Hollywood Canteen

For the 1944 Warner Bros. motion picture, see Hollywood Canteen (film).
Marlene Dietrich (left) and Rita Hayworth serve food to soldiers at the Hollywood Canteen in 1942.

The Hollywood Canteen operated at 1451 North Cahuenga Boulevard in the Los Angeles, California,[1][2] neighborhood of Hollywood between October 3, 1942 and November 22, 1945, as a club offering food, dancing, and entertainment for enlisted men and women,[1][3] who were usually on their way overseas during World War II.[4] 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.[5] Their tickets for admission were just their uniforms, and everything at the canteen was free of charge.[6][7]

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,[8] which featured Broadway stars and was also celebrated in a film, Stage Door Canteen (1943).[9]

History

Background

In 1942, Hollywood's entertainment industry members joined forces to form the Hollywood Canteen.[6] Actors Bette Davis and John Garfield are credited with organizing the canteen,[8][10][11] inspired by Garfield's visit to Manhattan's Stage Door Canteen (operated by the American Theatre Wing).[1][12][13] Davis and Garfield began enlisting an executive board of directors (later including Bob Hope),[14][15] who in turn elected a slate of officers which included Davis as president and Garfield as one of its vice-presidents.[11][16] They would both maintain their elected positions throughout the entirety of the war and thus, the Hollywood Canteen's duration.[14][17] Other officers included Jean Lewin as secretary, Al Ybarra as treasurer, and musicians' union leader J.K. Wallace as another vice-president.[1][6] Davis also requested the assistance of Jules Stein, head of the Music Corporation of America, to help as a financial advisor.[1][7][18]

Garfield, Davis, and the rest of the elected officers then sought an establishment for their West Coast canteen.[1] They found an abandoned nightclub,[19] formerly known as "The Red Barn" or "Rio Grande Hall".[20] They also enlisted support from 42 different guilds and unions within Hollywood's creative community,[21] who sponsored the endeavor and amended their by-laws, which then enabled those individuals to volunteer their time and labor free of compensation.[22][23] Numerous carpenters, electricians, plumbers, and other trades within the industry worked alongside the stars with donated materials to refurbish the building.[1][24] Actor Richard Whorf painted murals along the walls, maintaining the western theme.[19] Davis also contacted the Hollywood Victory Committee, which was associated with the Screen Actors Guild and chaired by James Cagney,[25] in which entertainers were often sent out to military camps and on war bond drives.[15][17] She requested and received consent to contact members directly regarding their participation in the Hollywood Canteen.[1][25]

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),[19] starring Cary Grant, Jean Arthur, and Ronald Colman.[20] At the behest of publicist Bob Taplinger,[1] each ticket was coupled with an invite to the afterparty at Ciro's nightclub.[26] Proceeds went directly to the Hollywood Canteen, and were estimated to be over $5,000.[12][22]

Davis was remanded on medical bedrest for exhaustion a week prior to the grand opening,[16] following the completion of filming Watch on the Rhine (1943).[23] However, she was present for opening night.[27] 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.[28]

Grand opening

On Saturday, October 3, 1942,[3] the Hollywood Canteen opened its doors.[29] Thousands of soldiers, sailors, and other servicemen arrived to partake in the festivities.[30] Eddie Cantor was the master of ceremonies on opening night,[24] while president Bette Davis gave a speech thanking everyone from all the unions and guilds for their hard work and contributions.[3] The venue opened Monday–Saturday evenings from 7pm to midnight. On Sundays, it was open from 2 to 8pm.[6] There's a new entertainment show every hour and a half,[19] at which point the next wave of waiting servicemen shuffle inside.[30]

More than 3,000 celebrities and industry personnel volunteered to be anything,[6] from hostesses, waiting staff, busboys, cooks, and dishwashers to cigarette vendors, soda jerks, dancing partners, and mopping at the end of the night.[10][29] Enlisted men needed only their uniforms to enter the facility.[8] The food, refreshments (no alcohol), cigarettes, dances, autographs, and entertainment were all free.[12] Stars were required to pay $50 to sit in the bleachers;[1] otherwise, be willing to work the floor.[24] There were two small corner tables for individuals who were neither servicemen nor celebrities.[6] These were known as "The Angel's Tables", and cost $100 each.[7]

