisted men needed only their uniforms to enter the facility. The food, refreshments (no alcohol), cigarettes, dances, autographs, and entertainment were all free. Stars were required to pay $50 to sit in the bleachers; otherwise, be willing to work the floor. There were two small corner tables for individuals who were neither servicemen nor celebrities. These were known as "The Angel's Tables", and cost $100 each.
The stars were seen multitasking in various roles from one night to the next. Davis was seen handing out cigarettes to the soldiers. Laird Cregar was said to have gotten "dishwasher hands" from being at the sink too long. Betty Grable did the Jitterbug with dozens of cadets. Abbott and Costello brought laughter to the troops, and live music was ubiquitous. Maria Riva, Marlene Dietrich's daughter, recalled an anecdote where her mother decided to wash dishes and was joined by Hedy Lamarr. According to Riva, Davis quipped, "Get those two krauts out of the kitchen!"
Press agent Mack Millar consistently helped generate further publicity. Cantor donned a Santa Claus suit at the first Christmas gathering, and handed out a variety pack of gifts to each enlisted serviceman, which included cigarettes, candy, chewing gum, a diary, razor blades, a wallet, a sewing kit, and articles of clothing. By the end of 1942, vice-president John Garfield noted that the canteen was serving approximately 5,000 guys each night on weekends; and 20,000 throughout the rest of each week.
In September 1943, Sgt. Carl Bell, a Purple Heart recipient from Rising Star, Texas, was the 1,000,000th serviceman to visit the Hollywood Canteen. He received kisses from many female stars, including Dietrich, Grable, Lana Turner, and Deanna Durbin. Jean Gabin, Dietrich's boyfriend at the time, would often dodge the spotlight and remain in the kitchen. One night, while Dietrich was sweeping up near closing time, a soldier approached, commandeered the broom to assume sweeping duties, and stated, "Look, honey, you have to do this enough at home."
Although segregation still occurred elsewhere in the 1940s, including USO policies, both the Stage Door and Hollywood Canteens permitted integrated socialization and mixed dancing. The canteen also unveiled a "Hall of Honor" at its first anniversary gala (held in November 1943). The plaques commemorated those film industry representatives who were serving in the war.
In media An array of stars appeared in cameo roles, many of them musical, in the Warner Bros. film, Thank Your Lucky Stars (1943). Each star had been paid $50,000 by the studio, which was subsequently donated to the Hollywood Canteen.
By 1944, the canteen had become so popular that Warner Bros paid $250,000 for the rights to produce a movie titled Hollywood Canteen, just as its predecessor, Stage Door Canteen, had done the previous year. Starring Joan Leslie and Robert Hutton as fictional characters, the film also featured a plethora of stars, many of whom had volunteered at the real canteen, playing themselves. It was written and directed by Delmer Daves. Warner Bros. donated 40% of proceeds from the film to both the Hollywood Canteen and the Stage Door Canteen in New York.
Legacy The canteen opened its doors for the final time on the afternoon of Thursday, November 22, 1945, which was Thanksgiving Day. More than 5,000 G.I.s flowed in and out, enjoying turkey dinners and entertainment. Kay Kyser and Bette Davis led a chorus of "Auld Lang Syne" in commemoration of the past three years of service, in which the Hollywood Canteen and its thousands of volunteers had entertained more than 3,000,000 in uniform.
Once the canteen was officially closed, they had a remainder of funds totaling more than $500,000, including profits from the titular film. The committee and directors aimed to establish a fund that would continue to aid veterans. After closing, for the next two decades, the canteen continued as a foundation, donating nearly $1 million to veterans hospitals and other philanthropic causes. Jules Stein succeeded Davis as president in May 1966.
The structure where the canteen was once located no longer exists. In December 1966, by which time it had been converted into the "Off-Hollywood Boulevard" theater, a bulldozer leveled it into a parking lot. Currently, a parking garage and a building operated by CNN are located on the site, which is just south of Sunset Boulevard.
Volunteers Noted celebrities who donated their services at the Hollywood Canteen are listed.
Bud Abbott & Lou Costello Larry Adler Adrian Iris Adrian Brian Aherne Eddie Albert Robert Alda Kay Aldridge Katharine Alexander Barbara Jo Allen Fred Allen Sara Allgood Astrid Allwyn June Allyson Carmen Amaya Don Ameche Eddie "Rochester" Anderson Ernest Anderson Judith Anderson Dana Andrews The Andrews Sisters Heather Angel Evelyn Ankers Eve Arden Harold Arlen Richard Arlen Louis Armstrong Desi Arnaz Charles Arnt Jean Arthur Dorothy Arzner Fred Astaire Mary Astor Roscoe Ates Mischa Auer Lew Ayres Lauren Bacall Faith Bacon Irving Bacon Lynne Baggett Lucille Ball Tallulah Bankhead Vilma Bánky Theda Bara Lynn Bari Jess Barker Lex Barker Binnie Barnes Wendy Barrie Edgar Barrier Don "Red" Barry Diana Barrymore Ethel Barrymore Lionel Barrymore Freddie Bartholomew Albert Bassermann Anne Baxter Warner Baxter John Beal Louise Beavers Noah Beery Jr. Noah Beery Sr. Wallace Beery Ralph Bellamy Robert Benchley William Bendix William "Billy" Benedict Bruce Bennett Constance Bennett Joan Bennett Jack Benny Edgar Bergen Ingrid Bergman Busby Berkeley Milton Berle Irving Berlin Willie Best Turhan Bey Charles Bickford Julie Bishop Vivian Blaine Janet Blair Mel Blanc Clara Blandick Joan Blondell Betsy Bloomingdale Monte Blue Ann Blyth Humphrey Bogart Mary Boland Ray Bolger Ward Bond Beulah Bondi Olive Borden Victor Borge Frank Borzage Clara Bow Lee Bowman Mayor Fletcher Bowron William Boyd Charles Boyer Eddie Bracken Sybil Brand Bobby Breen El Brendel Tom Breneman Walter Brennan Evelyn Brent George Brent Felix Bressart Fanny Brice Lloyd Bridges Leslie Brooks Lillian Bronson Barbara Brown Clarence Brown Joe E. Brown Les Brown & HisBand of Renown Nigel Bruce Virginia Bruce Edgar Buchanan Billie Burke George Burns & Gracie Allen Mae Busch Charles Butterworth Red Buttons Spring Byington Bruce Cabot James Cagney Jeanne Cagney Louis Calhern Cab Calloway & His Orchestra Rod Cameron Candy Candido Judy Canova Eddie Cantor Harry Carey Jr. Harry Carey Sr. Olive Carey Kitty Carlisle Mary Carlisle Richard Carlson Hoagy Carmichael John Carradine Alma Carroll Georgia Carroll John Carroll Leo G. Carroll Madeleine Carroll Nancy Carroll Jack Carson Ben Carter Benny Carter Adriana Caselotti Carmen Cavallaro Marge Champion Lon Chaney Jr. Ilka Chase Charlie Chaplin Marguerite Chapman Cyd Charisse Ruth Chatterton Rita Christiani Agatha Christie Dane Clark Mae Clarke Lee J. Cobb Charles Coburn Steve Cochran Harry Cohn Claudette Colbert Patricia Collinge Ronald Colman Jerry Colonna Perry Como Betty Compson Joyce Compton Chester Conklin Richard Conte Donald Cook Gary Cooper Gladys Cooper Melville Cooper Ben Corbett Rita Corday