Arlene Francis

This delightfully sentimental movie documents (via a fictional tale) the real-life story of New York City’s Stage Door Canteen, an east coast version of the Hollywood Canteen, where soldiers were entertained by stage and screen stars of the era.

Stage Door Canteen -- A war time romance bloomes in WWII between canteen hostess Eileen and visiting soldier Dakota at New York's famous Stage Door Canteen. Their story provides the backdrop for showing the greatest film, stage, comedy, and musical actors of the day performing multiple plays, acts, and musical numbers, or serving drinks and food to U.S. servicemen at this famous non-profit establishment. See the likes of Katherine Hepburn, Helen Hayes, Kenny Baker, Ralph Bellamy, Charlie McCarthy, Ray Bolger, Tallulah Bankhead, Jean Hersholt, Gypsy Rose Lee, Harpo Marx, Johnny Weissmuller, and many more in this star-studded production. At the time, profits for this film were entirely donated to various wartime fundraising efforts.

Director Billy Wilder's Cold War farce comes off at a breakneck pace that will leave your head spinning. C.J. McNamara (James Cagney) is a Coca-Cola executive who travels to Berlin to promote the product on the other side of the Iron Curtain. But he soon learns that his real job is baby-sitting his boss's teenage daughter, Scarlett (Pamela Tiffin), who has secretly married volatile Communist Otto Piffl (Horst Bucholz).

During World War II, New York's Stage Door Canteen served as a friendly stop for off-duty soldiers. This star-studded romance tells the tale of Eileen (Cheryl Walker), a Canteen hostess who defies policy and falls for soldier Dakota Smith (William Terry). As the love affair unfolds, dozens of Hollywood's brightest stars appear as themselves, including Katharine Hepburn, Ed Wynn, Johnny Weissmuller, Ethel Merman, Harpo Marx and Gypsy Rose Lee.

A war time romance bloomes in WWII between canteen hostess Eileen and visiting soldier Dakota at New York's famous Stage Door Canteen. Their story provides the backdrop for showing the greatest film, stage, comedy, and musical actors of the day performing multiple plays, acts, and musical numbers, or serving drinks and food to U.S. servicemen at this famous non-profit establishment. See the likes of Katherine Hepburn, Helen Hayes, Kenny Baker, Ralph Bellamy, Charlie McCarthy, Ray Bolger, Tallulah Bankhead, Jean Hersholt, Gypsy Rose Lee, Harpo Marx, Johnny Weissmuller, and many more in this star-studded production. At the time, profits for this film were entirely donated to various wartime fundraising efforts.

A war time romance bloomes in WWII between canteen hostess Eileen and visiting soldier Dakota at New York's famous Stage Door Canteen. Their story provides the backdrop for showing the greatest film, stage, comedy, and musical actors of the day performing multiple plays, acts, and musical numbers, or serving drinks and food to U.S. servicemen at this famous non-profit establishment. See the likes of Katherine Hepburn, Helen Hayes, Kenny Baker, Ralph Bellamy, Charlie McCarthy, Ray Bolger, Tallulah Bankhead, Jean Hersholt, Gypsy Rose Lee, Harpo Marx, Johnny Weissmuller, and many more in this star-studded production. At the time, profits for this film were entirely donated to various wartime fundraising efforts.

A soldier on leave in New York goes to the Stage Door Canteen where they put on a show for servicemen during the War. He meets a pretty hostess and they enjoy the acts together.

Stage Door Canteen -- A soldier on leave in New York goes to the Stage Door Canteen where they put on a show for servicemen during the War. He meets a pretty hostess and they enjoy the acts together.

This delightfully sentimental movie documents (via a fictional tale) the real-life story of New York City’s Stage Door Canteen, an east coast version of the Hollywood Canteen, where soldiers were entertained by stage and screen stars of the era.