The stars were seen multitasking in various roles from one night to the next.[10] Davis was seen handing out cigarettes to the soldiers.[31] Laird Cregar was said to have gotten "dishwasher hands" from being at the sink too long.[3] Betty Grable did the Jitterbug with dozens of cadets.[3] Abbott and Costello brought laughter to the troops, and live music was ubiquitous.[32] Maria Riva, Marlene Dietrich's daughter, recalled an anecdote where her mother decided to wash dishes and was joined by Hedy Lamarr.[17][25] According to Riva, Davis quipped, "Get those two krauts out of the kitchen!"[33]

Press agent Mack Millar consistently helped generate further publicity.[7][11] 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.[11] By the end of 1942, vice-president John Garfield noted that the canteen was serving approximately 5,000 guys each night on weekends;[6] and 20,000 throughout the rest of each week.[11][32]

Frank Sinatra (center) performing at the Hollywood Canteen for U.S. servicemen in 1943, accompanied by Harry James (left, standing with sheet music) and his big band.

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.[34] He received kisses from many female stars, including Dietrich, Grable, Lana Turner, and Deanna Durbin.[32] Jean Gabin, Dietrich's boyfriend at the time, would often dodge the spotlight and remain in the kitchen.[11][30] 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."[25][30]

Although segregation still occurred elsewhere in the 1940s, including USO policies,[18] both the Stage Door and Hollywood Canteens permitted integrated socialization and mixed dancing.[1][35] The canteen also unveiled a "Hall of Honor" at its first anniversary gala (held in November 1943).[5] The plaques commemorated those film industry representatives who were serving in the war.[36]

In media

An array of stars appeared in cameo roles, many of them musical, in the Warner Bros. film, Thank Your Lucky Stars (1943).[37] Each star had been paid $50,000 by the studio, which was subsequently donated to the Hollywood Canteen.[37][38]

By 1944, the canteen had become so popular that Warner Bros. produced a movie titled Hollywood Canteen, just as its predecessor had done the previous year.[9] Starring Joan Leslie and Robert Hutton as fictional characters,[32] the film also featured a plethora of stars—many of whom had volunteered at the real canteen—playing themselves.[39] 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.[40][41]

Legacy

The canteen opened its doors for the final time on the afternoon of Thursday, November 22, 1945,[17] which was Thanksgiving Day.[42] More than 5,000 G.I.s flowed in and out, enjoying turkey dinners and entertainment.[21] 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.[21][39]

Once the canteen was officially closed, they had a remainder of funds totaling more than $500,000, including profits from the titular film.[41] The committee and directors aimed to establish a fund that would continue to aid veterans.[43] After closing, for the next two decades, the canteen continued as a foundation, donating nearly $1 million to veterans hospitals and other philanthropic causes.[44] Jules Stein succeeded Davis as president in May 1966.[44]

The structure where the canteen was once located no longer exists.[45] In December 1966, by which time it had been converted into the "Off-Hollywood Boulevard" theater, a bulldozer leveled it into a parking lot.[45] Currently, a parking garage and a building operated by CNN are located on the site, which is just south of Sunset Boulevard.[citation needed]

Volunteers

Noted celebrities who donated their services at the Hollywood Canteen are listed.[citation needed]

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

The Hollywood Guild and Canteen

Several references to the Hollywood Canteen often erroneously list the address of The Hollywood Guild and Canteen,[32] a similarly titled but distinct establishment, which was located at 1284 North Crescent Heights Boulevard in a home once owned by the estate of silent film actor Dustin Farnum.[32][46] It was here that Anne "Mom" Lehr, wife of retired film executive Abraham Lehr,[46] provided free meals and bunk beds for servicemen beyond the end of the second World War.[42] Lehr also had her own rotation of volunteers,[32] and was able to elicit contributions throughout the war from generous celebrities and benefactors as well,[15] such as Tom Breneman (who paid for a swimming pool); Greer Garson (who donated a bamboo bar); and Lew Ayres (who wrote a check for $750, when the guild's bank account was overdrawn).[46] When the home was razed in 1948, several news articles failed to distinguish between the two "Hollywood Canteens", which led to a persistent confusion between the two organizations.[47] Anne Lehr died in 1951.[32]

Recognition

In 1946, Davis received an award from the War Department for Meritorious Service on behalf of her work for the Hollywood Canteen.[48]

