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Posted on 04/05/2002 1:45:10 AM PST by Snow Bunny
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btw, you had a good mom! You were right to thank her for making you do your schoolwork!
Hollywood And The Stars:
Hollywood Goes To War.
The quality of this print is if anything better than "The Thirties". In the closing minutes of that film, Joseph Cotton mentions the gathering war clouds: here we see Hollywood's response beginning with Bob Hope and a lovely blonde entertaining the troops overseas.
But then every major star is featured doing their bit for the boys including a very lovely Yvonne De Carlo and a rather bored William Powell. Off duty shots of Paul Douglas. Joe E. Brown, Gary Cooper and Clark Gable lead to the credits and the space for the commercial break, (I rather wish Perry's had edited these out but then I suppose it is "authentic"
Hollywood heart-throb Clark Gable goes to war in Perry's excellent new import - see review. A mean and moody Errol Flynn in 'OBJECTIVE BURMA' - see review of 'HOLLYWOOD GOES TO WAR' whatever that means). We then zoom forward to the Korean War and the stars who entertained then including AI Jolson, Debbie Reynolds, Mickey Rooney and Marllyn Monroe at her loveliest.
Joseph Cotton talks about the precedent that was established which meant that is was part of a stars duties to entertain the troops In war time and to prove the point we see historical footage taken from the First World War showing Douglas Fairbanks Snr., Sessue Hayakawa, Sarah Bernhardt, Charlie Chaplin and Mary Pickford who managed to sell five million dollars worth of War Bonds in a single afternoon.
With the coming of the Second World War we are shown documentary footage of German troops on the march. Their grim aspect is contrasted with the gentler approach to war represented by Robert Montgomery who enlisted early on as an ambulance driver. Paris falls to the Germans and in Hollywood Myrna Loy, Dorothy Lamour, Fred MacMurray and Madeleine Carroll are knitting socks for the war effort. Jimmy Stewart and Douglas Fairbanks Jnr. enlist and then America enters the war for real with the bombing of Pearl Harbour.
It would seem from the footage that follows, that Spielberg's 1941 wasn't so far fetched as I thought. We see how Hollywood prepared for war with gun emplacements concealed beneath tennis courts and "Designer" Barrage Balloons.
Stars glimpsed in uniform include Caesar Romero and Buster Keaton while other stars such as James Cagney, Greer Garson, Fred Astaire, Dorothy Lamour, Cary Grant, Harpo Marx, Hedy Lamarr and a very young Glenn Ford hit the road on War Bond Tours. But it wasn't just through personal appearances that the stars hoped to sell war bonds. We see a fascinating selection of promotional films made during the time for showing in local cinemas. These feature Loretta Young. Jane Withers and some of the most stilted dialogue ever to clunk out of a loudspeaker. Walt Disney is seen sacrificing a metal statue of Bambi for the War Drive, Veronica Lake launches a battleship and then changes her hair style to safe-guard women in factories who have emulated her earlier style.
On a grimmer note, Carole Lombard is seen making her last public appearance before crashing to her death only hours later in a fatal plane crash. Gable enlisted shortly afterwards and this is the cue for a series of candid shots of stars in battle dress Including Tyrone Power, Glenn Ford, Henry Fonda, Gene Kelly, Gene Autry and Wayne Morris. Humbler servicemen are seen being entertained by Hollywood in private homes and at the famous Hollywood Canteen. Marlene Dietrich and Hedy Lamarr appear again as hostesses while entertaining onstage we see Jimmy Durante and Dick Powell looking a little less bored this time. Then it's time for another commercial break. The final third of the film begins with an extract from "Objective Burma". This is contrasted with extracts from some of the great documentaries on the reality of war, produced by such directors as William Wyler and John Huston.
