United Artists
Not part of a collection.
Stage Door Canteen
YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT IT! READ ABOUT IT! NOW *SEE* THE WORLD'S GREATEST ENTERTAINMENT HIT!
A young soldier on a pass in New York City visits the famed Stage Door Canteen, where famous stars of theatre and film appear and host a recreational center for servicemen during the war. The soldier meets a pretty young hostess and they enjoy the many entertainers and a growing romance.
- Original title
- Stage Door Canteen
- Language
- EN
- Country
- US
- Budget
- —
- Revenue
- —
CinemaSerf
Aug 20, 2025 · via TMDB
“Is there something wrong with your throat?” “Yeah, there is a lump in it…!” Well no wonder when there are forty hungry soldiers and sailors outside this canteen looking for corned beef and ketchup, and that’s before they have even met the gals like “Eileen” (Cheryl Walker) who are frequenting the place trying to make their last nights before deployment as much fun and memorable as they can. The film is a compendium of cameos and on-stage performances from an array of stars who provided their services to gee up the young people who are about to head off to a conflict from which there may well be no return. Those stories are played out with enthusiasm by a few very boyish actors - epitomised by “Dakota” (William Terry) - who evoke clean cut, polite and respectful characteristics whilst the likes of Ed Wynn and Harpo Marx raise a laugh. George Raft does some washing up; Johnny Weissmuller does likewise without his shirt; Merle Oberon does some charming hosting; Yehudi Menuhin plays a short excerpt of “The Flight of the Bumblebee”; Dame May Whitty and Judith Anderson make what must be briefest appearances of their distinguished careers and there’s a mischievous musical number from Gracie Fields unashamedly taking aim at a musically dwindling number of Japanese pilots. It actually moves along quite well as it offers us a combination of entertainment and sentiment. That latter element isn’t laboured, indeed it’s quite engagingly, even gingerly, delivered by teenagers who come across as greener than anything that ever graced the “Gables”. It’s long, but you can play a 1940s version of “Who’s Wally?” as you try to recognise many of those household names that haven’t necessarily stood the test of time. Katharine Hepburn delivers the coup de grâce at the end, with a lovingly but potently delivered reinforcement of the message that there are tough times ahead, but if everyone pulls their weight then the days of the axis are numbered.
User reviews courtesy of TMDB.
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Cheryl Walker
Eileen Burke
William Terry
Dakota Smith
Marjorie Riordan
Jean
Lon McCallister
California
Margaret Early
Ella Sue
Sunset Carson
Tex
Dorothea Kent
Mamie
Frederick Brady
Jersey
Judith Anderson
Judith Anderson
Kenny Baker
Kenny Baker
Tallulah Bankhead
Tallulah Bankhead
Ralph Bellamy
Ralph Bellamy
Edgar Bergen
Edgar Bergen
Ray Bolger
Ray Bolger
Ina Claire
Ina Claire
Katharine Cornell
Katharine Cornell
Gracie Fields
Gracie Fields
Lynn Fontanne
Lynn Fontanne
Helen Hayes
Helen Hayes
Katharine Hepburn
Katharine Hepburn
Hugh Herbert
Hugh Herbert
Jean Hersholt
Jean Hersholt
George Jessel
George Jessel
Gypsy Rose Lee
Gypsy Rose Lee
Alfred Lunt
Alfred Lunt
Harpo Marx
Harpo Marx
Elsa Maxwell
Elsa Maxwell
Yehudi Menuhin
Yehudi Menuhin
Ethel Merman
Ethel Merman
Paul Muni
Paul Muni
Merle Oberon
Merle Oberon
George Raft
George Raft
Lanny Ross
Lanny Ross
Martha Scott
Martha Scott
Ethel Waters
Ethel Waters
Johnny Weissmüller
Johnny Weissmüller
Ed Wynn
Ed Wynn
Henry Armetta
Henry Armetta
Benny Baker
Benny Baker
Helen Broderick
Helen Broderick
Lloyd Corrigan
Lloyd Corrigan
Jane Darwell
Jane Darwell
William Demarest
William Demarest
Virginia Field
Virginia Field
Ann Gillis
Ann Gillis
Lucile Gleason
Lucille Gleason
Vera Gordon
Vera Gordon
Virginia Grey
Virginia Grey
Sam Jaffe
Sam Jaffe
Allen Jenkins
Allen Jenkins
Roscoe Karns
Roscoe Karns
Tom Kennedy
Tom Kennedy
Otto Kruger
Otto Kruger
June Lang
June Lang
Betty Lawford
Betty Lawford
Bert Lytell
Master of Ceremonies
Aline MacMahon
Aline MacMahon
Horace McMahon
Horace MacMahon
Peggy Moran
Peggy Moran
Ralph Morgan
Ralph Morgan
Alan Mowbray
Alan Mowbray
Elliott Nugent
Elliott Nugent
Patrick O'Moore
Australian
Franklin Pangborn
Franklin Pangborn
Helen Parrish
Helen Parrish
Selena Royle
Selena Royle
Cornelia Otis Skinner
Cornelia Otis Skinner
Ned Sparks
Ned Sparks
Arleen Whelan
Arleen Whelan
May Whitty
Dame May Whitty
Count Basie
Count Basie
Xavier Cugat
Xavier Cugat
Benny Goodman
Benny Goodman
Kay Kyser
Kay Kyser
Guy Lombardo
Guy Lombardo
Freddy Martin
Freddy Martin
Harry Babbitt
Kay Kyser Band Singer (uncredited)
Dave Barbour
Musician (uncredited)
Jane Cowl
Jane Cowl (uncredited)
Trudy Erwin
Kay Kyser Band Singer (uncredited)
Pat Flaherty
Dubious Army Sergeant (uncredited)
Arlene Francis
Arlene Francis (uncredited)
Mack Gray
Waiter (uncredited)
Eddie Hall
Soldier on Train (uncredited)
Edna Mae Harris
Sun Tan Girl (uncredited)
Louis Jean Heydt
Captain Robinson (uncredited)
John James
Don Brandt (uncredited)
Kenner G. Kemp
Marine (uncredited)
Jack Lambert
Sailor Cutting In with Ina Claire (uncredited)
Gertrude Lawrence
Gertrude Lawrence (uncredited)
Peggy Lee
Benny Goodman Orchestra Singer (uncredited)
Sully Mason
Kay Kyser Band Singer (uncredited)
George Mathews
Marine Sergeant with Ray Bolger (uncredited)
Francis Pierlot
Minister at Jersey's Wedding (uncredited)
Django Reinhardt
Django Reinhardt (uncredited)
Ruth Roman
Girl (uncredited)
Lina Romay
Xavier Cugat Orchestra Singer (uncredited)
Arthur Walsh
Jitterbugging Soldier (uncredited)
Jesse White
Jesse White (uncredited)
Matt Willis
Sergeant on Train (uncredited)
Clem Beauchamp
Set Decoration
Frank Borzage
Director
Frank Borzage
Producer
C. Bakaleinikoff
Music Director
Richard Rodgers
Songs
Lorenz Hart
Lyricist
Delmer Daves
Screenplay
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The Call-up
Alvin and the Chipmunks
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A Cinderella Story: Starstruck
How to Marry a Millionaire
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The Big Store
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Jun 24, 1943
Dec 24, 1948