This article is part of
a series about
Bette Davis

In 1983, the United States Department of Defense presented Davis with the Distinguished Civilian Service Award for her "dedicated, continuing support of the American armed forces".[49]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Mitchell, Lisa; Torrence, Bruce (July 11, 2013). "Chapter 1 – The Heart of the Matter: How It Began". The Hollywood Canteen: Where the Greatest Generation Danced With the Most Beautiful Girls in the World. Foreword by Joan Leslie. Albany, Georgia: BearManor Media. pp. 13–15. ISBN 978-1593934095. When John Garfield sat down for that commissary lunch with Bette Davis, he told her about what he had seen in New York—and of his strong belief that Hollywood must have its own Canteen as soon as possible.
  2. ^ Harrison, Scott (March 6, 2017). D'Vorkin, Lewis (ed.). "From the Archives: Entertaining the troops at Hollywood Canteen". Los Angeles Times. eISSN 2165-1736. ISSN 0458-3035. OCLC 3638237. Archived from the original on June 28, 2017. Retrieved October 28, 2023 – via WayBack Machine. Started by Bette Davis and others in 1942, the canteen on Cahuenga Boulevard became a fixture in Hollywood, during World War II.
  3. ^ a b c d e Myers, Robert (October 6, 1942). Lane, Clement Quirk (ed.). "Bette Shows The Way at New Canteen". Chicago Daily News. Wide World. p. 10. Retrieved October 29, 2023 – via GenealogyBank; NewsBank. A big fellow on shore patrol for the Navy, assured he was divulging no military secret, estimated there were 1,000 men inside the Canteen and 15,000 or more jammed outside on Sunset Boulevard, in the heart of the film capital. The Canteen holds only 1,000 at a time.
  4. ^ Hamilton, Sara (October 18, 1942). "Glamour At Hand for Uniforms". Detroit Sunday Times. p. 18. Retrieved October 29, 2023 – via GenealogyBank; NewsBank. Of course one sailor fainted dead away when he discovered it was Lamour he danced with and a soldier came down with whistling hiccoughs when Irene Dunne passed him the sandwiches and Cregar got stuck for two hours between tables, but those things are expected.
  5. ^ a b Doorly, Henry, ed. (November 2, 1943). "Nazi Weapon Swede Idea?". Evening World-Herald. Omaha, Nebraska. p. 13. ISSN 2641-9653. OCLC 1585533. Retrieved November 5, 2023 – via GenealogyBank; NewsBank. In addition, hundreds of WACs, WAVES and SPARS joined with the movie celebrities in the celebration.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g Spiro, J. D. (March 7, 1943). "At The Hollywood Canteen". The Milwaukee Journal. pp. 68–69. ISSN 1082-8850. OCLC 55506548. Retrieved November 5, 2023 – via GenealogyBank; NewsBank. Inspired by, and in a measure patterned after, New York's Stage Door Canteen, the Hollywood Canteen first took form in the minds of Bette Davis and John Garfield late last summer.
  7. ^ a b c d Kaufman, Wolfe (October 5, 1942). Catledge, Turner (ed.). "A Lesson in Democracy at Hollywood's Canteen". The Chicago Sun. Evans Sr., Silliman (publ.). p. 13. ISSN 1553-8478. Retrieved October 31, 2023 – via GenealogyBank; NewsBank. Well, 42 Hollywood guilds and unions are involved in the effort. Everyone works for free, of course. Jules Stein, head of Music Corporation of America, is treasurer. He accepts donations and handles the various moneys involved.
  8. ^ a b c "Actors to Organize Hollywood Canteen". The Bay City Times Extra. August 16, 1942. p. 18. Retrieved October 29, 2023 – via GenealogyBank; NewsBank. Hollywood – Movie-town newsreel: The celebrated Stage Door Canteen in Manhattan, where stars in all branches of show business entertain men in uniform—and only men in uniform—will have a counter-part here. Bette Davis and John Garfield are the organizers.
  9. ^ a b Aaker, Everett (May 3, 2013). George Raft: The Films. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company. p. 106. ISBN 978-0786466467. Retrieved October 27, 2023 – via Google Books. The romances depicted in this film were fictitious, but they provided a framework for numerous New York and Hollywood thespians to make cameo guest appearances.