Hollywood shows its gratitude to the foot soldier by arranging tours of the overseas Army and Naval bases. Among the visiting celebrities are glimpsed Joe E. Brown, Rita Hayworth, Jack Benny, Edward G Robinson, Danny Kaye, Gary Cooper again, John Wayne and of course, the man we began with, Bob Hope. He sings, he dances, he jokes, he chews gum, he shoots off a machine gun. Is it any wonder the G.I.s loved him?. In liberated Paris Marlene Dietrich sings her famous "See What the Boys In the Backroom Will Have", Lana Turner fries a steak In front of a microphone to revive memories of home for the boys in the field, Groucho Marx gags about Hollywood's female stars and most movingly of all Judy Garland sings "Over the Rainbow in a Radio Studio. While she sings we cut away to film of celebrations to welcome returning servicemen at the end of war. It is a touching and emotional end to a great six hundred feet of film.
And if that wasn't enough we are treated to a trailer for the following week's episode,, half an hour devoted to a documentary about the filming of Otto Preminger's "The Cardinal".
Apart from their attractions to movie buffs, these are the kind of releases that add interest to any film programme because they reawaken memories in everyone but the youngest of filmgoers. I can only urge you to buy them.
Reviewed by John Cane
Marines providing security make their rounds outside Camp X-ray where Afghan detainees are being kept, Wednesday, April 3, 2002, in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. (AP Photo/Beth A. Keiser)
A U.S. Marine providing security enters Camp X-ray, right, as a detainee is brought back to his cell Wednesday, April 3, 2002, in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. (AP Photo/Beth A. Keiser)
My favorite war movie was "Full Metal Jacket", followed closely by "Saving Private Ryan".
ALL:
Everyone be aware that Snow Bunny has earned and received her globe and anchor as a full-fledged honorary Marine!
TEEEEENN-HUTTTTTT!!
Thanks Billie for another fun day in the Canteen. Sorry I missed out on the fun by not being there live...sniff sniff.
Same here. LOL
Did you see me Louie, I was a gorgeous brunette with a great sense of style....lol
How could I miss such a gorgeous lady as yourself?
Eye pleasing to this LouieWolf, for sure. Ahhhhh-Rooooo! LOL
The most beautiful women are right here at the Canteen. : )
And thanks for the word on ROTC.
And you're just as pretty on the inside.
You're a special lady. : )
I'm taking my time going over the 'Doll Show', and am enjoying it immensely.
I sure missed a lot yesterday. : (
There have been some really wonderful war movies, and I'm sure others will post them here, so think I'll be lazy and let them do the honors. (still tired from yesterday - all that strutting on the runway with no food cause we might not get our jeans zipped was very draining. LOL)
I know, today I'll let T Man post my movie list and take *all* the credit since he was kind enough to let me bask in *some* of the praise yesterday for his tremendous work on the style show. :)
It's best not to, Sassy. Not a pretty picture!
We will just have to celebrate again today. You can never have too much cake and ice cream in the Canteen, especially with that occasionally misbehaved Beamer is around.....
Thank you, Sass. I missed all of you, too.
You Canteen ladies sure have "style". : )
Isn't the movie theme great? So far all of my favorites have been mentioned. We don't go to the movies very often either. We wait for them to come out on video. I'm like you, I don't like to cry at the theater! I always end up with a headache from trying to hold it in. *smile* kneezles has learned to have an extra hankie for me when we watch movies.
Well, all of this talk about movies has me hungry for popcorn! I think I'll go out to the kitchen and make some. :)
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War has come to our shores. It was committed on American soil. We have been able to live in Freedom only because of those who have fought in the past wars giving life, limb and all the sacrifices for us to live in Freedom and go about our day without fear. 
This is the Freeper version of the USO Canteen. Where soldiers could come and feel a small part of being at home. It is a place where you that have family in the military can post a thought to a loved one that might be able to read it far away from home. A place where we that support our military can help support them, post to them, fun graphics showing the price in America and our troops. Poems, quotes, cartoons, or articles of how America is behind our troops.