  10. ^ a b c Arden, Doris (December 27, 1942). "MOVIES". Sunday Times. Chicago, Illinois. p. 97. Retrieved November 1, 2023 – via GenealogyBank; NewsBank. It means that the Hollywood Canteen, founded by Bette Davis and John Garfield, is a real success because these same stars have demonstrated what a good job they can do of playing host or hostess, of dishwashing, floor-mopping and acting as busboy.
  11. ^ a b c d e f Graham, Sheilah (December 19, 1942). Lane, Clement Quirk (ed.). "Sheilah Graham Tells How Hollywood Canteen Was Born". The Chicago Daily News. p. 8. Retrieved November 1, 2023 – via GenealogyBank; NewsBank. Do you want to know how the Hollywood Canteen got started? About four months ago, John Garfield bumped into Bette Davis in the Green Room of the Warner studio.
  12. ^ a b c Petersen, Anne Helen (November 27, 2012). Lapham, Lewis H. (ed.). "The Hollywood Canteen". Lapham's Quarterly. ISSN 1935-7494. Retrieved October 28, 2023. The Canteen was the brainchild of actor John Garfield, a 'flag-waving socialist' unable to enlist because of a heart condition, and Bette Davis, the so-called 'fourth Warner Brother' and reigning queen of the studio.
  13. ^ Parsons, Louella O. (August 19, 1942). "A Line or Two". Milwaukee Sentinel Extra!. International News Service. p. 14. ISSN 1082-8850. OCLC 55506548. Retrieved October 31, 2023 – via GenealogyBank; NewsBank. Bette Davis will finally get her stage door canteen, only it will be called 'The Hollywood Canteen' and will be run independently, even though it is affiliated with the theater wing.
  14. ^ a b Doorly, Henry, ed. (April 20, 1944). "Stage and Screen". Evening World-Herald. Omaha, Nebraska. p. 16. ISSN 2641-9653. OCLC 1585533. Retrieved October 30, 2023 – via GenealogyBank; NewsBank. Bette Davis was elected to a third term as president of the Hollywood canteen by the board of directors.
  15. ^ a b c Coons, Robbin; Mackie, A. D. (March 23, 1943). "Bette Becomes a Blitz". AMUSEMENTS. The Jersey Journal. Associated Press. pp. 9, 21. OCLC 44512660. Archived from the original on October 8, 1942. Retrieved October 30, 2023 – via GenealogyBank; NewsBank. Almost single-handed she organized the Hollywood Canteen, which is modelled after the New York Stage Door Canteen, and will provide an entertainment center for men in uniform.
  16. ^ a b Hopper, Hedda (November 1, 1942). Smith, Paul C. (ed.). "So Why Don't They Retire?". San Francisco Chronicle. p. 46. ISSN 1932-8672. OCLC 8812614. Retrieved November 1, 2023 – via GenealogyBank; NewsBank. In the meantime, she pauses long enough to become president of the Hollywood Canteen. Got out of a sick bed to attend the opening.
  17. ^ a b c d Sikov, Ed (October 30, 2007). "Chapter 14: For the Boys". Dark Victory: The Life of Bette Davis. New York, New York: Henry Holt and Company. pp. 210–212, 220–221, 230–231, 238, 254–255, 414. ISBN 978-0805075489. Retrieved November 3, 2023 – via Google Books. The Hollywood Victory Committee, led by Jimmy Cagney, insisted that Davis's policy of calling stars herself was inappropriate and that henceforth she would have to go through the committee to get celebrities to show up.
  18. ^ a b Bogle, Donald (February 18, 2009). Bright Boulevards, Bold Dreams: The Story of Black Hollywood. Random House. p. 233. ISBN 9780307514936. LCCN 2004054781. OCLC 55797844. OL 3308200M. Retrieved November 11, 2023 – via New York Public Library. Yet whereas the USO was segregated, with separate clubs for white and Negro soldiers, the Hollywood Canteen, like the East Coast Stage Door Canteen, was as open and integrated as possible at the time.
  19. ^ a b c d Holliday, Kate (November 29, 1942). "Miss Holliday's Feet Hurt, but It Is Delicious Pain". The Sunday Star (w/ Daily Evening Edition). Washington, D.C. Associated Press. p. 66. Retrieved October 31, 2023 – via GenealogyBank; NewsBank. Miss Davis, you know, is a rather energetic young woman. She doesn't waste any time. Neither does Mr. Garfield. In a few days the plan for a canteen in Hollywood was launched.
  20. ^ a b Parsons, Louella O. (August 24, 1942). "Hollywood Gossip". Detroit Evening Times. p. 16. Retrieved October 29, 2023 – via GenealogyBank; NewsBank. The Rio Grande hall, seating 1,000, off Sunset near Cahuenga, accessible to bus and street car, is the site selected. Bette Davis has done a tremendous amount of work in making the canteen possible. The proceeds from The Talk of the Town next Saturday night go to the maintenance of the canteen.
  21. ^ a b c Thomas, Bob (November 25, 1945). "Hollywood Canteen Closes With Gala Show After Entertaining GI Millions". The Midland Reporter-Telegram. Associated Press. p. 10. Retrieved November 3, 2023 – via GenealogyBank; NewsBank. There were few dry eyes as the last song was sung in the famed building that had entertained 3,000,000 service men and women.
  22. ^ a b "Workers Unite With Stars to Open Canteen". The Times-Picayune/New Orleans States. September 13, 1942. p. 80. ISSN 1055-3053. Retrieved October 31, 2023 – via GenealogyBank; NewsBank. Scores of unions representing almost every craft in the movie business let down all the bars and bans and worked together under the leadership of Bette Davis to grab over $5000 from the premiere-party of the Cary Grant, Jean Arthur, Ronald Colman comedy, The Talk of the Town.
  23. ^ a b Truesdell, John (September 28, 1942). "In Hollywood". Columbus Evening Dispatch. p. 13. ISSN 1074-097X. Retrieved October 29, 2023 – via GenealogyBank; NewsBank. Instead of going to bed, she went to bat...for the Hollywood canteen and accomplished an almost-impossible task. She got 42 jealous unions to sit down at one table and revise their by-laws so that soldiers and sailors could have every form of entertainment free here in Hollywood.
  24. ^ a b c Austin, Edward T.; McGrew, C. A., eds. (October 5, 1942). "New Canteen Dedicated to Servicemen". The San Diego Union (published October 4, 1942). Associated Press. p. 7. ISSN 1063-102X. Retrieved October 29, 2023 – via GenealogyBank; NewsBank. Movieland outdid itself tonight in dedicating a stupendously remodeled building, formerly housing a nightclub called the Barn, as the Hollywood Canteen.
  25. ^ a b c d Starr, Kevin (August 7, 2003). Embattled Dreams: California in War and Peace, 1940-1950 (1st ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0195168976. OL 3947887M. Retrieved November 12, 2023 – via Internet Archive. As Davis and Garfield envisioned the Canteen, it would be open twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. How in the world, asked the Victory Committee, James Cagney especially, could such an operation feature Hollywood celebrities without burning them out completely, or, worse, over-exposing them to the servicemen: pressing too much flesh in person, that is, hence diminishing the value, the magical presence, of the Hollywood star?
  26. ^ Hopper, Hedda (September 3, 1942). "Hedda Hopper's Hollywood". Boston Traveler. Blue Streak Edition. p. 15. Retrieved October 30, 2023 – via GenealogyBank; NewsBank. Saturday night, for the opening wedge of the Hollywood Canteen, she was just the hired help. If ever there was a whirling dervish, Bette was it.
  27. ^ Chapman, Tedwell (October 3, 1942). "Cinema Lane". Riverside Daily Press. p. 7. ISSN 0746-4258. LCCN sn85066506. OCLC 13108121. Retrieved October 31, 2023 – via GenealogyBank; NewsBank. Bette Davis returned to her Laguna Beach retreat after getting out of a sick bed to make certain that her 'baby', the Hollywood Canteen, got off to a good start.
  28. ^ Skolsky, Sidney (September 27, 1942). Catledge, Turner (ed.). "Luncheon of the Week". The Chicago Sun. Evans Sr., Silliman (publ.). p. 31. ISSN 1553-8478. Retrieved October 28, 2023 – via GenealogyBank; NewsBank. The Hollywood Canteen committee gave a luncheon at the Ambassador Hotel for leading merchants of Los Angeles, who are expected to donate various supplies for the Canteen which opens officially next Saturday. Irene Dunne presided; and one of the speakers she introduced was Chief Aviation Machinist A. J. Winchell, who was in the Battle of Midway.
  29. ^ a b Johnson, Erskine; Jopke, Frankie (October 8, 1942). "Buck Private Finds Great Entertainment in Dancing With Two Actresses". The Flint Journal. Newspaper Enterprise Association. p. 16. Retrieved November 2, 2023 – via GenealogyBank; NewsBank. 'I sat down at a table and a girl came along with a trayful of cigarets. I did a double take because I thought I recognized her and, sure enough, it was Bette Davis. She gives me a big smile and says hello and she's awful friendly. Later I hear she's chairman of the Canteen and did most of the work getting it started.'
  30. ^ a b c d Skolsky, Sidney (October 8, 1942). Catledge, Turner (ed.). "Life in Hollywood". The Chicago Sun. Evans Sr., Silliman (publ.). p. 14. ISSN 1553-8478. Retrieved October 30, 2023 – via GenealogyBank; NewsBank. Marlene Dietrich, her hair disheveled, was sweeping the floor of the Canteen near closing time. A soldier approached, took the broom out of her hands, started sweeping, and said: 'Look, honey, you have to do this enough at home.'
  31. ^ Butler Jr., Edward Hubert, ed. (October 7, 1942). "Star Shines As Cigarette Girl". Trenton Evening Times; Buffalo Evening News. Newspaper Enterprise Association. pp. 14, 52. ISSN 0745-2691. OCLC 8882862. Archived from the original on October 7, 1942. Retrieved November 2, 2023 – via GenealogyBank; NewsBank. Miss Davis and Actor John Garfield collaborated on the idea of establishing a canteen in Hollywood, an all-out effort of the film industry to entertain the service men.
  32. ^ a b c d e f g h Rasmussen, Cecilia (November 4, 2001). Carroll, John (ed.). "'Mom' Kept Home Fires Burning for Millions of Servicemen". Los Angeles Times. eISSN 2165-1736. ISSN 0458-3035. OCLC 3638237. Archived from the original on April 14, 2021. Retrieved November 4, 2023 – via WayBack Machine. More than a dozen carpentry-savvy Navy Seabees with the 93rd Battalion built hundreds of bunk beds, enlarged Lehr's house and erected other structures on the property to accommodate up to 1,000 military guests.
  33. ^ Director: David Riva & Writer: Karin Kearns (March 21, 2002) [2001-12-27]. Marlene Dietrich: Her Own Song (2001) (Documentary) (Film). Retrieved November 3, 2023. In this fascinating, 'revealing glimpse behind the image' (Los Angeles Times) narrated by Jamie Lee Curtis, director J. David Riva pays tribute to his world-renowned grandmother.
  34. ^ Hopper, Hedda (September 24, 1943). "Good Work". Chicago Tribune. Republished by The Evansville Courier. p. 33. eISSN 2165-171X. ISSN 1085-6706. OCLC 7960243. Retrieved November 4, 2023 – via GenealogyBank; NewsBank. Sgt. Carl Bell, from Rising Star, Tex., was the 1,000,000th man to visit the Hollywood canteen.
  35. ^ "Mixed Couples Can Now Dance At USO Canteen". The Jackson Advocate. Associated Negro Press. January 16, 1943. p. 8. ISSN 0047-1704. OCLC 4701538. Retrieved October 29, 2023 – via GenealogyBank; NewsBank. Miss Davis answered without hesitation, 'Of course not, let them dance if they want to.'
  36. ^ "Honor Actors". The Atlanta Journal. November 7, 1943. p. 47. ISSN 1539-7459. Retrieved November 5, 2023 – via GenealogyBank; NewsBank. Inscribed will be the names of Clark Gable, Jack Ford, Robert Montgomery, William Wyler, James Stewart, Victor Mature and about 200 other film workers who are serving their country in uniforms. Industry now has more than 6,000 representatives in the armed forces.
  37. ^ a b "Bette Davis Takes Fling At Dancing". Columbus Evening Dispatch. April 21, 1943. p. 12. ISSN 1074-097X. Retrieved October 30, 2023 – via GenealogyBank; NewsBank. So John Garfield, Jimmy Cagney, Olivia deHavilland, Ida Lupino and Miss D. have donated their salaries for bits in Thank Your Lucky Stars to its exchequer. By being hep-cats, Bette and the rest raised $50,000.
  38. ^ Eve, The Lady. "Old Hollywood Haunts, Pt. 3: The Hollywood Canteen, 1942 - 1945". Retrieved July 25, 2024.
  39. ^ a b Kupcinet, Irv (January 6, 1945). Finnegan, Richard J. (ed.). "Kup's Column". Daily Times. Chicago, Illinois. p. 18. Retrieved November 2, 2023 – via GenealogyBank; NewsBank. The 100,000 boys who attend each month consume 4,000 loaves of bread, 50,000 half-pints of milk, 400 pounds of butter, 1,500 pounds of coffee, 2,500 pounds of meat and 75,000 packs of cigarettes.
  40. ^ King-Hanson, Patricia; Dunkleberger, Amy, eds. (August 12, 1999). "Hollywood Canteen (1944)". AFI Catalog of Feature Films. The American Film Institute Catalog Of Motion Pictures Produced in the United States Feature Films, 1941-1950. Vol. F4 (3rd ed.). Berkeley, California: University of California Press. pp. 169–170. ISBN 978-0-520-21521-4. OL 7710550M. Retrieved November 3, 2003. Forty percent of the film's gross receipts were to be donated to the Hollywood Canteen.
  41. ^ a b "Warners Present Hollywood Canteen With Film Check". The Dallas Morning News. October 1, 1945. p. 3. ISSN 1553-846X. OCLC 1035116631. Retrieved November 5, 2023 – via GenealogyBank; NewsBank. In October Warner Brothers expect to present the Hollywood Canteen with another check for $80,000, bringing the studio's contributions to the canteen to approximately $390,000.
  42. ^ a b Thomas, Bob (December 27, 1945). "Guild Canteen Struggling To Aid Soldiers". Columbus Evening Dispatch. Associated Press. p. 17. ISSN 1074-097X. Retrieved November 3, 2023 – via GenealogyBank; NewsBank. When the guild was free, more than 1200 showed up daily. Now less than 400 appear every day.
  43. ^ Graham, Sheilah (September 13, 1946). "The Movie World". The Evening Bulletin. Providence, Rhode Island. North American Newspaper Alliance. p. 36. ISSN 2574-3406. OCLC 920412096. Retrieved November 4, 2023 – via GenealogyBank; NewsBank. I think that eventually she will decide on a factory where disabled veterans will be able to earn their way in life.
  44. ^ a b "Canteen Founder To Succeed Bette Davis". El Paso Herald-Post. May 28, 1966. p. 34. ISSN 0746-360X. LCCN sn83004683. OCLC 9978583. Retrieved November 4, 2023 – via GenealogyBank; NewsBank. During its operation, it accumulated considerable funds, largely through sharing in the profits of two motion pictures, Stage Door Canteen and Hollywood Canteen, and in the last 20 years, it has donated nearly $1,000,000 to veterans hospitals and various philanthropic organizations.
  45. ^ a b "Parking Lot Replaces Famed Hollywood Canteen". The Dallas Morning News. United Press International. December 23, 1966. p. 5. ISSN 1553-846X. OCLC 1035116631. Retrieved November 5, 2023 – via GenealogyBank; NewsBank. Only a handful of spectators were on hand Tuesday when a bulldozer operator began reducing it to rubble.
  46. ^ a b c Mosby, Aline (October 28, 1948). "Hollywood Guild Canteen Furnishings Go on Block". Corpus Christi Caller. United Press. p. 24. ISSN 0894-5365. Retrieved November 4, 2023 – via GenealogyBank; NewsBank. Some veteran had changed the movable letters on the menu sign to read, 'Goodbye, Mom Lehr. God bless our happy home, if we can find one. Two million boys.'
  47. ^ Poynter, Nelson, ed. (October 26, 1948). "Famed Hollywood Landmark Razed". St. Petersburg Times. Associated Press. eISSN 2641-4643. ISSN 2327-9052. OCLC 5920090. Retrieved October 28, 2023 – via Google News. The 30-year-old building was owned until 1945 by the estate of Dustin Farnum, silent film great.
  48. ^ "Bette Davis Receives Award". San Antonio Evening News. Hearst Sr., William Randolph (publ.). AP WirePhotos. October 9, 1946. p. 6. Retrieved November 3, 2023 – via GenealogyBank; NewsBank. Bette Davis, founder and president of the Hollywood Canteen, receives the War Department's award for Meritorious Service from Brig. Gen. Robert M. Cannon for her outstanding efforts in behalf of the canteen.
  49. ^ "Department of Defense to decorate Bette Davis". The State-Times Advocate. Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Associated Press. June 7, 1983. p. 7. eISSN 2767-3618. ISSN 1056-4306. LCCN sn83016835. OCLC 10157024. Retrieved November 4, 2023 – via GenealogyBank; NewsBank. Actress Bette Davis will be decorated by the Defense Department Saturday for her 'dedicated, continuing support of the American armed forces,' it was announced today.